National Merit

Celebrating a Record-Breaking Year for Academic Excellence

September 19, 2025 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

We are thrilled to celebrate a truly outstanding year of academic achievement at BASIS Independent Manhattan, as our students have once again surpassed expectations on their Advanced Placement (AP) exams and earned significant recognition from the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

This year’s results are a testament to our students’ dedication and our teachers’ commitment to fostering a culture of excellence. We are incredibly proud to announce that 69% of our AP test-taking students received AP Scholar Awards, a remarkable achievement that demonstrates consistent growth since our first AP exam administration.

By the Numbers: Our Students Continue to Excel

The achievements of our students speak for themselves:

35 students have earned AP Scholar Awards across various categories.
4 juniors have received a Letter of Commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for their outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT.
Our students’ average AP score was an impressive 4.28 out of 5, significantly higher than the overall average for the rest of the country and abroad, which was 3.12.

graphic showing average ap score and number of ap scholars

A Track Record of Growth and Success

Our commitment to academic excellence is reflected in the steady growth of our AP Scholar recognition year after year. The number of students receiving these prestigious awards has consistently grown since our first AP exam administration.

2022-2023: 47% of test-takers were recognized as AP Scholars
2023-2024: 51% of test-takers were recognized
2024-2025: 69% of test-takers were recognized

“The year-over-year increase in how many of our students are honored as AP Scholars is a fantastic representation of the BASIS Independent Manhattan program and the teachers who deliver our curriculum,” said Ms. Cyndriel Meimban, Director of Academic Programs. “Hard work, dedication, and intellectual curiosity have enabled them to excel at the highest levels of academic achievement, and we are incredibly proud of their outstanding accomplishments on the AP Exams.”

This upward trend is a clear indicator of our students’ rising potential and the strength of our rigorous academic program.

Recognizing Our Scholars

We would like to celebrate every one of our students who worked tirelessly to achieve these results. Their hard work and determination are truly inspiring.

National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Students

Maxfield S.
Sean F.
Symir T.
Zixi Y.

national merit scholarship commended students

AP Scholar	AP Scholar with Honor	AP Scholar with Distinction
Daniel C. (Gr. 10)	Joshua Ag. (Gr. 10)	Finn B. (Gr. 10)
Anderson C. (Gr. 10)	Aidan B. (Gr. 10)	Stella C. (Gr. 11)
Isabella D. (Gr. 10)	Yujia (Zoe) G. (Gr. 10)	Charles D. (Gr. 11)
Or H-U. (Gr. 10)	Saira K. (Gr. 10)	Sean F. (Gr. 11)
Julia N. (Gr. 11)	Lucia M. (Gr. 10)	Eli F. (Gr. 11)
Evan N. (Gr. 10)	Apostolos R. (Gr. 10)	Felix H. (Gr. 10)
Julien N. (Gr. 10)	Charles S. (Gr. 10)	Kaylee H. (Gr. 10)
Uliana T. (Gr. 10)	Andrew S. (Gr. 11)	Arry J. (Gr. 12) + AP Capstone Diploma
		Lola O. (Gr. 11)
		Marcus P. (Gr. 12) + AP Capstone Diploma
		Maximilian R-J. (Gr. 11)
		Dashiell S. (Gr. 11)
		Maxfield S. (Gr. 11)
		Alex S. (Gr. 10)
		Joshua (J.J.) S. (Gr. 10)
		Symir T. (Gr. 11)
		Amelie W. (Gr. 10)
		Zixi Y. (Gr. 11)
		Isabella (Izzy) Z. (Gr. 10)

Congratulations once more to these bright minds and the supportive teachers and families who have helped them along the way. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and look forward to their continued success!

Interested in learning more about our program? We invite you to visit our school at an upcoming Fall Open House on October 25 (PreK–5) and October 26 (Gr. 6–12) or contact our Admissions team to see if BASIS Independent Manhattan is the right fit for you.

