Topic: SOMETHING EASIER

This is something I always wanted to know, and is it music related? Maybe.
It's about school.
In BELGIUM our system is:
- 3 years KINDERGARTEN.
- 6 years lower school from 1st class to 6th class, so you are 12 years when you finish this. Once there was also a 7th and an 8th class, and many, now old people, went to school until they were 14 years old. (It doesn't exist anymore)
- 6 years in, what we call here in college, from 12 years old to 17-18 years.
THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS AFTER FINISHING THIS:
- What we call HIGH SCHOOL = 2-3 to 4 extra years to become nurse, physiotherapist, and what we call here TECHNICAL ENGINEER.
- UNIVERSITY 4 years to 7 years. 7 years university is needed to become a medical doctor. 5 years to become a dentist or a lawyer (add 3 years here to defend people is it "bar"?).
In fact we are still the only "students" who get immediately the title of DOCTOR, so no extra thesis or dissertation.
I know nothing about how long it takes in the USA, but I've heard about SCHOLARSHIPS including MUSIC. How is the study system working over there? How many years would be neccesary to become a MEDICAL DOCTOR who can start working as a generalist? And what about SCHOLARSHIPS? AND the big names like
- STANFORD
- COLUMBIA (50.000$ a year??)
- HARVARD
- YALE
- PRINCETON   
What is the difference between a lawyer from Harvard or Yale? WHY DO FAMOUS SPORTSMEN get a scholarship? Do they receive a DIPLOMA as well?
I heard that if you are A GOOD MUSICIAN you can get a scholarship, and these 2 examples I really don't understand. They give scholarships to musicians (OR IS THIS WRONG) to athletes?
I really would appreciate some information.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

Re: SOMETHING EASIER

Here in the US it depends on the State and the School system, but generally it runs kind of like this:
Pre-school, 2 years
Kindergarten, 1year
Elementary School, 7 or 8 years depending on the School District, some run grades 1-5 as elementary and grades 6-8 as middle school
High School, 3 to 4 years for a total of 12 years not including pre-school

College, depends on the degree sought:
Associate's Degree, 2 years
Batchelor's Degree, 4 years gets you your basic
Master's Degree, 2 more years
Doctorate, 2 years above Master's depending on your field.  Medical Doctorate will usually require an additional 2 year internship and 2 years of residency before entering "private practice".

Is that confusing enough?

Master's and Doctorates require some dissertation or thesis to aquire.

As to which school is better...  that is a matter of class distinction, some schools have reputations for turning out exceptional graduates and those schools are preferred because their graduates command better salaries upon matriculation. Although in the schools of law or medicine, one can get a good education at a number of other institutions for a lot less money. The quality of education is generally very good at the higher levels.  There are "board" or "Bar" exams that insure quality among those professionals that are issued by the States in the form of Licenses to Practice.

Music Scholarships are available although perhaps not as easy to attain as in the past.  My father managed to get no less than 3 Engineering Degrees on a combination of Music and Athletic Scholarships.

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare