The U.S. Education System and When to Apply Primary Education-Some, but not all children attend preschool around the age of four. At five, most children attend kindergarten, where they prepare for what real school will be like. At age six, most children start at a primary school, grammar school or grade school. Most primary schools require six years of basic study, beginning with the "first grade," continuing with "second grade," and ending with "sixth grade." In primary school, students focus on basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. Secondary Education-Secondary (or high) school begins at age twelve, when students start to focus on more advanced English, math, science, health, and social studies. During the third and fourth years of high school, students decide whether to enter college, a technical institute or the work force. High school grades, class rank, scores on standardized college admissions exams (called SATs and ACTs), extracurricular activities, and teachers' recommendations affect a student's prospects for college admission. High school students generally apply for admission to colleges in the fall and spring of their senior (final year) when they are around eighteen years old, following much the same procedure as yourself. There are over 5,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. Students attending a four-year institution are called undergraduates. For two years, they study a variety of subjects. Then they choose a major (specialization), on which they concentrate during the last two years. After four years you receive either a Bachelor of Arts degree (for English, history, music, etc.) or a Bachelor of Science (for mathematics, physics, scientific studies, etc.), usually at age 22. Students who study at two-year colleges earn practical degrees, often suited to specialized jobs. Vocational schools prepare students for vocational careers and occupations, such as dental hygienist, secretary, auto mechanic, and paralegal. Afterwards, students may go on to pursue graduate studies by reapplying to a university in much the same way as they applied to college. After one to three years at graduate school, students receive a master's degree. Having a master's degree qualifies them to pursue doctoral studies, for which they are awarded a Ph.D (Doctorate of Philosophy). Source: The Princeton Review's International Guide to the U.S.A. by Ian Jacobs and Ellen Catskill, Random House, 1996 Top of page Home | Learn | Mentors/Hidden Treasures | Hotline | Join Us | Member Log-In Mission | Services | Community | Team | Site-Map | Terms of Use ©2000 StudentOasis. All rights reserved.