Student Achievement

From Curious and Passionate Students to the Ivy League: 5 Takeaways from our 2025 Alumni Panel

January 7, 2026 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

The Full Circle Moment

There is no better testament to a school’s mission than the success of its graduates. Recently, the BASIS Independent Manhattan Upper School hosted five alumni (representing Cornell, UVA, Penn State, and Boston University) to share their insights with our current students.

From the “flawless transition” to university-level rigor to the emotional intelligence required to navigate a 20,000-person campus, here are the highlights from our 2025 panel.

the five alumni panelists before they spoke to students — *The panel consisted of four BASIS Independent Manhattan alumni and one graduate from BASIS Independent Brooklyn.*

1. Small School, Big Advantage

A common theme among the panelists was the value of BASIS Independent Manhattan’s small class sizes. One alum noted that moving from a class of 20 to a lecture hall of 200 made them truly appreciate the deep teacher relationships and personalized letters of recommendation they received. “You have a support system here that is set in stone,” noted Charles D. (Penn State ’25).

2. The “Flawless” Academic Transition

When asked about the jump to college-level work, the consensus was clear: BASIS Independent Manhattan students are ready. One panelist described college as “AP season every week,” but noted that the work ethic they developed in middle and high school made the transition feel manageable and rewarding.

3. Passion Over “Extracurricular Inflation”

In a world of “try-hards” and “sweats,” our alumni gave refreshing advice: Do what you love. Colleges can see through a million superficial activities. Our alumni encouraged students to find 1–2 things they are genuinely passionate about—like the DECA Business Club or running the Pan-Asian Union affinity group—and lead them well.

4. Your Major Isn’t Set in Stone

Mila K. (UVA ’24) shared her journey from being a “Humanities kid” to declaring an Economics major. The takeaway? Use your first year of college to explore. BASIS Independent Manhattan gives you the foundation to be a “math kid,” a “humanities kid,” or both—allowing you to evolve as your interests do.

5. Advice for the Admissions Journey

For 8th Graders: Don’t shy away from the challenge; the foundation you build now is what makes college feel easy later.
For 11th Graders: Start dialing into your specific interests.
For Seniors: Enjoy the ride. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” the panelists reminded our current seniors. “Have a plan you love, but keep your hope high.”

Best Practices: The Co-Teaching Model in Our Primary Program

December 18, 2025 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s co-teaching model in Gr. 1-4 pairs teachers together to deliver tailored instruction and support for Primary Program students. This co-teaching model consists of a Learning Expert Teacher, who draws on childhood development and pedagogical expertise to teach one class of students throughout the day, and Subject Expert Teachers, who focus on the content area they are most passionate about from their years of study. Their combined expertise energizes students and deepens engagement in specific subjects, such as math, science, and humanities, while providing differentiated instruction to challenge each student at the appropriate level of mastery.

Head of School for BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School, Ms. Rose Miller-Sims, cites the co-teaching model as one of the reasons that she was first drawn to BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Ms. Miller-Sims started her long career in education, first teaching at the collegiate and adult level and then shifting to primary school. She first joined our school as a Gr. 3 Learning Expert Teacher in 2017.

“This is a really unique model of co-teaching,” shared Head of School Rose Miller-Sims. “In other schools, co-teachers are focused on one very specific aspect of learning, such as supporting English Language Learners or students with diagnosed learning differences. In our model, we have two experts in teaching in a classroom, each with a different lens for how to support student learning. That is a big part of how we ensure that foundational skills are fully solidified in the primary years. The model leads to tailored instruction that really helps students fill gaps.”

“We have two experts in teaching in a classroom, each with a different lens for how to support student learning.”
– Rose Miller-Sims, Head of School at BASIS Independent Brooklyn Lower School

Our Learning Expert Teachers focus on students’ social, emotional, and academic needs, building deep relationships to support individualized learning and behavior. Learning Expert Teachers greet students in the morning, help students prepare for what to expect over the course of the day, and continuously monitor their progress toward individualized goals. These teachers also lead the “Connections” class, which helps guide students to draw connections across their classes through interdisciplinary projects, fostering collaboration and social skills. They work very hard to ensure every student, whether in need of extra support or advanced challenges, receives instruction suited to their current level of achievement.

“The Learning Expert Teacher is focused on one specific class of students,” commented Ms. Miller-Sims. “They get to know that group of students really well and make sure each child is getting what they need- not just on an academic level, but also behaviorally and socially. They spend a lot of time with students throughout the day. I like to say that they are the expert in their group of students and how they learn best.”

Subject Expert Teachers, on the other hand, focus on their passionate content area, designing lesson plans and managing academic learning outcomes in areas such as math, science, humanities, physical education, languages, and the fine arts. These teachers construct syllabi and communicate learning goals to parents in collaboration with the Learning Expert Teacher.

Proprietary research conducted by BASIS Independent Schools staff on our LET/SET model found that a true partnership between two actively engaged teachers working in tandem to bring out the best in one another and design lessons that best fit the needs of their particular students is unique.

Our Learning and Subject Expert Teachers raise the standard of learning in the classroom. While we set advanced goals for student learning, we also have a strong culture of support. We want to make sure that students have the confidence to take on what is presented to them each day in the classroom and throughout their school experience at BASIS Independent Brooklyn.

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.

Student Spotlight: Hera L-Y—Researching Forever Chemicals in Our Water

December 6, 2025 by aixuanwang Leave a Comment

Hera L-Y, a senior at BIM, conducted a series of water-quality analyses on samples collected from several local areas during her free time. After testing samples from Falls Church, Loudoun County, Washington, D.C., Montgomery County (MD), and Alexandria, VA, she discovered a significant discrepancy between Alexandria’s results and those of the other regions. Dr. Hight recently interviewed her about her process and findings.

Hera, I know you’ve been doing your own research on Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in our water, and it was recently written about in the Alexandria Times. How did you get started looking into forever chemicals?

In the summer after my sophomore year, I did an internship in a chemistry lab in China, and the professor who was mentoring me introduced me to PFAS and gave me a project to work on with the help of some graduate students. I learned a bunch of different simulation software and then simulated the interactions between PFAS and proteins. We used Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is really common. We studied its interaction with bovine serum albumin, which is a protein in cows very similar to human serum albumin but a bit less complicated.

We found that the binding energy was really strong, which told us that PFOA was really likely to bind to the protein. And then we calculated how much the protein changed after interaction with PFOA and found it hadn’t changed much at all. We realized that because the interaction was so stable, the body wasn’t recognizing it as a foreign particle. But binding to the protein could still knock it out of service.

Hera presenting on PFAS during her internship.

It harms protein function without triggering any sort of immune response? That doesn’t sound good.

Not good.

So your lab work got you interested in PFAS. How did you get from there to testing local water?

After that summer, I knew that this was something that I wanted to continue looking into. I built my own website about PFAS, trying to, like, educate people as much as possible about products that contain them. And then in March or April of 2024, I started this project. What sparked the whole thing was that I found these filters online that let you test your own tap water’s PFAS level. So I bought two and tested my tap water, and then also tested boiled water, because my family drinks a lot of tea.

Then I wondered if the concentration in my home would be different from my friends’ homes. So I tested in a bunch of different towns: Arlington, Alexandria, Loudoun, and Falls Church. The average was around 9-10 PPT, but there were two outliers. Loudoun was really low, around 3.5 PPT. And I actually expected that to happen because they advertised that they are implementing things to filter out PFAS. So I knew Loudoun was going to be lower than the rest, but then I found that my first result for Alexandria was 22 PPT, more than twice the average. At first, I thought it might have been an experimental error, so I tested again at a different location in Alexandria. That one came back 17 PPT, so less, but still way more than average.

