Finishing school

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Finishing school

This article is about finishing school, for the reality show see Charm School (TV series)
Charm School (TV series)

Charm School is a reality television series airing on VH1; a spin-off of Flavor of Love created by the producers of The Surreal Life and Flavor of Love spin-off I Love New York ....

A finishing school is defined as "a private school for men or women that emphasizes training in cultural and social activities." The name reflects that it follows an ordinary school and is intended to complete the educational experience. It may consist of an intensive course, or a one-year program.

Switzerland is known for its private finishing schools, such as Institut Villa Pierrefeu or Institut Alpin Videmanette
Institut Alpin Videmanette

The Institut Alpin Videmanette was a finishing school in the municipality of Rougemont, Switzerland, Switzerland. It was an all-girl school where the lessons were skiing, cooking, dress-making and French....
(now closed), where Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes Prince William of Wales and Prince Henry of Wales , are second and third Line of succession to the British throne of the British monarchy and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms....
studied, and Mon Fertile, where Camilla Parker Bowles was partly educated.

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Encyclopedia

This article is about finishing school, for the reality show see Charm School (TV series)
Charm School (TV series)

Charm School is a reality television series airing on VH1; a spin-off of Flavor of Love created by the producers of The Surreal Life and Flavor of Love spin-off I Love New York ....

A finishing school is defined as "a private school for men or women that emphasizes training in cultural and social activities." The name reflects that it follows an ordinary school and is intended to complete the educational experience. It may consist of an intensive course, or a one-year program.

Switzerland is known for its private finishing schools, such as Institut Villa Pierrefeu or Institut Alpin Videmanette
Institut Alpin Videmanette

The Institut Alpin Videmanette was a finishing school in the municipality of Rougemont, Switzerland, Switzerland. It was an all-girl school where the lessons were skiing, cooking, dress-making and French....
(now closed), where Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes Prince William of Wales and Prince Henry of Wales , are second and third Line of succession to the British throne of the British monarchy and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms....
studied, and Mon Fertile, where Camilla Parker Bowles was partly educated. The finishing school that made Switzerland renowned for such institutions was the Institut Villa Mont Choisi founded in the 1870s which closed in 1995/6. Other notables schools included Institut Chateau Beau-Cedre which closed in 2002.

While the term "Finishing School" should only be used by schools (authorised institution which have a full curriculum and only give Diplomas once tests and exams have been passed), it is often (misleadingly) used by independent consultants who offer half day seminars.

The term finishing school is occasionally used in American parlance to refer to certain small women's colleges, primarily on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard", refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada....
, that were known for serving to prepare their female students for marriage
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
. Since the 1960s, many of these schools have become defunct as a result of financial difficulties stemming from parents' decreased interest in paying for such an education for their daughters.