BASIS Independent Manhattan, a private school offering PreK through Grade 12, is based in Manhattan, New York. Students thrive alongside Subject Expert Teachers as they engage in a liberal arts program with STEM offerings.

BASIS Independent Brooklyn Students Honored by National Merit Scholarship Corporation

September 19, 2025 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

Ofﬁcials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) just released the names of Semifinalists and Commended Scholars in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program – including 9 BASIS Independent Brooklyn students. Alexa G., Kanika R., and River W. ’26 were named as Semifinalists and will continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring. Along with our semi-finalists, we proudly celebrate 6 Commended Scholars recognized by NMSC.

Photographed above: Left to right – Beckham V. ‘26, Noah R. ‘26, Head of School Harmon, Director Forde, College Counselor Brauch, Associate Head of School Yoon, Dean Robbins, Gregory S. ‘26, Philip B. ’26. Seated left to right: Sabrina M. ‘26, Alexa G. ‘26, and Kanika R. ’26.

2026 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Left to right – Alexa G. ‘26, Kanika R. ‘26, and River W. ’26.

High school juniors entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

“I am incredibly proud of our National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars,” said Josh Harmon, Head of School at BASIS Independent Brooklyn Upper School. “Their achievements are the result of the hard work and motivation they bring to school each day. It’s wonderful to see such diligent students and positive classmates recognized for such a prestigious achievement.”

While we could talk for hours about each and every one of our seniors, we wanted to share a brief overview of the students recognized by NMSC.

· Commended Scholar Philip B. ’26 is a founding member of our school’s High School FIRST Robotics Team, a founding member of our DECA chapter, and a member of our men’s Varsity Soccer team, which made the league playoffs every year he was a member. Philip is a proud member of our Science Team that won first place in the New York State Test of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) last year. He is also a founding student at our school, joining us right when our doors opened in the fall of 2014.

· Semifinalist Alexa G. ’26 is the founder and president of our French Honor Society, helping to reinforce a love of the language and French culture at our school. She has taught guitar at the Red Hook Art Project since her freshman year, and this past summer, Alexa interned with a music therapist and conducted research on ways music could improve the lives of patients with dementia. She has played on the Varsity Volleyball team, helping the team make the league playoffs each of her four years, and this year she is leading the Yearbook Club with her peers. She is also a founding student at our school, joining in grade 1.

· Commended Scholar Sabrina M. ’26 envisioned and built a website for our school’s chapter of the National Honor Society to streamline the process of connecting students with teachers in our school when they need help. That tool has made a huge difference in students’ abilities to make a difference and be of service at our school. She’s also a proud member of our school’s chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, the math honors society. Sabrina is also a founding member of our FIRST Robotics Team, and she led the marketing efforts in the competitions.

· Commended Scholar Sefi O. ’26 co-founded our school’s FIRST Robotics Team and was instrumental in helping them win the Inspire Award in last year’s competition. Sefi was the driving force in establishing the team, recruiting members, and preparing for competitions last year.

· Semifinalist Kanika R. ’26 is editor-in-chief of our student news site The Grizzly, a leader in our International Student Journalism Society chapter, and president of our National Honor Society. Kanika is a proud member of our Science Team that won first place in the New York State Test of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) last year. She also founded the JASA chapter at our school, focused on helping underserved seniors in the New York City area.

· Commended Scholar Noah R. ’26 is an active Science Team member who helped lead the team to a first-place finish in the New York State Test of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) last year. He has worked hard to mentor younger students through the years. Noah is also a leader of our math honor society, Mu Alpha Theta.

· Commended Scholar Gregory S. ’26 co-founded our inaugural DECA club and went to the state championships this past year. He is the Vice President of our High School Leadership Team, and co-founded our school’s Jewish Affinity Club, where he delivered presentations and created events to educate his peers about Jewish culture and history in his first two years in our high school.

