anybody have any advice input for player trying to considering between being a recruited walk on at high academic D1, with coaches help cleared admissions. Or possibly doing a Post Grad year, is young for class, growing. grades scores very good, not super. has passed pre reads at multiple high academics
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Do you know if the HA D1 offers baseball scholarships? If so, how many? Ivy League schools don't offer baseball scholarships, so everyone is a walk-on of one type or another. I think Patriot League schools also offer few or no baseball scholarships.
What would be the objective(s) of the PG year?
OliveH posted:anybody have any advice input for player trying to considering between being a recruited walk on at high academic D1, with coaches help cleared admissions. Or possibly doing a Post Grad year, is young for class, growing. grades scores very good, not super. has passed pre reads at multiple high academics
Though not easy, better path for walk-on if player is pitcher. Possibly your reason for PG year is because school(s) recruiting player has a spot--the following year?
at present no academic $ offered, some have no baseball scholarships, and others just 1-3 I think. so wondering if development physically, along with the post grad classes could help . If all went well, also with understanding possibility and risk of it not. Weighing the gamble of paying post grad one year, vs. possibility of being offered more $ as a more developed player in a year. Is position player. Realize may sound a little off the wall.. so figured would throw it out there for some feedback, and much appreciated
I know PG works for Hockey, since my son played both.
Baseball development in 1 year increasing to a level of securing scholarships that are not being offered now seems like shooting craps.
HA is just that. Get in especially knowning the coach helped. Johnny should work his tail off for a spot.
Sounds like money may not be an issue as far as entry, so let the scholarship thoughts go and take the bird in the hand. IMO
Good Luck
I have written about the benefits of a PG year before on this forum (you can do a search and probably find some info). Is your son a 2018 or 2019? If 2018 he has obviously already applied to schools...and if a 2019 he has this summer, his rising senior year, to do a few key showcases/tournaments and still make it happen at a high academic.
A PG year is terrific for those kids that were hurt (sounds like your son is not) and need another season in the books so to speak. But baseball for a PG year is tough since by spring of PG year when the season occurs, he will already have had to apply to schools. A PG year can also benefit someone who needs a year before going to college for maturity reasons. Most good prep schools who take PGs have them play at least 2 sports. There is a cost as well -- unclear if an extra 45-60k for a PG year matters...
You don't give much information but you do say he cleared the pre reads at multiple high academics. This means his grades and scores are high enough for admission. Therefore, another year of HS is not going to benefit him in the classroom if so. He already cleared that hurdle! Let me be clear -- there are always benefits to more education, and the top prep schools can often challenge a PG (as well as a freshman!) with fantastic academic offerings. However, in your son's case, he has the grades and scores to go to a high academic college already. College in this case might be better than an extra year of high school.
A PG year is not the answer to an unsuccessful recruiting journey. It is likely that the results would be no different, as coaches can see a young or growing kid and project. He already has the academic side, so why did these high academics not offer him a spot? Did they suggest a PG year? Is the recruited walk on spot guaranteed?
Chasing more money with a high academic baseball scholarship is probably high risk, esp if they will help your son get in and give him a spot now...happy to opine more with more information....
In short, what is your son's perfect world? For my oldest son it was about using his baseball skills as leverage to get into a high academic school with the best engineering program. My son selected from high academic D1 and D3 offers based on their engineering program. He made it very easy in that regard. There are always going to be athletic, academic and financial considerations in any recruiting decision. You have to decide what is most important to you and your son.
We didn't have a money tree growing in the back yard, so FA was a huge factor in our decision. We found two Ivys to have very generous Financial Aid. He wasn't necessarily interested in a professional baseball career and he knew this ahead of time. He loves baseball and wanted to play in college. That is it in a nutshell.
So, in our situation a PG year would not have been an option or even a consideration. The incremental investment in a PG year was not going to yield a far greater situation a year later for us. We never considered it. Your mileage may vary. I agree with TwoBoys that a PG year is not the answer for an unsuccessful recruiting journey. Your son has high academic options, I wouldn't make this more complicated than it needs to be.
