Student Achievement

A Celebration of Excellence: Class of 2025 College Acceptances Announced

January 24, 2025 by msnyder Leave a Comment

BASIS Independent Schools continues to set the standard nationally for academic excellence. The Class of 2025 represents 206 graduates across five high schools—BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Fremont, Manhattan, McLean, and Silicon Valley. From coast to coast, our graduates have earned admission to the world’s top colleges and universities, demonstrating that they are ready to lead, excel, and contribute.

College preparation at BASIS Independent Schools starts in grade 9 introducing students early to the foundational concepts and expectations of the college admission journey. In their senior year, students take a dedicated, daily college counseling class for two trimesters, taught by our College Counselors. This class builds upon the preparation that they have received since freshman year. It provides students with the resources, tools, and confidence to successfully navigate the college admission process.

“Everyone involved with supporting the students in this graduating class is equal parts inspired and impressed by everything that they have achieved,” expressed Toby Walker, Vice President of BASIS Independent Schools. “Students in the BASIS Independent Schools Class of 2025 have shown themselves to be real innovators, diligent scholars, and positive contributors. We look forward to hearing more about their undoubted future successes.”

College Acceptances by the Numbers

We are proud to present a summary of the acceptances to the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report’s Top National Colleges and Universities, including graduates from all five of our high schools. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

The following is a comprehensive list of acceptances both within the United States and internationally.

Class of 2025 Acceptances – United States

Albright College

American University

Amherst College

Arizona State University

Babson College

Bard College

Baylor University

Bentley University

Binghamton University

Boise State University

Boston College

Boston University

Brandeis University

Brown University

Bucknell University

Cal Poly Humboldt

California Institute of Technology

California Polytechnic State University

California State Polytechnic University

California State University

Carnegie Mellon University

Case Western Reserve University

Claremont McKenna College

Clark University

Colgate University

Colorado School of Mines

Columbia University

Cornell University

CUNY

Denison University

Drake University

Drexel University

Duke University

Duquesne University

Elon University

Emory University

Ferris State University

Fordham University

George Mason University

George Washington University

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Goucher College

Hamilton College

Harvard University

Harvey Mudd College

Haverford College

Hofstra University

Illinois Institute of Technology

Indiana University

Iowa State University

Ithaca College

James Madison University

Johns Hopkins University

Kenyon College

Las Positas College

Lehigh University

Lesley University

Loyola Marymount University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Miami University

Michigan State University

Middlebury College

New York University

North Carolina State University

Northeastern University

Northern Arizona University

Northwestern University

Nova Southeastern University

Oberlin College

Occidental College

Olin College of Engineering

Oregon State University

Oxford College of Emory University

Penn State University

Pepperdine University

Pomona College

Princeton University

Providence College

Purdue University

Reed College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhode Island School of Design

Rice University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Rutgers University

Saint Louis University

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University

San Jose State University

Santa Clara University

Sarah Lawrence College

Skidmore College

Smith College

Stanford University

Stevens Institute of Technology

Stony Brook University

SUNY

Syracuse University

Temple University

Texas A&M University

The Ohio State University

The University of Alabama

The University of Texas

Trinity College

Tufts University

Union College

University of Arizona

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Merced

University of California, Riverside

University of California, San Diego

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Cruz

University of Chicago

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Connecticut

University of Delaware

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Iowa

University of Maryland

University of Massachusetts

University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota

University of Missouri

University of Nevada

University of North Carolina

University of Notre Dame

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh

University of Rhode Island

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of San Diego

University of San Francisco

University of South Carolina

University of Southern California

University of the Pacific

University of Utah

University of Virginia

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin

Vassar College

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Washington University in St. Louis

Wellesley College

Wesleyan University

Western University

Westmont College

Wheaton College

William & Mary

Yale University

Class of 2025 Acceptances – International

Duke Kunshan University

IE University

Imperial College London

King’s College London

McGill University

McMaster University

The American University of Paris

The London School of Economics and Political Science

The University of Edinburgh

The University of Nottingham

The University of Warwick

University College London

University of Bristol

University of British Columbia

University of Cambridge

University of Glasgow

University of Oxford

University of Toronto

University of Waterloo

Wilfrid Laurier University

Amanda McCollum, a member of the team of college counselors from BASIS Independent Schools, remarked, “We are incredibly proud of our seniors and all that they have accomplished. Over the past years, they have worked hard, grown in confidence, and planted the seeds for a bright future. As they prepare to take this next step, we know they are more than ready—and while it is bittersweet to see them go, we send them off with heartfelt congratulations and excitement for all that lies ahead. I can’t wait to see what they do next!”

