How to Write an Awesome Private School Admission Essay

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Sitting down to write the all-important private school admission essay — is there anything more stress-inducing than a blank document and a blinking cursor? 

Writing anything from scratch requires intensive energy, focus, and inspiration — and that pressure is heightened when the writing topic is turned inward. No wonder students (and parents) get overwhelmed when it’s time to complete the essay portion of a private school application!

Helping your child write their private school admission essay can be pretty nerve-wracking. However, it doesn’t have to be. 

The short essay questions included as part of most private school applications are meant to provide admissions professionals with a well-rounded picture of your child as a person and as a student. If written thoughtfully, this component of your child’s application can make them truly stand out. 

Below are our top tips for beating back writer’s block and crafting a private school admission essay that gets noticed. 

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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">Remember the essay audience.</span>

Although the essay is about your student, it’s FOR the private school admissions team. What will stand out to them? What will interest them? What will help them best understand your child and how they learn? Help your child craft an essay with these professionals in mind.

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<span class="text-color-lightblue" role="decoration">Answer the essay question asked.</span>

This may seem obvious; however, it’s very easy to steer off course when you get into a writing groove. Help your child refer back to the question and any associated instructions while they write. Remind them to try to stick to the word count, and make sure to answer all parts of the question. 

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<span class="text-color-green" role="decoration">Portray personality.</span>

Private schools are admitting people, not numbers. Their goal is to create a diverse, copasetic community in which students grow and are challenged. Your child’s answers shouldn’t be cookie-cutter. The best essay question answers will showcase a student’s personality, quirks and all. 

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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">Demonstrate passions. </span>  

Private schools are seeking students with different interests and passions. If your child has a unique interest or personal pursuit, the essay can be a great place to explain what it means to them and why it drives their creativity. 

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<span class="text-color-lightblue" role="decoration">Provide a unique perspective. </span>  

Opinions are important. If your child believes in a cause or has a strong point-of-view on a topic, talk about why. By standing behind their convictions, your child will demonstrate their critical thinking and leadership capabilities. 

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<span class="text-color-green" role="decoration">Paint a complete portrait. </span>   

Regardless of the essay question, you want your child’s essay to work seamlessly with the rest of their application and showcase them as a full, well-rounded student. If the application itself doesn’t allow you to bring your student’s true self to life, take that opportunity in the essay component.  

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<span class="text-color-orange" role="decoration">Maintain proper essay structure. </span>  

Remember, the essay isn't solely an exercise to get to know your child; it's also an evaluation of their writing ability. Maintaining the proper essay structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion is essential.

Admission officers read a LOT of essays, so really work on hooking them with the intro. Have your child read feature magazine and news articles, as well as the opening paragraphs of books to see how professional authors engage their readers.

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<span class="text-color-lightblue" role="decoration">Cut the clutter. </span>  

After your child writes their essay's first draft, make sure they spend time editing their ideas into a clear, concise answer. Help them proofread, check their grammar, and cut out any extra words or phrases that don’t support their answers. 

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<span class="text-color-green" role="decoration">Get/offer feedback. </span>  

Once your child’s essay is complete, it’s perfectly acceptable for them to ask someone else to read it. As a parent, point out areas where they have opportunities to strengthen an idea or fix a mistake. However, resist the urge to rewrite the essay in your own words. Again, your child’s own perspective is what matters! 

While the questions asked on private school applications may change, these essay-writing tips will help ensure that whatever story your child tells resonates with your dream school’s admissions team. For more essay tips, read Encouraging Your Child to Write a Self-Revealing Application Essay .

Encouraging Your Child to Write a Self-Revealing Application Essay

How to make a great impression in private school interviews, recommendation letters: who should you ask — and how, first-choice letters: do they help or hurt admission, the final countdown to application deadlines, 11 parent statement tips for private school applications.

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Public School vs. Private School: Argumentative Comparison

Table of contents, public schools: accessibility and diversity, public schools: limited resources and class sizes, private schools: specialized curriculum and resources, private schools: affordability and socioeconomic disparities.

  • Baker, B. D., & Welner, K. G. (Eds.). (2017). School Choice: Policies and Outcomes. University of California Press.
  • Henig, J. R., Hula, R. C., & Orr, M. T. (Eds.). (2019). Educational Inequality and School Finance: Why Money Matters for America's Students. Harvard Education Press.
  • Kahlenberg, R. D. (Ed.). (2013). The Future of School Integration: Socioeconomic Diversity as an Education Reform Strategy. Century Foundation Press.
  • Ravitch, D. (2013). Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools. Knopf.
  • Van Dunk, D. D., & Taylor, S. S. (Eds.). (2020). Global Perspectives on School Choice and Privatization. Information Age Publishing.

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Private School Admissions Student Essays: What Do I Say?

Posted on: December 7, 2021

One of the most stressful parts of the private school admissions process is the looming idea of writing an essay, or even multiple essays. In many ways, the essays make this process feel much like the dreaded college admissions process, even though you may be in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade now. I work with lots of students facing this very challenge, which become especially acute around the holidays. Right now, your fall semester is mostly behind you, you’re close to finished with standardized testing, and the only thing looming between you and a restful holiday break is a stack of essays.

Here are my tips and tricks learned from years of reading admissions essays on the school side of things and from supporting students on the application guidance side of things.

An essay is not your autobiography. You do not need to share everything you have ever done or every aspect of who you are. The goal is to introduce yourself to the admissions committee. Make a few key points and give yourself space to expand on those points.

Your essay should not feel like a list (even of accomplishments). It is tempting — understandably! — to feel like you need to write about everything you have done to demonstrate that you are worthy of admission and ready to take on the next level of school. You probably want to impress the admissions readers. But remember: those readers are people! They’re people who have chosen to work in schools because they love getting to know students. They want to read this essay, so it should feel like an enjoyable read. If they wanted a list of accomplishments, they would have asked for a resume.

Make sure it feels like an essay. Use your best writing skills! Think about transitions and style. You want your essay to reflect your voice, to feel authentic, and be interesting.

Use examples . Even though you DON’T want your essay to read like a resume, you DO want to be concrete. Abstract ideas are a start, but if you want to be memorable, you need to offer a tangible sense of who you are. Writers often use a rule this rule: Show, Don’t Tell . Rather than telling the reader that you are kind, why don’t you share a story when you felt that your kindness made a difference?

Think deeply. This essay is your chance to introduce yourself. Be reflective and thoughtful. A great way to accomplish this kind of reflection is to take a look at every point you are making and ask yourself, “Why?”

If the school asks what kinds of books you like to read, choose a few titles you like and ask yourself if they have anything in common. Maybe you like adventure books, or maybe you like books with great main characters who you can really get to know. That’s the first step. But the second step is “Why?” Why do you like adventure books? Why are great, strong characters appealing to you?” Write a few sentences about the books and then think about adding something that begins with “because.”

Consider your values. While you are thinking deeply about your ‘why’s, make a list of what is important to you. Every school has a sense of its mission as a school. They’re trying to get a sense of your mission as a student and as a young person. Think about what is important to you and then share those thoughts. Maybe you are super-committed to service, so you want to be in a school with lots of opportunities for volunteering and serving your community. Think about what makes you happiest, whether that’s learning, athletics, leadership, the arts, or something else altogether. Whatever it may be, spend some time on it. Sharing your real sense of who you are and what makes you thrive will help the school the reasons you could be such a great student.

The essays or short-answer questions on the private school application can seem daunting. But if you are thoughtful and true to yourself, you’re sure to find a great spot.

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Personal Statements

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A personal statement is an essay that an applicant has to write when applying for private schools. There are prompts or questions that have to be answered within the specified word count. This is an opportunity for students to let admissions officers know more about them and demonstrate how they could be a good fit for the school. However, many students fail to achieve this goal because they are not able to write a good narrative that makes them stand out from the other applicants. 

Along with good grades, impressive test scores, and letters of recommendation, a well-written personal statement can make a big difference in private school admissions. Our educational consultants understand how the admissions process works for top-tier schools and what admissions officers are looking for. This guide will help keep your child from making common mistakes when writing personal statements and admissions essays.

  • Be authentic and honest. Let your answers give admissions officers a glimpse into your personality and how you can be an asset to the school.
  • Avoid generalizations. Be definite with your answers. Tell them why you are applying to a particular program and why you think you will be a good fit.
  • Use specific examples to support your statements. Your personal experiences will be the best stories you can share that will prove how compatible you are.
  • Avoid using cliches. Be creative in your narrative. Your goal is to engage the admissions officer to keep on reading until the end of your essay or personal statement. 

