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Fall 2025 Admissions Guide: Frequently Asked Questions During Admissions Season

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We are excited to meet the many wonderful families considering a BASIS Independent Brooklyn experience for their family!  

During each admissions season we field a wide range of questions about our curriculum and various programs, student life, electives, extracurriculars, and so much more. We have observed topics that are commonly brought up and want to provide you with answers to frequently asked questions raised each year. 

What is the difference between your two Brooklyn campuses? 

BASIS Independent Brooklyn was established in 2014. We are one school with two campuses. The Lower School in Downtown Brooklyn supports approximately 150 students in PreK–Grade 2 while the Upper School in Red Hook supports about 530 students in Grades 3–12.  
  

What is the teacher model at your school?   

Beginning in grade 1, our students have one Subject Expert Teacher (SET) for each discipline. SETs either hold advanced degrees or are experts in their discipline. SETs use their subject-area passion to inspire students while teaching them at a higher level than what is typically expected of students in their age group.  

Learning Expert Teachers (LETs) work in tandem with SETs to co-teach in all grade 1–4 classrooms. LETs accompany their students all day, from class-to-class, and are masters of the learning process and social-emotional growth in children. They are instrumental in ensuring that students are appropriately supported and challenged in each subject. In grade 4, the LET shifts their focus to promoting independence, autonomy, and teaching students how to use their resources. This shift prepares students for grade 5 and beyond where students have just one teacher, their SET, for each subject.   

Unlike the Primary, Middle, and High School programs, the Early Learning Program is primarily self-enclosed. Students remain in their vibrant classroom for most of the day, rotating classes only for their daily special (Art, Music, Drama, Engineering, Mandarin, or PE/Movement). Early Learning Teachers lead our PreK and Kindergarten classrooms and are responsible for delivering most of the content to students by bringing their own pedagogical expertise to the classroom, with the consistent support from an Early Learning Teaching Fellow.

What are your elective offerings?  

In the Early Learning and Primary programs, students will take Art, Music, Drama, Engineering, and PE/Movement. In the Middle and High School programs, students can continue to take those courses or elect to take Band/Orchestra, Computer Science, Choir, Creative Writing, Introduction to Philosophy, Digital Photography, Introduction to Film Production, Sustainable Fashion, Topics in Economics, or a number of Advanced Placement (AP) courses.  

What are your athletic offerings?

We have competitive and league sports for students to play. Offerings for our Middle and High School students include basketball, tennis, flag football, track (cross country, indoor and outdoor), soccer, volleyball, baseball, ultimate frisbee, and competitive cheer and dance. Next year we are planning on adding a squash and fencing team. Every year our club and athletic offerings grow in number and vary based on student interest.  

What are your club offerings?   

We offer over 60 clubs at our Lower School and Upper School campuses! Our students can participate in AI for Kids, Chess Team, Leadership Club, Math Team, Science Bowl, Student Newspaper, Black Student Union, LatinX Affinity, and more. 

Do you offer early or late care for students?  

At both campuses, we offer supervised early and late care. Early care, called Early Bird, is offered beginning at 7:00 AM at our Lower School and 7:15 AM at our Upper School. We offer two types of late care. The first is called Late Bird, which runs until around 4:00 PM. The second is called Cub Care (PreK-Grade 2)/Bear Care (Grades 3-8), and these begin following dismissal. Cub Care/Bear Care is more structured and involves a range of activities from sciences to sports to arts. After-school programs for High School students take place in the form of athletics and clubs. 

Why do you teach your students Mandarin? 

The co-founders of the BASIS Curriculum intentionally designed our Early Learning and Primary programs to include Mandarin. Mandarin is a global language, and researchers found that learning the language develops new pathways in the brain and uses both the left and right temporal lobes simultaneously. Studies also show that Mandarin helps students grow their mathematical abilities due to the emphasis on ordering, grouping, and distinguishing between similarities and differences in character writing and intonation. While Mandarin is required in PreK-Grade 4, Latin is required in grades 5 and 6. Beginning in grade 7, students will select a world language from French, Latin, Mandarin and Spanish, which they will continue throughout High School. 

Do your campuses have any outdoor spaces?   

Our Lower School has direct access to a new, beautiful, big park and playground right across our street! Our Upper School has three outdoor spaces. This includes one fully covered space, one partially covered space, and an uncovered playground. 

What is your student-to-teacher ratio?   

From PreK to grade 4, there are two teachers in each classroom. Beginning in grade 1, students will have one teacher for each subject as they rotate from classroom-to-classroom and teacher-to-teacher during the school day. Generally, our PreK classrooms average around 15 students with two teachers in the classroom and Kindergarten averages around 12 students per classroom with two teachers in the classroom. Grades 1-12 average around 21 students in each classroom. 

What is the diversity of your student population?   

Brooklyn is wonderfully diverse, and our student population reflects this. 53% of students identify as a person of color and 41 languages are spoken throughout our community. 

Do you offer financial aid?   

At this time, financial aid is not available. We offer families three types of tuition payment plans: one payment, two payments, or ten monthly payments. We award scholarships based on academic merit to a highly selective group of current BASIS Independent Brooklyn students in grade 8 who are planning to stay for high school. 

Do you offer transportation?   

We encourage families at both campuses to make use of nearby public transportation options. We offer free or reduced fare MetroCards for students who plan to use public subways or buses. The Lower School is located centrally in Downtown Brooklyn near stops for the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, D, F, G, N, Q, and R trains; the LIRR at Atlantic Terminal; and the B25, B26, B38, B52, B54, B57, B61, B62, and B67 MTA bus lines. The Upper School campus in Red Hook is conveniently located near stops for the B61 and B57 buses, and accessible from the F and G trains at Smith & 9th Street Station. Families are welcome to use bikes, strollers, skateboards, and scooters. We have storage at both campuses for these modes of transportation.   

Our fee-based transportation program at the Red Hook campus includes morning and afternoon bus services throughout Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. We carefully plan our bus routes each school year to try to accommodate student demand and the requested stops. However, bus stops are not guaranteed and are subject to change. For families with students at both our Upper and Lower School campuses, BASIS Independent Brooklyn offers a free “Connector” bus. Please inquire directly for more details on our current routes.  

What is parent involvement like at your school?  

Parents have many opportunities to get involved! The first way is through BIB Committees. These committees include the Teacher Appreciation Committee, Social Committee, World Fest Committee, and Community Outreach Committee. We also have a wonderful group called our Parent Ambassadors. These leaders work closely with our Admissions Team on events and connecting with new families.  

What community opportunities will my student have if they join your program?  

We have very active National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society chapters at our school leading regular service initiatives. Moreover, our student leadership society, Leadership Club, has prioritized building both a culture of service and sustainability at the school. The students lead annual drives and regularly promote ways to volunteer with Red Hook and Downtown Brooklyn organizations throughout the school year. Our High School students participate in an Annual Day of Service before Thanksgiving Break. 

Our school community has worked to develop partnerships with impactful non-profits making a difference in the community. One great example is the Red Hook Art Project (RHAP), which provides tutoring and mentoring for under-served children and youth. The organization offers free classes and tutoring in visual art, music, and homework help. Our students have volunteered for the homework help program and are teaching guitar classes. They also work to ensure our leftover school lunches are transported to RHAP and given to students and their families.  

How can I visit your school?  

This admissions season, we are hosting a variety of events including Information Sessions, Campus Tours, Open Houses, and Shadow Days. Please click here to register for an upcoming event! 

Please feel free to reach out to our Admissions Team by calling (718) 643-6302 or emailing brooklyn-admissions@basisindependent.com  

Ms. LaCrosse (Right) – Director of Admissions and Ms. Valerio (Left) – Associate Director of Admissions Grades 3-12

2023-2024 Year in Review

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Dear Families and Staff,

During the summer months, we reflect on the past school year as we reset our school for the year ahead. Today, we celebrate with our community many of the student accomplishments from the past year and pay tribute to our 2024 graduates. We are incredibly proud of our Bears.

Let us start with academics. Data from across our BASIS Independent Schools inform our practice, identify our areas for growth, and allow us to celebrate our successes knowledgeably. For these reasons, we can truly say we practice both the art and science of teaching. Without data, we would not understand our own goals, or we would just assume we were lucky when we met them!

This year more than 60% 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 Scholar winner Jack B. ’24, and 30% of our seniors were recognized as commended scholars.

Speaking of our seniors, let us take a moment to reflect on our sixth graduating class about to head off to the next stage of their educational journey! Approximately 60% of students were offered seats at universities in the top 25 ranked national and international institutions. Today we can share that our students will matriculate at:

  • University of Pennsylvania (2), Duke University (2), Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, Cornell University, University of Michigan, Georgetown University (2), Emory University, University of Southern California, NYU (2), Boston University, Northeastern (2), George Washington University, Barnard College (2), Colgate University, Haverford College, Skidmore College, Stevens Institute of Technology, Chapman University, and Cooper Union.

Our Class of 2024 posed on the roof during their senior year. Photo Credit: Danny Dolan at www.dannydolan.com

Celebrating Accomplishments

Throughout the 2023-2024 school year one thing remained the same— student accomplishments across all grades continued to reaffirm the vision behind all that we have built here in Brooklyn. Our educators took pride in providing structure and stability to support content mastery. 

Our students continued to excel at their studies and outside the classroom, our students’ accomplishments made us incredibly proud. An overview of 2023–2024 student accolades and significant developments follows.

Fine Arts

  • Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition: Our students were recognized yet again with many honors this year. One National Gold Key in photography was awarded to Mateo K. ’25; Yuna S. ’24 received a National Silver Key for her work in Digital Art. Many other students were recognized with regional awards: 7 Gold Keys, 6 Silver Keys, and 9 honorable mentions in photography, digital art, painting, and drawing illustration.
  • Our Upper School Choir was invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall before the Christmas Spectacular once again! They won top honors at the Hershey Park Choral Festival as well!
  • High School Choir and Band were invited to play at Universal Studios as part of the Disney Music Series.
  • Our Spring Musical SpongeBob 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 hosted wonderful festivals before Winter Break and at the end of the school year.  

National Scholastic Arts Gold Key winning photo by Mateo K. ’25

Humanities/Social Sciences

  • High School Debate Team won 1st place in team and 1st place speaker in the NYC Urban Debate League Championships.
  • Our Middle School Debate Club tied for 3rd place in the New York Debate League Championships.
  • The Grizzly Co-Editors-in-Chief founded our initial chapter of Quill and Scroll International Journalism honor society, initiating six student journalists.
  • Our Bears won 1st place team in the very competitive K-5 U1200 division at the Primary Chess National Championships! Our K-5 U900 team came in 7th place, and our team of two in K-3 U700 tied for 16th place with just two students. This news came on the heels of winning big at the New York State Championship. There were many, many other chess accolades throughout the year.
  • On the National Latin Exam, Abraham G. ‘29 earned a gold medal, Indi S. ’29 a silver. One of our Grade 6 students Dylan C. was recognized by both the American Classical Association and National Junior Latin League for receiving a perfect score. Four students received gold medals, ten received silver medals in Grade 6 this year as well!
  • This year we launched our inaugural Quiz Bowl team under the leadership of Mr. Koppel. The team performed well in their first year and look forward to picking up steam in the fall!

Our Chess Team at Nationals. Photo credit: Ian West of ICN

Math/Science

  • Our MATHCOUNTS team came in 1st Place in Brooklyn regionals and went on to compete at the New York State Championships. Special shout out to Michael S. ’28 who won top individual honors in Brooklyn. Coach Hughes was very proud of them.
  • The largest group of students ever sat for the MATH KANGAROO assessment for younger grades across both our campuses and comprised our largest group yet to receive accolades from the organization.
  • NOETIC Math accolades poured in with national winners across several grades across both of our campuses.
  • Our school won both 2nd and 3rd Place in New York State TEAMS competition. Thank you to Physics teacher and coach Josh Winter for continuing to grow the team.

Our Lower School Cubs proudly posing with their NOETIC math ribbons and medals.

Sports

  • Our Middle School Baseball team won the CSAA league championship after an incredible first season under Coach Starks. Go Bears!!!
  • Our Middle School Girls Volleyball Team won the CSAA Region 3 Championships!!! Coach Nalipinski was incredibly proud of her players, who participated in this middle school division for the first time.
  • CSAA Boys and Girls Track Team: Our Bears had a great season, and the High School team took home 3rd Place in the CSAA Region 3 championship. Given this was their first season, we could not be prouder of them!
  • Our CSAA Boys Varsity Soccer team made the league playoffs and we were very proud of their determination and drive during the year.
  • CSAA Girls Volleyball made the playoffs after a tremendous fall season with Coach Nalipinski.
  • CSAA Co-ed JHS Flag Football team finished 2nd place in the league! Team spirit could not be stronger, and we want to thank families for showing up consistently to cheer on our Bears.

