Prep School

Prep Schools are private, college preparatory institutions, usually hosting Grades 9 through 12. While many are boarding schools where students live in a dorm, others are day schools where the students return home each night.  Prep Schools have enrolment anywhere from 150 to 1000+ though most fall in the 250-500 range. One of the key advantages of Prep School is the low student-teacher ratio, enabling a more personalized approach to education.

Prep Schools can be found around the US with the heaviest concentration in New England where there are 62 schools registered in two divisions in the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Assocation.

In Canada, Prep Schools are located in and around major cities throughout the country.

For an indepth review of hockey boarding schools, click here.

No. Like universities, some are big and others are small. Some have very high admissions standards while others have more flexibility in the range of students they can accept. What is common though is that a student with one or more years of Prep School experience has a distinct advtanage vis-a-vis study skills acumen, the maturity gained as a result of living away from home and the foundation of knowledge from his academic background.

Application and financial aid deadlines are early and the most selective schools tend to be earliest. Aim to have your application materials to the Admissions Office in January for Fall entry. This means the exploration process should begin about a year before you hope to start Prep School. This will give you the time you need to gather information, complete the SSAT, make visits and complete the interview process.

Contact the Admissions Office at the school(s) of your choice, ideally during the year prior to your target entry date. You will receive the required application materials and general information which will answer many of your questions. You will most likely have to take the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), submit a transcript of your academic records and recommendations from your teachers.

A visit, tour and interview is also encouraged and sometimes required as part of the application process.

Prep schools are expensive, running between $25,000 to $40,000 annually with room and board.  But virtually all schools have a financial aid program based on demonstrated financial need or other needs within the school (Eg. athletes, music, top scholars). The Admissions Office at the schools you are targeting will be able to inform you how their financial aid package works.

You have probably heard of a player receiving a hockey scholarship to a Prep School. Realistically, that player and his family received financial aid. Prep Schools offer merit scholarships but typically not for athletics. You will get the best financial aid award if your application is processed early.

College recruiters (and Pro scouts) watch the Prep schools in action because they recognize that level as at or near the top for the age group.  Since schools attract student-athletes from across North America, it is almost like an all-star system. Since most Prep Schools own and operate their own rink, there is also excellent practice to game ratio with practice time every day! 

Because Prep Schools tend to have ice that time that minor hockey and high schools struggle to afford, top players from North America and Europe continue to seek admission year after year.

There is a school out there with a program for virtually every hockey player. Some are extremely competitive and others have a range of ages and skill levels on their rosters. The best combination is one with a programs that suits your academic and athletic skill levels.

Yes. The Prep School circuit is the most heavily recruited high school league in the US. Less than 5% of the US secondary school population attends a private day or boarding school, yet Prep Schools place students into NCAA hockey at a 2:1 ratio vs. public school graduates.

Why?

1. NCAA coaches recognize that Prep School students have already been exposed to life away from home including the ability to balance academics, athletics and personal time. 
2. They have daily ice time for practice and skill development. 
3. They have access to excellent fitness training facilities specific to hockey. 
4. Their families have demonstrated the ability to pay the tuition or qualify for financial aid. 
5. Most Prep School coaches have an ongoing relationship and dialogue with NCAA coaches and know how the scholarship system works.  Conversely, many high school coaches have not formed that relationship nor do they understand the process of getting their NCAA-ready athletes on the radar of college recruiters.
6. With limited time and scouting budgets, NCAA recruiters are more likely to attend Prep School games vs. public high school games since they are more likely to watch up to 40 players who qualify academically and athletically at the Prep School game.  At public high school games, a typical game may offer few, if any, prospects that qualify for his institution.

Maybe. If you plan to enter a highly competitive program as a freshman, you will realistically be assigned to a JV team. If you plan to work your way up to the Varsity squad in ensuring years, be aware if your Prep School admits seniors and post-grads who could take your spot.