· Commended Scholar Beckham V. ’26 is a leader on the cross-country and indoor and outdoor Varsity Track Teams. He is recognized for winning awards and helping establish and build the teams at our school. He is a proud member of our Science Team that took home 1st place in the New York State TEAMS competition! He was a founding student at our school, joining in grade 1!

· Semifinalist River W. ‘26 co-founded the DECA chapter at our school and competed in the State Championship last year. She was a driving force on our Science Bowl team that won the TEAMS competition. River spent the last year working in computational oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering and has published in academic journals. River has proudly won track awards for the Varsity Track Team, and she is a science columnist for our student news site, The Grizzly. She was also one of the founding students at our school, joining in grade 1 in fall 2014.

According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, more than 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

(PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February, they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Network Results

Across our network of BASIS Independent Schools, we are celebrating 65 Semifinalists this year. Each state has different cutoff scores for honors, and our BASIS Independent Schools are located in some of the most competitive states—CA, NY, and VA—for semifinalist qualification. This achievement represents nearly one-third of the combined graduating class across our five high schools in California, New York, and Virginia—up from 25% last year.

On behalf of all BASIS Independent Schools, we are so proud of you – and of all of our students – for your continual academic achievements both big and small. Please join us in congratulating our Bears!

BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year, please click here.

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Seniors Achieve Record 80% National Merit Honors

September 17, 2025 by ezekielbracamonte Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the Semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program — including 40 students from BASIS Independent Silicon Valley. Alongside our 40 Semifinalists, we proudly celebrated 51 Commended Scholars, meaning that 80% of the Class of 2026 received National Merit recognition, setting a new record for our school community. These academically talented high school seniors now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

More than 1.3 million juniors from roughly 20,000 high schools entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT, which served as the initial screening test for program entrants. From this group, the nationwide pool of Semifinalists — representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors — includes the highest-scoring students in each state. The number of Semifinalists from each state is based on its share of the nation’s graduating seniors.

Reflecting on this achievement, Associate Head of School Josh Henriquez shared, “These students represent the heart of BASIS Independent Silicon Valley: determination, curiosity, and a drive to excel. As a community, we are thrilled to celebrate their journey and the hard work that has led to this well-deserved recognition.”

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. The scholarship winners of 2026 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. All Merit Scholar recipients are selected based on their abilities, achievements, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

We are incredibly proud of these students — and of all our Bobcats — for their continual academic achievements, both big and small. Please join us in celebrating this remarkable milestone for the Class of 2026!

Aaditya Bharadwaj
Peter Chow
Xiangtuo Cui
Anna Deng
Eileen Gong
Maximilian Guo
Aanya Gupta
Ellen Hao
Chloe Ho
Grace Huang
Nishka Jain
Arshiya Kalra
Manant Kochar
Aaron Li
Albert P Li
Albert S Li
Angela Li
Jessica Li
Junren Li
Leo Li
Maggie Liu
Alexander Ma
Arjun Maganti
Nikola Mazzola
Nelson Nishio
Helen Peng
Xinyue Ren
Archita Satapathy
Manasi Sharma
Yifan Sheng
Lily Tao
Caroline Tian
Aryan Tummala
Richard Wang
Yujie Wu
Maggie Xu
Maximillian Yang
Catherine Yue
Yiyang Zheng
Lawrence Zhou

Congratulations, Bobcats!

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bobcat community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

From Silicon Valley to the Big Apple, nearly 1 in 3 of our students is a National Merit Semifinalist

September 15, 2025 by ekugler Leave a Comment

Students at BASIS Independent Schools have set a new record this year, with 65 seniors from the Class of 2026 named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. This achievement represents nearly one-third of the combined graduating class across our five high schools in California, New York, and Virginia—up from 25% last year.

These exceptionally talented high school seniors now have the chance to advance in the competition for approximately 6,930 National Merit Scholarships, collectively worth nearly $26 million. National Merit Finalists will be announced in the spring of 2026.

