Student Support

Redefining College Prep at BASIS Independent Manhattan

December 16, 2024 by christopherrosenbal Leave a Comment

Early applications are in, the first decisions are coming out, regular deadlines are approaching, and the long college checklist doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter. Thankfully, our seniors are balancing any anxiety with confidence gained from BASIS Independent Manhattan’s college prep programs and supportive environment.

With personalized guidance from our dedicated faculty, expert resources, and custom events, the Class of 2025 is not only applying to the finest educational institutions but also cultivating resilience and independence – qualities that will serve them well in their future academic journeys.

Here’s a glimpse into the incredible work our students have been doing.

Personalized Preparation

While traditional high school students might begin preparing for college in grade 11 or 12, our students begin their college preparation in grade 9. This early start allows our College Counselor, Mr. Tejada, to take the time to get to know each student’s interests and strengths.

He says, “I ask students about their career interests, potential major, passions, and hobbies and work with them on ways they can demonstrate them in meaningful ways.”

For Mr. Tejada, it’s not just enough that our students are prepared to apply to college. They must understand the connection between their strengths and the varying opportunities that each university has to offer.

To help students uncover this connection, Mr. Tejada works with seniors in a daily 45-minute College Counseling class to learn practical skills, such as navigating the application process, resume building, and essay writing, while also having them explore future degrees that might be a good fit.

A Standout Program

At many other schools in NYC, college counseling is part of a general guidance counseling program where the onus is on the student to ask for support and meet application deadlines. At BASIS Independent Manhattan there is a balance of independence and accountability. The College Counselor works one-on-one with juniors and seniors on a weekly basis, challenging them to complete goals and following up on their weekly progress.

Another factor that has empowered the older students at BASIS Independent Manhattan is our commitment to small class sizes and expert educators. This model has made it possible for our teachers to really impart a deep understanding and mastery of content in the sciences, mathematics, literature, history, world languages, and AP Courses. Personalized teaching makes for proficient learning and is one of the contributors to our legacy of outstanding test scores.

Bringing Experts to You

BASIS Independent Manhattan is committed to sharing what we know with parents, recognizing the significant role they play in their children’s educational journey. Our insightful “College Admissions 101” classes are a series of monthly workshops for high school parents/guardians hosted by Mr. Tejada. Each of these exclusive virtual sessions features knowledgeable panelists who provide valuable insights into various steps or specific topics within the college application process. Topics covered include:

The benefits of pre-college programs

Testing with the SAT & ACT and using those tests in the college application process

A guide to University of California Admissions

Financial aid

The benefits of public honors colleges and programs

And so on. Below is a simplified list highlighting some of the more impactful elements of our college preparation program.

Grades 9 & 10	Grade 11	Grade 12
College Counseling Newsletter	College Counseling Newsletter	College Counseling Newsletter
Encouraged to attend college rep visits	Required to attend college rep visits	Encouraged to attend college rep visits
Open access to counselor	Open access to counselor	Open access to counselor
Monthly Virtual Workshops for Parents/Guardians	Monthly Virtual Workshops for Parents/Guardians	Monthly Virtual Workshops for Parents/Guardians
Student “Boot Camp” Workshops (Spring)	Weekly one-on-one scheduled meetings with counselor (Spring)	Weekly one-on-one scheduled meetings with counselor
		Daily College Counseling Class for two trimesters in length
		Life-Skills Mentoring

Cornell University Acceptance — Congratulations on your Early Decision at Cornell!

Impressive Results

Already, there is good news to celebrate. Four of our seniors received Early Decision acceptances, and we are thrilled to announce they will be attending:

Columbia University
Cornell University
Lehigh University
Babson College

One could attribute success in the college application process to our advanced curriculum, your child’s innate talents, or a myriad of other factors. However, the effectiveness of the approach at BASIS Independent Manhattan truly stands out, showcasing the remarkable results we achieve together.

Setbacks are inevitable, but our students are well-equipped to overcome them with the right mindset. Our robust college counseling program plays a crucial role in this process. With personalized support, dedicated resources, and daily classes, our students confidently navigate obstacles and are empowered to make informed decisions about their future.