At Cardinal Education, our holistic approach to admissions lets us unravel your child’s potential and highlight their uniqueness to get the differentiation they need. Over the years, we have developed our own formula and strategies for writing admissions essays and personal statements that have helped numerous families get into the best schools.

For students who are not strong writers, we advise them to enroll in our Program in Writing and Reading . This program aims to make them active and curious readers to develop comprehension and widen their vocabulary and ultimately, unlock their writing ability. We teach them the fundamentals of writing so they can organize their thoughts and ideas and express them in writing.   

What should I include in a personal statement?

A personal statement should demonstrate a student’s passions and interests which are unique. Remember that what we are aiming for is differentiation so think about your child’s activities that are not common among other students. If your child is into painting, consider what makes the artwork unique and how it is being used to drive change in the community or inspire others.  

How long should a personal statement be?

Each school will have its own requirements but typically, student statements are 1000 to 3000 characters long or approximately 250 to 500 words. Admissions officers go through hundreds of personal statement essays so it is important to keep to the maximum requirement and make sure that the first statement piques their curiosity to continue reading until the last sentence. 

How do I write a personal statement?

When writing a personal statement, focus on the question and only write relevant responses. It is very easy to get carried away and veer off course but with the limited word count, your child might not be able to express the most ideas important ideas that admissions officers are interested in.  

Do I need personal statement help?

Yes, especially if you and your child are not very strong writers. Among all the other application requirements, the personal statement is one of the biggest factors that affect admission decisions so it must be written well enough that it creates impact and sticks to the minds of the admissions officers.  Contact us to learn more about our writing program. 

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Admissions Matters: The Essay

Editor's Note: I am most grateful to Kate Fisher, who is an expert in admissions essays with Noodle Pros , for explaining how to handle the inevitable essay portion of your child's private school admissions application. ~Rob

If your child is applying to a private middle school or high school, he or she will likely have to write an admissions essay. It is important to remember that this is not a college admissions essay, which means that the standards used to assess your child’s writing ability are lower. However, this also means that it’s much easier for admissions officers to quickly identify essays that a parent, teacher, or tutor has had too heavy a hand in.

It is extremely difficult to disguise adult involvement in an essay that is supposed to be written by a child applying to middle school or high school. You may feel uncomfortable allowing your child to submit his or her essay without reading it over. If you choose to help him or her by proofreading or editing it, remember to make sure the language, syntax, and sentence structure remain age-appropriate. No private school admissions officer expects a rising sixth grader to write as well as an award-winning novelist, let alone a college-educated adult.

The best way to ensure the success of your child’s admissions essay is to show how to choose the right essay. Most private schools ask applicants to choose one prompt from a list of several. Helping your child brainstorm which topic to write about is a great way for you to be involved without heavily editing or actually writing the essay. When helping your child select a prompt, try to gauge which topic appeals the most. If none of the topics spark excitement which happens more often than not, try to determine what kind of prompt will best help showcase your child's personality.

While the list of prompts is long, most fall under a few broader categories, which I have listed below with some prompts I have seen over the past few years.

Prompts encouraging writing about others.

Who do you admire? If you were to develop a Mount Rushmore of the 21st Century, which four individuals would be represented and why?

The world's governments have decided to put a permanently manned colony on Mars. You are part of the advisory committee planning the settlement. You may select four people to live in the colony. What characteristics or skills would you want them to have to be able to influence the new Martian society?

Tell us about a fictional character in literature, comic books, film or television that you admire. What are the traits that this individual exhibits that make them worthy of your admiration?

The first two prompts are easy to translate into a straightforward essay structure, i.e., introduction, body paragraphs for each of the four individuals, and conclusion. But neither offers the applicant the opportunity to reveal very much about him or herself. In fact, most students choose the same people - Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appear on nine out of ten essays of this ilk that I have read - or people with similar roles - Steve Jobs and Bill Gates also show up on many essays with prompts like these.

While the fictional character prompt may seem fun, students often get distracted by providing context in terms of plot and don’t fully answer the question. Try to steer your child away from topics that encourage writing about other people.

Prompts which encourage writing about you.

What is the relationship between your life in school and your life outside of school?

Tell us about your best experience in school and your best experience out of school. What made each of them the best?

Of all of the things you are learning, what do you think will be the most useful when you are an adult?

What do you do in your extracurricular life that demonstrates a commitment to learning beyond the classroom?

These prompts all ask the applicant to relate his or her life in school to life outside of school. This allows the student to provide a more holistic view of who they are, not just in the classroom, but also in extracurricular pursuits. If your child knows what clubs or activities he or she wants to pursue in middle school or high school, topics in this category are a great choice.

Prompts requiring thoughtful, specific responses.

Who are you? You're writing the story of your life so far. What's the title? Why?

If your family had its own flag, what would be on it? If you had your own personal flag, would it be different from your family's flag? In what way?

Describe something you're hoping for, and discuss the obstacles or difficulties that must be overcome if this goal is to be achieved, either by you or by others.

Prompts like these can be a bit overwhelming for some students, and indeed for many adults given the almost existential quality of some of the questions in this category. It is difficult for a student applying to sixth grade to know what the title of the story of his or her life is so far. If your child chooses to write an essay on a prompt that describes who they are in the grand scheme of the world at large, make sure that the response stays specific rather than general.

Regardless of the topic your child chooses to write about, the essay is only one element of what is a highly-involved application replete with test scores, teacher recommendations, and on-site interviews. Try to present this writing assignment as a fun exercise which allows your child to showcase his or her personality, thereby standing out from the other applicants.

Click here for a complimentary consultation with Noodle Pro Kate Fisher.

Questions? Contact us on Twitter. @privateschoolreview

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8 Tips for a Great Admissions Essay When Applying to a Private School

Posted by Jean Abernathy | Education , Montessori , Private School Search | 0 |

8 Tips for a Great Admissions Essay When Applying to a Private School

Application essays provide ways for private school admissions officers to get to know students beyond their grades, test scores, and basic biographical information. They provide insight into a student’s personality and interests—to help determine if the school is the right fit for your child and vice versa.

Aside from the interview, writing the essay can be one of the most stress-producing steps in the application process. These suggestions from private school organizations can break the task of writing the essay into manageable steps that guide your child to crafting a work that makes him stand out to admissions officers.

Table of Contents

READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY

Don’t write a two-sentence essay if the school asks for one page, but don’t write more than one page. And, don’t turn in a typed essay if the school wants it handwritten.

TELL THE SCHOOL WHAT IT WANTS TO KNOW

Schools often provide an essay prompt, so you need to respond to it. That said, the prompts—such as “recount some activity or event that challenged you in a positive way”—usually allow the applicant lots of leeway to write about a range of topics.

START EARLY

Do not wait until the night before the application is due to begin writing. Brainstorm and work out ideas with teachers, parents, or others early and give yourself time for revisions.

TELL A STORY

While the essay should have correct spelling and grammar and be legible, it doesn’t have to follow the academic essay formula. A good strategy is to tell a story—even filled with dialogue or vivid description—to get your point across.

Don’t write what you think an admissions officer wants to hear—because you really have no idea. Write about what you know and what excites you.

GET CREATIVE

If you are an aspiring writer, for example, ask the school if you can write in verse, instead of the usual narrative.

BE CONCRETE

Stay away from generalizations, such as “singing by myself in front of my school was challenging.” Instead, provide details or an example of how and why you were scared before that solo singing performance and felt triumphant afterwards.

PARENTS, THIS MUST BE YOUR CHILD’S WORK

While, as parents, you can provide feedback and help with editing, let your child do all the writing. If you can’t help but get overly involved, consider asking a neutral third party—a teacher, another relative, or a professional consultant—to help your child edit her essay.

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3 Tips for Writing Your Child's Private School Application Essay

How to harness the power of storytelling.

Soojung-Smith

By Soojung Smith

Published on: october 30, 2017.

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It’s that time of year again: the busy admissions season for private and independent K–12 schools. Keeping track of each school's open houses, campus tours, parent and student interview dates and test requirements can feel like a full-time job. 

Each year, more families are considering private schools for their children and competition for top private schools in the greater Seattle area has become increasingly fierce. Some elite private schools admit fewer than 10 percent of their applicants from a highly qualified candidate pool. High standardized test (SSAT and ISEE) scores and GPAs alone, unfortunately, don’t guarantee a spot at these coveted schools. They're interested in forming a diverse and well-rounded student body that delves beyond students’ test scores and grades.

Some elite private schools admit fewer than 10 percent of their applicants.

One of the biggest mistakes I've seen families make in preparing their child’s applications for admission is to treat the information they submit as separate data points. Rather than painting a complete picture of their student, parent and student essays often read like a student activity form.

