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In today’s shifting academic and economic landscape, many students seek to accumulate every possible advantage made available to them — not only in the hopes of securing a rewarding career after their college graduation, but also in pursuit of their college and program of choice. The more credentials you can accumulate, the better off you’ll be; with that in mind, an increasing number of students are taking the concept of the postgraduate year under serious consideration.
What Is a Postgraduate Year?
You’ve completed high school, but you aren’t quite sure where you want to go from there: you know that you want college in your future, but you aren’t entirely certain where your direction lies. However, you’d rather avoid a “gap year” in which academic pursuit and accomplishment are conspicuously absent; for better or for worse, this pause is often perceived poorly by prestigious academic institutions. What are your options?
A PG year allows a student to take an extra year to finalize their future academic plans, without pausing the ongoing process of their education. This is achieved through attendance at a boarding school or other institution. There are both private and public options for postgraduate years, but most of these programs are available at private boarding schools: more than 140 boarding schools offer PG year options to graduating high school students. The gist of this highly competitive program remains the same: to further one’s academic accomplishments, while receiving guidance on the future direction of one’s higher education. Most postgraduate programs of this kind provide access to faculty advisors and deans, who will assist the PG year student with meeting their academic goals, and help them to settle on a direction they want to pursue.
What are the Eligibility Requirements for a PG Year?
These are competitive programs, and students with outstanding academic achievement and some extracurricular activity tend to stand out. Of considerable value to many postgraduate programs is some level of local community involvement. Generally speaking, schools offering PG years look for students with a demonstrated interest in learning, a strong tendency for personal advancement, and the desire to maintain a healthy, life-long interest in supporting their community — be that their local community, their profession, or their industry. A postgraduate student should have a strong desire to be a part of something greater than themselves, and to improve upon whatever that is, through their ongoing involvement with it.
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Does the PG Year Help with College Applications?
Right away, the postgraduate student will begin to undergo ongoing college counseling, with college representatives and recruiters on hand to meet with students and their families. A prestigious, highly accredited postgraduate program will greatly increase your chances of being enrolled at the institution of your choice: not only are the leading postgraduate programs offered by schools with international reputations to uphold, but the act of pursuing a postgraduate education after high school turns the conspicuous gap year into something that speaks volumes for the prospective student’s character.
Postgraduate schools focus on a wide range of academic, athletic, and team-building skills. They provide access to considerable resources, encourage continued growth as a student, and provide support for the changing social environment which will be experienced once the student enters college. Attendance at a PG year boarding school can help smooth the way to preferred enrollment, a variety of scholarships and grant money, and other considerable advantages in the world of the college-bound student.
