BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current HoS at BASIS just announced that he is leaving at the end of this school year to lead a different BASIS school and the current Director of Student Affairs will be replacing him as HoS next school year. This is how you know who actually attends BASIS or is genuinely interested in the school and who is just trolling…

If you want to have private discussions about BASIS, please do it on internal school list servs used by parents of students currently enrolled, not here. Not your role to determine who's "genuinely interested" in the school on DCUM. Hint: BASIS has a variety of stakeholders and is supported by taxpayers' dollars. The departure of the current HoS sounds good to me. I dealt with him briefly as a volunteer senior project sponsor and wasn't impressed. He came off as a real know-it-all who doesn't seem to have kept up with the times in college admissions, at least not in admissions to my IvyPlus alma mater and grad school.

No! Please keep the DCUM conversation. I have a 4th grader and have to decide in the next two months whether or not to add BASIS to the list, and this is all very valuable.

The new HoS thing -- could this actually mean a better experience for middle schoolers? Might they actually have recess?

For the love of god please DO NOT put BASIS on your list! You are precisely the kind of parent who is shown everything behind the curtain, chooses to enter and then complains about everything you knew was there. If recess is your primary concern then I assure you BASIS is very much not for you.

Sounds right. We are a very mathy family and my kid wants to pursue math/science and got a 5 on the math PARCC, but I do think recess is really essential to mental health. Kids need a break from being bossed around. So it's unfortunately a deal breaker.

BASIS aside, you are going to prioritize recess over academics? Elementary school age parents are adorable!

Different poster. Physical activity of some sort and time outside during the school day on a daily basis are important for one’s well-being beyond elementary school. BASIS DC does not offer this.

You could make your precious snowflake child walk to school; get off the bus one stop sooner and walk; they could wake up at 6 am and workout or do this later. Adults don't get recess (its shows I know) but adults who are resilient figure this shit out - like putting breaks on their calendar; taking a 10 minute walk; working out.

If you want BASIS great - but the excuses for "they don't help my child micromanage their life" is beyond annoying.

and for all the ivyplus kids I see; if they can't figure out their own shit their education was a complete waste. This board is a clear example of adults who have zero coping skills or emotional IQ but all went to real ivys not even ivy plus schools.

This is another issue I have with BASIS-parents like this. They respond to a valid criticism of the school with vitriol. Not all BASIS parents are like this of course (there are some amazing ones!), but the ones that are aren't doing the school any favors. I don't know of any other school with such a defensive group of boosters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note to all the I'm an "Ivy interviewer" folks. I worked for 15+ years in undergraduate admissions at an Ivy league school (I won't name it but I can tell you it is in Cambridge, MA). I really wish you people could hear how we talked about you. Long ago (until maybe the early 90s I'm told) the alumni/a interview was a meaningful part of the admissions assessment. That hasn't been true for decades. Now it is an exercise perpetuated by inertia and our alumni office's desire to continue to keep a bunch of self important jerks engaged with their school. If you aren't a member of one the boards and/or a 7 figure donor the school doesn't give a damn what you say. It never fails that the interviewers who are least important always think they are the most essential voices in admissions. You work in some government office next to people with degrees from UMD or UMass and you think the fact that you majored in English Lit in 2004 from "an Ivy" means a thing? You go through life thinking you are special. Trust me, the admissions officers see you as self centered, self-important jerks desperately clinging to degrees from days long ago.

Bitter much?

Not at all. My colleagues and I found you all amusing and tragic. You read what I wrote and you saw "bitterness"?

Thanks for illustrating my point for me.

DP.

Anyone who says he worked at a school he won't name in Cambridge, MA strikes me as a self centered, self-important jerk desperately clinging to an association with Harvard from days long ago.

As you may be aware, all the Ivy League schools have different practices in this area and for we know you worked at Harvard a long time ago as a secretary or something and were fired. You do certainly sound like a pompous know-it-all.

