Doing a post-grad year makes sense for some players, but not all. The reason usually depends on what the goal of the player is. The main goal of most players is to get a scholarship to a Division 1 school. Going to a prep school will give a player exposure during the additional AAU/camp season and when the post-grad year starts. If a player already has D1 offers they will hopefully bump up a level or gain more offers from the level they are currently at—if they have the right skillset and size, a post-grad year could take a low major player and bump him up to a mid to high major player. A kid with D2 offers might get a D1 offer. Players who have D3 looks might have a chance to bump up to a scholarship. Some players might not have any offers and will be open to seeing what schools reach out to them during this year.

Aside from getting exposure and trying to bump up a level, players will have schools from other parts of the country see them. Most offers players earn in high school are regional, but leaving your state and going to a prep school will allow many more potential schools to see you. In the Boston area alone there are thirty-five colleges. Some states don’t even have this many institutions.

Players also should consider a post-grad year if they need to improve a certain skillset. Some need to improve their handle, shot, speed, strength etc. On a personal note, I graduated high school at 6’7’’ 195 lbs. During my post-grad year, I put on twenty pounds of muscle and played every day in practice against other D1 caliber players. Everything about my game improved.

Another example of a player who would benefit from a post-grad year is one who needs to get eligible for the NCAA. These players can go the JUCO route or do a post-grad year as long as they are not too far behind in their core classes. Getting a player’s grade point average increased and scoring higher on a standardized test will open up the possibility of going to schools that require higher academic requirements.

Some players graduate high school young for their grade. They need this extra year to catch up to their peers on the court.  This year is about players betting on themselves.

A post-grad year is not for everyone. If a player is not going to bump up a level, a family needs to determine if the financial investment/time is worth it. If you are a D3 level player and you don’t have the size or skillset to obtain a scholarship then a post-grad year might not be right for you. This year does not guarantee a scholarship.  Many D3 level kids do choose to do a post-grad year to expand their options of D3 schools.  After a post-grad year, they will step into a college setting more likely to contribute their freshman year. 

While most players would benefit from a post-grad year, it doesn’t make sense for some who have signed with a good school and will be able to contribute right away. 

The main reason to complete a post-grad year instead of going to a junior college is that the player does not lose NCAA eligibility. Once you play in a junior college game you have lost a year of playing in the NCAA. A couple of reasons players choose junior college is that they need to drastically improve their grade point average, get their standardized test scores up to the minimum NCAA limit, or they don’t have the finances to pay for tuition at a prep school. 

The academics at a prep school are going to be, on whole, more challenging than what is offered at a junior college. This is due to the following:

The standards to get into a prep school are quite high at most places. They do not take everyone that applies.

There will be students from many states and around the world where junior colleges mostly serve their region.

Jucos have been dubbed “Last Chance U.” Some athletes have been at other schools, need to become eligible or have had other issues that are keeping them from going directly to college. There are some that are solid situations and others are rougher around the edges. A prep school is very cognizant of who they want as a part of their student body. At this point in time we are still awaiting a decision to see if Juco eligibility will still count against NCAA eligibility.

Completing a post-grad year can be accomplished at either a prep school or a basketball academy. Some prep schools have existed for over two hundred years and have a fully accredited, academic staff. They have state regulations to follow and most have a “principal and a prom.” Students stay in dormitories and have a fixed academic schedule. These schools have outstanding reputations and long histories of success, both academically and on the basketball court.

Academies on the other hand are more focused on basketball training. While some of these academies offer a good experience, they do not all have the strict accountability that prep schools do. A person can start an academy tomorrow. All they need is a place to house the players, a van, and a basketball court. They don’t need to hire teachers or a principal. Some academies offer online classes, access to local community colleges and standardized test prep. It is very important if you are looking at an academy to ask them about their academic structure. Some academies are reputable, and others have popped up overnight looking to take advantage of families. Generally, you can get into an academy cheaper than you could at a brick and mortar prep school. That is what makes this option attractive to a lot of families. But not all prep schools or academies are created equal. Find out the history of the coaches and who will be supervising the players when they are not in the gym. See what the room and board situation is. Are players eating pasta and cereal for all of their meals? Are meals even covered? Do your due diligence and ask around. PREP Athletics can help you navigate the complex world of prep schools and these basketball academies.  Check out articles here and here to find out more about the basketball academy world. 

If you sign with a prep school before you graduate high school then you should talk to the coach about how to plan your summer. AAU teams, prep school live period, and elite camps are vital for being seen by college coaches. Since the prep school coach’s job is to get his players to the next level, he will have a good idea of what level a player is before school begins in the Fall. Ideally you will tell your prep school coach your goals and what college programs you want them to reach out to. The coach will then tell you if it makes sense to attend any of these colleges’ elite camps. Most of these camps have staff members from multiple colleges and at all levels working them. The prep school coach will also let college programs know of your interest and invite them to the open gyms during the Fall.

Once you arrive at a prep school in the Ffall you will go through orientation then get into the routine of classes and workouts. A valuable time for players is the open gyms in the Fall. These are important as college coaches from all over the US descend on these schools to look for recruits. Offers can be made. One of my clients did so well during open gym that he signed with a D1 school in September after only two weeks of open gym at his prep school. During this fall period prep school coaches will get their players in shape through conditioning and stronger in the weight room. At this age players will be more inclined to put on muscle since they are maturing as young men.

Once official practice starts then the routine will be similar to high school. This includes classes and practice each day. The basketball season will be similar to high school as well. It will just be better competition than most players are used to. There will be fall, winter and spring breaks. Once the season ends, prep schools will go back to having open gyms. Once the year is over there will be a graduation ceremony and the next stage of life will begin!

Since 2021 recruiting has changed.  Post pandemic, the transfer portal has blown up and colleges are more frequently choosing established college players over high school aged kids.  With this new landscape players need an advocate helping them get placed.  There are no better advocates in the US than a prep school coach.  You will get placed if you attend one of these prep schools. 

When a family hires me to find them the right fitting prep school, I begin by finding out the player’s goals. Once I have the total profile of a player I will go through my database of schools and pick out five to ten that would be ideal for this particular player.  I then reach out to these school’s coaches on the player’s behalf.  A player will eventually have between two to five schools interested in them.  At this point, I discuss the pros and cons of each option with the family and they will eventually decide which schools to apply to.

A family will then complete all the necessary applications and financial aid forms.  If they can, they will ideally visit these schools. Once the acceptance letters come out on March 10th, families will be able to see which schools accepted them and the amount of scholarship they are awarded. Based on this, the family will decipher all the information they have gathered during the previous few months and make a decision. It could be based on the specific coach, the school’s culture, or the total tuition amount. It is up to each family to determine what school is right for them.  Some prep schools have rolling admissions and can let a player know if they are accepted and at what price in a matter of weeks. I am there for families through this entire process.  

Some families ask me which school I think their child should attend.  I always defer on this question.  If a player attends any of the schools I have connected them to, they will be in a position to have a successful experience at prep school. But I want the family to feel comfortable with the decision and take agency. The ideal position in my opinion is when a family has a tough decision to make between schools. That means they have great options to choose from!  I have experience in helping families with these challenging decisions.  

With prep schools all having advantages, it might be hard for a family to choose which one to attend.  The line I share with families is that they should choose the prep school based on the player’s connection with the coach.  The coach will be doing early morning workouts, determining playing time, and ultimately calling college coaches on a player’s behalf.  This is more important than a school’s name, basketball record, location, and more.

If you were going to a prep school for multiple years I would say yes. But is it not mandatory for those wanting to do a post-grad year. A post-grad year only lasts nine months, so it isn’t dire if you can’t make it to the school beforehand. With today’s technology and information, most of these schools have plenty of information and videos on their website and YouTube channel. It is an arms race to get the best and brightest at these schools. They want to put as much information on the internet for families to make an informed decision in case they can’t visit the campus.

The best time to visit schools is before the basketball season starts. Once that begins it will be hard for a player to get away without missing games and practice. Applications need to be into most schools by January and February. Visiting isn’t a requirement, but it can aid a family’s decision once the acceptance letters come out. Some military schools require a player to visit before they make an offer as the lifestyle there is different from other schools.

After a family receives an offer from a prep school, which for most is March 10th, they can then visit the school before the April 10th deadline.

International basketball players can absolutely do a post-grad year.  They will need to have graduated high school in their home country and not be older than a school or league’s age limit.  If the player is coming from a country that does not have English as its official language, most schools will require that they will have to prove their language aptitude via a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or Duolingo test.  Schools also conduct video interviews to assess a potential student’s English proficiency. The reason for this is that the schools want the player to succeed when they arrive.  If the player does not speak English it will make the year that much more difficult both on the court and in the classroom.  If the player speaks English, has graduated, and has the skill set that the basketball coach wants then he will be very attractive to a prep school.  Each prep school will have a different set of financial requirements.  Some give aid to international players while others save that for domestic students only.  It depends on multiple factors and I can help you determine if this option makes sense.

As explained above, this can be an overwhelming process. Which institutions are prep schools and which are basketball academies? How much does this school cost? Is this school just need based or merit based? What style best fits a player’s style on the court? Who has had success getting players placed in college basketball programs? What is the personality of each prep school’s coach? What is the school and team’s culture? Figuring all this out can be very stressful for families and almost impossible to find on Google or ChatGPT.

