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The Benefits of Small Class Sizes: Personalized Attention and Academic Excellence 

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One of the defining features of a high-quality private school education is the advantage of small class sizes. At BASIS Independent Fremont, we understand that the number of students in a classroom significantly impacts the learning experience. Smaller class sizes allow for a more personalized approach to education, enabling teachers to meet the unique needs of each student and foster an environment where academic excellence can thrive. 

Individualized Attention for Every Student 

In smaller classrooms, teachers can get to know each student personally. This close teacher-student relationship allows for a deeper understanding of each child’s strengths, challenges, and learning styles. Teachers can tailor their instruction to meet the needs of individual students, offering extra support where needed or providing advanced materials to challenge those who are excelling. This level of personalized attention is often difficult to achieve in larger classes, where teachers may struggle to address the varied needs of many students simultaneously. 

Enhanced Classroom Engagement and Participation 

Smaller class sizes also encourage greater student engagement and participation. With fewer students in the room, each child has more opportunities to contribute to discussions, ask questions, and interact with both the teacher and their peers. This active participation reinforces learning and builds confidence and communication skills. Students in smaller classes are less likely to feel overlooked, and teachers can facilitate a more inclusive and dynamic classroom environment where every voice is heard. 

Stronger Academic Outcomes 

Research consistently shows that students in smaller classes perform better academically. The combination of personalized attention, increased participation, and a supportive learning environment leads to stronger academic outcomes. At BIF, our commitment to maintaining small class sizes ensures that each student receives the guidance and resources they need to succeed. Whether it’s mastering foundational skills or exploring more advanced concepts, students benefit from an educational setting that prioritizes their individual growth and development. 

In conclusion, the benefits of small class sizes extend far beyond the classroom. At BASIS Independent Fremont, we believe that a more personalized and engaged learning experience is key to fostering academic excellence. By maintaining small class sizes, we create an environment where every student can thrive, ensuring that they are not just meeting academic standards but exceeding them. 

Fall 2025: What to Expect at Your Virtual Family Meeting

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At BASIS Independent Fremont, we seek applicants who have an interest in learning at an international level, a desire to make a contribution, a willingness to work hard, and an ambition to join a collaborative, supportive, and joyful community of peers and Subject Expert Teachers. Be ready to participate in a culture where academics are encouraged, learning is celebrated, and students have fun! In order to both ensure student success and manage the popularity of our program, admissions is a selective process.

What is the Family Meeting?
The Family Meeting is an essential part of the admissions process at BASIS Independent Fremont (BIF) and is part of our final admissions decision. This 30-minute meeting is the school’s opportunity to learn more about your child and your family’s interest in BIF.

While we are happy to answer questions about our program, the Family Meeting is not the best time to learn about our offerings. Prior to the Family Meeting, we strongly encourage families to visit our website and blog, attend an Admissions Event, or speak with a member of the Admissions Team.

When are the meetings held?
Family Meetings are held virtually Monday – Friday at various times throughout the day and can be booked through your application portal after you submit an application. 

Who is required to attend the Family Meeting?
At least one parent or guardian is required to attend. Students applying for TK – Grade 1 are not required to attend. Students applying to Grade 2 – 9 are required to attend.

If your child is required to attend the Family Meeting and does not, you will be asked to reschedule. 

What if we are applying for more than one student?
Only register for one Family Meeting, and bring both students, if required to attend, to the same meeting. 

When does the meeting have to take place?
Those applying in Early Admissions must complete their Family Meeting by their Completion Deadline, Friday, November 8, 2024. Those applying to Regular Admissions must complete their Family Meeting by their Completion Deadline, Friday, February 14, 2025.

How do we register for a Family Meeting?
Once you have submitted your application, you will be prompted to schedule your Family Meeting. 

If you’re not ready to choose a date and time, you can always log back in at a later date and choose one that is convenient. Please note: As we get closer to the Completion Deadline, there are fewer meeting times available. We would suggest scheduling one as soon as you are able. If you wait and are unable to schedule a Family Meeting for one of our offered times, your application will be incomplete, and you will not be considered for admission. 

How long is the Family Meeting?
Family Meetings are generally 30 minutes long. Oftentimes, those hosting the Family Meeting will have back-to-back appointments and will be unable to go over the 30-minute mark. 