For example, here is what Yale says about alumni interviews: "An interview is not a required part of the application process. Because of limited interviewing capacity, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions prioritizes interviews for students for whom the Admissions Committee needs more information. Students who do not receive an interview invitation will not be disadvantaged, but applicants are encouraged to connect with a Yale alumni interviewer or student interviewer if invited." You know for a fact that Yale is lying?

By the way, you might want to review the NDA you signed with Harvard before posting here again. You should be pretty easy to identify.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are an elite college alumni interviewer, you see each year which of the kids in the sample that you interview are admitted, waitlisted, or rejected. It is a window into admissions even if the alumni report and recommendations is given little to no weight.

That is certainly true.

But, cough cough, you didn't work for the Harvard Admissions Office for 15+ years, so what could you possibly know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current HoS at BASIS just announced that he is leaving at the end of this school year to lead a different BASIS school and the current Director of Student Affairs will be replacing him as HoS next school year. This is how you know who actually attends BASIS or is genuinely interested in the school and who is just trolling…

If you want to have private discussions about BASIS, please do it on internal school list servs used by parents of students currently enrolled, not here. Not your role to determine who's "genuinely interested" in the school on DCUM. Hint: BASIS has a variety of stakeholders and is supported by taxpayers' dollars. The departure of the current HoS sounds good to me. I dealt with him briefly as a volunteer senior project sponsor and wasn't impressed. He came off as a real know-it-all who doesn't seem to have kept up with the times in college admissions, at least not in admissions to my IvyPlus alma mater and grad school.

No! Please keep the DCUM conversation. I have a 4th grader and have to decide in the next two months whether or not to add BASIS to the list, and this is all very valuable.

The new HoS thing -- could this actually mean a better experience for middle schoolers? Might they actually have recess?

For the love of god please DO NOT put BASIS on your list! You are precisely the kind of parent who is shown everything behind the curtain, chooses to enter and then complains about everything you knew was there. If recess is your primary concern then I assure you BASIS is very much not for you.

Sounds right. We are a very mathy family and my kid wants to pursue math/science and got a 5 on the math PARCC, but I do think recess is really essential to mental health. Kids need a break from being bossed around. So it's unfortunately a deal breaker.

BASIS aside, you are going to prioritize recess over academics? Elementary school age parents are adorable!

Different poster. Physical activity of some sort and time outside during the school day on a daily basis are important for one’s well-being beyond elementary school. BASIS DC does not offer this.

You could make your precious snowflake child walk to school; get off the bus one stop sooner and walk; they could wake up at 6 am and workout or do this later. Adults don't get recess (its shows I know) but adults who are resilient figure this shit out - like putting breaks on their calendar; taking a 10 minute walk; working out.

If you want BASIS great - but the excuses for "they don't help my child micromanage their life" is beyond annoying.

and for all the ivyplus kids I see; if they can't figure out their own shit their education was a complete waste. This board is a clear example of adults who have zero coping skills or emotional IQ but all went to real ivys not even ivy plus schools.

This is another issue I have with BASIS-parents like this. They respond to a valid criticism of the school with vitriol. Not all BASIS parents are like this of course (there are some amazing ones!), but the ones that are aren't doing the school any favors. I don't know of any other school with such a defensive group of boosters.

Why do you think that post is from a BASIS parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note to all the I'm an "Ivy interviewer" folks. I worked for 15+ years in undergraduate admissions at an Ivy league school (I won't name it but I can tell you it is in Cambridge, MA). I really wish you people could hear how we talked about you. Long ago (until maybe the early 90s I'm told) the alumni/a interview was a meaningful part of the admissions assessment. That hasn't been true for decades. Now it is an exercise perpetuated by inertia and our alumni office's desire to continue to keep a bunch of self important jerks engaged with their school. If you aren't a member of one the boards and/or a 7 figure donor the school doesn't give a damn what you say. It never fails that the interviewers who are least important always think they are the most essential voices in admissions. You work in some government office next to people with degrees from UMD or UMass and you think the fact that you majored in English Lit in 2004 from "an Ivy" means a thing? You go through life thinking you are special. Trust me, the admissions officers see you as self centered, self-important jerks desperately clinging to degrees from days long ago.