Good luck!
OliveH, have you used the Net Price Calculator for these schools? Many HA schools have very generous need based aid. Also, is your son a senior in high school?
I have a son who did a PG year and went high academic. His situation was more about a significant position change which was creating a whole new recruiting environment for him. Like yours, he was young in his class, though maturity, physical or otherwise, wasn't really an issue.
Twoboys post above is a very good one, I'd agree. Of course, there are unique situations that may create an exception depending on your situation. A PG year will likely make him bigger and stronger, whether that creates additional opportunity or not is unclear. It happens, but I wouldn't say it's the norm, unless there are circumstances like in our case where a position change junior-senior summer changed the landscape. In my view, chasing college scholarship by spending money on prep school is most often a losing proposition.
All that said, a PG year at a very high academic prep was a wonderful experience for my son. He absolutely loved it, made lifelong friends and contacts and I know he would do it again in a second. He had an excellent baseball experience at the school as well.
Thanks for all the excellent insight and advice... knew I could count on this site!!
I’m in the air heading to my youngest’s college games so late to reply.
My oldest was very young for his grade and did a PG year because of his immaturity. It didn’t help, but that’s another story.
I agree with Two Boys.
The PG year, IMHO, is for reasons other than jockeying for a better baseball recruiting spot, e.g., maturity/age, illness/injury, grades and test scores, etc.
Son is currently in middle of PG year at high academic New England prep now. His reasons for a PG year were very specific. Every kid's reasons can be very different. My feeling is if you are HA caliber as a HS Jr. or Sr. then obviously you are sound academically and won't need one for academic reasons. I don't think you can suddenly become a "HA recruit" and be taken seriously as such suddenly by HA schools as a PG. Maybe, if you've got the GPA and other bona fides, but the SAT/ACT score is close but just is not there? You can pull that one out fall of PG year and recruiting coach at HA school can finally sign off on you, but to suddenly bring your GPA up in your 5th year of HS won't impress admissions at any HA.
Son's PG path:
As a HS sophomore earned great opportunity to spend HS junior year abroad (did), but knew he would not be playing any baseball there (played some club basketball). He had already garnered interest from several high academic colleges at this point for baseball and had made several UVs by this time. Knew the year abroad would stunt and/or stifle his baseball development (pitching especially), so by sophomore year had already decided on doing a 5th year of HS (whether as a PG or as a reclass Jr he did not know yet) to make up for year abroad and loss of development (which there was, due to not playing any baseball for 10-months age 16-17, as an RHP would throw bullpens into his upturned mattress in his apartment, or chain link fence at sokker park before park personnel chased him off). Had already established himself as a HA recruit by this point. And was.
Long story short, PG'ing for baseball is tricky mostly due to the fact that it's played in the spring, long after HA admissions have sent out their acceptance notifications. Unlike football or hockey or basketball where coaches who are still on the fence about your play currently can get one last look at you during that 5th year of HS, assuming the previous year they were close but just not sold yet on your skills. Baseball PG will not get you that, UNLESS you are physically projectable, and the extra year is a no brainer for not only more physical strength (width and thickness) but also growth in height and overall physical maturity.
Would I recommend a PG year to a baseball player? Yes, if......IF:
1. You have already established yourself as a HA recruit already via GPA and challenging HS class load, and you just need to raise the ACT/SAT a few more points.
2. If you are still physically projectable (in other words, if coaches believe you are not done growing). But if coaches believe that you no longer project (ie. are done growing and what they see is what they're gonna get), and you are not a slam dunk HA student, then a PG year will not move the needle at all at HA programs.*** It will be a wasted year.
3. Now, if you just want an extra year of HS? Heaven forbid just.........because??? Sure! Why the heck not? Son was a HA recruit when he applied to prep schools for PG year having already committed to a HA D1 for baseball. He ended up decommitting from that school 6-months later, then committed to another HA D1 in summer BEFORE his PG year.