Who will we be meeting with?
Our Family Meetings are hosted by members of the Admissions Team, members of our Administration, and even some of our Subject Expert Teachers! You never know who will be hosting, but you’ll always get to speak with a member of the BIF Family! 

What questions will we be asked?
The meeting is our chance to get to know you and your child more in a one-on-one setting. We may ask you questions about why you’re interested in BIF, your child’s academic and non-academic interests, and even what they like to do with their free time. 

We discourage any formal interview prep, as it tends to make students more nervous when we are just trying to get to know them. We want all students to feel comfortable and be themselves.

How will the Family Meeting be held?
You will receive a reminder email 24 hours before your meeting time with a Zoom link to your virtual meeting. When your meeting time arrives, please log in to your meeting via Zoom. 

Can we ask questions at the end? 
If there is time, yes! But always note who you are speaking to. Whoever hosts your meeting will always introduce themselves and let you know their role at the school. If their role is not in relation to your question, they will let you know, and encourage you to reach out to the Admissions Team for an answer. 

We look forward to meeting you and your student(s) soon at your Virtual Family Meeting!

The Admissions Team is looking forward to connecting with you! If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions team by e-mail, or speak with an admissions representative at 510.775.5822.

The Communication Journal: How Our Students Use Their CJ to Be Successful

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Helping students manage their time and schoolwork effectively is core to the BASIS Curriculum. One of our most important tools in developing students with life-long habits of self-direction and disciplined, critical enquiry is the Communication Journal (CJ).

At first glance, it’s an analog daily planner. In practice, it’s the epicenter of our students’ educational experience, a record of their wins, their losses, and most importantly, their areas for improvement. During the school day, we focus on building the student-teacher relationship. The CJ is critical in helping families feel involved in their child’s education at the end of the day. It is the first daily touch-point between teachers and parents and acts as a discussion started at home between students and their families.

The CJ is central to our curricular philosophy not to post homework or grades online, or remove students from conversations about their own education. It is the tool that makes this philosophy a powerful growth opportunity for students to own their own academic and intellectual progress.

Over time, after successful usage of the CJ has been proven, students can expect to have more independent ownership of their CJ, and less and less oversight by their teachers and parents. Our goal is to start strong and while they are building their habits, have consistent daily checks. But as the years move on, we train students to become more independent, and less dependent on others for their own academic responsibilities.

Kindergarten Communication Journal

Even our youngest students have their own CJs to record their work and have their parents sign each evening. Kindergarten students are expected to record their own CJ notes each morning.

Students in Kindergarten recording their CJ notes for the day

Grades 1 – 3 Communication Journal

Unlike students in Kindergarten who primarily stay in their classroom throughout the day, students beginning in Grade 1 travel from classroom to classroom for each subject. The expectation of a CJ note from each Subject Expert Teacher (SET) begins in Grade 1 and continues on through high school. Students in Grades 1 – 3 receive assistance recording their CJ notes from their Learning Expert Teachers (LET) who will often give out stamps or stickers for a job well done!

A Grade 2 student’s CJ notes for the week

Grades 4 – 5 Communication Journal

For students in Grades 4 and 5, the use of the CJ is now a daily habit. Though our Grade 4 students still have their LET to help them, in Grade 5 the responsibility rests solely on the student. Students who have been with us throughout their elementary years know its power in keeping them accountable for their education, and even new students can appreciate this tool for helping them keep their upcoming assignments and assessments organized on a daily basis.

A student in Grade 4 sits right down to record their CJ note for Science even before class begins

Grades 6 – 8 Communication Journal

In middle school, we start to see more and more students not needing their parent signature every night. There are fewer CJ checks happening in the classroom and at home depending on the student. But, at the first sign of disorganization, the first step expressed by their Dean of Students, one of their SETs, or their parents is always the same, “Let’s look at your CJ.”

A Grade 8 student shows off their well-organized CJ with their friend

Grades 9 – 12 Communication Journal

In high school, the CJ is perfected. Not only are students rarely needing their parents to sign their CJ, but they are now using it as their own tool to organize their after-school activities. Many high school students will write reminders for things to print at home, office hours to attend, and even their clubs in their CJ. The goal of being organized, thinking ahead, and ready for each day has been achieved.

Grade 9 students CJ showing its use for not only their classes, but also their after-school enrichment activities

Unsurprisingly, our Alumni often cite the use of the CJ as one of the most helpful habits learned from our program. Many use their own tools of organization with their electronic devices now, but every year we have a few seniors who ask us for an extra CJ before they leave us.

Our educational philosophy is centered around student autonomy and self-advocacy and the Communication Journal is just one tool that helps us achieve that.

What Makes Our Senior Year Different?

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The high school years offer students unprecedented exposure to high-level content and the creative critical thinking opportunities typically reserved for university-level studies. Under the guidance of passionate Subject Expert Teachers who are deeply invested in their success, students gain the best possible preparation for college and hone skills and habits that stay with them long after graduation.  

Senior year is a unique bridge to college; a transition from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. To achieve this unique approach, our students can fulfill all required coursework in Grade 11 and focus their knowledge and skills into the three distinct pillars that make up senior year. 

“Our senior year allows students like me to differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded market for college applications. Academic success depends on the publication of compelling research. Industry success depends upon delivering results that impact the bottom line of your research. This year enables me to prove that I can do both, while sampling the day-to-day work of my field of interest.” – Senior at BASIS Independent Schools 

Capstone Courses
These two-trimester courses are the teacher-created counterpart to AP® courses. While AP® courses typically cover a breadth of content, Capstones offer students the opportunity to explore a topic’s depth. Our teachers’ talents shine as they develop these college-level original courses tied to their own academic passions. In each course, students transition from classroom-style learning typical of high school to seminar-based or lab-based learning typical of college and university courses. 

In the past, Capstone courses have included: 

  • Advanced Java Topics and Machine Learning   
  • Arte Contemporaneo 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Differential Equations   
  • Economics of Water Resources 
  • Existentialism and the Absurd  
  • French Cinema 
  • Inorganic Chemistry 
  • Introduction to Gothicism and Horror  
  • Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus 
  • Lyric Poetry and Music 
  • Neuroscience  
  • Post-Colonial Literature 
  • Rhetoric and Communications  
  • Roman Drama  
  • The Biology of Cancer 

College Counseling
This two-trimester-long daily class allows College Counselors to get to know students on a deeply personal level and help them determine what college and university options will align with their personal, educational, and professional goals with a focus on individual fit. This course helps students research colleges, work on college and scholarship applications, manage and organize college-related correspondence, write essays, and conduct mock interviews to develop interview skills. In addition, each student will meet individually with their College Counselor during class time. The atmosphere of the class is much like a focused study hall where students are expected to work in a dedicated and respectful manner to achieve their college admissions goals.  

The Senior Project
The senior year culminates in a three-month, off-site Senior Project, proposed and constructed by students under the guidance of an internal faculty advisor and an external professional specialist in the field of the student’s choosing. After three and a half years of academic preparation in high school, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying their skills and knowledge to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and highly professional in nature. Students work with an internal BASIS Independent advisor and an external mentor, such as a lab director, entrepreneur, or researcher, and are required to blog about their experiences. The Senior Project culminates in a presentation of their findings to the entire school community. This event is a great source of pride for our whole school, a perfect capstone to the high school experience, and an inspiration for students to come.  

The final year at BASIS Independent is a bridge from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. BASIS Curriculum graduates leave our program prepared to be leaders in college and beyond. 

What Makes Our Senior Year Different?

by Leave a Comment

The high school years offer students unprecedented exposure to high-level content and the creative critical thinking opportunities typically reserved for university-level studies. Under the guidance of passionate Subject Expert Teachers who are deeply invested in their success, students gain the best possible preparation for college and hone skills and habits that stay with them long after graduation.  

Senior year is a unique bridge to college; a transition from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. To achieve this unique approach, our students can fulfill all required coursework in Grade 11 and focus their knowledge and skills into the three distinct pillars that make up senior year. 

“Our senior year allows students like me to differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded market for college applications. Academic success depends on the publication of compelling research. Industry success depends upon delivering results that impact the bottom line of your research. This year enables me to prove that I can do both, while sampling the day-to-day work of my field of interest.” – Senior at BASIS Independent Schools 

Capstone Courses
These two-trimester courses are the teacher-created counterpart to AP® courses. While AP® courses typically cover a breadth of content, Capstones offer students the opportunity to explore a topic’s depth. Our teachers’ talents shine as they develop these college-level original courses tied to their own academic passions. In each course, students transition from classroom-style learning typical of high school to seminar-based or lab-based learning typical of college and university courses. 

In the past, Capstone courses have included: 

  • Advanced Java Topics and Machine Learning   
  • Arte Contemporaneo 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Differential Equations   
  • Economics of Water Resources 
  • Existentialism and the Absurd  
  • French Cinema 
  • Inorganic Chemistry 
  • Introduction to Gothicism and Horror  
  • Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus 
  • Lyric Poetry and Music 
  • Neuroscience  
  • Post-Colonial Literature 
  • Rhetoric and Communications  
  • Roman Drama  
  • The Biology of Cancer 

College Counseling
This two-trimester-long daily class allows College Counselors to get to know students on a deeply personal level and help them determine what college and university options will align with their personal, educational, and professional goals with a focus on individual fit. This course helps students research colleges, work on college and scholarship applications, manage and organize college-related correspondence, write essays, and conduct mock interviews to develop interview skills. In addition, each student will meet individually with their College Counselor during class time. The atmosphere of the class is much like a focused study hall where students are expected to work in a dedicated and respectful manner to achieve their college admissions goals.  

The Senior Project
The senior year culminates in a three-month, off-site Senior Project, proposed and constructed by students under the guidance of an internal faculty advisor and an external professional specialist in the field of the student’s choosing. After three and a half years of academic preparation in high school, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying their skills and knowledge to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and highly professional in nature. Students work with an internal BASIS Independent advisor and an external mentor, such as a lab director, entrepreneur, or researcher, and are required to blog about their experiences. The Senior Project culminates in a presentation of their findings to the entire school community. This event is a great source of pride for our whole school, a perfect capstone to the high school experience, and an inspiration for students to come.  

The final year at BASIS Independent is a bridge from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. BASIS Curriculum graduates leave our program prepared to be leaders in college and beyond. 

What Makes Our Senior Year Different? 

by Leave a Comment

The high school years offer students unprecedented exposure to high-level content and the creative critical thinking opportunities typically reserved for university-level studies. Under the guidance of Subject Expert Teachers who are deeply invested in their success, students gain the best possible preparation for college and hone skills and habits that stay with them long after graduation.  

Senior year is a unique bridge to college; a transition from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. To achieve this unique approach, our students can fulfill all required coursework in Grade 11 and focus their knowledge and skills into the three distinct pillars that make up senior year. 

“Our senior year allows students like me to differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded market for college applications. Academic success depends on the publication of compelling research. Industry success depends upon delivering results that impact the bottom line of your research. This year enables me to prove that I can do both, while sampling the day-to-day work of my field of interest.” – Senior at BASIS Independent Schools 

Capstone Courses
These two-trimester courses are the teacher-created counterpart to AP® courses. While AP® courses typically cover a breadth of content, Capstone courses offer students opportunities to explore topics in depth. Our teachers’ talents shine as they develop these college-level original courses tied to their own academic passions. In each course, students transition from classroom-style learning typical of high school to seminar-based or lab-based learning typical of college and university courses. 

In the past, Capstone courses have included: 

  • Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus 
  • French Cinema 
  • BioChemistry 
  • Introduction to Gothicism and Horror: Monsters in the Mirror
  • Modern U.S. and Middle Eastern History
  • Social Movements and Revolutions
  • Neuroscience  
  • Immigrant Experience in America Through Literature 
  • Intro to Differential Equations
  • Post-9/11 World History
  • History of Medicine
  • Roman Strategy
  • Chinese Literature and Culture
  • Economics of Water Resources

College Counseling
This two-trimester-long daily class allows College Counselors to get to know students on a deeply personal level and help them determine what college and university options will align with their personal, educational, and professional goals with a focus on individual fit. This course helps students research colleges, work on college and scholarship applications, manage and organize college-related correspondence, write essays, and conduct mock interviews to develop interview skills. In addition, each student will meet individually with their College Counselor during class time. The atmosphere of the class is much like a focused study hall where students are expected to work in a dedicated and respectful manner to achieve their college admissions goals.  

College Counseling is a daily class. Photo credit: Troy House Photography

The Senior Project
The senior year culminates in a three-month, off-site Senior Project, proposed and constructed by students under the guidance of an internal faculty advisor and an external professional specialist in the field of the student’s choosing. After three and a half years of academic preparation in high school, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying their skills and knowledge to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and highly professional in nature. Students work with an internal BASIS Independent advisor and an external mentor, such as a lab director, entrepreneur, or researcher, and are required to blog about their experiences. The Senior Project culminates in a presentation of their findings to the entire school community. This event is a great source of pride for our whole school, a perfect capstone to the high school experience, and an inspiration for students to come.  

Seniors present their Senior Projects to staff, students, and families at the end of their three-month project.

The final year at BASIS Independent is a bridge from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. BASIS Curriculum graduates leave our program prepared to be leaders in college and beyond. 

BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Class of 2024 graduation at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Danny Dolan ’22 (www.dannydolan.com)

What Makes Our Senior Year Different? 

by Leave a Comment

The high school years offer students unprecedented exposure to high-level content and the creative critical thinking opportunities typically reserved for university-level studies. Under the guidance of passionate Subject Expert Teachers who are deeply invested in their success, students gain the best possible preparation for college and hone skills and habits that stay with them long after graduation.  

Senior year is a unique bridge to college; a transition from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. To achieve this unique approach, our students can fulfill all required coursework in Grade 11 and focus their knowledge and skills into the three distinct pillars that make up senior year. 

“Our senior year allows students like me to differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded market for college applications. Academic success depends on the publication of compelling research. Industry success depends upon delivering results that impact the bottom line of your research. This year enables me to prove that I can do both, while sampling the day-to-day work of my field of interest.” – Senior at BASIS Independent Schools 

Capstone Courses
These two-trimester courses are the teacher-created counterpart to AP® courses. While AP® courses typically cover a breadth of content, Capstones offer students the opportunity to explore a topic’s depth. Our teachers’ talents shine as they develop these college-level original courses tied to their own academic passions. In each course, students transition from classroom-style learning typical of high school to seminar-based or lab-based learning typical of college and university courses. 

In the past, Capstone courses have included: 

  • Advanced Java Topics and Machine Learning   
  • Arte Contemporaneo 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Differential Equations   
  • Economics of Water Resources 
  • Existentialism and the Absurd  
  • French Cinema 
  • Inorganic Chemistry 
  • Introduction to Gothicism and Horror  
  • Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus 
  • Lyric Poetry and Music 
  • Neuroscience  
  • Post-Colonial Literature 
  • Rhetoric and Communications  
  • Roman Drama  
  • The Biology of Cancer 

College Counseling
This two-trimester-long daily class allows College Counselors to get to know students on a deeply personal level and help them determine what college and university options will align with their personal, educational, and professional goals with a focus on individual fit. This course helps students research colleges, work on college and scholarship applications, manage and organize college-related correspondence, write essays, and conduct mock interviews to develop interview skills. In addition, each student will meet individually with their College Counselor during class time. The atmosphere of the class is much like a focused study hall where students are expected to work in a dedicated and respectful manner to achieve their college admissions goals.  

The Senior Project
The senior year culminates in a three-month, off-site Senior Project, proposed and constructed by students under the guidance of an internal faculty advisor and an external professional specialist in the field of the student’s choosing. After three and a half years of academic preparation in high school, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying their skills and knowledge to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and highly professional in nature. Students work with an internal BASIS Independent advisor and an external mentor, such as a lab director, entrepreneur, or researcher, and are required to blog about their experiences. The Senior Project culminates in a presentation of their findings to the entire school community. This event is a great source of pride for our whole school, a perfect capstone to the high school experience, and an inspiration for students to come.  

The final year at BASIS Independent is a bridge from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. BASIS Curriculum graduates leave our program prepared to be leaders in college and beyond. 

What Makes Our Senior Year Different? 

by Leave a Comment

The high school years offer students unprecedented exposure to high-level content and the creative critical thinking opportunities typically reserved for university-level studies. Under the guidance of passionate Subject Expert Teachers who are deeply invested in their success, students gain the best possible preparation for college and hone skills and habits that stay with them long after graduation.  

Senior year is a unique bridge to college; a transition from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. To achieve this unique approach, our students can fulfill all required coursework in Grade 11 and focus their knowledge and skills into the three distinct pillars that make up senior year. 

“Our senior year allows students like me to differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded market for college applications. Academic success depends on the publication of compelling research. Industry success depends upon delivering results that impact the bottom line of your research. This year enables me to prove that I can do both, while sampling the day-to-day work of my field of interest.” – Senior at BASIS Independent Schools 

Capstone Courses
These two-trimester courses are the teacher-created counterpart to AP® courses. While AP® courses typically cover a breadth of content, Capstones offer students the opportunity to explore a topic’s depth. Our teachers’ talents shine as they develop these college-level original courses tied to their own academic passions. In each course, students transition from classroom-style learning typical of high school to seminar-based or lab-based learning typical of college and university courses. 

In the past, Capstone courses have included: 

  • Advanced Java Topics and Machine Learning   
  • Arte Contemporaneo 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Differential Equations   
  • Economics of Water Resources 
  • Existentialism and the Absurd  
  • French Cinema 
  • Inorganic Chemistry 
  • Introduction to Gothicism and Horror  
  • Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus 
  • Lyric Poetry and Music 
  • Neuroscience  
  • Post-Colonial Literature 
  • Rhetoric and Communications  
  • Roman Drama  
  • The Biology of Cancer 

College Counseling
This two-trimester-long daily class allows College Counselors to get to know students on a deeply personal level and help them determine what college and university options will align with their personal, educational, and professional goals with a focus on individual fit. This course helps students research colleges, work on college and scholarship applications, manage and organize college-related correspondence, write essays, and conduct mock interviews to develop interview skills. In addition, each student will meet individually with their College Counselor during class time. The atmosphere of the class is much like a focused study hall where students are expected to work in a dedicated and respectful manner to achieve their college admissions goals.  

The Senior Project
The senior year culminates in a three-month, off-site Senior Project, proposed and constructed by students under the guidance of an internal faculty advisor and an external professional specialist in the field of the student’s choosing. After three and a half years of academic preparation in high school, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying their skills and knowledge to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and highly professional in nature. Students work with an internal BASIS Independent advisor and an external mentor, such as a lab director, entrepreneur, or researcher, and are required to blog about their experiences. The Senior Project culminates in a presentation of their findings to the entire school community. This event is a great source of pride for our whole school, a perfect capstone to the high school experience, and an inspiration for students to come.  

The final year at BASIS Independent is a bridge from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. BASIS Curriculum graduates leave our program prepared to be leaders in college and beyond. 

What Makes Our Senior Year Different? 

by Leave a Comment

The high school years offer students unprecedented exposure to high-level content and the creative critical thinking opportunities typically reserved for university-level studies. Under the guidance of passionate Subject Expert Teachers who are deeply invested in their success, students gain the best possible preparation for college and hone skills and habits that stay with them long after graduation.  

Senior year is a unique bridge to college; a transition from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. To achieve this unique approach, our students can fulfill all required coursework in Grade 11 and focus their knowledge and skills into the three distinct pillars that make up senior year. 

“Our senior year allows students like me to differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded market for college applications. Academic success depends on the publication of compelling research. Industry success depends upon delivering results that impact the bottom line of your research. This year enables me to prove that I can do both, while sampling the day-to-day work of my field of interest.” – Senior at BASIS Independent Schools 

Capstone Courses
These two-trimester courses are the teacher-created counterpart to AP® courses. While AP® courses typically cover a breadth of content, Capstones offer students the opportunity to explore a topic’s depth. Our teachers’ talents shine as they develop these college-level original courses tied to their own academic passions. In each course, students transition from classroom-style learning typical of high school to seminar-based or lab-based learning typical of college and university courses. 

In the past, Capstone courses have included: 

  • Advanced Java Topics and Machine Learning   
  • Arte Contemporaneo 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Differential Equations   
  • Economics of Water Resources 
  • Existentialism and the Absurd  
  • French Cinema 
  • Inorganic Chemistry 
  • Introduction to Gothicism and Horror  
  • Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus 
  • Lyric Poetry and Music 
  • Neuroscience  
  • Post-Colonial Literature 
  • Rhetoric and Communications  
  • Roman Drama  
  • The Biology of Cancer 

College Counseling
This two-trimester-long daily class allows College Counselors to get to know students on a deeply personal level and help them determine what college and university options will align with their personal, educational, and professional goals with a focus on individual fit. This course helps students research colleges, work on college and scholarship applications, manage and organize college-related correspondence, write essays, and conduct mock interviews to develop interview skills. In addition, each student will meet individually with their College Counselor during class time. The atmosphere of the class is much like a focused study hall where students are expected to work in a dedicated and respectful manner to achieve their college admissions goals.  

The Senior Project
The senior year culminates in a three-month, off-site Senior Project, proposed and constructed by students under the guidance of an internal faculty advisor and an external professional specialist in the field of the student’s choosing. After three and a half years of academic preparation in high school, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying their skills and knowledge to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and highly professional in nature. Students work with an internal BASIS Independent advisor and an external mentor, such as a lab director, entrepreneur, or researcher, and are required to blog about their experiences. The Senior Project culminates in a presentation of their findings to the entire school community. This event is a great source of pride for our whole school, a perfect capstone to the high school experience, and an inspiration for students to come.  

The final year at BASIS Independent is a bridge from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. BASIS Curriculum graduates leave our program prepared to be leaders in college and beyond. 

What Makes Our Senior Year Different? 

by Leave a Comment

The high school years offer students unprecedented exposure to high-level content and the creative critical thinking opportunities typically reserved for university-level studies. Under the guidance of passionate Subject Expert Teachers who are deeply invested in their success, students gain the best possible preparation for college and hone skills and habits that stay with them long after graduation.  

Senior year is a unique bridge to college; a transition from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. To achieve this unique approach, our students can fulfill all required coursework in Grade 11 and focus their knowledge and skills into the three distinct pillars that make up senior year. 

“Our senior year allows students like me to differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded market for college applications. Academic success depends on the publication of compelling research. Industry success depends upon delivering results that impact the bottom line of your research. This year enables me to prove that I can do both, while sampling the day-to-day work of my field of interest.” – Senior at BASIS Independent Schools 

Capstone Courses
These two-trimester courses are the teacher-created counterpart to AP® courses. While AP® courses typically cover a breadth of content, Capstones offer students the opportunity to explore a topic’s depth. Our teachers’ talents shine as they develop these college-level original courses tied to their own academic passions. In each course, students transition from classroom-style learning typical of high school to seminar-based or lab-based learning typical of college and university courses. 

In the past, Capstone courses have included: 

  • Advanced Java Topics and Machine Learning   
  • Arte Contemporaneo 
  • Corporate Finance 
  • Differential Equations   
  • Economics of Water Resources 
  • Existentialism and the Absurd  
  • French Cinema 
  • Inorganic Chemistry 
  • Introduction to Gothicism and Horror  
  • Linear Algebra & Multivariable Calculus 
  • Lyric Poetry and Music 
  • Neuroscience  
  • Post-Colonial Literature 
  • Rhetoric and Communications  
  • Roman Drama  
  • The Biology of Cancer 

College Counseling
This two-trimester-long daily class allows College Counselors to get to know students on a deeply personal level and help them determine what college and university options will align with their personal, educational, and professional goals with a focus on individual fit. This course helps students research colleges, work on college and scholarship applications, manage and organize college-related correspondence, write essays, and conduct mock interviews to develop interview skills. In addition, each student will meet individually with their College Counselor during class time. The atmosphere of the class is much like a focused study hall where students are expected to work in a dedicated and respectful manner to achieve their college admissions goals.  

The Senior Project
The senior year culminates in a three-month, off-site Senior Project, proposed and constructed by students under the guidance of an internal faculty advisor and an external professional specialist in the field of the student’s choosing. After three and a half years of academic preparation in high school, our seniors are ready to spend the last trimester of their high school careers applying their skills and knowledge to develop a project that is insightful, academically rigorous, and highly professional in nature. Students work with an internal BASIS Independent advisor and an external mentor, such as a lab director, entrepreneur, or researcher, and are required to blog about their experiences. The Senior Project culminates in a presentation of their findings to the entire school community. This event is a great source of pride for our whole school, a perfect capstone to the high school experience, and an inspiration for students to come.  

The final year at BASIS Independent is a bridge from traditional classroom learning to applying knowledge in a real context. BASIS Curriculum graduates leave our program prepared to be leaders in college and beyond.