This success highlights the strength of the BASIS Independent Schools program—where the rigorous, well-rounded BASIS Curriculum is brought to life by passionate Subject Expert Teachers who challenge and inspire students daily. From coast-to-coast, our student’s achievements underscore the depth of preparation, intellectual curiosity, and academic excellence that define a BASIS Independent Schools education.

Learn more about BASIS Independent Schools by joining our interest list today!

High school juniors entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semiﬁnalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

A Legacy of Excellence: 1 out of 4 Seniors Honored as 2025 National Merit Scholar Semifinalists

September 9, 2025 by msnyder Leave a Comment

One out of every four of our seniors across the BASIS Independent Schools network have been named National Merit Scholar Semifinalists! The impressive achievements across our high school campuses in California, New York, and Virginia underscore our institution’s academic standards, comprehensive approach to education, and excellence in student outcomes.

Four students from BASIS Independent in McLean, Natasha A., Ian P., Vincenzo T., and Gavin W. were selected as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) recognized a total of 46 students from BASIS Independent Schools as semifinals! These exceptionally talented high school seniors now have the chance to advance in the competition for approximately 6,870 National Merit Scholarships, collectively worth nearly $26 million, which will be awarded next spring.

At BASIS Independent Schools, we ignite student potential with an internationally inspired curriculum, passionate educators, and countless opportunities for growth both inside and outside the classroom. Our students’ success not only highlights their exceptional talent and hard work but also serves as a testament to the supportive and enriching academic environment we cultivate. Toby Walker, Vice President of BASIS Independent Schools expressed, “These outstanding results are a reflection of the incredibly talented student body at BASIS Independent Schools as well as the planning, instruction, and inspiration provided by their Subject Expert Teachers each and every day.”

As we celebrate this incredible accomplishment, we remain committed to shaping the leaders, innovators, and thinkers of tomorrow. Congratulations to our National Merit Scholar Semifinalists — your achievements inspire us all!

Learn more about BASIS Independent Schools by joining our interest list today!

High school juniors entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semiﬁnalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

2024-2025 Year-in-Review: BASIS Independent Brooklyn

August 31, 2025 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

Dear Families and Staff,

The summer months bring reflection that offers a vital pause—a time to transform our hindsight into foresight. Today, we celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our students in our annual reflection, and we honor or Class of 2025 graduates from BASIS Independent Brooklyn as they embark on their university journeys.

Academic excellence unites every corner of our school. We harness data from across our BASIS Independent Schools network not just to measure progress, but also to illuminate paths forward. This is how we master both the art and science of education—turning insight into inspiration and potential into achievement.

This past school year, nearly 70% of our students earned the AP Scholar designation (scoring a 3 or higher on at least three AP Exams). This impressive result is consistent with year-over-year scores, showcasing our program’s strength. Also, in high school, we celebrated our National Merit Scholarship Finalists, Maxwell H. and Gustavo P., and we proudly celebrated three Commended Scholars: James R., Maxim S., and Ryan T. ’25.

We cheered on Gustavo P. ’25 for being named a Presidential Scholarship candidate, joining a total of nine seniors named to the distinction across our network. At the end of the year, we were thrilled to learn that Maxim S. ’25 won the Fellows Scholarship for the best Senior Project across our network. The award is an honor in and of itself and comes with a $10,000 scholarship to college.

Let’s also take a moment to reflect on our seventh graduating senior class! More than 60% of students were offered seats at universities in the top 30-ranked national and international institutions. Today, we can share that our students will matriculate at the following universities and colleges (listed by U.S. News rankings for national universities, liberal arts colleges, and then international universities):

Stanford University (2), Duke University, Northwestern University, Cornell University (3), Washington University in St. Louis, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, New York University, University of California-Irvine, Boston University, Rutgers University, University of Maryland, Purdue University (2), Northeastern University, American University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Hamilton College, Haverford College, and McGill University (2).

