We were fortunate to catch up with Mark Schindler, the varsity head coach at Mercersburg Academy (PA) and founder of Nexus Lacrosse, a new enterprise designed to provide premier, developmental lacrosse opportunities for elite pre-varsity players. For part one of our interview, click here.
In part two, Schindler discusses the hotly debated Post-Graduate (PG) year. There is plenty to dissect with the issue when debating if option is the right one for a player coming out of high school. As the coach of a school with PGs, Schindler is an excellent source of information on the subject.
Below is our Q & A with Mark, who discusses why a player should consider a PG year, what factors are involved in making the decision for such a year, and how college admissions officers view PGs.
Why should a player consider repeating a year or PGing at a prep school?
Players of all sports (not just lacrosse) usually consider a PG year for any number of reasons, ranging from:
– Maturity (might be very young for their class)
– Recruiting opportunities (especially for lacrosse, since it gives them an extra summer season to be seen by coaches)
– Academic improvement (more SAT opportunities, small classes and great college counseling, selective course load to improve GPA)
– Injury (may have missed a season due to major injury/rehab)
– College prep (stepping stone towards the responsibility and freedom of college aka: “going away” but within the structure of a high school environment)
– Combination of any of the above
What is the typical profile of a student athlete that is going to PG?
We see a wide range of profiles, including kids who are well-prepared for college but who simply want an extra year of being a “big fish in a little pond” before heading off to college. This usually means lots of playing time, good stats, and ideally one more year of good individual coaching. Other kids, however, are all set from a recruiting standpoint but need the academic boost. They take advantage of the PG year to enroll in classes that suit their strengths and therefore will help improve their GPA.
There really isn’t a typical profile, however thankfully in regards to lacrosse PGs, at Mercersburg Academy we have had the fortune of getting kids who are good students, good citizens, but who simply want an extra year of exposure for college recruiting purposes.
What are some of the important academic, financial and athletic considerations that a family should weigh?
It is really important for a family to consider the PG year as a whole not just for the lacrosse season/team/coach. Most kids play other sports, so of course talking with those other coaches is important, as is the overall athletic culture of the school. Plus, the school itself needs to fit the student (and vice versa). I’ve always told families that god forbid the kid gets seriously hurt; I really hope that he would be happy at Mercersburg regardless. We sell them on the school itself as much as the lacrosse program. Thankfully we’re an outstanding school in many ways, so that works here!
Financially it is definitely an investment since PG programs are found at private/boarding schools, which charge tuition. However despite the sticker shock of some tuitions ($50k<) there is a process for applying for need-based financial aid. This award is calculated based on the family's estimated contribution (based on parent income, assets, etc.) and is not like college merit or athletic scholarships. The awards are based on need only, and most schools expect at least a small contribution from the family, even if it's nominal and they can't afford much at all. That being said, some schools do offer academic-based merit money, so if you're a good student then you might get some money that way. My best advice for the financial piece is to simply apply in the first place (you never know what you'll qualify for!), make sure you apply before the deadline (money goes fast ), and be completely honest with the school. Most financial aid dollars are allocated to families with the most outstanding student/athlete/artist profiles, who fill out the paperwork on time, and who are in communication with the school. Athletically, it's important to really get to know the coach. Who are they? Where did they play? Are they a guy who works only with talent, or are they good at building a program and developing talent? Just like during the college recruiting process, the quality of relationship that a player has with the coach is essential. Ask lots of questions and don't be afraid to reach out! It says a lot to me when the kid initiates the contact and asks questions throughout the process. Finally, the opportunities to play other sports at the school should also be considered. Most schools require it, so you might as well start thinking about what other activities you want to participate in. Should parents be concerned about playing time at their prep school?
This is a very important conversation to have with the coach not right at the beginning necessarily, but certainly at some point during the application process. “Guarantee” is a strong word and I hesitate to use it, however most coaches are very willing to be honest about what they suspect the situation will be like for the PG. I certainly don’t have any problem telling a kid where I see them fitting. Some PGs will be instant starters; others would have to compete for time. Seeing film or talking with the player’s current coach is very helpful as well. Most coaches can see how a PG will fit into their returning group based on their skill set and need at certain positions. Some programs have more talent (PG and otherwise) and therefore playing time would be harder to earn, but thats all the more reason to have the conversation with the coach early in the process.
What are some of the biggest social challenges that a student athlete will deal as a PG?
This depends entirely on the culture of the school and what role the PGs typically play there. Are they expected to play other sports or participate in other activities? Do they room with other PGs or with seniors? What classes do they take? Here at Mercersburg, our PGs are basically members of the senior class and it works out great. We have about 18-22 PGs each year for various reasons, and of course there is some affinity between them, but more often than not they fit right in with the entire student body. Boarding schools have new students enter at 9th, 10th, 11th, and sometimes even 12th grade, so to have a one-year kid come in is not at all uncommon.
My biggest suggestion to a kid considering a PG year is: take advantage of the entire opportunity, try new things, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Make new friends and it will make the experience even better. We had a kid here a few years ago who was a DI football player and who had always wanted to try out for the play, so he did. Not only did he get a part, he got the lead. It was awesome to see him on the stage and it is a great example of the benefits to taking a PG year and the type of community that Mercersburg is.
Even if it’s not doing the play, I have yet to meet someone who has chosen a PG year, tried something new other than their sport, and who regretted it! It might be the last chance you really have to try new things in a supportive environment.
With recruiting trending earlier, many families that we work with feel that a PG year will give their kid a better chance at playing D1. How do you deal with families searching for that D1 dream?
Adding a 5th year certainly doesn’t hurt, and in fact most college coaches love the fact that a kid is willing to do a PG year (one year older, more mature, more talented and not just upon entering college but also by the time they graduate). However the reality is that talent is talent, and very rarely other than a kid who is a super late-bloomer will doing a PG year change those DI chances. About the only thing I can say would be different after a PG year is a kid who is DI talent but who needs to pass the NCAA clearinghouse. AKA: Improve his academics, usually based on better SATs.
That being said, doing a PG year DOES usually improve a player’s college prospects by adding more schools to the list. It might help the player academically and increase their options that way, it might be enhancing their overall play through better coaching, and more exposure during another summer season or it might simply be the connections that the prep school coach has. The lacrosse world is very small, and most prep school coaches are well-connected.
What are the financial realities of a PG year at a school like Mercersburg or another program?
It’s expensive, there’s no doubt about that. But at Mercersburg almost 50% of our kids are on some sort of need-based or academic merit-based aid. In other words, we know that most families can’t afford $50,000. It’s really important to start the financial aid application process early (the sooner you are on a coach’s radar, the sooner he can start putting in plugs with the admission office in hopes that you will qualify for competitive financial aid dollars), and it’s important to realize that it IS an investment. Families who are willing to make that investment to whatever degree they are able, whether that’s 100% or 1% of the tuition are more competitive in the admission process.
Sometimes the investment in a PG year pays itself back with increased college opportunities the following year. There are never any guarantees, but it happens.
How can a prep year benefit a player academically? How does a college admissions department look at the extra year?
For students coming from a prep school, the PG year will feel very similar to their previous experience small classes, teachers who care, good advising, etc. For kids coming from large public schools, the differences are usually quite beneficial. Most schools that offer a PG year have tremendous college counseling offices, and that kind of personalized guidance is invaluable to the college process. Our college counselors here at Mercersburg (three of them) work full-time with just a small group of kids each, and they each have significant experience working with college-bound athletes. I would argue that other than an extra year of playing lacrosse, the enhanced college counseling process (including the coach and his connections) is by far the biggest benefit to pursuing a PG year.
Other than that, most PGs will have fulfilled our graduation requirements and therefore have a fair amount of flexibility in choosing their courses. This allows them to take core classes and electives that suit their interests, hopefully leading to better grades. Likewise, a prep school like Mercersburg does a tremendous job of preparing kids for the rigors of college reading and writing expectations, and those skills are essential to staying eligible once you’re in college.
The academic benefits of a PG year are numerous way more than I can describe here!
What are some of the unique selling points for Mercersburg Academy? Are there other prep schools that you guys compete against for players?
Mercersburg is unique in that we are one of the few PG lacrosse programs in the mid-Atlantic. We are just 90 miles from DC and Baltimore, and therefore are within realistic distance of playing the strong programs of those two cities. Coach Mike Conklin (West Genesee/Hobart) and I have only been here two years, but we are rebuilding a struggling Mercersburg program. We have four PGs coming in next year two starters from St. Anne’s Belfield (STAB) in Charlottesville, a starting attack man from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, and a starting midfielder from East Meadow HS on Long Island as well as some younger talent. Our goal is to work our way towards playing the MIAA and IAC schools in this region. We compete in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) versus Lawrenceville, Peddie, Blair, Hill, and Hun, and we compete with all of them for players.
It’s a battle, but our school is filled with tremendous opportunities both on and off the field and I encourage players who are considering a PG year to take a look at our web site. www.mercersburg.edu/athletics.
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