Bitter much?

Not at all. My colleagues and I found you all amusing and tragic. You read what I wrote and you saw "bitterness"?

Thanks for illustrating my point for me.

DP.

Anyone who says he worked at a school he won't name in Cambridge, MA strikes me as a self centered, self-important jerk desperately clinging to an association with Harvard from days long ago.

As you may be aware, all the Ivy League schools have different practices in this area and for we know you worked at Harvard a long time ago as a secretary or something and were fired. You do certainly sound like a pompous know-it-all.

For example, here is what Yale says about alumni interviews: "An interview is not a required part of the application process. Because of limited interviewing capacity, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions prioritizes interviews for students for whom the Admissions Committee needs more information. Students who do not receive an interview invitation will not be disadvantaged, but applicants are encouraged to connect with a Yale alumni interviewer or student interviewer if invited." You know for a fact that Yale is lying?

By the way, you might want to review the NDA you signed with Harvard before posting here again. You should be pretty easy to identify.

An Ivy degree degree in Sociology is not a law degree. I have disclosed no confidential information. The fact that my colleagues and I made fun of people like you is in no way confidential information covered by an employment agreement. Even if I was covered by a non-disparagement agreement (I am not), it would not cover disparaging statements about self important, insufferable "Ivy grads" whose singular accomplishment was gaining admission as an 18 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note to all the I'm an "Ivy interviewer" folks. I worked for 15+ years in undergraduate admissions at an Ivy league school (I won't name it but I can tell you it is in Cambridge, MA). I really wish you people could hear how we talked about you. Long ago (until maybe the early 90s I'm told) the alumni/a interview was a meaningful part of the admissions assessment. That hasn't been true for decades. Now it is an exercise perpetuated by inertia and our alumni office's desire to continue to keep a bunch of self important jerks engaged with their school. If you aren't a member of one the boards and/or a 7 figure donor the school doesn't give a damn what you say. It never fails that the interviewers who are least important always think they are the most essential voices in admissions. You work in some government office next to people with degrees from UMD or UMass and you think the fact that you majored in English Lit in 2004 from "an Ivy" means a thing? You go through life thinking you are special. Trust me, the admissions officers see you as self centered, self-important jerks desperately clinging to degrees from days long ago.

Bitter much?

Not at all. My colleagues and I found you all amusing and tragic. You read what I wrote and you saw "bitterness"?

Thanks for illustrating my point for me.

DP.

Anyone who says he worked at a school he won't name in Cambridge, MA strikes me as a self centered, self-important jerk desperately clinging to an association with Harvard from days long ago.

As you may be aware, all the Ivy League schools have different practices in this area and for we know you worked at Harvard a long time ago as a secretary or something and were fired. You do certainly sound like a pompous know-it-all.

For example, here is what Yale says about alumni interviews: "An interview is not a required part of the application process. Because of limited interviewing capacity, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions prioritizes interviews for students for whom the Admissions Committee needs more information. Students who do not receive an interview invitation will not be disadvantaged, but applicants are encouraged to connect with a Yale alumni interviewer or student interviewer if invited." You know for a fact that Yale is lying?

By the way, you might want to review the NDA you signed with Harvard before posting here again. You should be pretty easy to identify.

An Ivy degree degree in Sociology is not a law degree. I have disclosed no confidential information. The fact that my colleagues and I made fun of people like you is in no way confidential information covered by an employment agreement. Even if I was covered by a non-disparagement agreement (I am not), it would not cover disparaging statements about self important, insufferable "Ivy grads" whose singular accomplishment was gaining admission as an 18 year old.

