TheNewYorkTimes

June24,2000
AGrowingHighSchoolTrend:OptingtoTakeanExtraYearByTAMARLEWIN
Thepromwaslastmonth,graduationwasthesecondSaturdayinJune,andGeoffBlumenfeld
isnowofficiallyfinishedwithGraniteBayHighSchool,outsideSacramento.Butnextfall,when
hisclassmatesstartcollege,hewillcomeEastforanotheryearofhighschoola
''postgraduate''yearatNorthfieldMountHermon,aboardingschoolinMassachusetts.

Mr.Blumenfeldhadotheroptions:HewasacceptedattheUniversityofColorado,theUniversity
ofArizonaandSanDiegoState.Buthehashissightssethigher,andlikeagrowingnumberof
youngpeopleheishopingthatapostgraduateyearwillwinhimbetterchoices.

''I'dneverheardofapostgradyearuntilmycounselorsuggestedit,andIdon'tknowanyone
who'severdoneit,''saidMr.Blumenfeld.''Iplayedbothfootballandsoccerlastfallandmy
gradesdidtakeasouthwardturn.I'mhoping,ifIworkhard,togeta100pointgainonmy
SAT's,haveareallygreatfootballyear,andthengetintotheU.S.NavalAcademy.''

PostgraduateprogramshavebeenaroundfordecadesatdozensofNewEnglandprepschools
likePhillipsExeter,HotchkissandDeerfield,mostformaleathleteswhohavegraduatedfrom
publichighschoolsandwantanextrayeartobulkup,getstrongerandbolster
lessthanstellaracademicrecords.Theprogramsgiveprepschoolssomeextrawallopontheir
sportsteams,newbloodandgreaterdiversity,nottomentiontuitionupwardsof$25,000for
eachstudent.

Butinthelastfiveyears,withthecompetitionforentryintotoptiercollegesgrowingmore
feveredthanever,thepostgraduateprogramshavebegundrawingfarmoreapplicantsand
fromawiderpoolthatforthefirsttimeincludesasubstantialnumberofgirls,andboysless
interestedinathleticsthandrama,music,oramoreimpressiveacademicprofile.

''It'sreallyburgeonedinthe90's,partlydrivenbythedemographics,''saidJamieRobinson,an
admissionsofficerattheKentSchoolinConnecticut,where,hesaid,postgraduateapplications
havedoubledinthelastfiveyears.''There'satremendousnumberofkids,andtremendous
amountofdiscretionaryincome,amongtheclasswho'dbeinterested.''

Publicschooladministrators,includingChancellorHaroldO.LevyoftheNewYorkCitySchools
haveevenbeguntospeakofafifthyearofhighschoolasawaytohelpsomestudentsmeet
increasinglyrigorousgraduationstandards.

Still,thenewpopularityoftheprepschoolprogramsisdrivenbytheincreasingfrenzyover
collegeadmissions.

''Thishasbeenthemostcompetitivecollegeyearever,sothetrickledownwasreallyapparent,''
saidMr.Robinson.''Therearealotmorekidsandparentswhowanttogroomitalittlemore.
YouseeBstudentswith1,2001,300boardscoresoptingforanotheryeartodosome
communityservice,somedrama,boosttheirgrades.

''Iknowitsoundslikeitcouldbeayearofbreathingroom,butitseemsoftentobeayearfor
paddingthecurriculumvitae.''

PamSafford,theadmissionsdirectoratNorthfieldMountHermon,whereapplicationsfor70
postgraduatespotshaverisenabout25percentinthelastfiveyears,said''Wehavelotsof
kidstryingtotieruptoanIvyLeagueschool.''

''Ofthisyear'sclass,I'dsayonlyabouthalfdosports,''shesaid.''I'mhearinglotsmoreparents
saythisiswheretheywanttoinvesttheirmoney,particularlyifthey'veseentheirolderkidsgo
offtocollegenotquitematureenoughtothrive.''

Studentsoffermanydifferentreasonsforchoosingapostgraduateyear:learningbetterstudy
skills,exploringintereststheyoverlookedinhighschool,playinganotheryearofsportswithout
usingtheirN.C.A.A.eligibility,improvingtheirSATscores,orgainingmoredistancefroma
troubledsophomoreorjunioryear.

Formanystudents,especiallyinpartsofthecountrywherepostgraduateprogramsarenotwell
known,thetransitionfromhighschooltoprepschoolcanbecomplicated.

''Attheendofhighschool,Igotsotiredofexplainingitatallthegraduationparties,''said
DamienChaviano,anIllinoishighschoolgraduatewhospentthisyearatExeterandwillattend
MiddleburyCollegeinthefall.''Itwasjustunbearable,soIkindofpasseditoffasasmall
collegeintheEast.Theninthefall,mybuddieswouldcallat2a.m.,outpartying,andI'msitting
there,studyingforSaturdayclasses,justheartbroken.ButIgotmoreofagriponmystudy
habits,andmorefocus.''

Asthepostgraduateprogramsbecomebetterknown,somearegettingtobeasselectiveas
topcolleges:Exeterhadnearly300applicationsthisyearfor25slots,andDeerfieldhadmore
than140for20slots.

AndwhilemostoftheprogramsareclusteredinNewEngland,theydrawapplicantsnationwide
andoverseasalmostallfrompublicschoolstudentswhohavenothadtheexperienceof
tinyclasses,campuslivingandcloserelationshipswithteachers.

