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Beekman’s Post-Graduate Year Program

What is a “PG” Year?

“PG” stands for “post-graduate”. It is also commonly called a “Gap Year” between the end of high school and the beginning of college. In many countries, it is common to take a year to attend classes, gain work experience, earn money for college, travel, or volunteer. Over the last five years, PG years have become increasingly popular in the United States.

What is the purpose of the Beekman PG Year program?

The purpose of this program is to provide a supplementary year of education for students who are not fully prepared for college or who need time to explore college options while maintaining their academic momentum. Students take academic PG years for a variety of reasons, including one or several of the following:

Academic Advancement: Due to scheduling or tracking (some high schools “track” students into course levels such as AP, Honors, regular/standard), PG year students who did not or could not take one or more upper-level course(s) in high school can take AP and advanced classes at Beekman to demonstrate their skills to colleges. This option also allows students the opportunity to improve their grade point average (GPA).

Academic Remediation: Students who feel that they are not ready for specific college-level courses or students who have earned Cs and Ds in specific classes in high school can use this option to improve competency in areas for improvement. Colleges often administer placement exams for new students, and if students do not meet college-level knowledge, they will have to take a fee-based “remediation” course that does not count toward graduation. Pursuing remediation before college is a more individualized and effective approach to gaining these skills.

Writing Enrichment: Students of all skill levels can benefit from on-going writing practice and support through group English classes or 1:1 targeted support sessions.

Executive Functioning Skills Development: Students for whom organization, time management, and/or self-advocacy poses a challenge can use this program to develop and enhance these skills through a 1:1 partnership with an instructor in skills-based classes. This option can be stand-alone or used in conjunction with academic advancement and/or remediation and can be extended into the first year of college.

College Application Support: Students who have taken a gap year in order to work or take classes while applying for college can meet 1:1 with Beekman’s Director of College Guidance.

How are the PG Year classes offered?

Post-graduate year students can take advantage of one-on-one or group class settings in both remote and in-person formats.*

*Students turning 20 during the PG year program and younger are eligible for in-person classes during regular school hours. Students who are 20 or older are eligible for after school remote support at flexibly scheduled times.

If you are a college student in need of academic support, please click here.