To give your child the best chance of success, it's important to be intentional and thoughtful about your child’s application. Remember that admission committees are interested in learning about your child and what your family can offer, and how you will contribute to their schools and school communities.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your child's private school application.

Know what it is you want to say about your child and your family: What are the key messages you want to convey?  

  • Think about how you and others see your child. You as parents? Grandparents? Their siblings? How would their friends describe them? Teachers? Neighbors?
  • What keywords begin to emerge? Kind? Mature? Creative? Curious? Inventive? A maker? A leader?
  • Choose three to five themes that best capture core identities of your child.
  • Use your child’s essential qualities, be it their achievements, unique experiences, activities or interests to make the connection to these themes.
  • Once themes emerge, look broadly and creatively at parent and student essays, activity profile, teacher recommendations, and other application elements for opportunities to weave these ideas together for differentiation.

Start working on essays and other application elements

  • Typically, families apply for three to five schools and, depending upon schools under consideration, you may end up with writing not only a common set of essays but also other unique ones they require from applicants and their families.
  • These requirements all add up, expecting a significant amount of time and efforts on your and your child’s end. Good writing is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight. Be prepared to go through three rounds of drafts of parent and student essays to get to final “quality” ones you and your student feel proud of. Try to have solid first drafts by the end of October, the second one by the end of November and the final draft by the end of December.   
  • Make sure you write parent essays while your child writes their student essays. You can lend help to your child, but they need to provide original and thoughtful answers in their portion of the applications as well as during interviews. Schools can tell if a parent writes student essays and even go so far as to collect writing samples.

Use essays and other application elements for effective storytelling

  • Use a parent statement, student essays and an extracurricular activity profile to let the reader in: Who is your child? What do they care most? Who is their hero? Why? How do these insights connect with other information you are submitting about your child and your family? Is there a particular story(ies) that helps to describe your child and your family best?
  • Distill the story that defines your child and your family in the space provided in online applications before the deadline for completed applications. Each essay question has a specific word count you can’t exceed, so be mindful of how you will use precious real estate to convey main messages for differentiation.

Effective storytelling alone won’t necessarily put your child over the top if they aren't already a competitive candidate. But it goes hand-in-hand with solid standardized test scores and GPAs for robust applications. Let schools know how unique your child and your family are. Let them know how your child and family will contribute to a diverse student body. Good luck!

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About the author.

Soojung-Smith

Soojung Smith is a family education coach, author, CEO and board advisor, and former Microsoft marketing executive. Her children attend two private schools on the Eastside. Soojung supports parents with challenging issues such as private school vs. public school, private school admissions, and students’ executive functioning skills and their public speaking competencies. Email Soojung at  [email protected] .

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Sample Student Essay for Private High School Admissions

Sample Student Essay for Private High School Admissions

Student essays are an important part of the private high school admissions process for students in New York City. While information like grades and test scores can help an admissions committee evaluate a student’s raw performance, essays are a key way for students to demonstrate their unique voice and personality. Treat student essays like mini interviews: they’re a chance to let admissions committees really get to know the student. 

We recommend starting student essay drafts as soon as possible (in the summer or early fall) to allow plenty of time for a thoughtful drafting process. One of the first steps to begin drafting essays is to identify the prompt(s) to write about. Students may have a variety of prompts to choose from, or they may be given a specific prompt. This depends on the student’s age (middle versus high school) and whether the school they’re applying to is an ISAAGNY member school or not. 

Here are several example essay prompts from the past: 

  • Describe a family tradition and why it is meaningful or important to you. 
  • What is a topic/skill that you learned about within the past year that was not assigned to you in school?
  • What brings you joy? What activities, pursuits, or interests have made you happiest over the past few months or years, and why?
  • What activity/interest or accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
  • Tell us about a time you were brave. 

Regardless of prompt, we encourage students to write about a subject that genuinely interests them and feels rich and dynamic enough to write several paragraphs about. Essays are a way to show off creative writing skills, but make sure that essays present a consistent application narrative and a relatively consistent application of writing voice (across each essay, graded writing samples , etc.). 

When approaching the student essay writing process, reading a sample essay is one of the most helpful ways to begin brainstorming. Here’s a sample student essay for private high school admissions that effectively provides a window into the student’s passions and way of thinking. 

*Note that this is a fictional sample, not a real student essay. 

Sample Private High School Admissions Essay

Prompt: What is your favorite work of art (visual, written, musical, etc.)? Why is it meaningful to you?

“If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint,” is a famous quote by artist Edward Hopper that has always inspired me. I’m naturally drawn to Hopper’s distinctive style of concrete, representational scenes; he was a master at manipulating light to create striking contrast and focus. But I appreciate Hopper’s art for more than just aesthetic choices; I connect deeply to Hopper’s intent to communicate memories and feelings through art. As a budding artist myself, my goal is to inspire real nostalgia and emotion with my paintings, the same way that Hopper’s works do for me. 

For example, Hopper’s “House By The Railroad,” completed in 1925, brings back many memories for me. The painting depicts a grand Victorian home with railroad tracks nearly underneath it. Like many of Hopper’s works, the scene is inspired by Hopper’s hometown of Nyack, New York, which happens to be the same town my grandparents live in. Even just a quick glance at the painting reminds me of walking up to my grandparents home in the summertime to greet them standing on the large front porch. Their home was situated not far from railroad tracks in Nyack, similar to the house in the painting. Whenever I see the piece, I’m reminded of the happy memories I’ve created at my grandparents’ home: eating grilled cheese and tomato soup on the front porch with my grandmother, hearing the train to Manhattan go by in the distance, and other everyday pleasures. 

In fact, from an early age, my grandparents encouraged my interest in Hopper’s art. My grandfather brought me to Hopper’s childhood home, which has since been turned into a museum, for the first time when I was ten years old. I still remember feeling awed as a young girl just being in the home of such a renowned artist; we visited his childhood bedroom and the spaces that eventually became subjects of his artwork, and I was inspired to find artistic inspiration in my own immediate surroundings. 

That’s clearly what Hopper aimed to do. I love that so much of Edward Hopper’s art captures standard American life. While many of Hopper’s paintings are of everyday scenes (homes, bedrooms, and more), his use of light and positioning of human figures adds nostalgic character to even the most mundane of scenes. Hopper’s art can teach us that even day-to-day moments can be striking and noteworthy. 

I recently visited an exhibition on Edward Hopper at the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan. Again, I found myself drawn to “House By The Railroad,” and other paintings that depict houses and restaurants and other run-of-the-mill spaces, made distinctive and beautiful with Hopper’s earnest, light-filled approach. Seeing Hopper’s art again in person brought back many memories and feelings for me, many of them from carefree days with my grandparents in Nyack. Someday, I hope to be able to evoke similar emotion through my own artwork.

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U.s. department of education report:, differences and similarities between public and private schools.

In an attempt to separate the facts from the myths, the essay Public and Private Schools: How Do They Differ? delineates differences and similarities between public and private schools. The findings are based on statistics from a report titled The Condition of Education 1997, published by the National Center for Education Statistics.

The following areas of comparison are explored in the essay:

  • Sources of support
  • School choice
  • School Organization and Management
  • School size
  • Decision Making for the School and Classroom
  • School climate
  • Academic programs
  • Elementary schools
  • High school academic programs
  • Support services

SOURCES OF SUPPORT

One defining distinction between public and private schools is their different sources of support. Public schools depend mainly on local, state, and federal funds, and private schools usually gain support mainly from tuition, with some funds coming from other nonpublic sources such as religious organizations, endowments, grants, and charitable donations.

In 1993-94 the average tuition paid by private school students was about $3,100, ranging from a low of about $1,600 in Catholic elementary schools to a high of about $9,500 in nonsectarian secondary schools. Total public school expenditures were about $6,500 per pupil in 1993-94. Comparing private and public school spending, however, is difficult because tuition often covers only part of the total spent in private schools.

SCHOOL CHOICE

School choice, now a hot issue, has traditionally been linked with private schools, but choice is not limited to the private sector. In the private sector, of course, parents have the greatest choices as long as they can afford the tuition or receive financial aid. But in public schools, parents retain some power of choice if, for example, they can afford to select their place of residence to place their children in a particular school district.

In 1993, 11 percent of students in grades 3-12 attended a public school directly chosen by their parents. That year, 9 percent of all students in grades 3-12 attended a private school. Parents of 39 percent of students in grades 3-12 said their child attended an assigned school but that their choice of residence was influenced by where their children would go to school. Thus, fewer than half (41 percent) of the students in these grades went to assigned public schools over which their parents had no direct or indirect choice.