Interested in learning more? Schedule a tour of our Upper School campus to witness firsthand what sets our programs apart!

Empowering Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Tips for a Successful School Year

September 25, 2024 by christineklayman Leave a Comment

At BASIS Independent Manhattan, we believe that strong parent-teacher partnerships are essential to student success. Our dedicated teachers are passionate about providing a nurturing and supportive learning environment and are committed to open communication and collaboration with parents.

In this blog post, our teachers offer experiential advice on how to start the school year off right. Building lasting relationships is possible with these top three tips for parents of students at any age:

Attend events
Reach out
Meet in person

Tips for Parents: Start Strong with Effective Communication from Day One

Attend back-to-school events to establish initial connections with teachers.

At the start of the year, we emphasize relationship-building within our Wildcat community! In addition to Meet the Teacher nights, we also have welcome-back carnivals at both the Upper and Lower Schools for socializing in a relaxed atmosphere.

Attending parent events has been a game-changer for me. It’s great to get to know parents and build a personal connection. This has really strengthened my relationships with families and helped me better support their children.
Mr. Smith Visual Arts SET, Upper School

Proactively reach out to teachers with questions or concerns, especially at the beginning of the year. You can share your child’s strengths, interests, and any challenges they may be facing, but be prepared to work in partnership with the teacher. Math Subject Expert Teacher, Ms. Perez remembers when a parent reached out to share that their upper school student struggles with math even though they put in a lot of effort. Establishing that connection early opened up so many options for support.

This insight helped me better prepare for supporting the student, ensuring I worked with the parent to address difficulties before they became overwhelming. It also allowed me to be more understanding and patient with the challenges the student faced.
Ms. Perez Math SET, Upper School

Our Learning and Subject Expert Teachers subscribe to this trust-building type of collaboration that requires impactful two-way communication. In our experience, a strong teacher-parent partnership addresses specific student needs, increases learning, and benefits the child’s well-being.

BASIS Independent Manhattan has a unique system that replaces traditional parent-teacher conferences, typically hosted twice for only 15-20 minutes, with weekly parent hours. Teachers are accessible to parents to discuss their child’s progress, set goals, and identify a support plan if needed.

Our teachers have found that it is best when parents come prepared to ask specific questions and follow up on any action items discussed during these meetings. Mr. Smith also notes, “Parents play a huge role in keeping students accountable outside the classroom, which ensures that when they are at school, we are able to be as productive as possible.”

By fostering a team sensibility, we create a supportive and collaborative learning environment that benefits our students. Remember, open communication, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to your child’s success are key to building lasting relationships.

Thank you to our amazing teachers for their dedication and passion. We are grateful for your commitment to our students and our school community.

If you are interested in this kind of parent-teacher relationship or would like to meet our incredible teachers, please attend one of our Fall Open Houses.

Fall 2025: Top 10 Questions Asked Every Admissions Season

July 24, 2024 by zachfarrell

Every admissions season we field hundreds of questions about the admissions process, our program, the transition, student life, electives, extracurriculars, and so much more!

While we are happy to speak to every one of our families, we notice the same questions being asked consistently.

Keep reading below to learn more about the top ten questions asked every admissions season.

#1 – How many students will be admitted in each grade?

Our most commonly asked question! Seat capacity changes from year to year depending on the reenrollment of our current families and our graduating class. We also have the ability to shift how many sections of classes we offer based on the total enrollment of the school. As this is an ever-changing number, we aren’t able to determine seat capacity until around February, after the reenrollment deadline of our current families, which is why we make the majority of our admissions offers (Regular Admissions) in March. So, though we cannot provide you specifics of exactly how many seats are available “this year” and in “this grade”, we encourage you to apply as we will have available seats in all grades every year.

If you are interested in a BASIS Independent Silicon Valley education, apply!

#2 – What is the difference between Early Admissions and Regular Admissions?

