Reply to BASIS DC first graduating class college acceptances list

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Unless the alumni interviewer saw the files of every AZ BASIS grad (not just the ones who applied to her particular alma mater) she can't know the answer to this question.

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OK, but an Ivy interviewer who talks to a good many top kids from both BASIS AZ campuses and serious STEM programs in this area (public and private) over a number of years can pick up on admissions trends.  [/quote]

+1  Also the interviewer said that each year for several years, there are 6 - 8 candidates that are interviewed from AZ most coming from BASIS of which none would be qualified in DC unless they were athletes, legacy or some other special reason.  The interviewer could at least talk to his/her knowledge of why this is the case, especially since BASIS does seem to have some track record of accomplishments (in academic awards, not just test scores and/or grades).  Of course it is possible that the Ivy interviewer did not necessarily talk with the most qualified but it would be hard to believe that this would have been the case over a long period of time.[/quote]

Ivy interviewer here, glad to offer a little insight if I'm not slammed.

BASIS AZ students I interview commonly self-identify as being in the top 10% of their small graduating classes of three or four dozen students, indicating that they should be in the running, on a relative basis.  When I sit down to write interview reports, answering questions about whether or not I enjoyed speaking with them, if they exhibited intellectual curiosity, and if their reasons for applying to my Ivy seem genuine, more often than not, I answer no, and not because I wish to be unkind.

The kids mostly seem burned out and boxed in by a curriculum that emphasizes taking many AP exams over several years.  I don't hear much about college classes they've reveled in taking, or languages they've loved studying or their wonderful experiences as foreign exchange students and plans for rejuvenating gap years. They seldom speak of academic competitions they've had fun preparing for with classmates, or unusual extra-curriculars they've had a blast pursuing, particularly in the area of research and publishing.

No, sorry, overall, the BASIS AZ crew has struck me as more burned-out than inspired.  Their seniors have seemed particularly weak on foreign language skills, and anything drama, poetry or literature related for students supposedly focusing on liberal learning rather than STEM work. They certainly rock at math, and taking science APs, but so do an awful lot of applicants.  Their senior projects tends to come across as lonely exercises (the national robot war team kids, and group inventors, sound happier).

I think you want to watch closely for burnout as BASIS parents, working with admins to deemphasize grades and pour on enthusiasm and team activities.  You really don't want to wind up with highly credentialed seniors who don't exhibit much of a spark to an interviewer.

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Thank you for your response and your honesty.  I think you just confirmed a suspicion that many, not all, parents are having about BASIS.  I hope that it will be different here in DC or that the parents of BASIS students (such as myself) could help in this matter.  And I am not saying that elite schools are the end all be all or are the only goals worthy of aspiration, but I am saying this because burnout at such a young age is really sad and quite frankly unnecessary.[/quote]

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