*Our Class of 2025 posed with Mr. Harmon, Mr. Brauch, and Mr. Yoon during the start of school last year.*

Celebrating Accomplishments

Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, one thing remained the same—student accomplishments across all grades reaffirmed the vision to hold ourselves to the highest standards. Our educators took pride in providing structure and stability to support content mastery.

Our students excelled in their studies, and their accomplishments outside the classroom made us incredibly proud. An overview of 2024–2025 student accolades and significant developments follows.

Fine Arts

Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition: Eight of Mr. Opirhory’s Digital Photography students were honored in the 2025 awards. Students were recognized with the following regional awards: 3 Gold Keys, 3 Silver Keys, and 2 Honorable Mentions in photography.
Our Upper School Choir was invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall before the Christmas Spectacular once again!
Band student Nicole J. ’28 received an “Outstanding” ranking by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) for her solo flute audition, performing Sicilienne, Op. 78 by Gabriel Faure at Level 6, the highest degree of difficulty.
Choir student Katha A. ’30 received an “Outstanding” ranking by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) for her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Our Spring Musical, Shrek, was a rave hit. Upper School drama performances in elective classes were a wonderful celebration of creativity all year long.
Our entire Fine Arts team at the Lower and Upper School hosted wonderful festivals before Winter Break and at the end of the school year.

*Scholastic Arts Gold Key Winning Photo “Old and New” by Henry B. ‘28*

Chess/Social Sciences/Languages

Our Bears won the 3rd-place team in the very competitive U1400 division at the Chess Super Nationals! Our K—Gr. 6 U100 team came in 9^th place, and Gr. 3 Milo S. went undefeated with 6 points to medal for second place in K—Gr. 3 Championships. There were many, many other chess accolades throughout the year.
Our Bears earned 6^th place in the 2025 All-Girls National Chess Championships in Chicago.
Our inaugural DECA Club headed to the NY State Competition in Rochester, making our school proud.
On the National Latin Exam, our students were decorated with honors: 6 students received Gold Summa Cum Laude, 9 students received Silver Maxima Cum Laude, 12 students received Magna Cum Laude, 13 students received Cum Laude recognition, and one Blue Certificate of Merit for the School.
Nearly all the students in Mr. Bedes’ High School French classes sat for and passed the French DELF (certification) A1, A2, or B1 exams through L’Alliance NY.
Mr. Bedes was proud to induct 16 members into our newly established French Honor Society.
In the Chinese Bridge Competition, Gr. 4 Scottie F. won 3^rd place in the Eastern Region. Two of our Gr. 3 students, Isabelle L. and Bathazar R., also received recognition!

*French Honor Society Induction Ceremony*

Math/Science

Our school won the New York State Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) competition for High School. Thank you to Physics teacher and coach Josh Winter for continuing to grow the team.
Our High School Robotics team Ori-Gen went to the Super Qualifier round of the FIRST Robotics Challenge after winning the Inspire Award 3^rd place regionally. It was their first year of competition, and we look forward to another great year ahead.
Once again, a large group of students sat for the MATH KANGAROO assessment for younger grades across both our campuses and comprised one of the largest groups yet to receive accolades from the organization.
NOETIC Math accolades poured in with national winners across several grades across both of our campuses!

*Our High School Science Team won 1^st place in the New York State TEAMS competition!*

Sports

Our Varsity Boys and Middle School Girls Tennis teams won the inaugural CPSAL Tennis Championships!
Our Middle School Flag Football team won the CPSAL League Championships after an incredible season. Go Bears!!!
Our Gr. 4-5 Co-ed Soccer Team won the CONSAT Championships. We are proud of our young student-athletes!
Our Middle School Boys won the CPSAL Indoor Track Championship, and our Middle School Girls came in 3^rd! High School Student Talia L. took first place in the Varsity Girls 1 mile and 800m.
CPSAL Boys and Girls Cross Country Team: Our Bears had a great season, and the High School Boys team took home 2nd Place, High School Girls placed 3^rd overall, and Middle School Boys placed 3^rd overall.
Our High School Flag Football and High School Boys Soccer teams made it to the league semi-finals
CSAA Varsity and JV School Volleyball Team, as well as High School Flag Boys Flag Football, made it to the league playoffs.
Our Varsity Girls Soccer Team had its first season, winning 2^nd place in the CPSAL Spring Classic Tournament.

