The exam, available to prospective students in grades five through 10, will be held on December 1 from 8:00 to 11:45 a.m. 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 Jon Esler, Head of School.

Named after the school founder, the Belle Emerson Keith Scholarship was created during the 1981-82 school year. Since that time, over $1.6 million dollars in tuition credit has been given to 135 students combined.

According to Keith Admissions Director Marcia Aramovich, between 60 and 80 students take the exam each year. Following the test, students that rank among the top 10% 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 has been awarded a scholarship.

“There are two wonderful things about this exam,” stated Aramovich. “It provides a financial opportunity to attend one of the areas top schools, and it has a special history. Many of our past recipients have gone on to do something exceptional either in school
or in life.”

To Aramovich’s point, some of the past and current BEK recipients include:

2001 Recipient
Samantha Hartwig -- While at Keith, she was recognized by the Rockford Register Star as an Illinois State Scholar and played flute in the Music Educator’s Association All-State Conference. Following high school, Samantha earned a Trustee Scholarship and a Forester Scholarship for Music at Lake Forrest College.

2002 Recipient
Stephanie Huckelberry – One of many Keith students that played an active role in the community, Stephanie received the Project First Rate Bright Future Award in 2006. Before leaving Keith she was one of her class’s top arts students, an AP Scholar and a member of Model UN. She currently attends the University of Wisconsin.

2003 Recipient
Eric Lander – National Honor Society, AP Scholar, National Latin Award, National Commended Student, President’s Award for Educational Excellence three years), Regional DAR recipient to name a few, Eric was a top student at Keith. He is currently attending Harvard and plans to study one of the disciplines of medical research.

2003 Recipient
Katie Thomas – To say Katie was involved in most of the school’s community activities would be an understatement. Katie was President of the Interactive Club, an AP Scholar with Distinction and a volunteer for everything. She currently is attending MIT.

Keith School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school founded by Belle Emerson Keith in 1916. Located on a 15-acre campus overlooking the Rock River, Keith serves students from age three through grade 12 from the Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin area. The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and 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

(This release supplied by Keith School.(