Lastly, you might be asking, "Gee wiz, this PG year thing at a New England boarding school must be expensive???" Yeah, it is. Tuition at son's BS is actually quite reasonable at $49K. Most are $58K and higher. But as 9and7 has already stated, THERE IS NEED BASED FA GALORE AND THEY CAN'T GIVE IT AWAY FAST ENOUGH for those who financially qualify and have the desired academic caliber. Son's prep school (grades 9-12) has well over a billion dollars (BILLION) in their endowment to assist families. And for those that qualify for need, can be assisted upwards of 95% and higher. Son says he is amazed at how many kids are paying as little as $2K to attend. So don't write the PG year off for financial reasons. These schools bend over backwards to get kids WHO QUALIFY ACADEMICALLY and demonstrate the financial need to attend. Heck, that's cheaper than sending your kid to the local Catholic school for Kindergarten.
OliveH, hope this helps, and good luck.
***"HA Programs": meaning Ivys and Top-Publics, and Top-Privates. Son has many PG classmates who are shoring up GPA issues in addition to ACT/SAT issues for other HAs but those not in same league as above schools. PM me for more info if you want.
OliveH posted:anybody have any advice input for player trying to considering between being a recruited walk on at high academic D1, with coaches help cleared admissions. Or possibly doing a Post Grad year, is young for class, growing. grades scores very good, not super. has passed pre reads at multiple high academics
Just re-read your OP; here's another thought. HA recruitment, especially if they've already made offers, can go south real quick if there's any whiff of uncertainty in the air.
I equate HA recruitment to a Quentin Tarantino Mexican Standoff scene. Where six guys each have their guns pointed at someone, and everyone is just waiting for someone to pull a trigger. Inevitably all it takes is for someone to sneeze and they're all dead.
HA recruiters I know, don't like sudden changes of plans by a recruit they've already clearly offered, as you cite. HA recruiting is a VERY precise business. Like highly precise. And any deviation from the script, not even a negative one, can set HA RCs into a panic. I'd say most of the HA schools son had interest from as a HS sophomore went cold when he told them he'd be spending HS Junior year abroad in Europe; something HA AO (Admissions Office) love. And this was before any pre-reads. They don't like changes to your portfolio, especially if they've already taken the time with AO to get you pre-reads? Something about this does not seem kosher. I'm not suggesting you are not being forthright, just that if you have offers in hand already (RWOs etc.) I can't imagine any RC and/or AO is going to let you take a "rain check" on the current admissions class, and carry it over to next year. The pre-read process is a lot of work for all parties, especially at HAs. AOs don't like it when they go through the process to find that the kid wasn't serious about attending their school in first place. That's equity lost by RC with his AO.
I'd cash what you have now, especially if they're already the HAs you see yourself at in 365 days anyway.
Again, unless you just want an extra year of HS at a HA prep school just for the sake of learning in an incredibly stimulating environment. Which it would be.
Billion dollar endowment? Sounds like PA. I know of a bunch of athletes who went there as PG’s. They did very well academically at mediocre high schools. The high academics recruiting them wanted to see them succeed in a more demanding academic environment before college. Plus it’s theoretically a red shirt year without starting the NCAA “five to play four” clock.
I went to Brooks in North Andover freshman year. I fit academically. As a jock, public school kid I didn’t fit socially with (Of course I only stay at The Plaza when I’m in Manhattan and we summer in The Hamptons) boarders. My high school was grades 10-12. Being at a Class B NEPSAC allowed me to play varsity sports freshman year. I went back to my school district’s high school soph year.
RJM posted:Billion dollar endowment? Sounds like PA. I know of a bunch of athletes who went there as PG’s. They did very well academically at mediocre high schools. The high academics recruiting them wanted to see them succeed in a more demanding academic environment before college. Plus it’s theoretically a red shirt year without starting the NCAA “five to play four” clock.
