A postgraduate year at Kents Hill School is an opportunity for high school graduates to spend a year in an intensive, college preparatory academic program. Generally, students who choose to take a postgraduate year of study are searching for one or more of the following:

• To improve grades
• To improve test scores
• To take challenging, college preparatory courses
• To take Advanced Placement courses
• To improve leadership skills
• To mature as a scholar-athlete

Kents Hill provides postgraduates with a challenging college preparatory curriculum, combined with the support and structure necessary for success. Small classes, evening study halls and individualized attention from faculty produce an academic atmosphere that breeds success. Postgraduate students can also expect to take leadership roles on campus, in the classroom and on their teams.

All students take a minimum of five academic classes and participate in one sport each trimester. Postgraduate students are also required to take two art classes during the year. Grades are distributed every six weeks, while teachers report internally on each student every two weeks. Students and their advisors consult each week to discuss classes, athletics, residential life and personal issues.

The Postgraduate Seminar
This required fall trimester course for postgraduate students is a skill-intensive, humanities seminar in conflict studies. Specifically designed to give postgraduates the skills necessary for success in college, the seminar requires postgraduates to undertake a series of readings, films, speakers, cultural events, and field trips while focusing on critical reading and analysis, analytical writing, public-speaking and presentation, and independent research.

College Counseling
College counseling information is mailed home to postgraduates during the summer, and, as soon as school begins in the fall, each postgraduate meets with his/her college counselor. Postgraduates are registered for SAT and/or ACT tests as needed, and test preparation occurs in the fall, in English and math classes.  Following the first trimester grades, the college counselors work intensively with each postgraduate to ensure the best possible fit for college.