synopsis

In communities across the United States, competition to get into the best schools is starting early. New York City is at the center of this phenomenon, where nursery schools - homes of finger-painting, building blocks, and naptime - have become the arena where parents jostle for the privilege to place their toddlers on a track that some believe paves the way to the Ivy League. NURSERY UNIVERSITY follows five Manhattan families during the yearlong preschool application process, and also gains access into the school admissions departments themselves to reveal the behind-the-scenes antics of this intensely outrageous private school realm. Cue the tears, hysterics and breakdowns - and that's just the parents! What starts as a race to get their children into the "right" mini-Ivy turns into a reality check when unexpected hiccups arrive that expose both the absurdity of the process and genuine parental anxiety for those wanting the best for their kids. Enjoy the insanity in this sweeter look at the social issues and the little darlings at the center of all the fuss.