BASIS Independent Schools serves students PreK-Grade 12 across the United States with private schools in Bellevue and Bothell, WA; Brooklyn and Manhattan, NY; Fremont and San Jose, CA; McLean, VA; and a new school opening in Dublin, CA in fall 2026.

A Day in the Life of a Grade 9 Student – Claire!

December 10, 2024 by jessicagrear Leave a Comment

Meet Claire, grade 9, class of 2028! Claire has been a student at our campus since our inaugural year in 2022. She has the unique privilege of being a member of BASIS Independent Bellevue’s first graduating class.

Claire is a pillar of this campus. Like many of our students, she is extremely dedicated to her studies, already taking three AP level classes and working diligently in each of them. But beyond academics, Claire is deeply involved in the fabric of our school community. She is a member of our Student Ambassador Program, Peer Advisory Council, National Junior Honor Society, Advanced Chamber Music Club, Biochemistry Club and will be a co-founding member of our upcoming Red Cross Club. Outside of school, Claire has been playing classical guitar for seven years and enjoys to read and play table tennis. We were delighted to spend the day with Claire to provide a glimpse into a Day in the Life of a grade 9 student at BASIS Independent Bellevue.

Claire begins her day with her World Language class. Beginning in grade 7, our students have the choice between four different World Languages – Latin, Spanish, Mandarin or French. Claire has opted to take French as her World Language and is currently taking French II. In more specialized classes, such as World Languages or Electives, our students begin to explore their individual interests. As a result, our students sometimes find themselves in classes with a very small teacher to student ratio. In Claire’s first period French II class, she is only one of three students! This allows each of the students to build meaningful connections with their teacher, Ms. Chaffee, while studying the language to advanced levels. During this class, we found that students are almost completely immersed in the language – we saw Claire and Ms. Chaffee having a conversation completely in French!

Second period, Claire heads to her Honors English Literature and Composition class, with Ms. Fischer. This is one of two English classes our grade 9 students have in their day, both of which are taught to the Honors level. Our Honors classes are designed to prepare students to take AP classes. Honors Literature and Composition is aimed at strengthening the foundational skill of textual analysis. In this course, students analyze various literary forms, including short stories, poetry, plays, novels and nonfiction. Ms. Fischer helps students dive into questions like “What makes literature meaningful?”, “How do we assign meaning to text?”, and “What messages are being conveyed by text?” Through these essential questions, students learn to develop their own voice as they construct arguments supported by textual evidence.

For third period, Claire is off to Pre-Calculus! By grade 9, all of our students have completed Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. Some students have even completed Pre-Calculus in grade 8 and take AP Calculus in grade 9. While we are very proud of our students who are on this advanced math track, it is so important to acknowledge that all of our students are working at advanced levels already. Claire is a great example of a student who is on our ‘standard’ math track which means taking Pre-Calculus in her first year of high school. This course provides an in-depth coverage of 12 major functions their graphs and applications, including Polynomial, Power, Rational, Exponential, Logistic, and Logarithmic functions. The detailed study of trigonometric functions and analytic Trigonometry are emphasized. The course also introduces Matrices, Discrete Mathematics, Statistics with Probability. Next year, Claire will go on to take Calculus at the AP level!

Fourth period, Claire attends AP Physics, her first AP class of the day. This course is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course that explores topics such as Newtonian mechanics (including rotational motion); momentum and systems; work, energy, and power; and simple harmonic motion. Students develop scientific critical thinking and reasoning skills through a hands-on approach. As is sometimes the case, today was a quiz day so our observers saw students working hard on a quiz. On non-assessment days, students in AP Physics can often be found engaging in experiments as this class spends 25% of class time on labs.