Coach Starks and our middle school baseball team won 1st place in their league.

Community Involvement

  • This year our high school team arranged a Third Annual Day of Service in the fall to bring our community together and make a difference locally.
  • Our National Honor and National Junior Honor Society students dedicated more than 2,000 hours to service projects this year!
  • Back-to-School Textbook Exchange – Families donated nearly 3,300 textbooks and others bought used textbooks to benefit the Red Hook Art Project.
  • 500 coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and blankets as well as 200 care packages were assembled to support Red Hook’s Redemption Church community.
  • Our Lower School Cubs created more than 100 toiletry kits around the holidays to share with families in Red Hook through Redemption Red Hook Church.
  • Our community created more than 100 Thanksgiving cards for Heights and Hills to deliver with their Thanksgiving meals to seniors.
  • Our Primary School assembled more than 300 bedtime bags for asylum-seeking families through Project Rousseau!
  • Our High School students formed a chapter of JASA at the school with 16 student members who collectively spent 200 hours spending time with nursing home residents and participating in projects to support them.


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. Cultivating mutual respect and trust is key for our school after ten 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 2024 for their leadership in shaping our sense of community and traditions at our school. We are grateful to them and want them to know they always have a place here. What we want to ask from our alumni and parents is help to provide professional advice and even connect our students after they graduate to internships and opportunities. This coming year we will be expanding our mentorship program, and we need the help of our community to open doors for our wonderful students.

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 ten years of educating students in Brooklyn. We truly look forward to the year ahead!

Sincerely,

Josh Harmon and Rose Miller-Sims

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. 

Bobcat Bytes: Ruhi M., Grade 9

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This blog series aims to offer a glimpse into the student life of our Student Ambassadors. The BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Student Ambassadors play an important role by representing BISV throughout the academic year in many ways. From cherished memories, to conquering challenges, from time management to immersing themselves in clubs and activities.

Meet Ruhi M., Grade 9, class of 2027. Prior to attending BISV, Ruhi attended a public school. Since joining our school in Grade 6, she has been a fantastic member of our school community. This year, she joined the BISV Rock Climbing Club. She says, “Nothing beats the feeling of successfully finishing a hard climb!”

Outside of school, Ruhi enjoys engaging in activities that bring her joy, such as playing competitive table tennis. She feels playing sports teaches her how to not give up even in the prospect of failure. She also loves singing and cats!

What have been some of your most memorable moments or experiences at BISV and why?

One of my most memorable school experiences was performing as a part of the BISV choir. I chose choir as my elective in Grade 8 as I have always enjoyed singing. I got to sing every day alongside the rest of the choir. During my time in choir, not only did I become a much better singer, I made some great friends as well. Over the school year, we worked incredibly hard in preparation for our choir performance. Prior to this event, I have performed onstage many times as I also play piano, but I found this performance to be rather different. There was still the anticipation, excitement, lights, and audience, but this time I was able to share this experience with my amazing friends. I am incredibly grateful to our music teacher, Ms. Jay!

This year we have over 90 clubs at BISV! What are the benefits of participating in our extracurriculars?

Joining a club at BISV has a lot of benefits. Clubs are an easy way to try something new. There are a lot of academic-related clubs such as Science Olympiad, Robotics Club, and DECA that compete in competitions. Last year, BISV hosted 40 teams for the Silicon Valley Robotics League Finals. There are also volunteering clubs such as Key Club, Paws, and the NJHS/NHS (National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society). Personally, as a member of the NJHS, I believe joining clubs like these can give you a very rewarding experience. Joining allowed me to give back to the community in fun ways that I might not have tried if I didn’t join the club. There are also a lot of clubs related to art or sports such as NJAHS (National Junior Art Honor Society), Digital Art, Rock Climbing, Cross Country, and many more. I enjoy these clubs because, after a long day of school, these can be a great part of the day to look forward to. For me, I am a co-secretary of the BISV Table Tennis Club and a coach. I’ve found that being a coach has given me a lot of confidence in myself and my ability to help others. Having these roles in the club has allowed me to find a community of people at BISV who also share an interest in table tennis.

