“YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A GREAT EDUCATION AND YOUR DREAMS.”
PROFESSIONAL CHILDREN’S SCHOOL
Academics in concert with career. At many schools, the myriad demands placed on professional and preprofessional students are in competition with each other: classwork and career, practice and study, mind and body, flexibility and routine. For more than 100 years, though, we at Professional Children’s School have helped students find enrichment in this complexity, rather than opposition. To that end, we offer a liberal arts curriculum that is both rigorous and tailored to each individual. Our schedule was designed to be flexible, allowing students to balance time in school with professional demands outside, and our community of master educators and devoted peers provides the social and emotional support children need to excel. These three pillars of the Professional Children’s School experience — academics, balance, and community — ensure that our students have the greatest chance of success not only in their chosen craft, but in every area of their lives.
28
Full-time faculty
90% Advanced degrees
13
Average years of faculty tenure
A tailored program—with integrity. We are a school first and foremost. Our college-preparatory program covers grades six through twelve, and is both challenging and engaging. Homework levels are reasonable and
8:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
200
Students enrolled in grades 6–12
“PROFESSIONAL CHILDREN’S SCHOOL GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO FULFILL MORE DREAMS THAN JUST ONE — DREAMS I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE I HAD UNTIL I STARTED DIVING INTO THE CURRICULUM, TALKING TO CLASSMATES, AND LEARNING FROM TEACHERS.” —STU D E N T
grade level–appropriate, in recognition of the professional responsibilities that many students face. Our schedule is built from the ground-up to offer the flexibility our students often need, while maintaining the integrity of the curriculum. Students commit themselves to their educational work
N E W PASS I O NS Some of our students shift focus during their time at Professional Children’s School. We celebrate that — our academic program is
as strongly as they commit to their
flexible enough to accommodate both pre-
professional and pre-professional
professional work and burgeoning interests.
endeavors. In fact, many of our students
One of our current students, for instance, joined
take advantage of our advanced
us as an aspiring actor, but discovered a passion
courses and electives far above the graduation requirements.
for science after taking Conceptual Physics. He now holds an internship in astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History.
M IDDL E & UP P ER SCHOOL G R ADES 6–12
ADVANCED CO URSES
Skill development is primary in our
For those students
middle school curriculum: goal-setting,
wishing to pursue
organization, problem-solving, and self-
deeper study, we
monitoring.
offer a number of
As students reach eighth grade and
advanced courses,
proceed through the upper school, they
including:
are placed in courses based on their
Advanced Biology,
academic level and schedule.
Advanced Physics,
A wide range of class offerings ensures
Spanish V, French
that every student’s course of study is best suited to their interests and goals.
V, Calculus, Advanced Calculus,
Modern Middle East, Economics, Constitutional Law, Political Thought, Senior Honors Seminar, and Seminar in Global
ENGLI SH FO R SPEAKERS O F OT HER LANGUAGES
Many of our courses are tailored to nonnative speakers, in
Studies.
order to ensure that
SUM M ER ACAD EM Y
lose any academic
Developed and taught by Professional
students do not progress while they improve their understanding of English.
In addition to the traditional liberal arts
Children’s School
disciplines, we offer a well-rounded
faculty, these
program in the visual and performing
online courses are
Our school is well
arts.
designed to provide
situated and well
current students
stocked. A cafeteria
with an opportunity
provides food and
to earn credits and/
an area to relax
or to bolster their
throughout the
skills during the
day, both middle
summer months.
and upper school
A DVIS ING & LEA RN IN G SU P P OR T
Students are known and cared for by many adults. They meet regularly with advisors, who serve as their primary advocates and help balance their academic goals with their professional commitments. Understanding that each student is unique not only in their pursuits but in their abilities, we offer the support of a full-time learning specialist. Whether a student needs help transitioning from another school, developing study skills, or working with mild learning differences, we ensure that our students have the tools to succeed.
FACI LI T I ES
students take advantage of updated science labs, the covered rooftop gym supports our physical education program, and the library has both an extensive physical collection and a librarian to assist.