Hera collecting water samples with young campers during the Environmental Science summer camp she led.

So what was going on with Alexandria’s water?

What I did was look into the water sources for all the counties. So I tested the Potomac River and the Occoquan Reservoir, because those are the two main sources of water in Northern Virginia. Both were in double digits. The Potomac was around 15 PPT, and the Occoquan was 21 PPT, both of which are lower than the first Alexandria reading, which was a little confusing. But concentrations do vary with rainfall.

I reached out to a few newspapers because I’ve never seen this covered before, and I got connected with the journalist who wrote the article. We did some research and found an article from 2023 that talked about how Alexandria had an actionable level of PFAS. The mayor at the time was talking about how they were going to do something to stop it, but their levels are actually higher now. So clearly, they didn’t really do anything.

What’s next with this project?

It’s kind of on pause right now for college applications, but I definitely want to continue it in college. Because we know PFAS are bad for us, but we don’t know the extent of how bad. There’s a strong correlation between the concentration of PFAS in someone’s body and liver cancer. I do know that the liver is the main thing that detoxes your body. Because PFAS are so non-degradable, they kind of build up in your liver over time. I’m curious about the biochemistry there.

Sounds fascinating. I look forward to hearing more about it in the future. Thanks, Hera!

You can also read about Hera’s findings in the Alexandria Times.

BASIS Independent McLean is an Age 2–Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings. Considering joining the Red-Tailed Hawks community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

Our Entire Class of 2025 and Approximately 70% of High School Students Awarded AP Scholar Distinction

October 3, 2025 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Brooklyn, we prioritize celebrating our students’ accomplishments. Today, we can proudly share that all members of our Class of 2025 and nearly 70% of our high school students qualified as Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars during their tenure at our school. Students move from AP Scholar to AP Scholar with Honor and then AP Scholar with Distinction. With the 2025 scores, BASIS Independent Brooklyn students earned the highest-ever average AP test score of 3.94 as well as the highest-ever passing rate of 94%.

“We reached a milestone this year with every one of our seniors receiving an honor of AP Scholar or higher this year at BASIS Independent Brooklyn,” said Josh Harmon, Head of School for BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Upper School. “When looking at all students in grades 9-12, our students earned the highest average score yet of 3.94 across all the exams and a pass rate of 94%. This is possible due to a number of factors: the strong drive of our students, an outstanding curriculum that spirals through the years, the expertise of our teachers, and the overall support offered by our faculty and Student Affairs team.”

AP Scholar awards recognize students who have demonstrated both a depth and breadth of knowledge and whose work has shown college-level mastery across multiple disciplines. The College Board awards the following distinctions for AP exams, and we have students who have achieved all levels.

AP Scholar: students who received a score of 3 or higher on 3 or more AP exams.

AP Scholar with Honors: students who received a score of 3 or higher on 4 or more exams, and have an average score of at least 3.25 across all exams taken.

AP Scholar with Distinction: students who received a score of 3 or higher on at least 5 exams, and an average score of 3.5 across all exams taken.

Nationwide, only about 10% of students earn the distinction of AP Scholar or higher by the time they graduate (based on historic data provided by the College Board). We are thrilled to share some of the top accomplishments here:

80 students in our high school were named AP Scholar (or higher distinctions), representing approximately 67% of our high school, after the exams were taken in May 2025.

Approximately 63% of our seniors received the AP Scholar with Distinction, the highest award offered by the College Board.

Congratulations to all our students who have earned an AP Scholar Award for their performance on the exams during their High School tenure. See the full list of student recipients updated to include the 2025 results below:

AP Scholar: Students who received a score of 3 or higher on 3 or more AP exams.

