Emma Guzdek December 11, 2024
In households across America, families are facing one of the most consequential decisions in their children's educational and athletic journey: whether or not to pursue the prep school path. As acceptance letters arrive and financial aid packages are weighed, parents and students find themselves navigating a complex landscape of opportunities, sacrifices, and long-term implications that extend far beyond the classroom walls.
There are several advantages to attending prep school. According to Williston Northampton School’s Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Coach, Christa Talbot Syfu, students tend to have smaller class sizes, the opportunity to create relationships with their teachers, and the ability to live in a place where they access to their teachers for help set prep school apart from other educational opportunities. Students are surrounded by people from all over the world and with different passions, offering the chance to experience different cultures. Many proponents of prep school point to higher college acceptance rates, stronger academic preparation, and the development of independence that comes with boarding school life. They see the prep school environment as an incubator for leadership, where students are challenged to exceed their own expectations daily.
Critics, however, raise valid concerns about the social and emotional costs of separating teenagers from their communities during formative years. They question whether the environment of prep schools truly serves students' well-being, and whether the same educational outcomes might be achieved through strong public schools and dedicated parental involvement. The substantial financial burden forces many families to weigh their children's opportunities against their own financial security.
School & Hockey
For hockey specifically, prep schools have become increasingly more popular as they have become pipelines to junior hockey, NCAA programs, and eventually, professional careers. Attending prep schools for a sport(s) means combining academic rigor with athletic opportunity. “Kids have the opportunity to play high level hockey, while also having the ability to join clubs and organizations, be leaders on campus and in their dorms, have success in other sports, try something new, and be part of a community that is very supportive,” says Talbot Syfu. Those playing club hockey often have to sacrifice these things as hockey has become something that consumes the majority of a player’s time.
While each prep school is different, Talbot Syfu says that players at Williston Northampton have classes during the day. The team has practice for 1 ½ hours each day, sometimes right after the players are done with classes and other times it is later in the day. They will also have a lift or a team meeting around practice and classes. Generally, Talbot Syfu says players dedicate 2 ½ to 3 hours a day to hockey. Players do not have to miss classes for games, their schedule is built in a way that that doesn’t have to happen.
For students that choose to pursue the college recruitment process, they can receive help from their coaches and/or college counselors. Coaches and/or college counselors will guide students through the process and help them write emails to college coaches, help them get their NCAA ID, and assist them with the application process. Many prep schools have programs that help students with their college essays and work on prepare them for interviews.
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Addressing the “Disadvantages”
“From my perspective, there aren’t necessarily any disadvantages of attending prep school,” Talbot Syfu vocalized. Talbot Syfu attended prep school at Williston Northampton and graduated in 1998. She then played NCAA Division I hockey at St. Lawrence University and Providence College. Talbot Syfu returned to Williston Northampton in 2003 as an Assistant Coach and was named the Head Coach in 2004.
“The big sacrifice families make is sending their child away from home, which is probably the hardest part for families to wrap their heads around,” says Talbot Syfu, “parents want to be the ones instilling values and being at every crossroad, it’s hard for them to give that up.” However, Talbot Syfu shares that she’s noticed that the relationship between parents and their children improve when they attend prep school. “Something we hear a lot from parents is that their child is different, they’re doing things they’ve never done before, they’re talking and thinking about things that they hadn’t thought about,” shared Talbot Syfu. Kids don’t have as much contact with their parents and are influenced more by their peers and the adults around them, so parents don’t face as much of the conflict. The school structure and adult mentorship that students are getting doesn’t replace parents, but it replaces the conflict. “Conflict can’t exist in the same way when a child isn’t living at home, so it ultimately enhances relationships within the family.”
The Prep School Recruitment Process
There are more prep schools recruiting than there have ever been. The process begins in a few different ways; a player reaching out to a coach with their information and film of them playing, reaching out to a coach with information about upcoming games in their area, and the other comes from referrals. “The hockey world is really small, so the referral process is very valuable to both myself as a coach and the player being referred,” said Talbot Syfu.
The prep school recruitment process should begin about a year and a half to two years before the player would be starting prep school. This allows parents and players to do their homework and get as much information as possible. Families should visit schools in the fall and winter of the year prior to when they want to attend. There are two common application services, Gateway and SAO, where admissions applications can be submitted. Generally, admissions applications are due in January. Financial aid applications can be filled out through the application service Clarity and need to be completed by February 1st.
Prep school applications differ from college applications, in the sense that children don’t have to find their interests yet. While prep schools are looking for well rounded students, the most important thing is having good grades. If a student has other interests, they should share them. Letters of recommendation tend to share the most information about students because those going through applications can get an idea of what teachers and advisors think of the student, what they’re like in the classroom, and get a good idea of their character.
For those interested in playing hockey at prep school, there are a few showcases that many prep school coaches attend. Pathway to Prep partners with prep schools and runs multiple showcases throughout the year, typically in December and June. The other showcase is in May and is run by Premier Ice Prospects (PIP) in Bedford, Massachusetts. These events are highly recommended as the players and coaches are able to interact with each other in person.
Everyone Is Different
The decision to attend prep school resides on the individual player and their family. While prep school isn’t required to play hockey at the next level, it certainly puts players in a different position when the time comes to start looking at colleges.
Families that are considering the prep school path should do the following:
Visit multiple schools to understand their unique cultures and programs
Speak with current players and alumni about their experiences
Evaluate the financial commitment and available aid options
Consider the impact on family dynamics and support systems
Assess the students’ academic needs and goals alongside their athletic ambitions
While prep school can provide advantages in the college recruitment process, success ultimately depends on a player's dedication, skill development, and ability to perform both on and off the ice. The prep school path might offer a more structured route to these goals, but it's not a guarantee of advancement. Players can and do reach collegiate hockey through various pathways, making it essential to choose the one that best fits their individual circumstances, goals, and development needs.
For more information, consider the following resources:
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