canterlot [Lore] Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns

[Bellosh]

Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns - The Most Magical Place in Equestria

 

 

When unicorns are still young, all of them require instruction on how to harness and focus their spellcasting magic. Much of these foals will never perform any spell aside from basic levitation and whatever is required for their special talent. However, a small number of unicorn foals have the aptitude to achieve greater feats with their magic skills. Thus, the need to teach these special unicorns how to control their powers is efficiently fulfilled by Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Royally funded and administered directly by Princess Celestia, Equestria’s prestigious institute of magical learning is located in Canterlot; an annex to the cliff-top Canterlot Castle as a matter of fact.

 

Admittance into Celestia’s School is highly competitive; all applicants must pass a rigorous entrance examination (officially known as the Unicorn Magic Aptitude Test) that evaluates their spellcasting potential. This exam comes in two parts; a written portion and a practical portion. The written portion assesses a foal’s knowledge of basic magic theory, which determines whether they’ll be be placed in their first year in basic or more advanced theory-based courses. The practical portion requires foals to demonstrate their magic aptitude in their special talent, or in general unicorn magic if they have not yet discovered their talent. According to most estimates, less than one-fifth of all applicants are accepted for enrollment at the School.

 

In their first years of study at Celestia’s School, fillies and colts are required to study a number of general education subjects, which include but are not limited to magic theory, magic history, elementary mathematics, and the sciences (magic in Equestria has always marched hoof-in-hoof with science and technology). As students get a more complete grasp of how magic works, these gifted youngsters then take advanced classes as electives to suit their talents and goals; teleportation, pyrokinesis, and self-defense courses being but only a few of what the School offers. After several years of intense education, the students of Celestia’s School are ready to graduate and head out into the wide world of Equestria as adults, fully capable of harnessing their powers.

 

Every effort is made to ensure that those foals selected for admission into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns can do so without any hindrance. No tuition or fees of any sort is charged, plus on-campus room and board is provided to all who live outside of Canterlot. When students graduate, these young mares and stallions can then solicit assistance in finding a job that makes full use of their magic talents. Or perhaps instead they join an affiliate program through the School to gain an aetherology degree from several affiliated universities across Equestria. Essentially, magic school graduates are all but guaranteed a bright future.

~Hitchhikers' Guide to Equestria