Victor Bergman-B. ’25

Dana B. ’26

Matthias B. ’25

Leo B. ’25

Leonardo C. ’27

Joaquim H. ’26

Gabriel H. ’26

Rachel K. ’25

Ethan L. ’27

Summer L. ’26

William M. ’28

Hendrix. N. ’25

Jason P. ’25

Saajan P. ’26

Ishan P. ’28

Julia R. ’28

Gabe S. ’26

Willa S. ’27

Sasha T. ’25

Vivian W. ’27

Victor Y. ’27

Erica Z. ’26

AP Scholar with Honors: Students who received a score of 3 or higher on 4 or more AP exams and have an average score of at least 3.25 across all exams taken. Nationwide, only about 6% of students will graduate high school with this degree of recognition or higher. Nearly all of these honorees have done so well before graduation.

Bodhi D. ’27

Laith J. ’25

Audrey L. ’27

Viola L. ’25

Noah N. ’27

Nolan S. ’27

Isabella Y. ’27

AP Scholar with Distinction: Students who have a score of 3 or higher on at least 5 exams, and an average score of 3.5 across all exams taken. These students have already completed at least a semester’s worth of college credit while still in high school. Only about 4% of graduating seniors nationwide receive this award, and less than 1/10th of 1% of students receive it after sophomore year.

Overall, in our high school, more than 50 students received this honor:

Wyatt A. ’26

Orsen A. ’27

Iris Autier-B. ’27

Maya B. ’27

Philip B. ’26

Henry B. ’27

Jack C. ’25

Nathaniel C. ’26

Mia C. ’26

Nicolas D. ’25

Colin D. ’25

Axel F. ’25

Petra G. ’27

Alexa G. ’26

Abraham G. ’27

Douglas H. ’27

Archie H. ’26

Maxwell H. ’25

Mateo K. ’25

Sofia K. ’27

Katherine K. ’26

Lianna L. ’26

Aidan L. ’25

Harrison L. ’27

Thomas M. ’25

Sabrina M. ’26

Varick M. ’27

Maddox M. ’25

Sefir O. ’26

Talin P. ’26

Crosby P. ’27

Gustavo P. ’25

Kanika R. ’26

Noah R. ’26

James R. ’25

Skye S. ’25

Zahra S. ’26

Hudson S. ’27

Nadia S. ’25

Xinyi S. ’26

Bowen S. ’27

Gregory S. ’26

Maxim S. ’25

William S. ’27

Hugo S. ’27

Jasmine S. ’26

Indi S. ’27

Olivia S. ’27

Ryan T. ’25

Beckham V. ’26

River W. ’26

Photo (above): Our Class of 2026 posing with Head of School Josh Harmon and College Counselor Matt Brauch.

Please join us in congratulating our Bears!

BASIS Independent Fremont Students Excel in National Merit Scholarship Program

September 24, 2025 by sarahpeterson Leave a Comment

We are thrilled to announce that BASIS Independent Fremont has achieved outstanding results in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has recognized 29 of our talented Class of 2026 students — 13 as Semifinalists and 16 as Commended Scholars. This exceptional achievement means that nearly two-thirds (63%) of our 46-member senior class has earned recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, highlighting the academic excellence that characterizes our school community.

Our 13 Semifinalists will continue in the competition for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring:

Aarna K.
Aaron “Josh” P.
Ailsa W.
Akash S.
Alex L.
Annika H.
Jessie L.
Kai L.
Neev J.
Neha N.
Samuel Y.
Shreyas J.
Zixi N.

Over 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.

“I’m so inspired by our National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars,” said Ms. Abodouma, Head of School at BASIS Independent Fremont. “Their achievement speaks to their hard work, curiosity, and love of learning. It also reflects the supportive and collaborative community we have built together at our school.”

Our Semifinalists now face an exciting next step in the scholarship process. To advance to Finalist status, each student will work with a school official to complete a comprehensive application that showcases their academic achievements, leadership experiences, and community involvement. This application includes submitting their complete academic transcript, writing a personal essay, and providing evidence of their continued academic excellence through standardized test scores. School officials will also provide endorsements highlighting each student’s character and potential.

