Patrick-

The commitment is certainly not for everyone. It's a major commitment, but the opportunity you get is worth it. Think of it this way: lots of people don't go because they want to play competitive sports in high school. Well, not hardly anyone that plays competitive sports in HS will play in college...but everyone that goes on to college will be competitively learning, so in a practical sense you're putting yourself in a better position to succeed.

But, like I said, the commitment is not for everyone. It can be pretty intimidating for a 16 year old to leave home.