Some people prepare extensively for their return to school in the fall, others simply wake up one designated morning and go to school. For my return to school, I am preparing simply by making sure that everything is ready. This involves the common things, such as finishing summer homework assignments, but it also involves more uncommon ones. Since I’m homeschooled,
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Your parents have spent months looking at boarding school websites. Dozens of them. The photo galleries look amazing. The academics include courses you could only dream about taking in your current school. The athletic departments look like something you’d expect to see at college. The extracurricular activities which most schools offer are beyond extensive. That part of going to boarding
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As the school year begins to wind down and desks and lockers begin to empty, it can only mean one thing: summer is almost here. And with summer comes the annual flurry of fun, from summer camps, summer sports leagues, family vacations to even just days at the pool. Summer should mean all these exciting things, but one thing it
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There’s an old saying: “The lawyer who is best prepared is the one who wins the case.” In the same way, “The test taker who is best prepared will be the one who scores high and then applies for a college and goes to Harvard as a political science major but finds out a year in that he wants to
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You made it! You’ve taken the SSAT, submitted your application and received your admission letter (congrats by the way). Now it’s time to take the next step to high school, are you ready? Here is my top ten pieces of advice for anyone on to bigger and better things, a.k.a. high school. Step out of the comfort zone! – Maybe
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The decision to attend an Independent high school was, for the most part, pretty easy for me. Ramsey New Jersey’s Don Bosco Prep offered new academic rigors, nationally recognized athletic programs, a rich history of tradition, and many other positive qualities not applicable to my local public high school. It seemed like a no-brainer, I mean, what was there not
Read moreWow, can you imagine what it would take to gain acceptance into all eight Ivy League Universities? Elmont Memorial High School Valedictorian Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna has a good idea, and so does her predecessor, Elmont’s 2015 Salutatorian Harold Ekeh. Both students achieved the feat through hard work, perseverance, dedication and plenty of extracurricular activities — Harold calls it being “over-involved” — but also by simply
Read moreNote from the editor: Please welcome ThomasP! Thomas is a new student blogger who will be sharing his perspective on considering and applying to independent school, as well as tips for SSAT practice. Read more about Thomas on our Student Contributors page. Since everyone’s situation will differ, there may be as many reasons for a student to seek out
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With so many options in K-12 education today, why should families and students consider independent schools and private schools for their primary and secondary school education? At a recent meeting of 100s of admissions directors from the country’s best independent schools and private schools, SchoolUp asked that very question. “Why should families consider independent schools?” Watch what the admissions directors had to
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Welcome! We’re glad you’re here. SchoolUp is an online community designed specifically for students who are searching for, applying to and attending independent schools. If you’re one of those students — or even just starting to consider independent schools — we want to hear from you!
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