Families with incomes greater than $50,000 have the most choice in schooling for their children. Higher family income leads to greater choice in both public and private schools.

"Many of the ways in which public and private schools differ reflect differences in their student population," says the essay. Students bring to school different characteristics, such as racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds or possibly personal problems, that affect their ability to learn.

The following are differences between public and private school students:

  • Public schools tend to have more racially and ethnically diverse student populations.
  • More children with limited English proficiency attend public schools.
  • Teachers report personal problems that obstruct learning more frequently among public school students.

Overall, public and private school teachers tend to come from different racial/ethnic backgrounds, have different qualifications, and be compensated differently.

Here are some contrasts between public and private school teachers:

  • Private schools have fewer minority teachers and principals.
  • According to certain measures, public school teachers appear to be more qualified than private school teachers. In the 1993-94 school year, for example, 42 percent of public school teachers earned a master's degree in contrast with 30 percent of private school teachers.
  • On average, public school teachers receive higher salaries and more benefits than private school teachers.
  • Private school teachers express more satisfaction with their working conditions, although teacher attrition is higher in private schools.

SCHOOL ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

School reform often focuses on the organization and management of schools in an effort to maximize school effectiveness. Overall, public and private schools are organized differently in areas such as school and class size. In addition, public and private schools place responsibility for decision making in different areas.

SCHOOL SIZE

Researchers have searched extensively for the ideal school size. In general, smaller schools are thought to be easier to manage and to carry a greater sense of community among students and teachers. Larger schools, within limits, often have a wider array of academic programs and support services.

Public schools tend to have larger enrollments than private schools. In the 1993-94 school year public schools were, on average, at least twice the size of private schools. This finding applied across schools in different types of communities at the elementary and secondary levels.

The average class size is larger in public schools. Smaller classes are generally considered more desirable because they enable teachers to give more individual attention by lightening the teacher's overall workload.

DECISION MAKING FOR THE SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM

Private school principals report more influence over curriculum than their public school counterparts report. Public school principals cited the State Department of Education, school district staff, and even teachers as having more influence over curriculum than they have.

In several school policy areas, private school teachers and principals are more likely than their public school counterparts to believe that they have a great deal of influence. Especially in the areas of setting discipline policy and establishing curriculum, private school teachers in 1993-94 were more likely than public school teachers to report that they had a great deal of influence.

In both public and private schools, the vast majority of teachers thought that they had a good deal of control over some classroom practices, for example, evaluating and grading students, determining the amount of homework, and selecting teaching techniques.

SCHOOL CLIMATE

In the area of school climate, the following findings highlight the contrast between public and private schools:

  • Crime and threats are far more common in public schools.
  • Public school teachers are far more likely to think that "certain negative student attitudes and behaviors are serious problems in their schools."
  • Lack of parental involvement is more likely to be seen as a serious problem by public school teachers.
  • "Private school teachers share a greater sense of community within their schools." A strong sense of community among teachers leads to more effective instruction and greater satisfaction with working conditions.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Establishing more stringent academic standards has been a key part of school reform efforts that began in the 1980s. One of the National Education Goals for the year 2000 is that all students be able to show in grades 4, 8, and 12 "competency over challenging subject matter" in a range of subjects.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Public and private schools demonstrated similarities and differences in the following areas:

  • Elementary public school teachers spend more time than private school teachers on core subjects.
  • Elementary teachers in public and private schools use similar teaching methods.
  • Private elementary school teachers handle homework differently than public elementary teachers. Some educators argue that homework is most beneficial to students if teachers collect, correct, and return their assignments. More private elementary school teachers (82 percent) do this than public school teachers (72 percent).

HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

At the secondary level, these differences were found between the private and public sectors:

  • "Private high schools appear to have more rigorous academic programs."
  • "Graduates of private high schools are much more likely to have taken advanced mathematics and science courses."

SUPPORT SERVICES

Federal and state laws mandate that public schools provide some services that aren't required of private schools.

  • Public schools provide a wide array of academic support and health-related services.
  • More schools in both sectors are providing extended-day programs, but public schools are behind private schools in this area.

"Although there is much variation in each sector," summarizes the report, "public school students present their schools with greater challenges than do their private school counterparts." Public school students are more likely to come from diverse racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and public school teachers are more likely than private school teachers to report students and families with problems that somehow obstruct learning.

In general, teachers in public schools more often have certain attributes that are thought to play a key part in effective teaching than do private school teachers. Yet overall private schools are reported by teachers to embody a greater feeling of community, offer more teacher autonomy, and more teacher influence over curriculum.

Finally, an individual student's academic success depends not so much on whether he or she attends a private or public school but rather on a complex interaction of abilities, attitudes, and strengths or problems brought to school; the skills and knowledge of teachers; and the quality of the learning environment.

  • Public and Private Schools: How Do They Differ? A copy of the essay that the overview above summarizes is available online, at the Web site of the National Center for Education Statistics.
  • Why Public Schools? A Primer on Democracy, Community, and Opportunity The National Education Association of Alaska published an essay challenging the assumptions often made about public and private schools and reaffirming the value of public schools in our society.
  • Many Floridians Prefer Public to Private Schools, Says UF Study A University of Florida survey reported many parents said they would not send their children to private schools even if the tuition were paid for.

Article by Sharon Cromwell Education World® Copyright © 2006 Education World

 

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essay on private school

53 Private School Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best private school topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 simple & easy private school essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on private school.

  • Public School vs. Private School Education Although public schools are free for all students, private schools are better for pupils because of the profound approach to studying and the effective environment for education.
  • Private School Teaching V.S. Public School Teaching In the recent past, there has been a rise in the demand for education offered in private schools relative to public schools notwithstanding the high cost of private education.
  • Comparison Between Public and Private Schools in the UAE This proves the words of the President of the UAE ‘education is like a lantern which lights your way in a dark alley’ and an increased attention of his wife to promoting this issue in […]
  • Public Schools’ Advantage over Private Schools As we can see, the answer to the question of whether to choose a public or private school is not a straightforward one.
  • Autism Children Education Inclusion Policy in Private Schools: Compulsory Enrollment Policy 2011 The following are the main areas will be addressed by the policy: Prohibited Private schools will be prohibited from ignoring the needs of children suffering from autism; they will be compelled by the act to […]
  • Quality Education in Non-Funded Private Schools Therefore, the income and expenditure of the school depends on how much money the parents of the students are willing to spend which varies from school to school depending on the location of the school, […]
  • What Parents Look at When Choosing a Public/Private School
  • Private School Enrollment and Public School Performance
  • Private Schools Vs. Private School Education
  • The Determinants of Private School Attendance, 1970-1980
  • Private School Competition and Public School Teacher Salaries
  • When Private School Is The Basic Form Of Traditional Education
  • Explaining the Performance Gap Between Public and Private School Students
  • Explaining Caste Differences in Private School Attendance
  • Do Vouchers Lead to Sorting under Random Private School Selection? Evidence from the Milwaukee Voucher Program
  • Private School Enrollment in Metropolitan Areas
  • School Finance Reform and Private School Enrollment: Evidence from California
  • School Finance Induced Migration and Stratification Patterns: The Impact of Private School Vouchers
  • Should Homeschooling Be Homeschooled Or Private School
  • Who Would Be Left Behind by Enhanced Private School Choice
  • Long-Term Trends in Private School Enrollments by Family Income
  • Reforms, Growth and Persistence of Gender Gap: Recent Evidence from Private School Enrolment in India
  • The Effectiveness Of Private School Vouchers
  • Explaining Ethnic, Racial, and Immigrant Differences in Private School Attendance
  • Relationship between Work Environment and Organizational Commitment among Private School Teachers in Klang Valley
  • Human Resource Management At Rancho Solana Private School
  • Private School: The Best Way to Educate Our Children
  • The Implementation of the English Curriculum at Private School in Islamic Boarding School in Rural Areas Indonesia
  • How The Private School Contradict The Atmosphere Of A Public
  • The Legacy of Serrano: The Impact of Mandated Equal Spending on Private School Enrollment
  • School Quality, School Cost, and the Public/Private School Choices of Low-Income Households in Pakistan
  • Immigration and the Public–Private School Choice
  • Estimating the Effects of Private School Vouchers in Multidistrict Economies
  • Two Kinds of School: Public and Private School
  • Why Do Public School Students Discriminate Against Private School Students
  • The Effect of Private School Competition on Public School Performance in Georgia
  • The Importance Of Attending A Private School
  • Education Funding And Private School Vouchers
  • Private School is a Better Option for Students and Parents
  • Public and Private School Outfits: Teaching Education
  • Indian Education System: Private School vs Government School
  • Public and Private School Competition: The Spatial Education Production Function
  • Is Private School Educationally Better than Public School
  • The Private School World And The Public School
  • George Orwell’s Portrayal of Society at a Private School in England
  • Public Education Expenditures and Private School Enrollment
  • Private School Choice: The Effects Of Religion And Religiosity
  • Teaching English And Private School Facilities
  • Public and Private School Management and Funding
  • The Advantages to Studying at a Private School in the Philippines
  • Madrasah for Girls and Private School for Boys? The Determinants of School Type Choice in Rural and Urban Indonesia
  • South Carolina Private School Assisting Lower-Income Students
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IvyPanda . "53 Private School Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." October 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/private-school-essay-topics/.