“I REMEMBER BEING SURPRISED AND RELIEVED THAT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO APPLY TO COLLEGES, MY ADVISOR VIEWED MY CAREER EXPERIENCE AS AN ASSET AND NOT A HINDRANCE.” —ALUMN A
CO L L EGE ACCEP TA N C E Our students continue their education at some of the top colleges in the country. A representative sample includes: Bard, Boston University, Brandeis, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, CUNY, Cleveland Institute of Music, Colorado State University, Columbia, Drexel, Emerson, Emory, FIT, Harvard, Howard, Indiana, Juilliard, Lewis & Clark, New England Conservatory, NYU, Oberlin, Parsons, Peabody, Puget Sound, Reed, Rutgers, Sarah Lawrence, Stanford, SUNY, Temple, Virginia, and Whittier
Flexibility is key for dancers. And athletes. And singers. And actors. And entrepreneurs. Each profession places different demands on children. Rehearsal schedules, prepatory work, auditions, meetings — our program is flexible enough to provide a quality education even to those with the most complex schedules. This doesn’t mean that children are absent all the time; more than eighty percent of our students attend class at the school regularly, five days a week. It does, however, mean that students are supported, whether they have to leave at lunchtime to reach the stables, or need to arrive at 10:00am after early-morning figure skating practice. Our faculty and staff are fluent in the daily use of technology and asynchronous learning, and our guided study program ensures learning when students need to be away from school for extended periods of time. Most important, because of our unique culture, students find support both from adults and peers when balancing their time and workloads, no matter where they are.
T H E C RAFT
A DAY I N TH E LI FE
Our students are
Our class schedule follows a traditional eight-period
active in a number
day, but within this structure, we allow students the
of fields.
time they need to attend rehearsals, auditions, etc.
30%
Here are two examples of how this works in practice.
UPPER SCHOOL STU DE N T: B A L L E T DA NCER
Dance
30%
Chemistry
Music and Music
M I D D LE SCHO O L ST UD ENT: FI GURE SKAT ER
Period 1 8:00–8:50
Production
20%
New York Stories
Period 2
(10th Grade English)
8:53–9:42
Dramatic Arts and
Period 3
Modeling
9:45–10:24
8%
Period 4
Athletics
Off-site:
7% Voice
4%
Visual Arts and Design
1%
Entrepreneurs
10:27–11:07
Off-site: Practice at SkyRink
Pre-Algebra
French I
Rehearsal at School of American Ballet
Period 5 11:10–11:50
TH ER E A N D BAC K AG A I N
Our students are affiliated with a number
Period 6
of local and regional cultural and athletic
11:53–12:33
institutions, including:
Lunch
Social Studies
Juilliard, School of American Ballet, Manhattan Youth Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Mannes College of Music, Manhattan
Pre-Calculus
Period 7 12:36–1:16
Science
School of Music, Sky Rink, Collegiate Chorale, Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus, Ballet Academy East, CourtSense, JKO School of Ballet at American Ballet Theatre, and a number of Broadway and Off-Broadway houses
World History II
Period 8 1:19–1:59
Drama
Working independently — together.
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We’re a diverse community — students
States our students
come from all over the country and all over the world, from public schools and private schools, and from a host of different economic and ethnic backgrounds. We have actors and singers, athletes and entrepreneurs, dancers and equestrians. What we share is passion — we all know what it’s like not to have time after school, what it’s like to balance homework and practice, what it is to find fulfillment from reaching the highest levels of our craft.
“OUR SCHOOL INSPIRES AND TEACHES US TO EXPLORE MANY WAYS OF FULFILLMENT — TO DRAW SELF-WORTH NOT FROM WHAT WE DO, BUT FROM WHO WE ARE.” —STU D E N T
Countries our students come from
14
come from
35%
Students receiving financial aid
98% Students going
straight to college
M O R E TH A N M EETS T HE EY E We help our students see that they can have many kinds of success. They pursue their dreams while not being defined by them. What does this mean? It means that dancers don’t just hang out with other dancers when they’re at school. It means that athletes and singers celebrate and support each other. It also means that when they’re at school, students feel like students — Professional Children’s School is a haven for them, a place where they can relax, where they can focus on parts of themselves beyond the professional titles of actor or athlete, dancer or businessman.
