FAQS

Is prep school the same as high school?

A prep school is a high school.  The main difference is that prep schools offer housings that students live in, similar to a college.  Ascending Life and SCAZDL have joined forces to provide participants a Prep school environment. Students will reside with Ascending life program and participate in a public education with Sequoia Choice Arizona Distance Learning. Families are assured their child will receive a tailored high quality public education that meets state standards free of charge. Ascending Life charges a tuition for our basketball academy.

 Are prep schools worth the money?

That depends on your family’s financial situation.  If a family can pay for tuition and their child can gain acceptance into a prep school, there is a solid chance that they will grow immensely from their experience.  The benefits emotionally, physically, academically, and athletically will all have the chance to help a young person grow into a well-rounded young adult. This is a choice families will need to consider.  Do they spend the money for prep school tuition in hopes that it will produce a college scholarship?  There are numerous success stories from members of the ALCP family where this happened.  .

 Can international basketball players go to prep schools?

Absolutely!  International players love coming to the states to learn the US style of basketball, improve their English, graduate from a US based school, and immerse themselves into the culture. 

 How much does it cost for an international player to go to a prep school?

This depends on a lot of factors.  This is hard for US schools to verify due to foreigners not filing US tax returns.  Some schools give international players aid if they bring a lot of attributes to the school.   A qualified applicant can expect to pay between $25,000 to $40,000. 

 How will basketball families pay for prep school?

There are multiple ways to pay for prep school. If a family has the means they can pay a school’s entire tuition amount. As of 2020  prep schools offer full tuition from $29,000 to $82,000 on average across the country. As each year passes these rates are sure to increase. There are other fees to budget for on top of tuition: insurance, fees for special courses, supplies, textbooks, athletic fees, travel costs, etc. A family will want to make sure they know the total cost of tuition that includes these fees.

 Which basketball players should or should not attend prep school?

Players should go to prep schools if they want to improve their chances of playing in college. The coaching, competition and exposure to college coaches are superior to your average public/private school in the US. If a player has potential, the prep school route is designed to give them opportunities to make it to the next level. Some players I have worked with in the past went to prep schools for better daily competition in practice, better coaching, a tougher competitive schedule, more challenging academics, and to mature away from home. One family chose this route to get their son away from the wrong crowd in his hometown. You have to want to better yourself in the classroom and on the court if you are willing to leave your family and school to reach your dream.

 You should not go to prep school if you think just being there is your ticket to college. While the school and team might have good reputations, each player will have to fully commit to putting in hard work academically and athletically in order to succeed. And even then, they are vying for spots at colleges that applicants around the world want to take as well. In some cases, it makes sense for a player to finish his high school career at his current high school and then develop during a post-grad year. You have to really want to achieve your goal to leave your family and friends to go off to a prep school. It is not a decision to make lightly.

 How will prep school improve a player’s college recruiting?

Prep schools are set up to help their players get exposure to college coaches. Most of these schools have had success in placing their players at the next level. A majority of the prep schools are located in the Northeast and college coaches visit these schools each year during the open gym periods so they can recruit players. These prep schools work in conjunction with each other to schedule their open gyms in order for these coaches to be able to attend multiple workouts each day. One school may start the day with an early morning workout. Another school, twenty miles away, will have one at 3:30 and another school close by will have theirs at 7:00. College coaches can cross New England in a week and get a great bang for their buck seeing players at these open gyms.

 Prep school coaches are constantly on their phones and reaching out to college coaches to get them to look at their players. The more coaches’ eyes that see you during the summer, open gym, and the season will only increase your chances of playing at the next level. Prep school does not provide guarantees of playing in college, but it will provide more exposure than a player would get in a normal high school.

  How does prep school help basketball players with their academics?

Going to a prep school can offer academic advantages. Classroom size will be smaller which allows each student more interaction with their teachers. Learning is increased in this environment versus classrooms filled with thirty-five students. Students at prep schools are living away from home and have made a choice to do so. It is less likely that these students will cause trouble or not take this opportunity seriously. Being away from home already makes each kid more mature mentally and emotionally. Students will learn study skills that will enable them to complete their academics without their parents looking over their shoulder. The quality of the classes taught will better prepare the students for the eventual case load in college. Almost every school requires ACT/SAT prep classes to ensure each student achieves their best possible score which will increase their college options. Most teachers also live on campus and are more readily available for academic help than a non-prep school.

 What should basketball players expect at a prep school?

Once a student arrives at a prep school they will go through and orientation to get familiar with the campus, its student body and where everything is located. Schools start the year with ice breakers to ensure students make new friends early. Students will be assigned a room with a roommate and, at some point during this period, might experience homesickness. This is normal and part of leaving home for the first time..

If a student is an athlete then they will begin working out with their teams. Basketball will immediately start with conditioning and weightlifting. Open gyms will follow shortly thereafter. In October the season will officially start and games will be played until February or early March. Schools have Fall, Winter and Spring Breaks. Most schools have their players go home at these times.

The training, coaching and competition will be tougher than most non-prep schools. A majority of coaches in the prep school world either played or coached in college. They have all sent players to college and will most likely demand more from their players. Being on a prep school campus though offers more opportunities to get in a gym and weight room. It can be a short walk from one’s dorm room.

Academically school will be challenging. Some of the best high schools in the world are prep schools. Depending on which one a player chooses will determine how challenging it is. Balancing this new workload, plus basketball, and not having any parents around to ensure you are taking care of business can be a challenge. But this is how life will be playing a sport in college and every player that goes to prep school goes for this ultimate goal.

 How can athletes choose the right prep school?

Choosing the right prep school is similar to choosing the right college. First you want to find the best fit athletically and academically. What is the style of play? Where has the coach placed players in the past? Do you actually want to play for him? What classes will you be taking? What are the options for college classes? If a student has a learning disability can they accommodate that? Where do graduates end up going to college?

From there you want to visit to ‘feel’ the energy of each program. If you are going to prep school for more than just a post-grad year it is imperative to visit the school first. You can learn a lot from talking to coaches and viewing all of the videos on a school’s website. But visiting is the best way to figure out which school feels like the best fit. Distance to home could also be a factor that some families consider.

The final aspect to consider is financial.  Each family will need to determine their budget and see if the schools they like fall within that range.