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The Post Graduate Year

At Connecticut high schools and beyond, the post-graduate year is an increasingly popular option for ambitious students who want to better prepare themselves for the future. A post-graduate year at a prestigious boys’ boarding school such as Salisbury School can help students improve both their chances to get into the college of their choice and their ability to excel once they get there.
View of Centennial via the Quad.

 

There are a number of benefits of attending a boy’s boarding school with a post-graduate year. Many Salisbury School students spend an extra year with us to fill in any gaps in their transcript so they can apply for a specific college or program. Some are athletes who are planning on competing at the college level and want additional time to train in advance of making that move. Still more choose to attend an all-boys boarding school for a post-graduate year for entirely personal reasons.

Ultimately, whether or not this option is beneficial to you or your son will depend on a number of factors. Typically, students who enter college following a high school post-graduate year are more mature and more focused, better at managing their time and more liable to make smarter big-picture choices.

Keep reading to learn more about the post-graduate program at Connecticut’s Salisbury School, or contact our Admissions Office directly for information.

Admissions Guidelines and Requirements

The post-graduate student at Salisbury School is one who is highly motivated to contribute fully to life on the Hilltop: academically, socially and athletically.  Salisbury typically enrolls 12-15 post graduates each year; many plan on playing college athletics, but not all.  These young men are as invested in school life as any Salisbury student; the personal growth developed during his fifth year of secondary school is as important as his ultimate college matriculation.  Therefore, it is our expectation that post-graduates complete the entire academic year curriculum.

Academic Requirements

Post-graduates must have successfully completed the graduation requirements from their previous school.  Pre-requisites for post-graduates include:

  •  4 years of English
  • 3 years of mathematics through Algebra 2
  • 3 years of social science, including U.S. History for domestic applicants
  • 3 years of laboratory science, including Biology
  • 3 years of foreign language (Salisbury does honor language waivers)

As a post-graduate student at Salisbury, you will need to enroll in an English course and carry a minimum of five courses.  Your course of study is coordinated by the director of studies prior to matriculation and is tailored to the goals of the individual student. 

 

College Advising

Salisbury School has a great deal of experience assisting post-graduates with the college process and developing a course schedule that will meet specific requirements (e.g. the U.S. service academics). 

Post-graduate students get the same time and benefits as any of our sixth form students from the College Advising Office.  As soon as a student enrolls at Salisbury, he may begin the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Athletics and NCAA Eligibility

The Salisbury School athletic program prepares students for the competitiveness of college athletics.  While a year at Salisbury can do much to help a young man prepare for the rigors of college life, it cannot make up for a poor high school transcript. 

We suggest that prospective student-athletes register with the NCAA clearinghouse and be aware of NCAA eligibility issues. 

Most of our post-graduate students are working towards specific goals, academic and athletic.  Of note, our football team, members of the highly competitive Erikson Conference, is limited to four post-graduates.