Keith Country Day School Scholarship Exam Dec. 5

From press release

For the 28th year, Keith Country Day School will host the Belle Emerson Keith Scholarship Exam as the first step in earning an annually renewable scholarship to one of the area’s top college preparatory schools. The exam, available to prospective students in grades five through 10, will be held from 8 to 11:45 a.m., Dec. 5, on the Keith campus.

“This scholarship not only honors our founder, but it provides a wonderful opportunity for both Keith students and kids that are interested in attending our school,” said Alan Gibby, head of school.

Named after the school founder, Belle Emerson Keith, BEK scholarship was created during the 1981-82 school year. Since that time, more than $2 million in tuition credit has been given to 150 students combined. Following an increase of the scholarship award in 2008, students entering sixth grade next year can earn up to $24,500 during their academic career at Keith.

According to Keith Admissions Director Marcia Aramovich, between 60 and 80 students take the exam each year. Following the test, students who rank among the top 10 percent are then asked to obtain a recommendation from a current teacher and at least one of their peers, write an essay about why they would like to attend Keith, meet with school officials for an interview, and spend part of a school day on campus to interact with other students. Over the last five years, an average of eight students per exam have been awarded a scholarship.

Students interested in signing up for the exam should contact Marcia Aramovich, admissions director, at (815) 399-8850, ext. 144, or admissions@keithschool.com.

Keith Country Day School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school founded by Belle Emerson Keith in 1916. On a 15-acre campus overlooking the Rock River, Keith serves students from age 3 through grade 12 from the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area. The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and is fully accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. More information about Keith School is available at Keithschool.com.

From the December 2-8, 2009 issue