How to Write the Parent Statement for Private School

Three things you need to know

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Most applications to private schools require parents to write about their children in a parent’s statement or by filling out a questionnaire. The purpose of the parent's letter is to add dimension to the candidate’s statement and help the admissions committee better understand the applicant from the parent’s perspective.

Parent statement is your chance to provide a personal introduction to your child and share details about how your child learns as well as what their interests and strengths are. The following are a few simple steps that will help you write an effective parent letter.

Think About Your Responses

It can be difficult to step back and consider your child objectively, but you need to do exactly that. Think about what your child’s teachers have said over time, particularly the ones who know them well.

Reread report cards and teacher comments. Think about consistent themes that emerge from the reports. Are there comments that teachers have consistently made about how your child learns and acts in school and in extracurricular activities? These comments will be helpful for the admissions committee. 

Consider also your own observations of your child as well as what you hope your child will get out of their private school experience.

Real children aren’t perfect, but they can still be great candidates to private schools. Describe your child accurately and openly. A full, real, and descriptive parent’s statement will show the admissions committee that you are being honest, and when they will read about the amazing sides of your child, they will be more likely to believe them.

If your child has had serious disciplinary actions or other issues in the past, describe them. Let the admissions officers know what happened and draw positive lessons from it. The school is looking for a real kid—not a perfect pupil.

Showing that your child and your family are capable of dealing with setbacks might be even more valuable than presenting a flawless picture. Of course, describe your child’s strengths and don't only feel the need to be negative—but everything you write should be truthful.

Also, helping the committee members understand your child with their strengths and challenges will help them make the best decision for everyone. Your child will be most successful if they attend the school that fits them best , and describing your child candidly will help the admissions committee decide if the school and your child are the best fit for one another. Children who succeed at their schools are happier and healthier and stand in better stead for college admissions.

Consider How Your Child Learns

The parent’s statement is a chance to describe how your child learns so that the admissions committee can decide if they are likely to benefit from being at the school. If your child has moderate to severe learning issues, reveal them. Many private schools grant students with learning issues  accommodations or changes in the curriculum, so that they can best demonstrate what they know.

Students with mild learning issues might be able to wait until they are admitted to the school to ask about the school’s accommodations policy, but students with more severe learning issues should ask about the school’s policies about helping them beforehand. You may also have to do some research into what kind of resources the school offers to help your child—before they attend the school. Being open and honest with the school will help you and your child find the school where they can be happy and successful.

How to Organize Your Letter

Parent statements for private schools are typically composed of three parts: description of your child, description of your family, and the alignment of your values with the school values. The first two or even all three may be blended together, as through descriptions of your child, the nature of your family and your values will come through.

Sometimes, school websites offer useful prompts to guide your letters, and if that is the case, you should definitely make use of them. Some of the frequent questions are:

  • What do you hope for your child to accomplish with the help of our school?
  • Has your child ever had any intellectual, emotional, or behavioral evaluations? If so, describe their contexts and results.
  • In what situations does your child thrive? Describe your child as an individual, with their hopes, values, goals, aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses.
  • Has your child been through any adversity? Describe the context and how they navigated it.
  • What has your role been in your child's education?
  • Does your child require any academic or other support or accommodations?

Ideally, your letter would respond to these questions as thoroughly, yet as succinctly as possible.

The simplest way to go about this is to choose three to five aspects of your child's personality that you would like to highlight and compose the statement around them. Include illustrative anecdotes that will also portray a little about your family life. If it comes naturally to you, feel free to make these funny or quirky, as you are ultimately trying to stand out from the rest of the applicants.

As mentioned, you should also make a point of familiarizing yourself with the school's values and objectives and show in your letter how connected these are to your family. The more natural this is the better. All in all, as long as you provide the admission officers with an honest snapshot of your family and your child's nature and potential, your letter will hold its ground.

Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

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Top Benefits of Private School vs. Public School

By Darryl Gangloff

One of the most important decisions a parent makes is about their child's education. The decision between public or private schools involves a number of factors. Most significantly, how will this choice make a difference in my child's future? Read on for insights into the long-term benefits of a private school, and the reasons that a private school education is so highly regarded.

1. Parental Involvement

Parents often find themselves having a much more distinct voice in the private school system compared to public. Parents and administration typically experience an open channel of communication, with regular parent-teacher contact, welcomed parent involvement, participation in social events and fundraising campaigns, and more.

As a parent, you'll feel more involved in your child's education and more aware of any potential challenges as they arise. You're empowered to speak up on behalf of your child and have an invaluable active role in their education.

2. Safe Learning Environment

Families love the fact that private schools offer a safe learning environment, with a culture that places emphasis on personal responsibility and ethics. The lower staff-to-student ratio allows for more observation and intervention in case of a conflict.

Staff and faculty involvement and a focus on ethics create a notable difference in a school environment. According to a study conducted by the Fraser Institute, 72% of private school parents strongly agreed with the statement that their school was safe — a factor that they said improved both the quality of their child's educational experience as well as their ability to achieve.

3. Strong Sense of Community

A strong sense of community and school pride is a significant advantage of a private school. Students must go through an application process to enroll, and many private schools require students to meet a certain academic standard. In this way, there is a sense of pride from the moment you begin the application process.

Smaller school size and opportunities to get involved contribute to an enhanced sense of community and school pride. Parents will also feel this sentiment. According to a Fraser Institute survey, 62% of private school parents feel their school’s environment is motivating, supportive, and nurturing.

4. Individualized Attention From Teachers

Private schools are typically smaller than public schools, leading to smaller average class sizes. This dynamic benefits students in many different ways. You'll often feel more comfortable sharing your opinion or venturing a guessed answer in a smaller, more intimate setting.

Students and teachers are able to form closer relationships in a small classroom. This helps the teacher know each student better, enabling them to tailor their teaching styles accordingly. Private school students can better prepare for college with teachers who know each student's strengths and weaknesses and bar able to offer more specific help when needed.

5. Increased Access to Co-curricular Opportunities

At a private school, there are typically more co-curricular options and, due to the smaller school size, less competition to participate. This gives more students the opportunity to join a sports team, participate in the school musical, play in the orchestra, or have a voice in debate club.

At Hotchkiss, 94% of our student body is part of a sports team . As one of the leading private schools in New England with 600 students, this is achievable, whereas it would not be feasible at a public school with thousands of students. These extracurricular opportunities allow your student to develop new interests, learn valuable skills, and delve into a community or team that will become a vital part of their school experience.

6. Tuition Assistance and Grants

Many private schools are committed to providing financial aid option s to make private school education an affordable, accessible alternative to public school. The Hotchkiss School provides tuition assistance in the form of financial aid awards to 33% of our student body. You'll find that many private schools are happy to consider your case and offer a financial solution, particularly for need-based financial aid applications.

7. Higher Academic Standards

Statistics back up the fact that private schools challenge students to meet a higher academic standard. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, private high schools list more vigorous graduation requirements than their public school counterparts, requiring more coursework to be completed. The result is a graduating student body that performs better on tests, has a higher level of written , verbal , and mathematic ability, and has a more impressive school matriculation.

Students who participate in our college prep courses and programs, like those at many other private schools, have gone on to attend the top colleges and universities in the nation. We believe this is partially due to the rigorous academic expectations and talented educators, which creates an atmosphere that challenges students to succeed. We believe that, if motivated and driven, students will surprise themselves every time with all they can achieve.

For example, private school students typically score 60-70 points above average on the SAT. 

Learn More About the Benefits of Private Education

The Hotchkiss School has been offering rigorous, student-centered, private boarding school education in Connecticut since 1891. With our diverse student body, small classroom sizes, experienced educators, and impressive matriculation, you'll find that an education like no other awaits at Hotchkiss.  Contact us today to learn more  about the benefits of a Hotchkiss education or  schedule a tour   of our beautiful campus.