Next, Claire is off to lunch! Our grade 9 students have open campus privileges, which means they have the ability to choose where they would like to have lunch on campus. After the first trimester of the school year, our grade 9 students also have the opportunity to leave campus during lunch. These lunch privileges allow our high school students to develop their autonomy while learning to manage their time effectively. On this day, we found Claire hanging out with her friends in a Mandarin classroom having lunch and working on homework.

After lunch, Claire heads to Honors English Language and Composition. This class, taught by Ms. Ward, provides students with an introduction to rhetoric, research, and composition. While reading works drawn from a range of disciplines and historical periods, students acquire foundational knowledge and skills related to the rhetorical analysis of nonfiction texts. As writers, students gain practice in the development and revision of evidence-based analytical and argumentative writing, and learn to locate, evaluate, and cite a range of sources in support of their arguments. The course deepens students’ understanding of how and why communicators make choices based upon the rhetorical situation and audience. While observing, we saw Claire working on the first outline of an essay. Students had previously participated in a murder mystery game where they were presented with various clues and evidence about a “murder” that had taken place. Using the evidence provided, they began crafting thesis statements as the start of their essay. These thesis statements were then used to create the outline we saw Claire working on.

Next, Claire has a 20-minute Academic Enrichment period that we call AE. AE provides students with quiet time for them to work on homework or study. AE is also utilized by staff members to convey important announcements or work on Social Emotional Learning strategies. For example, every Monday, all students have Mountaineer Monday activities, which are developed by our School Counselor and focus on our Character Themes of the Month. On other days, our College Counselor uses the AE period as a touchpoint with high school students, sharing leadership opportunities with them and checking in about upcoming events.

Once AE is over, it is time for Claire to attend AP United States Government and Politics. This course is designed to give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States, and it includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. government and politics and the analysis of specific examples. On the day prior to our observation, students had worked in groups to complete an activity called hexagonal thinking, which acted as a review for their most recent unit. Each group of students was asked to choose 25 terms, documents or quotations from the most recent unit and make connections between each of them. Of those 25 items, they needed to create a detailed explanation for six of their connections. During our observation, we were able to see Claire and her group present their six explanations to the class! This type of work is designed to prepare our students for their upcoming AP exams in May.

Finally, Claire is off to her last class of the day, AP Computer Science. This class is Claire’s elective class and is currently one of our most popular electives on campus. This course introduces students to computer science with fundamental topics including problem solving, design strategies and methodologies, organization of data, approaches to processing data, analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing. It includes the study of common algorithms and the use of some of Java’s built-in classes and interfaces for basic data structures, as well as a structured lab component with of a minimum of 20 hours of hands-on lab experiences integrated throughout the course. On this day, students were working on a project focused on creating a text-based adventure game!

After school, Claire heads home to practice her guitar and get some well-deserved rest! She is an excellent representative of BASIS Independent Bellevue and we are so proud to have had the opportunity to share a day of learning with Claire. We extend our thanks to Claire and her family for allowing us to highlight her!

Young Author Spotlight: Aashna S., Grade 12

November 15, 2024 by michaelmertes Leave a Comment

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Aashna S., a grade 12 student from our Upper School, to learn more about her journey as an author and poet. Aashna recently published a book of poems titled “Reflections”, and we were captivated by her creativity, talent, and remarkable accomplishment. Join our Head of School, Ms. Abodouma, and Head of Operations, Ms. Apra as they explore her creative process and the story behind her work.

Tell us about your book of poems and what inspired you to write it?

I began writing “Reflections” over a year and a half ago. At first, I would jot down my thoughts in the Notes app on my phone, creating different tabs when I was commuting in the car, on the bus, or riding BART. The process took about eight months, after which I organized my work into a collection of poems. It was my dad who suggested reaching out to publishers, so I sent a few samples of my work, and that’s where the journey toward publishing began.

How did you figure out that you had a passion for writing?

I used to write a lot of short stories, primarily dystopian fiction, and even had one of my stories published in “Teen Ink” magazine. Dystopian fiction felt like an escape and allowed me the freedom of being untethered in my writing. “Reflections” is my first attempt at poetry, and the experience has really brought me back to my center. Poetry has re-centered me and led me to reexamine my own feelings in the context of my life as opposed to the dystopian futuristic society I was used to writing about.