Dayum. Wanna see a dead body?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note to all the I'm an "Ivy interviewer" folks. I worked for 15+ years in undergraduate admissions at an Ivy league school (I won't name it but I can tell you it is in Cambridge, MA). I really wish you people could hear how we talked about you. Long ago (until maybe the early 90s I'm told) the alumni/a interview was a meaningful part of the admissions assessment. That hasn't been true for decades. Now it is an exercise perpetuated by inertia and our alumni office's desire to continue to keep a bunch of self important jerks engaged with their school. If you aren't a member of one the boards and/or a 7 figure donor the school doesn't give a damn what you say. It never fails that the interviewers who are least important always think they are the most essential voices in admissions. You work in some government office next to people with degrees from UMD or UMass and you think the fact that you majored in English Lit in 2004 from "an Ivy" means a thing? You go through life thinking you are special. Trust me, the admissions officers see you as self centered, self-important jerks desperately clinging to degrees from days long ago.

Bitter much?

Not at all. My colleagues and I found you all amusing and tragic. You read what I wrote and you saw "bitterness"?

Thanks for illustrating my point for me.

DP.

Anyone who says he worked at a school he won't name in Cambridge, MA strikes me as a self centered, self-important jerk desperately clinging to an association with Harvard from days long ago.

As you may be aware, all the Ivy League schools have different practices in this area and for we know you worked at Harvard a long time ago as a secretary or something and were fired. You do certainly sound like a pompous know-it-all.

For example, here is what Yale says about alumni interviews: "An interview is not a required part of the application process. Because of limited interviewing capacity, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions prioritizes interviews for students for whom the Admissions Committee needs more information. Students who do not receive an interview invitation will not be disadvantaged, but applicants are encouraged to connect with a Yale alumni interviewer or student interviewer if invited." You know for a fact that Yale is lying?

By the way, you might want to review the NDA you signed with Harvard before posting here again. You should be pretty easy to identify.

This was clearly a joke about how Harvard grads won't say they went to Harvard but instead say "Cambridge". You've unknowingly indicted the very people you sought to defend. And I am here for it and your public embarrassment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current HoS at BASIS just announced that he is leaving at the end of this school year to lead a different BASIS school and the current Director of Student Affairs will be replacing him as HoS next school year. This is how you know who actually attends BASIS or is genuinely interested in the school and who is just trolling…

If you want to have private discussions about BASIS, please do it on internal school list servs used by parents of students currently enrolled, not here. Not your role to determine who's "genuinely interested" in the school on DCUM. Hint: BASIS has a variety of stakeholders and is supported by taxpayers' dollars. The departure of the current HoS sounds good to me. I dealt with him briefly as a volunteer senior project sponsor and wasn't impressed. He came off as a real know-it-all who doesn't seem to have kept up with the times in college admissions, at least not in admissions to my IvyPlus alma mater and grad school.

No! Please keep the DCUM conversation. I have a 4th grader and have to decide in the next two months whether or not to add BASIS to the list, and this is all very valuable.

The new HoS thing -- could this actually mean a better experience for middle schoolers? Might they actually have recess?

For the love of god please DO NOT put BASIS on your list! You are precisely the kind of parent who is shown everything behind the curtain, chooses to enter and then complains about everything you knew was there. If recess is your primary concern then I assure you BASIS is very much not for you.

Sounds right. We are a very mathy family and my kid wants to pursue math/science and got a 5 on the math PARCC, but I do think recess is really essential to mental health. Kids need a break from being bossed around. So it's unfortunately a deal breaker.

BASIS aside, you are going to prioritize recess over academics? Elementary school age parents are adorable!

Different poster. Physical activity of some sort and time outside during the school day on a daily basis are important for one’s well-being beyond elementary school. BASIS DC does not offer this.