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About the Author

Darryl Gangloff is the marketing and communications content strategist at Hotchkiss. He has nearly 20 years of experience in communications and journalism and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Marist College.

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, taking the leap: college after military service.

Hey guys, I'm just completing my military service and I'm seriously considering going to college. I'm wondering how my experience in the military will translate into a college setting. Is there anyone here who's gone this route before who could provide some pointers?

Absolutely, there are many paths one can take after completing military service and pursuing a college education is definitely one of them. Your experience in the military can translate into valuable assets in a college setting in several ways.

Firstly, leadership and teamwork abilities honed in the military are very much applicable in collaborative academic settings such as group projects and study groups. Colleges value the discipline, maturity, and global perspectives that veteran students bring.

Secondly, your military experience might earn you college credit. Various universities offer college credit for military training and experience. I'd advise reaching out to a college advisor or a school's Veterans Service Office to explore how your specific experiences might be translated into academic credit.

Also, take a look at the Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. It could potentially help to cover higher out-of-state, private school, or graduate school tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill does not cover.

Furthermore, consider utilizing resources specifically aimed at veterans transitioning into higher education. These resources could include veterans student organizations which can provide a supportive community in navigating the transition to academic life.

Lastly, don't forget the value of your personal narrative. When writing application essays, your unique experiences and perspective as a military veteran could provide for compelling storytelling.

Remember, every journey is unique, and it's important to be patient with yourself during this transition. Best of luck with your future educational pursuits!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago

Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact

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  • Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-warnings-from-democrats-about-project-2025-and-donald-trump

Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and Donald Trump

This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact .

Project 2025 has a starring role in this week’s Democratic National Convention.

And it was front and center on Night 1.

WATCH: Hauling large copy of Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. McMorrow speaks at 2024 DNC

“This is Project 2025,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, said as she laid a hardbound copy of the 900-page document on the lectern. “Over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about “Trump’s Project 2025” agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn’t claim the conservative presidential transition document.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris said July 23 in Milwaukee. “He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously, and can you believe they put that thing in writing?”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has joined in on the talking point.

“Don’t believe (Trump) when he’s playing dumb about this Project 2025. He knows exactly what it’ll do,” Walz said Aug. 9 in Glendale, Arizona.

Trump’s campaign has worked to build distance from the project, which the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, led with contributions from dozens of conservative groups.

Much of the plan calls for extensive executive-branch overhauls and draws on both long-standing conservative principles, such as tax cuts, and more recent culture war issues. It lays out recommendations for disbanding the Commerce and Education departments, eliminating certain climate protections and consolidating more power to the president.

Project 2025 offers a sweeping vision for a Republican-led executive branch, and some of its policies mirror Trump’s 2024 agenda, But Harris and her presidential campaign have at times gone too far in describing what the project calls for and how closely the plans overlap with Trump’s campaign.

PolitiFact researched Harris’ warnings about how the plan would affect reproductive rights, federal entitlement programs and education, just as we did for President Joe Biden’s Project 2025 rhetoric. Here’s what the project does and doesn’t call for, and how it squares with Trump’s positions.

Are Trump and Project 2025 connected?

To distance himself from Project 2025 amid the Democratic attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he “knows nothing” about it and has “no idea” who is in charge of it. (CNN identified at least 140 former advisers from the Trump administration who have been involved.)

The Heritage Foundation sought contributions from more than 100 conservative organizations for its policy vision for the next Republican presidency, which was published in 2023.

Project 2025 is now winding down some of its policy operations, and director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, is stepping down, The Washington Post reported July 30. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita denounced the document.

WATCH: A look at the Project 2025 plan to reshape government and Trump’s links to its authors

However, Project 2025 contributors include a number of high-ranking officials from Trump’s first administration, including former White House adviser Peter Navarro and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

A recently released recording of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author and the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, showed Vought saying Trump’s “very supportive of what we do.” He said Trump was only distancing himself because Democrats were making a bogeyman out of the document.

Project 2025 wouldn’t ban abortion outright, but would curtail access

The Harris campaign shared a graphic on X that claimed “Trump’s Project 2025 plan for workers” would “go after birth control and ban abortion nationwide.”

The plan doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access.

What’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda neither lines up with Harris’ description nor Project 2025’s wish list.

Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.”

It recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Medication is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63 percent in 2023.

If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven. It would have to be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds.

WATCH: Trump’s plans for health care and reproductive rights if he returns to White House The manual also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act on mifepristone, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment.

The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders. The plan also would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training.

The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception.

Trump has recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. Trump said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions.

Project 2025 doesn’t call for cutting Social Security, but proposes some changes to Medicare

“When you read (Project 2025),” Harris told a crowd July 23 in Wisconsin, “you will see, Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.”

The Project 2025 document does not call for Social Security cuts. None of its 10 references to Social Security addresses plans for cutting the program.

Harris also misleads about Trump’s Social Security views.

In his earlier campaigns and before he was a politician, Trump said about a half-dozen times that he’s open to major overhauls of Social Security, including cuts and privatization. More recently, in a March 2024 CNBC interview, Trump said of entitlement programs such as Social Security, “There’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” However, he quickly walked that statement back, and his CNBC comment stands at odds with essentially everything else Trump has said during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump’s campaign website says that not “a single penny” should be cut from Social Security. We rated Harris’ claim that Trump intends to cut Social Security Mostly False.

Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the “default” enrollment option. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks and can also require prior authorization, meaning that the plan can approve or deny certain services. Original Medicare plans don’t have prior authorization requirements.

The manual also calls for repealing health policies enacted under Biden, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The law enabled Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time in history, and recently resulted in an agreement with drug companies to lower the prices of 10 expensive prescriptions for Medicare enrollees.

Trump, however, has said repeatedly during the 2024 presidential campaign that he will not cut Medicare.

Project 2025 would eliminate the Education Department, which Trump supports

The Harris campaign said Project 2025 would “eliminate the U.S. Department of Education” — and that’s accurate. Project 2025 says federal education policy “should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” The plan scales back the federal government’s role in education policy and devolves the functions that remain to other agencies.

Aside from eliminating the department, the project also proposes scrapping the Biden administration’s Title IX revision, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would let states opt out of federal education programs and calls for passing a federal parents’ bill of rights similar to ones passed in some Republican-led state legislatures.

Republicans, including Trump, have pledged to close the department, which gained its status in 1979 within Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s presidential Cabinet.

In one of his Agenda 47 policy videos, Trump promised to close the department and “to send all education work and needs back to the states.” Eliminating the department would have to go through Congress.

What Project 2025, Trump would do on overtime pay

In the graphic, the Harris campaign says Project 2025 allows “employers to stop paying workers for overtime work.”

The plan doesn’t call for banning overtime wages. It recommends changes to some Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations and to overtime rules. Some changes, if enacted, could result in some people losing overtime protections, experts told us.

The document proposes that the Labor Department maintain an overtime threshold “that does not punish businesses in lower-cost regions (e.g., the southeast United States).” This threshold is the amount of money executive, administrative or professional employees need to make for an employer to exempt them from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In 2019, the Trump’s administration finalized a rule that expanded overtime pay eligibility to most salaried workers earning less than about $35,568, which it said made about 1.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay. The Trump-era threshold is high enough to cover most line workers in lower-cost regions, Project 2025 said.

The Biden administration raised that threshold to $43,888 beginning July 1, and that will rise to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. That would grant overtime eligibility to about 4 million workers, the Labor Department said.

It’s unclear how many workers Project 2025’s proposal to return to the Trump-era overtime threshold in some parts of the country would affect, but experts said some would presumably lose the right to overtime wages.

Other overtime proposals in Project 2025’s plan include allowing some workers to choose to accumulate paid time off instead of overtime pay, or to work more hours in one week and fewer in the next, rather than receive overtime.

Trump’s past with overtime pay is complicated. In 2016, the Obama administration said it would raise the overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, about double the exemption level set in 2004 of $23,660 a year.

But when a judge blocked the Obama rule, the Trump administration didn’t challenge the court ruling. Instead it set its own overtime threshold, which raised the amount, but by less than Obama.

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Harvard’s Institute of Politics Announces Fall 2024 Resident Fellows

essay on private school

Introduction

CAMBRIDGE, MA - The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School today announced the appointment of six Resident Fellows who will join the IOP for the Fall 2024 semester. The fellows bring diverse experience in politics, elected office, polling, journalism, and economic development to address the challenges facing our country and world today.