We offer two application cycles during our core season. Early Admissions will require families to complete their application, receive an admissions decision, and accept their seat earlier. Regular Admissions will have all the same requirements but at a later date.

For current families with siblings or families whose first choice is BISV, we encourage them to apply in Early Admissions. For families who are looking at other schools or are unable to commit early, we encourage them to apply in Regular Admissions.

#3 – How do you help students transition into the program?

From their very first day, all new students are placed on an academic support plan. At the start of the new school year, your student meets with his or her dean once a week to ensure a smooth transition. Sometimes this is an individual meeting, and sometimes it is all new students together. Teachers provide office hours throughout the school week for students and parents and are available to talk through concerns or questions. Depending on the grade we offer a student-led Peer Tutoring program, which operates after school and is there to help expand their networks and become comfortable asking for help. We also offer Summer School along with JumpStart Packets before the start of the school year.

We enroll new students every year. For students to achieve the results that they do in our program, they must have the necessary support along their academic journey, from both the school and at home. While we encourage families to join our program sooner rather than later, students can still join in later grades and be incredibly successful.

#4 – Can a student successfully transition from a public school to your program?

Every year, we have students join us from multiple public schools. Any motivated student can excel in our program. We have a strong support network to ensure a student has the toolkit to succeed. In the beginning, there is always some adjustment for students from both public and private schools. Workloads may be higher than the averages in the beginning as students adjust to the structure and practices of our day-to-day program and classroom experience. However, we see time and again, that students adjust and learn how to utilize their resources to thrive in their school life.

School administration, faculty, and staff are always present to participate in supporting and guiding students, as well as helping develop good work and study habits, along with time management skills.

#5 – How much homework should students expect in middle school and high school?

This depends on the student, their core classes, electives, after-school activities, and even what time of year it is, especially in high school. Grade 5 students will typically see 45 minutes to an hour of homework every night, but that depends on the day and the student. Grade 6 students will have one to one and a half hours of homework. Grade 7 students will have one to two hours of homework. Grade 8 students, as they prepare for our high school program, could have two to three hours of homework each night, but that once again depends on the student and their schedule. Our Student Affairs Team assists in monitoring homework but since each student, their work ethic, and their schedules can vary, it is hard to say an exact time for each grade.

#6 – With such high academics, do students even have time for clubs and sports?

Absolutely! Over 80% of our student body participates in at least one extracurricular activity at our school every year. But our answer to this is, “it always depends on the student.” We have Upper School students taking two to three AP courses and they participate in one to two clubs or more, but we also have Lower School students that take their required coursework and only have time to participate in one club.

Students are given the tools to learn and practice organization, time management, and work and study habits. But no two students are alike. It is more important to us that our students learn to take on only what they can handle, challenge themselves when appropriate, and learn when and if they need to turn their focus elsewhere. Many students may play a sport or participate in a club on campus but also engage in an activity outside of school such as ballet or martial arts. Our students learn to manage their time while exploring and enjoying their extracurricular interests and passions.

#7 – What is your teacher hiring process?

We believe academic degrees or experience in the disciplines taught, and passion for that subject are the most important tools for inspiring deep content understanding in students. Our selective hiring process screens for candidates who are committed to sharing their expertise and helping students become the best versions of themselves. All final candidates are invited to conduct a Teacher Demo, where Heads of School assemble classes of our students, and candidates are given the opportunity to teach a lesson, challenge students, show their subject expertise, as well as show their ability to communicate high-level subject matter to young students. Our students take these sessions seriously; they know their feedback weighs heavily in our hiring decisions. Some new faculty members have been teaching for years in college preparatory or university settings. Others are leaving a research lab or corporate job to leap into a new career and share their experience and applied knowledge with BASIS Independent students.

#8 – What is your student-to-teacher ratio in the classroom?

TK and Kindergarten will have around 20 students to two teachers per classroom. Grades 1 – 4 will have around 25 students per class with a Learning Expert Teacher (LET) that stays with them throughout the day and an individual Subject Expert Teacher (SET) that joins their class for each subject. Grade 5 and above will also have around 25 students but have an individual Subject Expert Teacher for each subject.

