Many students find that a PG or Post Graduate year is a beautiful solution to several situations. Perhaps they feel that they are too young to go to college. As Kim Chorosiewski points out, a PG year offers time to grow and develop without taking a year off. Maybe they want to perfect a sport or artistic activity. A PG year offers a well-focussed period in which to accomplish that perfecting. A PG year also allows you to remediate small gaps in your high school transcript. Or maybe you want a year before you head off for five years of pre-med or bio-kinetic science. The PG year can suit a variety of purposes.
The PG Year is sometimes called a Gap Year or a year off. From my point of view, either description implicitly implies that a PG Year is a structured program of study, not simply a year off where you sit around and do absolutely nothing. Over one hundred private day and boarding schools offer PG Years. It will be worthwhile to explore a couple of programs to see if they fit your requirements.
There is a big push in high school to complete your academic studies with the best results possible to get into the college you want to attend after high school. A gap year gives you an extra year to develop a skill for which you didn't have much time while studying for SATs or doing your IB papers. That skill could be artistic or athletic. A PG Year will give you extra time to perfect your playing or take your athletic skill to the next level.
Implicit in my thinking is that you have accepted yourself at the college of your choice. Julia Rogers offers the following wise counsel about deferring admission.
If you are a high school senior eager to take a Gap Year, here are a few suggested steps to take to defer your admission from your future college:
- Ask your top choice college about their deferral policy, or check the American Gap Association’s database. The database lists each college’s policy on Gap Year deferral and is organized by state.
- If you have applied for financial aid or scholarships, inquire about the policy on securing your funding for the following year.
- Design and finalize your Gap Year plans. If you have not already chosen programs and activities for your year, begin planning. If you need additional help, contact your parents, guidance counselor, or a Gap Year advisor.
- Most deferral-friendly colleges will have a procedure that includes writing a deferral letter detailing your intended Gap Year plans. Be as specific as possible when crafting your letter. You should address why you want to take a Gap Year, what you plan to do, and how it will make you a better student body member. See a sample deferral request letter here.
- Submit a deferral request before your college’s deadline. This varies from school to school, so make sure to check.
- Follow any procedures that your college requests of you during your Gap Year. This may include a mid-year check-in or a reflection upon completion of your Gap Year.
- When you arrive on campus, seek out other returned gappers. Some colleges, like Middlebury, have a Gap Year club. This helps ease the transition from a fantastic Gap Year into a meaningful college experience.
This video from GoAbroad.com offers some possibilities for a Gap Year.
Admission Requirements
What kind of grades do you need? Pretty good ones! A's and B's are expected. In addition, you will need to offer a sport or other extracurricular activity. That will enable you to fit right into the life and community of your new school. After all, you will only be there for a year. Stellar recommendations from your current school will help.
This video from Taylor The Gap offers more ideas for a productive PG Year.
Application Process
The application process is a little different. Instead of taking the SSAT or ISEE, you offer PSAT or SAT test scores. Places for the PG year are extremely limited, so be sure to apply as early as you can. Need financial aid? Expect that to be limited. Always ask upfront.
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