"We are thrilled to welcome this Fall's cohort of Resident Fellows to Harvard to engage and collaborate with our students and community, and to get their thoughts and insight in the final few months of this year's historic election. Their diverse experiences will no doubt inspire our students to consider careers in public service and prepare them to provide essential political leadership in the months and years ahead," said IOP Director Setti Warren .

"We are excited to have such a remarkable group of Fellows at the IOP this Fall. They bring varied perspectives on how to best approach some of our country's most consequential challenges, and I am confident our students will gain important insight into the fields of politics, civic engagement, journalism, and more," said Michael Nutter , Chair of the Institute of Politics' Senior Advisory Committee, and former Mayor of Philadelphia.

"We are thrilled to welcome the incredibly accomplished members of the 2024 Fall Fellows Cohort as we begin the fall semester prior to the incredibly important U.S. election. As we close out the 'biggest election year in history,' our world remains in the throes of a major period of democratic backsliding. American voters, including many Harvard students, will once again face the possibility of reactionary backsliding and threats to fundamental rights. Closer to home, we are keenly aware of the threats to free speech on campus. While this semester will bring renewed challenges to and debates concerning those fundamental rights, we are hopeful that study groups will remain a source of vibrant, productive, and gratifying discussions on Harvard's campus. In that spirit, this semester's cohort of Fellows will bring in critical perspectives from the varied worlds of governing, policymaking, polling, reporting, and campaigning to equip students with the tools necessary to create a better tomorrow. We are confident that this cohort of Fellows will help this program to remain a bastion of freedom of speech and civil discourse on Harvard's campus," said Éamon ÓCearúil ‘25 and Summer Tan ‘26 , Co-Chairs of the Fellows and Study Groups Program at the Institute of Politics.

IOP Resident Fellows are fully engaged with the Harvard community. They reside on campus, mentor a cohort of undergraduate students, hold weekly office hours, and lead an eight-week, not-for-credit study group based on their experience and expertise.

Fall 2024 Resident Fellows:

  • Betsy Ankney: Former Campaign Manager, Nikki Haley for President
  • John Anzalone: One of the nation's top pollsters and strategists, and founder of Impact Research, a public opinion research and consulting firm
  • Alejandra Y. Castillo: Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
  • Asa Hutchinson: Former Governor of Arkansas and 2024 Presidential Candidate
  • Brett Rosenberg: Former Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council and Deputy Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, Department of State
  • Eugene Scott: Host at Axios Live, and former reporter who has spent two decades covering politics at the local, national and international level, including at the Washington Post and CNN

Brief bios and quotes can be found below. Headshots are available upon request.

Betsy Ankney Ankney is a political strategist with over 15 years of experience on tough campaigns. She has been involved in campaigns and Super PACs at the national and state level and played a role in some of the biggest upsets in Republican politics. She has been an advisor to Ambassador Nikki Haley since 2021, serving as Executive Director for Stand for America PAC and most recently as Campaign Manager for Nikki Haley for President. After starting with zero dollars in the bank and 2% in the polls, the campaign defied the odds, raised $80 million, and Nikki Haley emerged as the strongest challenger to Donald Trump. Ankney served as the Political Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2020 cycle. She advised senate campaigns across the country, working directly with candidates and their campaigns on budgets, messaging, and fundraising. Prior to her work at the NRSC, Ankney managed multiple statewide campaigns, including Bruce Rauner for Governor in Illinois and Ron Johnson for Senate in Wisconsin. For her work on Ron Johnson’s race, she was named “Campaign Manager of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants for 2016. Ankney got her start in politics at the 2008 Republican National Convention and served in various roles at the Republican National Committee as well as on multiple campaigns and outside efforts. She serves on the boards of The Campaign School at Yale and The American Association of Political Consultants. She is from Toledo, Ohio and attended Vanderbilt University.

"I am honored to be a part of the fantastic program at the Harvard Institute of Politics. As we enter the final stretch of one of the wildest and most unpredictable election cycles in modern history, I look forward to having conversations in real time about our political process, what to look for, and why it matters." – Betsy Ankney

John Anzalone Anzalone is one of the nation’s top pollsters and messaging strategists. He has spent decades working on some of the toughest political campaigns in modern history and helping private-sector clients navigate complex challenges. He has polled for the past four presidential races, most recently serving as chief pollster for President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. In that role, he helped develop the messaging and strategy that drove paid communications, major policy rollouts, speeches, and convention thematics. He has also polled for the campaigns of President Obama and Hillary Clinton, and has helped elect U.S. senators, governors, and dozens of members of Congress. Anzalone works with governors across the country, including current Governors Gretchen Whitmer (MI) and Roy Cooper (NC). He polls regularly for the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Senate Majority PAC, and AARP. With more than 30 years of experience in message development and strategic execution, he has been called on by key decision-makers, executives, and CEOs to provide counsel in a changing world and marketplace. He has extensive experience using research and data to break down complex subjects into digestible messages that resonate with target audiences. He grew up in St. Joseph, Michigan, and graduated from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is married and has four children, two dogs, and lives in Watercolor, Florida.

"After a 40-year career in politics I am so excited to give back by sharing and mentoring politically active and curious students, but also to have an opportunity to learn from them myself. During the next three months we will be living the 2024 elections together in real time. There is nothing more exciting than that regardless of your political identity." – John Anzalone

Alejandra Y. Castillo The Honorable Alejandra Y. Castillo was nominated by President Biden and sworn in as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development on August 13, 2021, becoming the first women of color to hold this position. Ms. Castillo led the Economic Development Administration (EDA) between August 2021-2024 through an unprecedented moment of growth and opportunity. As the only federal agency focused exclusively on economic development, she guided EDA’s the implementation of over $6.8 billion dollars in federal funding, powering EDA and its mission to make transformational placed-based investments to support inclusive and equitable economic growth across America. Spanning over two decades of public service and non-profit work, she has served in three Presidential administrations --Biden, Obama and Clinton. Her career has also included a drive to shattering glass ceilings and providing inspiration to multiple generations of diverse leaders. Castillo is an active member in various civic and professional organizations, including the Hispanic National Bar Association, the American Constitution Society, as well as the Council on Foreign Relations. Castillo holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; a M.A. in Public Policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; and a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. A native of Queens, NY., the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic.

"I am excited to join this Fall semester IOP Fellowship class and have the opportunity to engage with students and faculty members across the University. The IOP fellowship presents a great forum to discuss and evaluate the future of U.S. industrial strategy and economic growth in light of the historic federal investments in place-based economic development during the last three years. I am honored to join my colleagues in making this an exciting and informative semester for students." – Alejandra Y. Castillo

Asa Hutchinson Governor Asa Hutchinson is a former Republican candidate for President of the United States. He served as the 46th Governor of the State of Arkansas and in his last election, he was re-elected with 65 percent of the vote, having received more votes than any other Republican candidate for governor in the State’s history. As a candidate for President, Hutchinson distinguished himself as an advocate for balancing the federal budget, energy production and enhanced border security. He also was a clear voice for the GOP to move away from the leadership of Donald Trump. Hutchinson’s time as governor is distinguished by his success in securing over $700 million per year in tax cuts, safeguarding the retirement pay of veterans from state income tax, shrinking the size of state government, creating over 100,000 new jobs and leading a national initiative to increase computer science education. The Governor’s career in public service began when President Ronald Reagan appointed him as the youngest U.S. Attorney in the nation for the Western District of Arkansas. In 1996, he won the first of three consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his third term in Congress, President George W. Bush appointed Governor Hutchinson to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and later as the nation’s first Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Border Protection. He is a former Chairman of the National Governors. He grew up on a small farm near Gravette. He and his wife, Susan, have four children and seven grandchildren. Governor Hutchinson is currently CEO of Hutchinson Group LLC, a security consulting firm.

