September / October 2007
Raising Harvard
Photographs by Walter Smith
When it comes to getting into Harvard, it’s a hypercompetitive jungle out there. Do you really want to know what it will take for your child to make the grade? Then read on. But be warned: Raising a Harvard-ready child requires planning, determination, discipline—and a lot of money.
Toddler Training
(Preschool, Ages 2-5)
Forget entering preschool at age four; now high-achieving toddlers are sent to three years of preschool, starting at age two. And not just any preschool program. Admittance to the right nursery school is vital to ensuring entrance to the right K–8 or K–12 program, be it a private school or one of the more prestigious “gifted and talented” programs at a magnet public school. Amanda Uhry, founder of Manhattan Private School Advisors, charges $10,000 to help parents nationwide apply to preschool. “The minute somebody sends their kid to preschool at 17 months old, other parents want to do it because they think that kid will get ahead,” says Uhry. In their spare time, toddlers should supplement in-school learning with flashcards, educational DVDs, and, increasingly, academic software. The makers of JumpStart Advanced Preschool, for children ages one through four, boast that users learn “over 50 skills,” including phonics and Japanese. “Everything we do is academic,” says Barry Levenson, chief marketing officer at Knowledge Adventure, creator of JumpStart. “There’s nothing in there that’s just for fun.”
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