Personal Growth
A postgraduate year gives students some extra time to strengthen academic skills, to participate in sports and to prepare for college admissions testing. For many students, it also gives them a little extra time to mature.
Over 150 schools worldwide offer postgraduate programs. Admissions standards vary as do the objectives of the postgraduate programs themselves. It probably makes a certain amount of sense to have a student stay on at his old school for the postgraduate year. If he wants to attend another school, he may find the admissions process almost as intimidating as applying to be a first year student. On the other hand, admissions to a post grad year at his old school will be a mere formality. Postgraduate years are particularly useful for boys who want an extra year to mature before moving on. The postgraduate year gives young men that little extra confidence which they might lack at the end of 12th grade.
Improve College Admissions Chances
Many students choose to do a post grad year to improve their chances for admission to a particular college. College admissions can be fiercely competitive. If a student has his heart set on getting into a certain college, he may in fact be better off waiting out a year in the hopes that his application might be more favorably received. As with all academic decisions, it is a good idea to seek advice from an educational consultant.
Perfect Athletic Skills
Other students want to take a year before heading off to college to perfect their athletic skills. Perhaps a student is a really fine hockey player or a swimmer. The extra year spent perfecting athletic skills can really boost his chances of making a top college team.
Schools Which Offer a PG Year
There is only one school which offers a PG program exclusively. That's Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton, Maine. All the other schools on the list below offer their PG year as a kind of 13th grade if you will.
Here are some schools which offer PG programs:
- Avon Old Farms School, Avon, CT
- Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ
- Brenau Academy, Gainesville, GA
- Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, NH
- Bridgton Academy, North Bridgton, ME
- Camden Military Academy, Camden, SC
- Canterbury School, New Milford, CT
- Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall, Waltham, MA
- Cheshire Academy, Cheshire, CT
- Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT
- Christchurch School, Christchurch, VA
- Culver Academies, Culver, IN
- Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA
- Darlington School, Rome, GA
- Darrow School, New Lebanon, NY
- Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA
- Emma Willard School, Troy, NY
- Ethel Walker School, Simsbury, CT
- Florida Air Academy, Melbourne, FL
- Fork Union Military Academy, Fork Union, VA
- The Forman School, Litchfield, CT
- Fryeburg Academy, Fryeburg, ME
- Gould Academy, Bethel, ME
- The Gow School, South Wales, NY
- Grand River Academy, Austinburg, OH
- Grier School, Tyrone, PA
- The Gunnery, Washington, CT
- Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, VA
- Hebron Academy, Hebron, ME
- Hill School, Pottstown, PA
- Hoosac School, Hoosick, NY
- Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT
- The Hun School of Princeton, Princeton, NJ
- Idyllwild Arts Academy, Idyllwild, CA
- Indian Springs School, Indian Springs, AL
- Kent School, Kent, CT
- Kents Hill School, Kents Hill, ME
- Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, NH
- The Kiski School, Saltsburg, PA
- Lake Forest Academy, Lake Forest, IL
- The Leelanau School, Glen Arbor, MI
- Leysin American School, Leysin, Switzerland
- Linden Hall School, Lititz, PA
- Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, CT
- Marine Military Academy, Harlingen, TX
- Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA
- Miller School, Charlottesville, VA
- Missouri Military Academy, Mexico, MO
- Montverde Academy, Monteverde, FL
- New Hampton School, New Hampton, NH
- Northfield Mount Hermon School, Northfield, MA
- Oldfields School, Glencoe, MD
- Orme School, Mayer, AZ
- The Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ
- Perkiomen School, Pennsburg, PA
- The Phelps School, Malvern, PA
- Phillips Academy Andover, Andover, MA
- Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH
- Pomfret School, Pomfret, CT
- Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal, VA
- Saint John's Preparatory School, Collegeville, MN
- St. Timothy's School, Stevenson, MD
- South Kent School, South Kent, CT
- Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield, MA
- Suffield Academy, Suffield, CT
- Thomas Jefferson School, Saint Louis, MO
- Tilton School, Tilton, NH
- Verde Valley School, Sedona, AZ
- Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, VT
- Wasatch Academy, Mt. Pleasant, UT
- Wayland Academy, Beaver Dam, WI
- The Webb School, Bell Buckle, TN
- Wentworth Military Academy, Lexington, MO
- West Nottingham Academy, Colora, MD
- Western Reserve Academy, Hudson, OH
- Westminster School, Simsbury, CT
- The White Mountain School, Bethlehem, NH
- Wilbraham and Monson Academy, Wilbraham, MA
- Williston Northampton School, Easthampton, MA
- The Winchendon School, Winchendon, MA
- Wyoming Seminary Upper School, Kingston, PA
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