how does BASIS work?

[Anonymous]

BASIS DC has the same curriculum as BASIS McLean, a private school that charges tuition.

BASIS McLean was just ranked the #1 private school in the DMV, beating out Sidwell, GDS, NCS, St. Albans, and every other private school in the area.

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-high-schools/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

[Anonymous]

But there's plenty of attrition between 8th and 9th.

The way BASIS works in high school is that four years of academics are effectively crammed into three. The arrangement doesn't tend to leave students enough time to pursue serious extra-curriculars, which the program really doesn't offer anyway. In Arizona, geography is obviously in BASIS' corner where students apply to elite colleges on the coasts. Not so from DC, where weak ECs are much more of a problem in admissions to the most highly competitive colleges. We left BASIS after 10th after having woken up to the reality that our UMC white kid eldest wasn't on track to find the time to shine in his ECs. He made it to an Ivy, applying from a gap year (strongly discouraged by BASIS admins) but almost certainly wouldn't have from BASIS.

It sounds to us like BASIS leaders, in AZ and DC, are starting to wake-up to the pitfalls of BASIS high school as usual in the DC context. We also left because while BASIS pays a lot of lip service to Ivy admissions, their focus is on helping students win merit aid at second-tier institutions. We both went to an Ivy (same one) and wanted our kid to have a good shot. Most BASIS parents seemed fine with the set up so good luck to them.

[Anonymous]

I really don't understand the appeal of cramming high school into 3 years. What am I missing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But there's plenty of attrition between 8th and 9th.

The way BASIS works in high school is that four years of academics are effectively crammed into three. The arrangement doesn't tend to leave students enough time to pursue serious extra-curriculars, which the program really doesn't offer anyway. In Arizona, geography is obviously in BASIS' corner where students apply to elite colleges on the coasts. Not so from DC, where weak ECs are much more of a problem in admissions to the most highly competitive colleges. We left BASIS after 10th after having woken up to the reality that our UMC white kid eldest wasn't on track to find the time to shine in his ECs. He made it to an Ivy, applying from a gap year (strongly discouraged by BASIS admins) but almost certainly wouldn't have from BASIS.

It sounds to us like BASIS leaders, in AZ and DC, are starting to wake-up to the pitfalls of BASIS high school as usual in the DC context. We also left because while BASIS pays a lot of lip service to Ivy admissions, their focus is on helping students win merit aid at second-tier institutions. We both went to an Ivy (same one) and wanted our kid to have a good shot. Most BASIS parents seemed fine with the set up so good luck to them.

So your kid was a double legacy.

Next …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the appeal of cramming high school into 3 years. What am I missing?

An important factor in the US News high school rankings is “CRI,” or the percent of seniors who have passed an AP (or IB) exam during their high school career.

All Basis schools seem to be tied for 100 (first in the nation) on this factor. There are two ways to get to 100%, of course. One of them is to shrink the denominator until it matches the numerator.

If you require kids to pass at least one AP to graduate, and then don’t let seniors take AP courses, you can ensure that the kids who haven’t passed an AP exam by the end of junior year never become seniors, thus maximizing your “CRI” and your ranking in US News.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the appeal of cramming high school into 3 years. What am I missing?

An important factor in the US News high school rankings is “CRI,” or the percent of seniors who have passed an AP (or IB) exam during their high school career.

All Basis schools seem to be tied for 100 (first in the nation) on this factor. There are two ways to get to 100%, of course. One of them is to shrink the denominator until it matches the numerator.

If you require kids to pass at least one AP to graduate, and then don’t let seniors take AP courses, you can ensure that the kids who haven’t passed an AP exam by the end of junior year never become seniors, thus maximizing your “CRI” and your ranking in US News.

Thank you. I'm just not sure why parents and students would want this. I'd rather my kid have the normal four years of high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But there's plenty of attrition between 8th and 9th.

The way BASIS works in high school is that four years of academics are effectively crammed into three. The arrangement doesn't tend to leave students enough time to pursue serious extra-curriculars, which the program really doesn't offer anyway. In Arizona, geography is obviously in BASIS' corner where students apply to elite colleges on the coasts. Not so from DC, where weak ECs are much more of a problem in admissions to the most highly competitive colleges. We left BASIS after 10th after having woken up to the reality that our UMC white kid eldest wasn't on track to find the time to shine in his ECs. He made it to an Ivy, applying from a gap year (strongly discouraged by BASIS admins) but almost certainly wouldn't have from BASIS.

