Some applicants send in three resumes, even four.

The applicant sends the forms to us with the application fee.

Other applicants sent in laudatory letters from high school teachers and coaches who vouched for their head-of-the-class qualifications.

But the Postal Service still plays a role - applicants must send a $35 fee before their application is processed.

They can also help research where applicants should send a résumé and for what kinds of positions.

Many employers maintain Web sites that list job openings, and applicants can send their résumés directly.

In more than half the cases, Mr. Levy said, the applicants have never sent their children to public schools, nor do they ever intend to.

To become a Prefect, the applicant must send a letter to the Head of Year.

"What has happened is that the applicants themselves are not sending in proposals for provocative work because they want to get funded," she said.

Admission to the group (now closed) required applicants to send a three-page essay.