Community Involvement

This year, our high school team arranged a Fourth Annual Day of Service in the fall to bring our community together and make a difference locally with nonprofits around Red Hook.
Our National Honor and National Junior Honor Society students dedicated more than 2,000 hours to service projects this year!
Our Lower and Upper school community donated hundreds of coats, scarves, hats, and more to our local Coat Drive in the fall.
Our community created more than 200 Thanksgiving cards for Heights and Hills to deliver with their Thanksgiving meals to seniors.
Students in our High School Program conducted a Red Hook Clean Up before Earth Day. They picked up 169 pounds of trash around the neighborhood.

These awards and examples of community involvement are an amazing testament to the school and the power of the curriculum and teachers. Most importantly, they are an incredible representation of our creative, diverse, driven scholars. It is important to us that as a school we prioritize opportunity, finding opportunities for students to showcase their skills, define their interests, and pursue their passions.

Looking Ahead

Without community, academic success is temporary and limited. We have made significant growth as a community this year, and it is our priority to support and grow in the year ahead under the guiding principles of BEARS–Belonging, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Service. Cultivating mutual respect and trust is key for our school after eleven years in Brooklyn.

Teachers continue to express to us that they love this school because they are allowed to teach the subjects they know best, the way they know best. They are allowed to share their passion for their subjects with their students, and this builds engagement. We are excited to bring new faculty into the fold and continue supporting veteran teachers returning to our campus.

As we close our thoughts on the year, we want to salute our Class of 2025 for shaping our sense of community and traditions at our school. What we want to ask from our alumni and parents is to help provide professional advice and even connect our students after they graduate to internships and opportunities as part of our expanded mentorship program.

Overall, we want our students to look back, feel a great sense of pride in their school, and share in the school’s success that they helped create. We have much to celebrate, and we are in an exciting position after eleven years of educating students in Brooklyn. We truly look forward to the year ahead!

Exceptional Achievement: Nearly 1 in 4 Seniors Named National Merit Finalists!

March 12, 2025 by msnyder Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Schools, we take immense pride in our students’ dedication to academic excellence. This year, we are thrilled to announce that an impressive 44 seniors have been recognized as 2025 National Merit Scholarship Finalists, a prestigious honor that reflects their hard work, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to success.

Our students’ outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT has earned them a place among the nation’s top academic achievers. This distinction not only showcases their exceptional abilities but also highlights the advanced, globally benchmarked BASIS Curriculum that fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and deep content mastery.

A Remarkable Achievement Across Our Schools

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley: 25 National Merit Finalists
BASIS Independent Fremont: 13 National Merit Finalists
BASIS Independent McLean: 4 National Merit Finalists
BASIS Independent Brooklyn: 2 National Merit Finalists

What This Recognition Means

The National Merit Scholarship Program is one of the most prestigious academic competitions in the United States. Finalists are selected based on their exceptional PSAT/NMSQT scores, academic performance, leadership qualities, and extracurricular achievements. These students now advance to compete for prestigious National Merit Scholarships, a testament to their dedication and perseverance.

The BASIS Independent Schools Legacy

At BASIS Independent Schools, we cultivate a learning environment that empowers students to push boundaries and achieve their highest potential. Our challenging curriculum, expert educators, and dynamic learning culture ensure that students are well-prepared for success in college and beyond.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of our 2025 National Merit Scholarship Finalists! Your hard work and passion for learning inspire us all. We look forward to seeing your continued success as you take the next steps in your academic journey.

