A post-graduate (PG) year is a year beyond high school graduation spent at an independent school. Some students consider doing an additional year of high school in order to better prepare themselves for college in a number of areas. Reasons for pursuing a PG year vary as does the timing of this decision. Some students know early on that they would like to pursue a PG year and don't go through the college application process at all, while others decide to consider both options. Still others go through the college application process and then realize that they are not pleased with their college options and would like another year to strengthen their candidacy for colleges.
A number of independent schools offer a PG option to a small cohort of students. as post-graduates, these students will have already earned a high school diploma so they will be making academic choices that will enhance their profile for college by filling in gaps on their transcript or taking some more advanced courses.