RIVERSIDE PARK
11
9
TH E S C H O O L
T HE CO M M UNI T Y
Located on
From our annual boat cruise that kicks
Manhattan’s Upper
off each school year all the way to
West Side, our
commencement, our community gathers
seven-story school
regularly throughout the year.
provides easy
Weekly community time every Tuesday
access to some of New York’s best cultural centers — as well as a haven for students to
2
study, relax, and be themselves.
5
13
4
CENTRAL PARK
PCS
Special events include an annual Fall Festival, where mixed-age teams compete in a variety of fun field day challenges to see who has the most skill — and the most spirit.
TH E N E I G H B O R H O OD
features performances by our community,
1. Columbus Circle (major
chosen profession — dancers might sing,
transit hub, shopping,
actors might dance, and faculty might
etc.) 2. Juilliard and the School of American Ballet 3. Manhattan
1 6
announcements and successes.
The long-running All School Night
LINCOLN CENTER
3
morning offers a chance to share
Youth Ballet 4. Fordham University
8
5. American Folk Art Museum 6. Alvin Ailey
7
7. Carnegie Hall 8. Museum of Art and Design 9. Steps 10. Rockefeller Center 11. American Museum of
TIMES SQUARE
12
Natural History 12. Museum of Modern Art
&
13. Olympic Flame Diner
BROADWAY THEATERS
10
(a student and teacher favorite!)
though not necessarily related to their
reveal hidden talents.
COM M U N I TY SERV I C E
We have several school-wide community service days throughout the year. Sample activities have included making sandwiches for the
A LU MN I
Many of our alumni have gone on to find great success in every walk of life. Some notable alumni from artistic fields include: Nat Wolff Alex Wolff
Bowery mission,
Martha Plimpton
collecting Toys for
Scarlett Johansson
Tots, and cleaning up local parks.
Malcolm Jamal Warner
“WHEN I ARRIVED AT PROFESSIONAL CHILDREN’S SCHOOL, I KNEW I COULD FINALLY BE MYSELF.” —STU D E N T
Christian Slater Macaulay Culkin Peter Boal
ST U D EN T AC T I V I T I E S
Tiler Peck Robert Fairchild Suzanne Farrell
For students who
Midori
have the time and
Marvin Hamlisch
inclination, there are a variety of
Vera Wang Ashley Tisdale Uma Thurman
opportunities to
Julia Stiles
come together
Christina Ricci
outside of the classroom. These include Student Association, Book Club, Yearbook
Laura Prepon Sarah Jessica Parker Jerry O’Connell Rita Moreno Leighton Meester Jena Malone Sidney Lumet
JOIN US
Committee, Junior/
Ricki Lake
Senior Prom
Jane Krakowski
For more information about the application
Melissa Joan Hart
process — including international applications
Committee, Social Justice Club, and others.
Rebecca Gayheart
and visas — please visit us at pcs-nyc.org.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
While there, you can also read more about
Carrie Fisher
our history and our curriculum. And you can
Donald Faison
schedule a visit and tour, which is the best way
Charlotte d’Amboise
to get to know Professional Children’s School.
Yo-Yo Ma Vanessa Carlton Wendy Whelan
admissions@pcs-nyc.org 212-582-3116 x112
Ethan Stiefel Gelsey Kirkland Darci Kistler
Professional Children’s School is accredited
Savion Glover
by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS).
“HOW FORTUNATE I’VE BEEN TO ATTEND A SCHOOL THAT HAS ALLOWED ME TO NURTURE AND DISCOVER SO MANY DIFFERENT SIDES OF MYSELF.” — ST UD EN T
132 West 60th Street New York, NY 10023 212-582-3116 pcs-nyc.org
Photography: Matthew Septimus