Stay tuned for more updates as we celebrate these exceptional scholars and their accomplishments!

See what sets our students apart—explore our High School Program today!

BASIS Independent Schools provides students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists

October 22, 2024 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

In September, ofﬁcials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the Semiﬁnalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program – including Maxwell H. and Gustavo P. of BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Class of 2025! These high school seniors can now continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. Alongside our two Semifinalists, we proudly celebrated three Commended Scholars: James R., Maxim S., and Ryan T. ’25.

High school juniors entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semiﬁnalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

2025 National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars-Front Row from left to right James R., Maxwell H., Ryan T., and Gustavo P. Not pictured Maxim S.

“The honored students exemplify the spirit of excellence seen throughout our school, ” said Josh Harmon, Head of School at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. “Their accomplishment reflects the level of achievement that we strive for, and I am sure that I speak for the entire community when I say that we couldn’t be more proud of these individuals and commend them on their hard work and dedication.”

From over 16,000 Semiﬁnalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notiﬁed of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. The scholarship winners of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. All Merit Scholar recipients are selected based on their abilities, achievements, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

On behalf of all BASIS Independent Schools, we are so proud of you—and of all of our students—for your continual academic achievements. Please join us in congratulating our incredible Bears!

BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a PreK– Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Bears community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

26 BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists

September 19, 2024 by ezekielbracamonte Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, ofﬁcials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the Semiﬁnalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program – including 26 BASIS Independent Silicon Valley students. Alongside our 26 Semifinalists, we proudly celebrated 32 Commended Scholars, totaling around 64% of the senior class receiving recognition. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

“These students truly exemplify the spirit of excellence that we see throughout the hallways of this school. Their accomplishment reflects the level of achievement that we strive for at BISV, and I am sure that I speak for the entire community when I say that we couldn’t be more proud of these individuals and commend them on their hard work and dedication,” said Sara Kolb, Head of School at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley.

Shreyas Avula
Joshua Balmin
Rohan Das
Hamed Fazel-Rezai
Henry Jin
Yashas Khattar
Xiaoyue (Nicole) Lai
Andrew Li
Sophia Li
Cindy Liu
Samuel Liu
Stephanie Liu
Alex Luo
Ruinan (Sherry) Mao
Srilalitha Nair
Diya Pillai
Oliver Qi
Sonya Sar
Yourui Shao
Kenneth Sun
Aindra Tan
Antony Wang
Luofei (Angela) Wang
Allison Zhang
Brianna Zheng
Michael Zhu

Congratulations, Bobcats!

Five BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Students Named National Merit Scholarship Winners in 2024!

May 16, 2024 by ezekielbracamonte Leave a Comment

Out of over 1.3 million students who entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program, only about 16,000 made it to the semifinalists stage. Among them, 22 were students from BASIS Independent Silicon Valley. All 22 of our Semifinalists progressed to the finals round, where just over 15,000 students were named Finalists.

Now, we’re thrilled to announce that out of the 22 Finalists, five of our students have been declared Winners!

Congratulations to Akshaya A., Ethan L., Shreyas N., Maya S., and Ivan Z. who have been announced as National Merit Scholarship Winners! We are so proud of our Bobcats!

Akshaya A.

Ethan L.

Shreyas N.

Maya S.

Ivan Z.

The recipients of this award are the winners in each state who have demonstrated outstanding achievements, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners in each state is determined by its percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

These Scholars were chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors based on various criteria, including academic records, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendations.

This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in Fall 2022, with over 1.3 million juniors from about 21,000 high schools taking the PSAT/NMSQT®. From this pool, Semifinalists were selected, representing less than one percent of high school seniors nationwide. Only about 15,000 students advanced to the Finalist stage, with approximately 7,140 earning the Merit Scholar title and receiving over $28 million in college scholarships.

Congratulations to our winners!