This is where I can help. I went to a prep school to complete a post-grad year in 1995-96. I know first-hand how the experience is and how I benefited. I have been placing players since 2008 into all different types of prep schools around the country.  At the time of this writing I have placed players into over fifty nine different prep schools.  My only focus is placing players into prep schools. I don’t do placement for AAU teams or college programs. I have visited over 100 prep schools throughout the years and have spent time watching many of these teams in action. I can help your family navigate all of these schools once I know the player’s goals and complete profile. My relationship with these prep school coaches ensures that they will give me quick feedback on which programs are truly interested in your child. I will tell you the pros and cons of each school and why I chose it as an option for your player. Once the acceptance letters come out I will guide you through choosing the right school and in some instances help you negotiate a lower tuition rate. Prep schools want certain students and will on occasion match another school’s financial offer in order to get them.

I also love helping families through this process! My cousin Brad Miller attended a prep school for his senior year of high school. This led to him receiving a scholarship to Purdue University then playing 14 years in the NBA. He credits his year at prep school for making his dream of playing in the NBA a reality. The coaching he received and the competition he played against helped him contribute immediately in college and win Co-Big 10 Freshman of the Year honors. Our family’s trajectory has changed greatly due to prep schools. Completing a post-grad year was the best path for me in order to reach my goal of playing in a D1 program at the US Air Force Academy.

I started PREP Athletics to help families fulfill their dreams. I only take on clients that I feel can benefit from this path. I am upfront with families on the player’s potential and whether or not I can help them find a good fitting school. Many coaches and family members will suck up to a player to not hurt their feelings. I believe in speaking the truth to a player early. They can either sink from the criticism or rise to do all they can to reach their dreams. I remember the stress of trying to get scholarship offers. It is a challenging time in a young player’s life. But I have seen many players put in the work on and off the court in order to reach their dreams.

We evaluate your student-athlete’s skillset, academics, goals, and budget, then target schools where they can realistically play, develop, and succeed. We cut the noise, make intentional introductions, refine film and profiles, and coach you through visits, timelines, and decisions. We give straight answers, especially when “no” is the right one.

Yes. With AAU, summer scholastic live periods, showcases, open gyms, and the regular season, college coaches from across the country will see prep school players in action, something 95% of traditional high schools can’t match. Prep school coaches also play a key role in helping players find the right-fit college program. In today’s game, where money, transfers, and older rosters are common, having an experienced advocate matters more than ever.

We don’t guarantee offers, and no one ethical should. We tell the truth about level, build a plan to improve the profile, and place the player where they can potentially earn it. Scholarships happen when talent, role, health, grades, and timing align. Our mission: the right level, the right role, the right school, whether D1, D2, D3, or NAIA.

Good fit: coachable, competitive, academically engaged, open to honest feedback. Families who value development over hype and understand there’s more than one path to college.

Not a fit: families seeking guarantees, “D1 or nothing,” or who ignore academics. We won’t tell you what you want to hear; we’ll tell you what you need to hear.

Earlier is better. For fall enrollments, most families start 9–12 months ahead. PG decisions often happen winter through spring of senior year. That said, we’ve placed players at all times of the year. No matter your timing, reach out for a quick, honest answer on your situation.

Tuition varies widely. Many schools offer need-based aid, and some provide merit scholarships, but competition is strong and paperwork matters. We align your budget + academic/athletic profile with schools where aid is realistic and the basketball fit makes sense. No false promises, no bait-and-switch.

Critical. Coaches ask about transcripts and character before watching highlights. We make sure your student is on track with the right coursework, help avoid NCAA pitfalls, and only pursue schools where they can thrive in the classroom. We also partner with programs that support students with learning differences, autism, or executive-functioning challenges, which are more common than many realize.

Yes. Basketball is our specialty. If your athlete competes in another sport, we’ll connect you with better-suited experts rather than pretending we can do it all.

We start with film and context: skills, motor, decision-making, body type, competition level, and role, plus academics, maturity, and goals. We place players on the path that fits their current ability, with a plan to move up if they earn it.

We work for your family, not for a school or hype machine. No mass emails, no spray-and-pray lists. Every outreach has a purpose, and every school we recommend has a reason behind it. Our edge is candid evaluation, real relationships, and a process that respects your time and money.

Cory’s perspective comes from experience. He completed a post-grad year before playing Division I basketball, and his cousin played four years of D1 then 14 years in the NBA. Prep school changed their family’s trajectory, and we want to help yours do the same.

Start by filling out our free assessment. Once we’ve reviewed your highlights, grades, and financial picture, we’ll schedule a strategy call, outline your best path forward, and build a realistic shortlist. You’ll leave with a clear, customized action plan.

Yes. We help with academic conversion, English proficiency expectations, logistics, and identifying where your game best translates. We’re honest about timing and paperwork so you don’t waste a year.

It happens. We’ll assess your current window, identify what’s still possible, and prioritize the options that offer the greatest return, whether that’s a late prep opportunity, a PG plan, or an alternate college path.