How do you manage your time and balance academic, extracurricular activities, and free-time?

As the school day goes by, I make additions to my To-Do List. I make sure the list is easily accessible, so I can look at it and edit it anytime. After school, I reorganize the list in order of how long how they will take to complete. For me, this helps because I prefer to get smaller tasks out of the way first to clear my mind for bigger tasks. I also utilize my time at school the best that I can. At BISV, there are office hours in which teachers hold sessions after classes where students can go and ask their questions. I have met multiple teachers who have spent hours throughout the year helping me as best as they can to understand concepts and I am very grateful to them.

What are some ideas you had about BISV that you found out to be true or false once you joined the school?

Before I joined BISV, I had heard it would be much more challenging than my current school. However, I wanted to join BISV because I wanted a challenge and that is what I got. Initially, I had the idea that the rigor would lessen my love for learning, but this was not true at all. It is the most amazing feeling to reflect on how much I have learned and grown since joining the school three years ago. One of the biggest differences I saw between my old public school and BISV is the quality of teachers. Teachers here are not only passionate and knowledgeable in their field but also teach very well. I truly believe that BISV can help reveal to you your true capabilities.

Finally, what advice would you give for incoming students to make the most of their year?

For any newcomers with an idea to start a club, it is worth it to pitch in your ideas as running your own club can become a valuable part of your time here at BISV! In addition, it’s important to not get stuck on what you can’t change. If you messed up on a test, don’t let that failure affect the future. If you are taking a break to relax, don’t stress by thinking of past mistakes or possible future outcomes. Don’t take on more extracurricular activities than you can handle or you might find yourself getting burnt out during the year. Do what makes you truly happy and can give a boost to your day. This is also an important message for parents deciding what classes to put their students in. Remember, your time is precious, so choose what you do wisely. Last, it is important to stay in the present and focus on what is in front of you. Keep going and always have faith in yourself!

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. 

Unleashing the Spirit of Sport

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This year marked the inaugural year of the Bumblebee Games, BASIS Independent Fremont’s new annual sports day. This eagerly anticipated event saw students come together to showcase their athletic abilities, team spirit, and, most importantly, to have fun! A sports-focused day holds a special place, igniting the competitive fire in young hearts. It’s a day filled with joy, teamwork, and valuable life lessons that will leave a lasting impact on these budding athletes. In this blog post, we’ll explore the excitement and benefits of The Bumblebee Games!

Healthy competition thrives where sportsmanship takes center stage. Teaching students about fair play, respect, and the importance of embracing both victory and defeat is vital. Through a range of sports activities like relay races, soccer matches, tug-of-war, and obstacle courses, children learn to collaborate, communicate, and support each other. This inclusive atmosphere fosters a sense of camaraderie among students, regardless of their skill levels, emphasizing that participation and effort are where victory is born.

Engaging in sports activities during sports day not only promotes physical fitness but also encourages students to lead active lifestyles. It presents an opportunity for children to discover their athletic interests, try new sports, and develop their coordination and motor skills. Through friendly competition, they can better understand the value of regular exercise, teamwork, and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The Bumblebee Games act as a catalyst, inspiring young minds to pursue sports beyond the event and embrace physical activity as an integral part of their lives.

Participating in a sports-focused sports day helps children build confidence and self-esteem. As they navigate various challenges and triumphs, they experience personal growth. From overcoming individual obstacles in an obstacle course to supporting teammates in relay races, every success fuels their belief in themselves. The cheers and applause from peers and teachers uplift their spirits, instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment. This newfound confidence transcends the sports day, empowering students in their academic pursuits and personal lives.

Above all, a sports-focused sports day creates lasting memories that students will cherish for years to come. The excitement, laughter, and sense of accomplishment become shared experiences that bind classmates together. Whether it’s the joy of crossing the finish line, the pride of scoring a goal, or the support and encouragement exchanged among teammates, these moments become a part of their elementary school journey. These memories not only foster a sense of belonging but also ignite a lifelong love for sports and camaraderie.