My first exposure to writing was actually taking the Creative Writing Elective here at BIF in grade 8 and my passion grew from there. One of my favorite achievements since then has been founding our school’s literary magazine which I have been working on for the past three years.

What is your favorite piece in this book?

My favorite pieces are “candle” and “empathy.” A candle is a symbol that has always intrigued me; there are so many different ways to look at a candle. A candle can signify a journey or a way to measure time. For instance, high school is a journey where you are constantly timing yourself. On one hand, you want to stop, slow down, and appreciate this journey, but on the other hand, you are always looking ahead to the future and how much time you have left.

Also, in the piece “candle” – I talk about how a journey is illuminated but the destination is shrouded in darkness. A candle dims over time but in the darkness, you have freedom.

Did you face any challenges when writing this book?

I encountered a few challenges while writing “Reflections.”

The first was organizing my poems cohesively and identifying common themes—this was challenging but also enjoyable. The second challenge was the publishing process itself. The book went through multiple rounds of edits and revisions, and it was difficult to decide when to stop. I wanted to keep refining and improving, but eventually, I had to reach a point where I could say, “I’m satisfied,” and be ready to publish.

Do you have any special memories from your classes or teachers here at BIF about learning to write stories/poems?

In grade 7 English with Mr. Betcher, we were asked to write poetry, both original and emulate existing poems from “Brown Girl Dreaming.” That was my first exposure to poetry and is a really special memory for me.

My book dedication includes Mr. Betcher. In it, I mention how he helped me become bold and courageous in my writing. My English classes here at BASIS Independent Fremont have challenged me to explore creative expression and introduced me to authors who have deeply inspired me.

Where do you hope to go from here in your journey as an author and poet?

Honestly, my goal is to read more novels and poetry to continue developing my own voice as an author and poet. I want to challenge myself by experimenting with form, structure and themes and see how I can make my messages more potent and powerful. I plan to stay involved in literary spaces throughout college.

I see this first book as just the beginning, and I hope to publish more in the future while continuing to grow as a writer.

BASIS Independent Fremont’s Humanities Program continues to cultivate a community of young, talented authors who are motivated to pursue their passions! Aashna’s journey and accomplishments inspire others to express their creativity and explore their own talents at BASIS Independent Fremont.

BASIS Independent Fremont is a grades TK-12 private school based in Fremont, California, providing students an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum.

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.

4 BASIS Independent McLean Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists

September 27, 2024 by aixuanwang Leave a Comment

On September 11, 2024, officials from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists, and we are thrilled to celebrate four of our BASIS seniors who have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists:

Natasha A. ’25
Ian P. ’25
Vincenzo T. ’25
Gavin W. ’25

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 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 2023 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.

“We are so incredibly proud of our hard-working students. This is an amazing accomplishment, and we wish them luck as the process continues to unfold. Congratulations again to our Semifinalists!” —Jason Shorbe, Head of School at BASIS Independent McLean.

First row (from left to right):
Vincenzo T. ’25
Natasha A. ’25
Gavin W. ’25
Ian P. ’25

Second row (from left to right):
Jason Shorbe (Head of School)
Matt Ramsby (College Counselor)

Please join us in congratulating our four BIM Semifinalists!

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.

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.

“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.

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 incredible Bobcats!

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!

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.

Nearly 70% of High School Students Awarded AP Scholar Distinction

September 16, 2024 by jogoldfarb Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Brooklyn, we prioritize celebrating our students’ accomplishments across many areas–from fine arts to community service, debate competitions, sports, and beyond. However, academic accomplishment remains a shared priority within our community. Today we can proudly share that based on the 2024 AP scores approximately 68% of our high school students qualified as Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars during their time in our program. Students move from AP Scholar to AP Scholar with Honor and then AP Scholar with Distinction. Approximately 75% of our students reach that highest level of AP Scholar with Distinction by the time they graduate.

“The AP Scholar distinctions our students earned this year are yet another measure of the success that’s earned here at BASIS Independent Brooklyn, ” said Josh Harmon, Head of School for BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Upper School. “Academically all of our high school students qualified as AP Scholars by the time they finished their junior year. When looking at all students in grades 9-12 nearly 70% of our high school was awarded the honor of AP Scholar or higher. Moreover, our students sat for more AP exams in 2024 than ever before with the growth of our high school.”