I went to Brooks in North Andover freshman year. I fit academically. As a jock, public school kid I didn’t fit socially with (Of course I only stay at The Plaza when I’m in Manhattan and we summer in The Hamptons) boarders. My high school was grades 10-12. Being at a Class B NEPSAC allowed me to play varsity sports freshman year. I went back to my school district’s high school soph year.
Times have changed RJM. These schools not looking for the Hamptons/Plaza set any more. Actually may work against you if you flaunt that style. The endowments at these schools allow for the socio-economic diversity and inclusive policies they espouse. Not many “strings” left for the Hamptons crowd to pull in admissions. Do those kids still exist there? Sure. Are they the visible and accepted norm? I'd say not.
Brave new world.
So a kid going post grad would then play summer ball at the 18U level before his post grad year? A quick scan of the Perfect Game site shows very few 18U events...can the kid play 17U to play with his new class?
Sometimes the recruiting path taken doesn't get you the exposure to the schools you really want to attend. Even if you are the caliber player appropriate for a school, you could be 3-6 months off with your timing of being seen by "that particular school's coaches". We have one of our kids go PG at a New England prep school to get his board scores up, a year later he was playing at William & Mary, several years later he was drafted.
If you have a late bloomer this could also be the case: having the academics but need a year to be seen, and to further refine his skills. I'd be inclined to go to IMG Academy and play my butt off. They take their PG (postgrad) seriously, they play a lot of the JUCO's in the SEast. And they have scholarships available. The HC at IMG for this program is a former AC at West Point.
K9 posted:So a kid going post grad would then play summer ball at the 18U level before his post grad year? A quick scan of the Perfect Game site shows very few 18U events...can the kid play 17U to play with his new class?
Yes, the kid doing a PG year could play 17u PG events summer before the PG year, since for recruiting purposes he is then considered a 17u "class" recruit even though he is now an 18u technically, I believe.
But the benefits of this extra summer of exposure have limitations. For example, a kid who doesn't get the recruiting outcome he wanted and suddenly decides in May of his Sr. year of HS that he is going to do a PG year that next fall and get another summer of exposure? Waste of $, as coaches would have turned the page on him the previous summer when they last saw him. Seeing him out of the blue at a PG event a year later would not draw new or renewed attention, I don't believe. Unless he grew 3" and added 5mph to his FB. If they made a final judgement on the kid the previous summer they will not waste their time to take another look.
Most kids who "reclass" or take a PG year begin advising recruiting coaches of the action by their Jr. year of HS, so coaches can automatically begin looking at the kid not as his current grade year but at the year/class of his 5th year of HS whether as a PG or as a reclass kid (usually done by repeating HS Jr. year upon transfer from public to private school). That way they do keep the "page open" on a kid for that extra year before making a final decision, and are not caught off guard seeing him that extra summer.
#1 Assistant Coach posted:RJM posted:Billion dollar endowment? Sounds like PA. I know of a bunch of athletes who went there as PG’s. They did very well academically at mediocre high schools. The high academics recruiting them wanted to see them succeed in a more demanding academic environment before college. Plus it’s theoretically a red shirt year without starting the NCAA “five to play four” clock.
I went to Brooks in North Andover freshman year. I fit academically. As a jock, public school kid I didn’t fit socially with (Of course I only stay at The Plaza when I’m in Manhattan and we summer in The Hamptons) boarders. My high school was grades 10-12. Being at a Class B NEPSAC allowed me to play varsity sports freshman year. I went back to my school district’s high school soph year.
Times have changed RJM. These schools not looking for the Hamptons/Plaza set any more. Actually may work against you if you flaunt that style. Not many “strings” left for that crowd to pull in admissions. Brave new world.
I agree. The ISL recruits far more than they did when I was there. I know I wouldn’t have played varsity as a freshman in football and basketball. Baseball, questionable at best. It’s not that I’ve watched the league play. I know how many kids they’re placing in D1 sports programs now and their physical size.
