Prep School

[Quickdraw]

I have to admit to being relatively uninformed about these "Prep Schools." (I hear that term and think of SLUH, CBC, Vianney, etc.) How many years can one go to post high school prep school? I am assuming TL is, nevertheless, on track to get his high school diploma this spring. Am I right?

I also hate to be one of Spiro's "nabobs of negativity," but everyone speaks as if our concern with a year of prep school is the risk of another school snatching TL away. The debate rages on as to whether he will remain committed to SLU. Isn't it a DISTINCT possibility that, despite an additional year of preparation, he will remain academically ineligible?

[RecCenterRat]

When the MCC schools you mention refer to themselves as being prep schools .. it specifically means college preparatory .. meaning "the school will prepare you for college and expects all graduates to go to college"

The prep schools tommie is choosing from is probably a much large committment .. when they say prep school .. in the northeast .. it usually refers to a school, equipped with dormitory's , with exclusive academics (like a country day or burroughs), people can go a 5th year

.. people used to go to them (in the 40's,50's) in order to ensure that they got into the likes of Yale, Harvard and what not .. the fifth year of work would aid students in getting in

They're normally very expensive .. 15,000-25,000 dollars to go to, my father spent time at one ..

that's all i know .. someone can add onto this ..

[Billiken Law]

http://www.hargrave.edu/athletics/sport_in...?category_id=19

These places are a convenient alternative to JUCO's without costing a player any collegitate eligibility as they have special programs set up just for hoops and football players. For some kids the purpose is to improve their status (i.e. go from low-major offers to mid/high major offers) for other kids it's to improve academics in order to qualify.

Many of these schools, while elite academic institutions in their own right, have realized the money to be made from collegiate athletics so they set up alternative programs only for athletes, which includes helping them get recruited and working with their college coaches on strength and skill training.

[Major Majerus]

I had a physician neighbor whose son graduated from Clayton High, but wasn't able to q for his college(s) of choice, so he attended an eastern prep school to beef up his academics. If you can beef up your academics after going through the Clayton School District, the prep school must be pretty good. If you work at it, you can virtually skip a year of college after attending Clayton.

[jjray]

I have always wondered what the prep school gets out of having a high caliber basketball team that is little more than a glorified high school team? How would they reap economic benefit from having a future NBAer attend their school? There must be boosters of these prep schools that essentially underwrite the basketball program otherwise I don't get it.

[davidnark]

Do the prep school basketball players receive scholarships?

[RecCenterRat]

Over the years, a lot of the prep athlete's were receving scholarships. This trend has been thwarted of late by actions taken by the NCAA. That's why Tommie will likely have to pay his own way.

In the fifties it was common for teams to return 2-3 seniors on a basketball squad for a 5th year. The same thing happened in football. Essentially you get a 5th year to improve your stock on the field and in the classroom.

Prep schools have always recruited athletes in order to maintain the prestige of the institution. The prep schools tend to compete amongst themselves, thus, they are also competing for the same type of students. It's all about money. A lot of kids who attend prep schools, come from mega dough. If you beat everyone athletically, it might aid the recruitment process for good students.

Has anyone ever seen School Ties .. if I can remember correctly, that's a film about a jewish boy who is recruited to play quarterback for a prestigious prep school .. it's just that the coaching staff and player have to keep that he's jewish under raps ... am i off base?

[RecCenterRat]

We're talking students who could have parents that have millions and millions of dollars (sons and daughters of ceo's).

We're talking affluent, new england, old money families!

something that we don't have much of in the midwest ..

[alameda bob]

The term "Prep School" has a much nicer ring to it than JC or JUCO I must say. Kind of like in England, Eton, Cambridge, etc., are called public schools.

[Basketbill]

If these schools are well endowed, that "work-study" type scholarships are abundant for kids in need.

[kshoe]

Your pretty accurate on your remembering of the story. The QB wasn't specificaly told not to tellthe others he was Jewish but on the first night in the dorms the other students were making a bunch of Jewish jokes and he decided to hide it. The QB was played by Brenden Fraser and Matt Damon played his enemy. Chris O'donnel was also in it. Pretty good movie if you ask me. It was set in the 50s so I have no idea if the basketball powerhouse prep schools are similar to the movie.

[MusicCityBilliken]

We have two here in the Asheville, NC area. Tuition runs runs about 16,000 with room and board running about 10,000. The average kid that attends these schools have parents that what I would consider 'old money'. 'Old Money' meaning inherited money or money that some major business or investment is generating. Alot of these kids will end in a Ivy League, a Duke or a Emory school. Also, these kids parents and grandparents probably attended these schools which helps the endowment.

[jjray]

Neither of you have answered the question--what is in it for the prep school? Yes, we all know that they these schools are full of old money. Fine and dandy ... but why have an elite basketball program populated by kids from the other side of the tracks? In D1 basketball, we all know the answer--the top b-ball programs gush money for their schools. However, the same dynamics do not apply to glorified HS b-ball. They generate no money--no TV, no tournament money, no huge gate, etc. I suppose the reason could merely be the positive exposure for the school. These kids could literally be traveling billboards for their schools.

[RecCenterRat]

here .. i'll try and lay it out ..

1. there are many prep schools on the east coast

2. they compete amongst each other for students

3. they have reputations to uphold

4. they play the other prep schools (so they'd probably want to beat the other schools, they even travel over distances to play some of the other schools)

5. if a school continually beats up on another prep school .. it makes them look better

6. if a basketball player can turn the tide and win you a couple extra games, then it may make the school look better, thus, they may get to choose from the best students .. it's the same for college's ...

if you're familiar with Desmet, CBC, Vianney, SLUH, and Chaminade .. why do their athletic teams want to beat each other? pride, honor, and to make their school look better .. MCC is almost an "arms" race with soccer players .. By the time I was a senior at SLU, I still would overhear guys ragging each other about battles that took place 5 years ago ..

reasons to a prep school

1. the athlete will be in a good school

2. the athlete can get personal attention in the classroom, and not get lost in the shuffle

3. the athlete will get another year to harness their skills

4. the athelte will get another year to expose their skills

5. i don't think you lose college eligibility

I have a friend who was a local hockey goalie .. he went to prep school in Maine .. now he's playing D1 hockey .. then again .. he probably had a 1200 SAT, and over a 3.0 ..

he went to get recognized and recruited for hockey ..

[Billiken Law]

wow, the kid must have wanted to go the Ivy route and wasn't a minority if he had to go to a prep school out of Clayton High!

I looked at a prep school in the Chicago area out of HS (Lake Forest)as the quality of my HS was poor at best and as a high school kid my dream school was Duke but my HS counselor told me I couldn't get in from my HS, but after visiting my parents noticed I didn't meet the #1 qualification to attend - I didn't drive a Mercedes of BMW!

[jjray]

recCenter, a little friendly advice--conciseness. Your message has 296 words, the question was why? Your answer--they want to look better than the other prep schools in any and all areas as they are hyper competitive. Good answer, just too many words. But maybe I am nitpicking.

[RecCenterRat]

sorry ..

[Schasz]

I have the same concern as you do in you last sentence (question), and I will go one step forward because I also don't know the answer. Won't TL still have to obtain an acceptable ACT/SAT score?

[StLouBlue]

The NCAA uses a sliding scale on the ACT/SAT & grade point average. My guess is the test score is not the problem but rather his grades are too low & needs this extra year to bring up is GPA. Here is a link on the NCAA scale.

http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/parent-pr...1_standards.pdf

[jjray]

>sorry ..

Now I feel guilty for the critique.