Honest, funny, suspenseful, and emotional, this is the first nonfiction book ever to take you inside all aspects of the private-school application process. Alan Eisenstock followed several families across the country from their first school tours until the moment they opened their admissions letters. He interviewed admissions directors, school heads, teachers, educational consultants, and kindergarten tutors who coach both parents and kids. He asked the hard questions, starting with: How do private school admissions directors decide who gets in? Does the child of a single woman of ethnic diversity on financial aid have a better chance than the child of a middle-class white couple? Are we in the midst of creating a society where only the very rich will be able to become the best educated? And Eisenstock asked Ivy League students, their parents, and their admissions counselors the $500,000 question: Does where you go to kindergarten ultimately help you get into the most prestigious colleges? But at its core, THE KINDERGARTEN WARS is a human drama. It's the story of a quest and the people vying for the prize-a space in private school kindergarten-at any cost.