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:

- 75 students in our high school were named AP Scholar or higher distinctions, representing approximately 68% of our high school in May 2024 when the exams were taken.
- 75% of our seniors received the AP Scholar with Distinction, the highest award offered by the College Board.

Our school has been recognized as a Platinum Member of the AP School Honor Roll. This is the highest recognition possible for a school on the Honor Roll, and it is based on our students’ outstanding results.

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 lists of student recipients updated to include the 2024 results below:

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

Victor B. ’25

Matthias B. ’25

Leo B. ’25

Eden E. ’24

Abraham G. ’27

Joaquim H. ’26

Douglas H. ’27

Gabriel H. ’26

Charlotte J. ’24

Rachel K. ’25

Katherine K. ’26

Avi L. ’24

Hendrix N. ’25

Jason P. ’25

Saajan P. ’26

Sasha T. ’25

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.

Wyatt A. ’26

Laila G. ’24

Archie H. ’26

Laith J. ’25

Alexa L. ’24

Viola L. ’25

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 receive this award, and less than 1/10th of 1% of students receive it after sophomore year.

Overall in our high school, the following 50 students received this honor:

Philip B. ’26

Radha B. ’26

Jack B. ’24

Zeke B. ’24

Jack C. ’25

Nathaniel C. ’26

Mia C. ’26

Nicolas D. ’25

Colin D. ’25

Axel F. ’25

Sofia G. ’24

Alexa G. ’26

Samantha G. ’24

Diego G. ’24

Angelina G. ’24

Maxwell H. ’25

Mateo K. ’25

Lianna L. ’26

Aidan L. ’25

Ye L. ’24

Thomas M. ’25

Sabrina M. ’26

Dilan M. ’24

Maddox M. ’25

Ben N. ’24

Sefir O. ’26

Oliver P. ’24

Talin P. ’26

Charles P. ’24

Gustavo P. ’25

Daniel P. ’24

Kanika R. ’26

Noah R. ’26

James R. ’25

Alexander R. ’24

Skye S. ’25

Nadia S. ’25

Xinyi S. ’26

Gregory S. ’26

Maxim S. ’25

Nadine S. ’24

Yuna S. ’24

Jasmine S. ’26

Jonah S. ’24

Lucas S. ’24

Ryan T. ’25

Beckham V. ’26

Isaac W. ’24

River W. ’26

Andre Z. ’24

Photo (above): Our Class of 2025 posing with Associate Head of School Leo Yoon, Head of School Josh Harmon, and College Counselor Matt Brauch.

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 and receive admissions updates and more, please click here.

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

August 16, 2024 by mirandamartinez Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

Kindergarten Communication Journal

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

Students in Kindergarten recording their CJ notes for the day

Grades 1 – 3 Communication Journal

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

A Grade 2 student’s CJ notes for the week

Grades 4 – 5 Communication Journal

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

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

Grades 6 – 8 Communication Journal

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

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

Grades 9 – 12 Communication Journal

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

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

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

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

Mountaineers Triumph Again: Second Straight National Science Bowl Victory!

June 25, 2024 by chriszefferys

The Mountaineer Middle School Science Bowl Team triumphantly reclaimed their national championship title by winning the U.S. Department of Energy’s 34th National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., defeating Hopkins Junior High School from Fremont, CA.

We are incredibly proud of our Mountaineers Team and their remarkable victory. Winning the championship for the second consecutive year is an extraordinary achievement!

BASIS Independent Bellevue competed along with 48 middle school regional winners, with the victorious team receiving a $5,000 prize.

The Grade 8 Mountaineers Team included:

Gordon B.

Kathy L.

Kevin W.

Timothy W.

David X.

Congratulations to the two-time national championship team and coaches Liping K. and Ning W.!

See the official press release from the Department of Energy here.

Local TV Features Team’s Success
Local Fox 13 News recently featured the team’s victory. Our champions and Head of School, Dr. Thies, discuss their national win and what it took to successfully compete on the national stage.

Watch the Interview

The team’s dedication, hard work, and passion for science have helped lead them to this incredible championship win. We celebrate their success and can’t wait to see their future achievements.

Great work, team!

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!