Today we’re going to tackle a question often asked by parents – what’s the difference between sitting a child for a scholarship vs sitting for selective entry.
What is a scholarship?
Scholarships are financial aids offered to students who exhibit advanced skills or expertise in certain areas – usually academically (academic scholarships) or physically (sports scholarships).
Generally speaking, scholarships are offered by private schools who may charge larger annual school fee to regular students. By obtaining a scholarship, the parent will only pay a percentage of the actual school fees.
Let’s take an example:
School XYZ charges a regular annual school fee of $30,000.
Johnny receives a 50% scholarship to School XYZ.
Therefore, Johnny has earned a financial aid for his studies at School XYZ; his parents now only need to pay $15,000 annually for Johnny to study at this school.
When enrolling your child into a scholarship exam, remember that you will have to pay school fees – they will just be less than normal. Most scholarships offered at either 25% or 50%, and rarely students may be offered as much as a 75% scholarship to study at a particular school.
What is selective entry?
Selective entry applies to a handful of schools who are government funded (ie. public schools) that only accept students at a certain level (exceptionally advanced) of academic performance. These schools provide an educationally rich environment to further excel gifted students.
There is generally only a minimal school fee to attend (as per the regular public school system), however limited places are granted each year – so only the very best students gain entry.
What you need to know about both scholarship and selective entry exams:
Scholarship and selective entry examinations are highly competitive. Your child will be sitting amongst hundreds, if not, thousands, of students all vying for a place within the school. Students who are awarded positions within these schools aren’t just the top of their year level at their school – they’re the top of their year level at the school, and the top of their year level amongst peers throughout the state.
The number one thing to keep in mind when sitting your child for a scholarship or selective entry exam is how competitive they are.
In addition, do your research well in advance. Make sure you know:
- Which schools you want your child to sit exams for
- When the exam date is, and when enrolments close
- How much it costs to complete the scholarship exam
In our next post, we’ll discuss the best ways to start preparing for a scholarship or selective entry examination.
If you are looking at enrolling your child into a scholarship or selective entry exam, speak to Lynn’s Learning about our Scholarship/Selective Entry Preparation Program. Our Centre Managers are experts at coaching students in the lead up to these important exams. For more information, contact Lynn’s Learning today.