#9 – How do you teach soft skills such as confidence, self-control, and self-awareness?

Obviously, these skills are taught in conjunction with the home and parents. On the school side, students are a part of a learning community, one that gives the opportunity for young adults to better themselves, take risks, have achievements, have failures, learn lessons, etc. Through the natural course of a school day, students are partaking in that community and are not only learning these life skills, and respecting themselves, but also others.

Whether it be their behavior in the hallways, participating in class discussions, or connecting with friends during lunchtime or after school, they are learning these lessons through their relationships with their teachers and fellow students. It’s a daily journey and one that sometimes requires students to be reminded of the community they are a part of, the respect they require, and the respect we require them to show other people. This is where their relationships with their teachers, fellow students, and Dean of Students really come into play.

#10 – How does the school work with families in helping push their students to achieve more?

It’s all about striking the right balance, which is different for every student, even students in the same household. At home, we hope parents and students are having a constant dialogue on how they are doing, handling stress, what new passions and interests they want to pursue, how they want to challenge themselves, and even what they need to cut back on. Having “too much on your plate” is a good life lesson in balancing personal life, social life, responsibilities, school, work, etc. but also being able to acknowledge when you need to take a step back and reevaluate what you can and cannot do, is just as worthy.

We don’t believe changing course means failure, you’ve just learned a different lesson than you thought you would. At school, we help students feel supported and encouraged to pursue something, whether it be starting a club, taking two electives, or planning a Senior Project. If they succeed, we are celebrating with them. But far more is probably learned in those times when a student realizes they pushed themselves too hard, stretched themselves too thin, and did not accomplish what they initially intended to. Even in those times, in partnership with their home, we are there to help them learn those important lessons as well.

Collaborative Learning, Personalized Support: Inside the Classroom with Ms. Park at BASIS Independent Manhattan

March 5, 2024 by christineklayman

For Ms. Park, teaching Grade 4 at BASIS Independent Manhattan is more than a profession; it’s a calling fueled by a passion to shape lives. In this Teacher Feature, Ms. Park shares insights into how BASIS Independent Manhattan goes beyond academics to foster collaboration, address parental concerns, personalize learning, and celebrate the unexpected in the journey of education.

How does BASIS Independent Manhattan help students develop essential life skills like collaboration, communication, and resilience?

That is what I love about this school. We prioritize holistic development, recognizing that success extends beyond academic achievements. Each day, my goal is to create a collaborative learning environment where my students engage in group projects, discussions, and activities that help develop essential life skills.

For example, we have recently been working on a unique interdisciplinary project in art and Mandarin, recreating traditional Chinese tales in stop-motion animation. The students designed and built the puppets and sets, brainstormed story sequences, and took turns at the animation station. Although the art-making process was slow, methodical, and frustrating at times, I saw the students display patience and teamwork, resulting in an impressive final project that was presented to the school.

What are some common concerns parents have about their 4th grader’s education?

I commonly hear worries about middle school readiness, including handling academic challenges and managing schedules with extracurricular activities. I am able to address these with families by providing a nurturing environment focused on individualized learning.

Having a close and collaborative relationship with parents/guardians and my co-teachers, we maintain consistent and transparent communication about student progress using the Communication Journal (known as the CJ). I also hold twice-a-week student and parent hours that provide personalized attention.

As a Learning Expert Teacher, how do you personalize learning for each student?

Differentiation is at the core of our educational philosophy at BASIS Independent Manhattan. As a LET, I’m committed to understanding each student’s unique needs and talents. I always look for opportunities to get to know my students such as engaging in morning meeting check-ins and conducting personal academic and individual check-ins during study hall. This allows me to tailor my support precisely to each student.

Additionally, collaboration with SETs is crucial, as it helps identify students who may benefit from pull-out groups for additional support. This individualized approach ensures that each student achieves their full potential.

What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned from your students at BASIS Independent Manhattan?

