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[quote=Anonymous]We moved our son to BASIS for high school from APS. It was entirely his choice. He attended a shadow day his 8th grade year and chose it over other private schools. I was nervous after reading all the weird posts on DCUM, but he's been really happy. The teachers are the absolute best part about BASIS. I can't speak to the ES and MS experience there, but his high school math and science teachers have all been there since the school opened. He loves the small class size after coming from APS, and the vibe is definitely more like a small liberal arts college than a HS. The last few graduating classes have been small (~25 students), but the 9th, 10th, and 11th grade classes are around 50 students each this year. The HS has been growing now that they have a few graduating classes under their belt and some outstanding college admissions. (In last year's class of 25, they had students matriculate to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Duke, Rice, and several UC schools-- the BIM '24 seniors have an Insta page, so you can check this out yourself.)

I understand why some posters on here view BASIS as an AP factory. However, the kids at this school are smart and independent, and most are craving the academic challenge. If your kid isn't self-motivated and naturally intellectually curious, they would probably not be happy at BASIS. The teachers hold the students to an academic standard that you would expect in college, so there are no easy As. If your kid is willing to put in the work though, they will be well prepared for college. In particular, we have seen tremendous improvement in our son's writing since moving over from APS. He finally has teachers who are marking up his grammar errors, which is one aspect of APS that drove me crazy.

The downside to BASIS is the lack of a sports program, which does probably deter some HS students from going to BASIS. Many of the HS kids are athletic, and pursue sports like swimming, fencing, golf, and travel sports outside of school. But if your kid is looking forward to going to Friday night football games, then BASIS will be a disappointment. It is not a traditional high school social scene. There are clubs and activities after school, but they are more academic than athletic. The BASIS debate, science olympiad, and quiz bowl programs are especially strong and have advanced teams to the national level.

One additional note, since you asked specifically about Arlington. We drive our son to school, but he takes the metro home. BASIS is walkable to the new McLean station near Capitol One, so if you are near the orange line, it is easy to get home in the afternoon. My son says that a few other HS kids take the silver line in the opposite direction, so he usually has someone to walk with if he wants. [/quote]

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