The journey ahead is competitive but promising. Most Semifinalists successfully advance to become Finalists, with notifications coming in February. From there, scholarship recipients will be selected based on their demonstrated academic ability, leadership potential, and readiness for challenging college coursework.

This achievement represents years of hard work, intellectual curiosity, and academic dedication from our students. We celebrate not only these 29 recognized scholars but the entire Class of 2026, whose collective commitment to learning creates the vibrant academic environment that makes such success possible. Congratulations to all our Yellow Jackets on this outstanding accomplishment!

Curious about the National Merit results across our network of BASIS Independent Schools? Click here to learn more.

BASIS Independent Fremont 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 BASIS Independent Fremont community? To join our interest list for the next school year and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

BIM Seniors Honored as National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars

September 24, 2025 by aixuanwang Leave a Comment

On September 10, 2025, officials from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists, and we are thrilled to celebrate nine of our seniors named as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, and fifteen nominated as Commended Scholars:

Semifinalists

Grace A., Avi F., James F., Andrew H., Hera L-Y, Neya R., Ben R., Edward S., and Christopher S.

Commended Scholars

Alina A., Sarah B., Anvika C., Joel C., Sophia J., Yalini K., Hongming (Alan) M., Zhenqing (Rebecca) P., Adithya P., Geonwoo (Carson) S., Ethan (Shayan) S., Pranav S., Aarya V., Anvika V., Enxiang (Gabe) Z.

High school juniors entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as the initial screening of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants from about 21,000 high schools across the country.

While they have outperformed the majority of over 1.3 million high school juniors who entered the Program by taking the 2024 PSAT test, these academically talented seniors’ quest is not over. To become a Finalist, they must also submit a detailed scholarship application showcasing their outstanding academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. They will be competing for over 6,000 scholarships worth more than $26 million, which will be awarded next spring.

“With 24 of our 39 seniors recognized as semifinalists or commended scholars, we celebrate not just their academic accomplishments, but the integrity and spirit they bring to our BIM community.” –Kate Reynolds, Head of School

**Nine Semifinalists** | From left to right: Ms. Reynolds (HOS), Christopher S., Andrew H., James F., Edward S., Avi F., Ben R., Grace A., Hera L-Y, Neya R.

Please join us in congratulating our nine BIM Semifinalists and fifteen Commended Scholars!

More than a Photo Op: BIM Students Meet with Former Indian Ambassador

September 19, 2025 by aixuanwang Leave a Comment

This August, BIM senior Aarya Vaghela and junior Rishik Pulli had the privilege of meeting Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary and Indian Ambassador to the United States and current member of the upper house in Parliament, at a reception hosted by the Indian American Business Impact Group.

Rishik says that Mr. Shringla MP spoke eloquently about US-India relations and expressed optimism about reaching trade agreements. Afterwards, Rishik and Aarya were able to get a photo with Mr. Shringla, MP.

But this wasn’t just a photo op! Some quick thinking gave Aarya and Rishik the opportunity to have a lengthy conversation with the former ambassador. When the venue ran out of food, Aarya suggested heading to a nearby restaurant. He and Rishik not only ended up in the same car as Mr. Shringla MP, but they also sat next to the former ambassador in the restaurant.

Your typical teenager might be tongue-tied in such a situation, but Aarya and Rishik are BIM students! They discussed the state of health care in India and, in particular, efforts to integrate digital technology, before the conversation turned to the non-profit Aarya and Rishik are involved with: Jaipur Foot. Jaipur Foot uses digital printing to quickly produce below-the-knee prosthetics, which they have provided for free to nearly a million people worldwide. Aarya and Rishik are helping to coordinate and publicize Jaipur Foot’s upcoming camp in Trinidad and Tobago, and Mr. Shringla MP agreed to be there.

That’s what we call taking a photo op and seizing the opportunity. For more on Jaipur Foot, or to donate online, go to https://www.jaipurfoot.org

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 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.

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.