One of the most remarkable aspects of teaching at BASIS Independent Manhattan is the constant curiosity and unexpected insights from our students. I am astounded at the unique perspectives my students bring to constructing skyscrapers in engineering and the innovative problem-solving they use in math.

As their teacher, I love to couple that curiosity with a growth mindset and see how these students positively approach challenges. I see them use the “power of yet” to confidently navigate their educational journey, and I am thrilled to be along for the ride.

We are grateful to Ms. Park for sharing her insights that provide a glimpse into the vibrant educational ecosystem at BASIS Independent Manhattan where collaboration, personalized learning, and a celebration of curiosity combine to create a unique and enriching experience for students. Having a teacher like Ms. Park who has close relationships with students and families is a treasure, resulting in a rewarding experience of witnessing daily growth and enthusiasm.

Interested in learning more about our passionate teachers and academic program, sign up for our interest list, visit our school, or attend an admissions event.

BASIS Independent Manhattan is a PreK – Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings.

Four Things I Love This Year About BASIS Independent Brooklyn

February 14, 2023 by msnyder

by Fauve T., 7th grade Student Ambassador

Our Student Ambassadors Program is a way for students to help share their perspectives on our school and the broader community. One of our 7th Grade students volunteered to create a blog post featuring what she loves about this year so far.

1 – Classes are challenging, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun. Chemistry is one of my hardest subjects, yet my teacher Ms. Susanto finds ways to make it exciting too. One day we figured out how many fingernails we would need to cover the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Many of my teachers are approachable and make jokes during class to keep us focused. The teachers also have student hours where they can answer many of your questions in an informal setting.

2 – Through the school’s system of mixing up the classes every year, I’ve expanded my friendship group and got to know so many new and amazing people. I was still able to see some of my friends from last year, who I was worried I would never see again, through electives and school activities. Today I have so many friends with different backgrounds and interests who have also inspired me a lot.

3 – This year I’ve found that there have been so many more opportunities to get involved with the wider school. The student programs the school has provided to us, like the National Junior Honor Society, Math Club, and Student Ambassador, have all helped me to feel welcomed and a part of the bigger community. [By the way, I’m not part of the Math Club even though my parents wanted me to. I am presenting it as an example. Maybe next year :)]. I particularly like being a Student Ambassador because I get to answer some of the questions I had myself going into Middle School for other kids, and now that I can answer them too, I can support the School. I am looking forward to Shadow Days, which I didn’t do as a prospective student, but it’ll be really great for new students to show them around the School and let them know what an actual day in our community is like.

4 – Learning the more advanced curriculum gives me a sense of satisfaction and a feeling that I am better preparing myself for my future no matter where I take it. Right now, I’m considering going into animation, becoming a scientist, being an actor, developing games, or becoming an author. No matter what I will end up doing – the classes, the teachers, and the friendships at BASIS are setting me up for success, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here.

Thank you, Fauve for sharing your thoughts and experiences. If you want to learn more about our school, we have a series of admissions events throughout the year to consider.

Classes are challenging, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun. Chemistry is one of my hardest subjects, yet my teacher Ms. Susanto finds ways to make it exciting too. One day we figured out how many fingernails we would need to cover the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Many of my teachers are approachable and make jokes during class to keep us focused. The teachers also have student hours where they can answer many of your questions in an informal setting
Classes are challenging, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun. Chemistry is one of my hardest subjects, yet my teacher Ms. Susanto finds ways to make it exciting too. One day we figured out how many fingernails we would need to cover the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Many of my teachers are approachable and make jokes during class to keep us focused. The teachers also have student hours where they can answer many of your questions in an informal setting
Classes are challenging, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun. Chemistry is one of my hardest subjects, yet my teacher Ms. Susanto finds ways to make it exciting too. One day we figured out how many fingernails we would need to cover the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Many of my teachers are approachable and make jokes during class to keep us focused. The teachers also have student hours where they can answer many of your questions in an informal setting

BASIS Independent Brooklyn is a private school serving students in PreK through Gr. 12. Please join our interest list for updates, event information, and more.Click here to join our interest list!