"After 8 years as Governor it is time to teach and mentor. I am honored to have the opportunity this fall to share my experiences and perspective but to also learn from the students and my colleagues who will also be resident fellows at the IOP. The timing is historic with our democracy facing a critical choice this fall as to the direction of our country." – Asa Hutchinson

Brett Rosenberg Rosenberg is a foreign policy expert who has served in the White House, Department of State, and Senate. During the Biden Administration, Rosenberg was the inaugural Deputy Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, President Biden’s and the G7’s flagship program designed to meet infrastructure needs in low- and middle-income countries. At the White House, Rosenberg served on the National Security Council as Director for Strategic Planning, working on shaping and realizing approaches to issues spanning from international economics to Western Hemisphere engagement, as well as helping to write the National Security Strategy. Prior to her service in the Biden administration, Rosenberg was Associate Director of Policy for National Security Action, where she remains a senior advisor. Rosenberg began her career in Washington as a legislative aide to then-Senator Kamala Harris, where she advised the senator on a range of domestic and economic policy issues. Rosenberg is a Nonresident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and her writing has appeared in outlets including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, and McSweeneys. She received her A.B. in History from Harvard College and her PhD (DPhil) in International Relations from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

"What a privilege it is to be part of this incredible community in this incredible moment. I can't wait to learn from the students, faculty, and other fellows as we dive in together to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and the world." – Brett Rosenberg

Eugene Scott Eugene Scott is a host at Axios Live, where he travels the country interviewing political and policy leaders. He was previously a senior political reporter for Axios covering 2024 swing voters and voting rights. An award-winning journalist, Scott has spent two decades covering politics at the local, national and international levels. He was recently a national political reporter at The Washington Post focused on identity politics and the 2022 midterm election. Following the 2020 presidential election, he hosted “The Next Four Years,” then Amazon’s top original podcast. He also contributed to “FOUR HUNDRED SOULS: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019,” which topped the New York Times’ bestseller list. In addition to writing, Scott has regularly provided political analysis on MSNBC, CBS and NPR. Scott was a Washington Correspondent for CNN Politics during the 2016 election. And he began his newspaper career at the Cape Argus in Cape Town, South Africa not long after beginning his journalism career with BET News’ “Teen Summit.” Scott received his master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and his bachelor’s from the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media. He is a D.C. native and continues to live in the Nation’s Capital.

"Learning from and with the professionals that visited the IOP during my time on campus was one of the highlights of my time at the Kennedy School. I am eager to help lead students in understanding the press and this country as we navigate the final weeks of arguably the most consequential election of our time." – Eugene Scott

Additional information can be found here .

About the Institute of Politics Fellows Program The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School was established in 1966 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The Institute’s mission is to unite and engage students, particularly undergraduates, with academics, politicians, activists, and policymakers on a non-partisan basis to inspire them to pursue pathways in politics and public service. The Institute blends the academic with practical politics and offers students the opportunity to engage in current events and to acquire skills and perspectives that will assist in their postgraduate pathways.

The Fellows Program has stood as the cornerstone of the IOP, encouraging student interest in public service and increasing the interaction between the academic and political communities. Through the Fellows Program, the Institute aims to provide students with the opportunity to learn from experienced public servants, the space to engage in civil discourse, and the chance to acquire a more holistic and pragmatic view of our political world.

For more information on the fellowship program, including a full list of former fellows, visit: iop.harvard.edu  

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    The essay, for some applicants, can be one of the most stressful parts of the application process. These eight private school application essay tips just might help you produce the best essay you've ever written, which could increase your chances of getting accepted at your dream school. 1. Read the directions. This seems obvious, but hear me out.

  5. Private School Admissions Student Essays: What Do I Say?

    One of the most stressful parts of the private school admissions process is the looming idea of writing an essay, or even multiple essays. In many ways, the essays make this process feel much like the dreaded college admissions process, even though you may be in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade now.

  6. Public School vs. Private School Education

    Private schools demonstrate the better quality of education because of their admission standards. Private schools accept students who pass necessary tests and prove that they have the desired level of knowledge. Such a selection enhances the quality expectations. Public schools have to accept all students regardless of the level of their knowledge.

  7. Writing Tips for Personal Statements

    A personal statement is an essay that an applicant has to write when applying for private schools. There are prompts or questions that have to be answered within the specified word count. This is an opportunity for students to let admissions officers know more about them and demonstrate how they could be a good fit for the school.

  8. The Writing Sample

    The Writing Sample. This article discusses the significance of writing samples in the admissions process for private schools, emphasizing the importance of a child's ability to express themselves through writing. It provides insights into the purpose of writing samples and offers tips for parents and students on how to approach them effectively ...

  9. Admissions Matters: The Essay

    No private school admissions officer expects a rising sixth grader to write as well as an award-winning novelist, let alone a college-educated adult. The best way to ensure the success of your child's admissions essay is to show how to choose the right essay. Most private schools ask applicants to choose one prompt from a list of several.

  10. How to Write a Standout Private School Application Essay

    Sitting down and trying to take on the immensity of the entire application essay is a sure-fire way to cause stress and writer's block. Instead, think of the initial writing as doodling. First, get your student to focus on getting words down on paper. Afterward, review their writing and search for themes.

  11. 8 Tips for a Great Admissions Essay When Applying to a Private School

    Application essays provide ways for private school admissions officers to get to know students beyond their grades, test scores, and basic biographical information. They provide insight into a student's personality and interests—to help determine if the school is the right fit for your child and vice versa. Aside from the interview, writing ...

  12. 3 Tips for Writing Your Child's Private School Application Essay

    Good writing is a process; it doesn't happen overnight. Be prepared to go through three rounds of drafts of parent and student essays to get to final "quality" ones you and your student feel proud of. Try to have solid first drafts by the end of October, the second one by the end of November and the final draft by the end of December.

  13. Sample Student Essay for Private High School Admissions

    January 28, 2023. Student essays are an important part of the private high school admissions process for students in New York City. While information like grades and test scores can help an admissions committee evaluate a student's raw performance, essays are a key way for students to demonstrate their unique voice and personality.

  14. Comparing Public and Private Schools

    Regardless of the high tuition costs, private school attendance is still significant in that "about 10% of students in the U.S. attend private schools" (Powell, 2012, p. 38). Enrollment for secondary education in fall 2007 shows 15,018,000 students in public schools and 1,377,000 students in private schools (Snyder et al., 2008, p. 82).

  15. Private School vs. Public School

    According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, public schools still attract far more students than private schools, with 50.8 million students attending ...

  16. Differences and Similarities Between Public and Private Schools

    Private schools are often perceived to be more effective, with at least some evidence to buttress that position. In an attempt to separate the facts from the myths, the essay Public and Private Schools: How Do They Differ? delineates differences and similarities between public and private schools. The findings are based on statistics from a ...

  17. Essay on Private Schools

    Private Schools. Public school is a school that is maintained at public expense for the education of the children of a community that constitutes a part of a system of free public education commonly including primary and secondary schools. On the other hand private school is a school founded, conducted, and maintained by a private group rather ...

  18. Essay On Private Schools

    Essay On Private Schools. 1434 Words6 Pages. The controversy on whether the best choice is to send a child to a public or a private school has been a continuous discussion since the start of the public school system. Many different researchers have gathered endless amounts of data and still cannot conclude or agree on which school can help a ...

  19. 53 Private School Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    This essay critically compares the differences and similarities, advantages and disadvantages and the issues that a rise in both private and public schools that affects the education of the children mainly preschool kids the its […] We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts.

  20. Applying to Private School: Writing a Parent Statement

    Updated on November 11, 2019. Most applications to private schools require parents to write about their children in a parent's statement or by filling out a questionnaire. The purpose of the parent's letter is to add dimension to the candidate's statement and help the admissions committee better understand the applicant from the parent's ...

  21. Applying to Private Schools: A Guide for K-12 Families

    There are two main admissions exams for private school entrance. The Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT), for grades 3-11, consists of math problems, vocabulary and analogy questions, reading ...

  22. Benefits of Private School

    This helps the teacher know each student better, enabling them to tailor their teaching styles accordingly. Private school students can better prepare for college with teachers who know each student's strengths and weaknesses and bar able to offer more specific help when needed. 5. Increased Access to Co-curricular Opportunities.

  23. Essay on Private school VS Government school

    This Private school VS Government schoo is essay is very important for students of 5-12th class.If you ... About video-In this video, we will see how to write. This Private school VS Government ...

  24. How different is applying to college after serving in the military?

    Firstly, thank you for your service. Applying to college after military service is somewhat different than the usual high school to college transition. Here are some key differences: 1. **College Credit for Service**: Many universities offer credit for training or work experience received during military service. Be sure to look into how colleges evaluate those credits, as this may influence ...

  25. Taking the Leap: College after Military Service

    It could potentially help to cover higher out-of-state, private school, or graduate school tuition that the Post-9/11 GI Bill does not cover. Furthermore, consider utilizing resources specifically aimed at veterans transitioning into higher education. ... When writing application essays, your unique experiences and perspective as a military ...

  26. Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and ...

    Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the "default" enrollment option.

  27. Harvard's Institute of Politics Announces Fall 2024 Resident Fellows

    CAMBRIDGE, MA - The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School today announced the appointment of six Resident Fellows who will join the IOP for the Fall 2024 semester. The fellows bring diverse experience in politics, elected office, polling, journalism, and economic development to address the challenges facing our country and world today."We are thrilled to welcome this Fall's cohort of ...