The divisions or stages a child passes in his educational ladder are elementary, junior high school or middle school, and high schools. American children begin to attend school by the age of five or six. There are also pre-school classes called kindergarten. Before this they may attend nursery school or a day care center.
Schooling is divided into twelve academic levels or grades, each of which lasts one year. Elementary school usually covers grades one through six or seven. Middle school or junior high school is from grades seven to nine or seven to eight. The concluding three or four grades form high school.
In American schools much attention is given to creative activities. Students are encouraged to be creative both during class time and extra-curricular hours. American high schools try to adapt to the needs of society. Learning computer skills starts early. As life is becoming more complex, new subjects are introduced. Schools are initiating programs previously viewed as a part of home education. These include subjects such as driver's education, sewing and cooking classes called home economics, consumer education, and health education, where issues like drug and alcohol abuse and smoking may be treated. American high schools offer different branches of education for their students. For the college-bound, high schools offer classes in math, sciences, social sciences, English, and foreign languages. Other students take vocational courses such as shorthand and mechanical drawing, and some do work/ study programs which enable them to get high school credit for on-the-job training in various occupations.
After high school over 40 per cent of the graduates pursue higher education in colleges and universities. Nearly every state has at least one university supported by public funds which offers training through the Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD). There are also private colleges and universities, many of which have strict entrance requirements. Some believe that private institutions of higher learning have higher graduation standards but this is debatable.
All university students must pay tuition fees. In private universities these are usually much higher. In addition to tuition fees one has to pay for books and room and board. Deserving students may receive scholarships of various types that offset the high costs of higher education.
Unlike the European system of higher education, individual colleges and universities in the US do not have their own entrance examinations. Rather, admission is based on scholastic achievement in high school and performance on standardized national tests. In addition, colleges and universities may require applicants to submit samples of their writing.