It sounds to us like BASIS leaders, in AZ and DC, are starting to wake-up to the pitfalls of BASIS high school as usual in the DC context. We also left because while BASIS pays a lot of lip service to Ivy admissions, their focus is on helping students win merit aid at second-tier institutions. We both went to an Ivy (same one) and wanted our kid to have a good shot. Most BASIS parents seemed fine with the set up so good luck to them.

So your kid was a double legacy.

Next …

So all legacies are automatically admitted to Ivies?

Er, more than three-quarters are rejected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS doesn't work.

Look at how many kids are in the 6th grade class and look how many kids graduate. Then multiply it by the number of principals they have each year.

This guy has been there for 5 years. You need new material troll boy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the appeal of cramming high school into 3 years. What am I missing?

AP exams are only given in May/June, ergo BASIS wants its students' AP classes and scores completed by the end of jr year. That way, as many AP scores as possible go in with college applications. That's been the franchise's system for optimizing admissions success since the 90s.

BASIS is set in its ways. We found out that some hs students in this Metro area take Cambridge Intl AS or A-Level exams in Nov of sr. year (results available by mid Dec) as an AP alternative. The Americans who take Cambridge exams tend to take them for languages, often after a summer of immersion study. I've never heard of a BASIS DC student taking Cambridge exams, but we know a few Walls and JR students who have. We had our kid take Cambridge Spanish and chemistry at a British Intl school, to cut down on the # of APs he took jr. year. Spreading the exams out worked v. well for us in college admissions (he was admitted to several top 10 SLACs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS doesn't work.

Look at how many kids are in the 6th grade class and look how many kids graduate. Then multiply it by the number of principals they have each year.

This guy has been there for 5 years. You need new material troll boy.

5 long years. Can't wait for him to go.

[Anonymous]

most people would not choose basis mclean over sidwell, st albans, ncs, and gds. sorry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the appeal of cramming high school into 3 years. What am I missing?

AP exams are only given in May/June, ergo BASIS wants its students' AP classes and scores completed by the end of jr year. That way, as many AP scores as possible go in with college applications. That's been the franchise's system for optimizing admissions success since the 90s.

BASIS is set in its ways. We found out that some hs students in this Metro area take Cambridge Intl AS or A-Level exams in Nov of sr. year (results available by mid Dec) as an AP alternative. The Americans who take Cambridge exams tend to take them for languages, often after a summer of immersion study. I've never heard of a BASIS DC student taking Cambridge exams, but we know a few Walls and JR students who have. We had our kid take Cambridge Spanish and chemistry at a British Intl school, to cut down on the # of APs he took jr. year. Spreading the exams out worked v. well for us in college admissions (he was admitted to several top 10 SLACs).

I predict much needed out of the box thinking after another bad year or two for Ivy admissions at the DC campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But there's plenty of attrition between 8th and 9th.

The way BASIS works in high school is that four years of academics are effectively crammed into three. The arrangement doesn't tend to leave students enough time to pursue serious extra-curriculars, which the program really doesn't offer anyway. In Arizona, geography is obviously in BASIS' corner where students apply to elite colleges on the coasts. Not so from DC, where weak ECs are much more of a problem in admissions to the most highly competitive colleges. We left BASIS after 10th after having woken up to the reality that our UMC white kid eldest wasn't on track to find the time to shine in his ECs. He made it to an Ivy, applying from a gap year (strongly discouraged by BASIS admins) but almost certainly wouldn't have from BASIS.

It sounds to us like BASIS leaders, in AZ and DC, are starting to wake-up to the pitfalls of BASIS high school as usual in the DC context. We also left because while BASIS pays a lot of lip service to Ivy admissions, their focus is on helping students win merit aid at second-tier institutions. We both went to an Ivy (same one) and wanted our kid to have a good shot. Most BASIS parents seemed fine with the set up so good luck to them.

We have heard this from another Basis family (who pulled his younger child after seeing the older one go through the whole process). Also not for us -- I want our kids to have a shot at the same schools we went to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC has the same curriculum as BASIS McLean, a private school that charges tuition.

BASIS McLean was just ranked the #1 private school in the DMV, beating out Sidwell, GDS, NCS, St. Albans, and every other private school in the area.

https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-private-high-schools/m/washington-dc-metro-area/

We are very happy BASIS family. This is a doubly dumb take.

1. BASIS independent schools like McLean charge $35k. BASIS charter schools are free.
2. No one with a choice would select BASIS McLean vs Sidwell or GDS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:most people would not choose basis mclean over sidwell, st albans, ncs, and gds. sorry

Who cares about what most people do?? You just need to find the best fit for your kid. If basis McLean was the right fit, I’d choose it over sidwell and the rest.