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Q: How do you apply to U.S. prep schools? Is my average mark of 65% good enough down there?

A: Thank you for your questions about Prep Schools. The American prep school system is renown for producing top caliber players and students. The New England and Minnesota prep schools are some of the most highly scouted arenas by NCAA coaches. For top players in the U.S., this has long been one of the premier development systems. However, this route has often been overlooked by Canadians and overshadowed by the Canadian junior leagues. In recent years though, it has started to garner more and more attention. Simply put, prep schools are producing some of the top collegiate and professional players, and people all over are taking notice. After all, Brian Leetch is a former prep schooler.
      When it comes to applying to these schools, it is important to do your research. Many of these schools have there own admission requirements, so it is important to research each of the schools that you are interested in. Of particular importance if you are hoping to apply for the Fall of 2000 is time. Many prep schools have deadlines for application early in the New Year. As well, the application process for these schools is extensive - it is much the same as university. Often you may need letters of recommendation, write an entrance exam, and have an interview with school officials. With regards to entrance exams, many schools will require that you write either the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) or the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). For more information on the SSAT you can visit their site at www.ssat.org.
      Whether or not a 65% average is "good enough" is relative. All of these prep schools take a variety of characteristics into consideration when reviewing applicants. Not only do they look at your grades, but also they look at other aspects in your life like athletics, the arts, community service, and your personality. These schools look for well rounded students with a variety of interests. With this said though, they are called "prep schools" for one reason. Their goal is to prepare students for university, and they look for students who are interested in preparing for university or college.
      For a listing of schools, we recommend the National Association of Independent Schools web site at www.nais.org. If you do a school search on this site, the best States to start looking under for hockey programs are New Hampshire (NH), Massachusetts (MA), Minnesota (MN), New York (NY), and Connecticut (CT). As well, for a short-list of prep school hockey links, visit www.prephockey.org/prep_schools.htm. Also, don't forget that there are a number of prep schools in Canada. Probably best known for producing hockey players is Notre Dame College (www.notredame.sk.ca) in Saskatchewan.