FAQ

What services do you provide?

  • Individual evaluation resulting in a personalized plan
  • Focused list of prep schools to target
  • Guidance through the application process
  • Assistance with financial aid forms and negotiation
  • Input and insight to help choose the best fit among final school choices

When should I start the process?

It’s never to early to start. For most schools, application deadlines are January or February. To give yourself the best chance, you should start the process by the previous September. The process can be completed in much less time, but the longer you wait
the lower your chances, especially if financial aid is required. Seniors, in particular, usually wait too long to start. They think they can have it both ways by playing out their senior year to see if they receive offers before pursuing prep school. They can’t. It’s too competitive. By the time they decide they want prep school, it’s too late. Others with equal talent will have already started the process. The smart move is to explore prep school at the beginning of the senior year. That way you have the option if you want it. Those who start the process late and need to catch up will benefit greatly from our ability to expedite the process.

How Old Do I Have To Be To Go To Prep School?

Generally, prep school (for boarding students) is for grades 9-13 (PG). There are also a handful of boarding prep schools for middle school students. Many prep schools take day students at younger ages.

When Should I Go To Prep School?

The younger, the better. There are many reasons. It’s easier to get accepted and easier to get financial aid. Most importantly, it provides the best chance of reaching your goals. Each child and family is different, and some are emotionally ready for this step before others, but that’s a different question.

What is Your Success Rate at Placing Student-Athletes?

For many, if not most, prep school is a big decision and a big investment. It’s also highly competitive. Approximately 90% of our clients find the school they want at the price they want. Of the remaining 10%, half clearly understood from the outset that their chances were small and it was their choice to take the risk. Our success rate is the result of two things. One, we’re good at what we do. Two, we are selective about who we accept as clients. Prospective clients know up front what their approximate chances are and that there are no guarantees. No one has time or money to waste. Generally, we won’t take on a client whose chance of success is under 20%.

Can I Reach My Goal With a PG Year?

That depends. See blog posting with same title.

Should I Repeat/Reclassify?

In general, yes. There are many advantages and almost no drawbacks. Simply, reclassifying offers the best chance of success.

Should I Repeat My Junior Year or Do a PG Year?

Repeating is clearly the better choice. There are a number of good reasons and very few drawbacks. The biggest benefit? You can get to a higher level in two years than you can in one. The hardest part? Leaving home before you and your parents thought you would. Many who have done PG years tell us they wish they had gone to prep school sooner. We can’t remember the last time someone said the opposite.

Can I Go for Just My Senior Year?

Many schools won’t take one-year seniors. There are some that will. In most cases you’re better off either repeating your junior year or doing a PG year.

What if I don’t live near one of your consultants?

Prep School Sports Connection works with student-athletes in the US and around the world. And while we like to meet as many as we can in person, in today’s high tech world we can do the next best thing.

Why should I go to prep school if I already have D1 offers?

This is a good question, with a better answer. This question assumes that getting a D1 offer is enough. We know from experience it’s not.

Too many athletes and parents are so focused on getting an offer that they don’t think about what happens after the offer. Ask yourself this question: When I look back in a year, how is this decision going to look?

We have learned that getting the right offer, and being ready to take advantage of it, is the key. You only get 4 years of college eligibility. How do you best take advantage of the opportunity and maximize the experience?

Finally, if you already have offers you’ve got a tremendous amount to bargain with. Why not leverage that to get a great prep school situation and a better four years of college experience?

I have a high school coach I trust and input from friends who’ve gone to prep school. Why do I need your service?

Simply, we know things and have connections they don’t. It’s not your high school coach’s job to know about prep schools. It’s a rare coach who does. And while your friends have information and experience, it’s incomplete at best. Are you better off listening to them than not at all? Maybe. Can we do a much, much better job of helping you reach your goal? Definitely.

How much does prep school cost?

The “list price” of most prep schools is about $50,000. That’s essentially the cost of a year of private college. Don’t let that scare you off. There is a lot of financial aid available, often much more than is available for college.

How can we possibly afford prep school?

Believe it or not, this isn’t always a major factor. There is a lot of financial aid available. If you really want a school, and they really want you, the money almost always works out. We tell most people to put the cost in a separate category and evaluate all the other parts of prep school as if the money were not a big issue. This is the most effective way to handle it.

Why would we pay for prep school when our current high school is free?

That’s a fair point, but remember this. Prep school includes room and board. What you consider “free” really costs about $4,000-$5,000. That’s the average cost to house, feed and transport your child around town for a year. To put it differently, if you can attend prep school for $5,000 for a year, the net cost to you vs. high school is $0. Then the question becomes, why wouldn’t you attend prep school.

Prep school equals graduate school?

In many ways, yes. If you get a years worth of college credit in a repeat or post-graduate year at prep school, you can graduate from college in three years. That means taking graduate courses your fourth year. If you figure prep school cost $25,000 for a year and graduate school is $75,000, that extra year at prep school is a bargain. If you’re on scholarship, it’s even more of a bargain.

What’s the cost for your service?

To learn more about the different services and payment options we provide, please contact us by phone at (585) 348-7180.

What’s the bottom line?

We can find opportunities just can’t discover on your own. Plus, our service pays for itself. How do you go wrong? The real question is, why wouldn’t you use our service?

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