''Myclasseshadmorethan30kids,''saidVivianHarbertErceg,agraduateofMcMinvilleHigh
SchoolinOregonwhowillattendExeter,inNewHampshire,nextfall.''AtExeter,itmaybea
dozenkidsinaclass,andI'llgettostudythingslikeornithologyandmarinebiologythatapublic

highschoollikeoursjustdoesn'thave.I'mgoingtodoalotofdrama,anditwillletmeacclimate
totheEast.''

Ms.HarbertErcegsaidsheneitherknew,norcared,thattheprogramstraditionallywerealmost
allmale.Thepreponderanceofboys,mostschoolssay,reflectsthesamedevelopmentalgap
thatleadsmanyparentstoholdbacktheirsonsanextrayearbeforekindergarten.

''Alotofboysareayearbehindgirlsdevelopmentallyandsocially,''saidLisaAntell,directorof
admissionsatBridgtonAcademy,aboys'schoolinMainejustforpostgraduates.''Whetherit's
startingkindergartenorstartingcollege,alotofthemneedthatextrayeartofocus.''

Whileitisstillnotcommon,afewstudentsarechoosingapostgraduateprogramevenafter
beingadmittedtothecollegeoftheirchoice:BrysonGrover,forexample,deferredadmissionto
theUniversityofVirginiaforayearsohecouldattendDeerfieldAcademyinMassachusetts.

''Everyoneofmysiblingstoldmethatwhentheygottocollege,theydidn'tknowhowtostudy,
theydidn'tknowhowtositdownandorganizetheirtime,''saidMr.Grover,whofeelsuncertain
abouthiscollegereadiness,despitecompletingaslewofAdvancedPlacementcoursesathis
Virginiahighschool.''Deerfieldhasdynamitefacilities,likeanawesomeobservatory.U.Va.will
holdaplaceforme,andI'llstillhavefouryearsforthecollegeexperience.Idon'tseeany
downside.''

Formanypostgraduates,though,theprogramsaremoreafallbackthanapositivechoice.

''I'dappliedtofourschoolswhereIthoughtIhadaprettygoodchanceAmherst,Williams,
MiddleburyandColbyandIdidn'tgetinanywhere,''saidJaredPassmore,afootballstarat
hisMassachusettshighschoolwhospentthisyearatNorthfieldMountHermon.''Itwaspretty
awful.InhighschoolIcouldgetB'sandacoupleA'swithoutmuchwork,andcollegessawthat
asnotapplyingmyself,whichwastrue.AndIusedtohavethistendency,whenIwastaking
standardizedtests,andfillinginallthoseovals,tostartthinkingaboutfootballplays,andfillin
theoneinthepositionIneededtomaketheplay.''

Asapostgraduate,Mr.Passmoreworkedhard,improvedhisSAT'sandwonadmissionto
Swarthmore,oneofthenation'smostcompetitivecolleges.

''There'sabsolutelynowayIcouldhavegottenintoSwarthmorewithoutthisyear,''hesaid.''It
wasreallyawkwardatthebeginning.MyfriendsweregoingofftoM.I.T.andHarvard.AndI'mat
thisplacewheretheylockthedormsat10:30andturnthephonesofffrom8p.m.to10for
studyhall.ButI'mverygladIdidit.IthinkI'vematuredasaperson,andIthinkithelped
collegesseemeassomeonewho'sseriousaboutwhathewantstodoinlife.''

Likecolleges,postgraduateprogramsvarywidely.Some,likeExeter,areknownforrigorous
academicstandards,whileothersarecelebratedfortheirathletics:DozensofDivisionIcollege

coachescometowatchpromisingplayersatschoolslikeMaineCentralInstitute,andNew
HamptoninNewHampshire.

''Usually,there'stwogroupsofpostgraduatesontheteam,''saidJamieArsenault,the
basketballcoachatNewHampton.''Therearethosethatwouldgotocollegeiftheycould,but
theydon'tqualifyacademically.Andthere'sanothergroupthatcomefromsmallschools,where
theyhaven'tbeenseen,sotheyneedtheexposure.''

WhetheratNewHamptonorExeter,mostpostgraduateprogramsaresmall,inpartbecause
havingtoomanyoutstandingolderathletesbytheirverynature,ringersinhighschool
competitioninevitablykeepssomehomegrownstudentswhoplayedthroughouthighschool
frommakingvarsitymanyschoolshavelimitsonhowmanypostgraduatescanplayonateam.

Andasmoremusiciansandactorshavebeendrawntotheprograms,similarconcernsare
beginningtoariseaboutfeaturedrolesinschoolplaysorchamberensembles.

Often,studentsarereferredtoaprepschoolbyacollegeadmissionsofficerwhothinksthey
couldbenefitfromapostgraduateyear.

''WhenIappliedtoWesleyan,thedirectorofadmissionssuggestedthatIwouldbeagood
postgraduatecandidate,''saidAngeliqueOwanga,whomovedtoAtlantafromZairethreeyears
agoandwillbeapostgradthisyearatNorthfieldMountHermon.''WhenIgotintotheprogram,
withfinancialaid,Ithoughtitwouldberightforme.Ihadagoodgradepointaveragebutmy
S.A.T.'swerenotasgoodasIexpected,andIwanttodobetter.''