| PG years can be wonderful experiences that really help kids mature both physically and emotionally. They learn how to balance academics (mandatory nightly study hours) with athletic and social commitments. The athletic teams are often a higher quality than would normally be found in a public hs, and PG students' academics include mostly AP and dual enrollment classes. It is also a chance to concentrate on academic weaknesses.
My S just finished a PG year for mostly academic reasons even though he is a very bright kid. He had a serious long term illness his junior year in hs, and we felt that this coupled with a late birthday, left him unprepared to hit the ground running in college. He has matured so much in this past year and his college search morphed in a completely different direction than he or we would have been comfortable with just a year ago. We are all very confident that he is now ready to become a successful college student.
PG years allow kids more time to mature without losing the chance to have a freshmen experience at a 4 yeaar school (if they did a CC year, they would then be transfer students) or lose a year of NCAA athletic eligibility. PG years are not cheap, but they are a great gift to a late bloomer. |