You could make your precious snowflake child walk to school; get off the bus one stop sooner and walk; they could wake up at 6 am and workout or do this later. Adults don't get recess (its shows I know) but adults who are resilient figure this shit out - like putting breaks on their calendar; taking a 10 minute walk; working out.

If you want BASIS great - but the excuses for "they don't help my child micromanage their life" is beyond annoying.

and for all the ivyplus kids I see; if they can't figure out their own shit their education was a complete waste. This board is a clear example of adults who have zero coping skills or emotional IQ but all went to real ivys not even ivy plus schools.

This is another issue I have with BASIS-parents like this. They respond to a valid criticism of the school with vitriol. Not all BASIS parents are like this of course (there are some amazing ones!), but the ones that are aren't doing the school any favors. I don't know of any other school with such a defensive group of boosters.

Yeah, I can't tell if this is the same poster (big insults and "yelling" by using strange capitalization and punctuation) or a bunch. That person would turn me off of the entire BASIS community.

[Anonymous]

Please don't judge ANY group by what any one anonymous individual posts on DCUM. - Basis parent who likes the school but readily acknowledges it has shortcomings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don't judge ANY group by what any one anonymous individual posts on DCUM. - Basis parent who likes the school but readily acknowledges it has shortcomings.

Like every school everywhere.

[Anonymous]

If you don't like BASIS, don't go to it. If you like BASIS, go to it.

If you are complaining that DC in general doesn't have adequate middle & high schools, that is a different issue. You can try to work with the Mayor for change, or start your own charter school, if you choose not to move or go private.

[Anonymous]

NP. This is the best we can expect for our ed tax dollars? Go judge and order somebody else around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. This is the best we can expect for our ed tax dollars? Go judge and order somebody else around.

So it's ok for you to judge and tell everyone else what to do, but they can't do the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. This is the best we can expect for our ed tax dollars? Go judge and order somebody else around.

Are we being paid to post here? How do I get in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you enter hoping for more than pre-AP test prep and yAP test prep you will also be dissappointed. BASIS is a test prep program in the guise of a school. If that bothers you don’t enroll, or enroll and don’t stay for high school.

Not in our experience.

And the school’s high rankings refute your point as well.

BTW, check your spelling.

The school’s rankings are based entirely on the fact that they are a test prep program. What do you think the rankings are measuring?

-NP

Troll.

You don't understand rankings or BASIS.

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/middle-schools/district-of-columbia
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/district-of-columbia

You are so dumb. Google what US News is measuring. Hint: it’s how many kids take and pass APs.

I love people who call other people dumb when they say totally wrong stuff and act arrogant and patronizing.

Try googling the Dunning-Kruger effect.

1) Kids don't take AP classes in middle school.

2) How many kids take and pass APs is just one factor considered for high school rankings by USN&WR. Read for yourself:

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings

Actually, at BASIS DC they do take at least one AP course in 8th grade (some take more) and have the option of taking the test at the end of the year. It's unclear whether these would actually count for anything in college, but they do take the courses.

BASIS considers 8th grade upper school (that is, high school). That is in part because most of your coursework (including APs) is done by 11th grade.

In any event, APs aren't considered by USN&WR for middle school rankings.

How developmentally inappropriate.

None of this will get your kids into a better college, job or life. But hey anxious kids are fun and interesting adults

Disagree. It is a smart strategy that allows kids to focus in college apps senior year instead of taking a really tough courseload.

So what do BASIS students do first semester of senior year? Spend 8 hours a day for 4 months working on their college apps? Why does it take them that long?

As the parent of a 9th grader, I don’t understand at all how senior year works. But from my student’s perspective, the relatively easy senior year was a factor in her choice to stay at Basis for high school. School is a grind and then college is a whole new grind, and she thinks it will be worth it to work harder in 9th-11th grade if it means some time to relax and coast for a while in 12th.

But we’re slackers by Basis standards and aren’t aiming for Ivy-type college admissions, so I can’t speak to how the 12th-grade experience impacts admissions chances.