Helpful information on BASIS Independent School in regard to their application process, school characteristics, as well as opinions from parents 

Content at a glance:

Basic Information Introduction

Application Process

School Characteristics

Parents’ Opinions

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Firstly, BASIS Independent School currently has three large branches that include charter schools, independent schools, and international schools.

In addition, there are five BASIS Independent School campuses and two of them are in the Bay Area. The two Bay Area campuses are BASIS Independent Fremont and BASIS Independent Silicon Valley. When it comes to these two schools, parents often have the following reactions: 

“Never heard of before”

“Ahead of schedule”

“Only one building in the school”

“Worth going to”

“I do not have any specific impression of the school. However, everyone is flocking to it so I will follow.”

Today, Amei will use the parents’ feedback to show where these impressions came from and whether they are accurate.

Before we get started, if you would like to receive the most up-to-date and hard-hitting information about Bay Area schools (both public and private). Feel free to join this Facebook group below! 

Bay Area Schools & Parents Discussion

 

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Basic Information Introduction

School characteristics:

• Many Asian students
• AP courses are compulsory
• General emphasis on STEM and less emphasis on cultural and sports activities
• Fast academic progress and difficult entrance examination

Basic information:

• Locations: San Jose & Fremont
• Enrollment scope: San Jose: grades 5-12, Fremont: Pre-K through grade 12
• Teacher-student ratio: San Jose: 1:11, Fremont: 1:8
• Main entry grade: San Jose: grade 5, Fremont: grade 9
• Application deadline: rolling
• Tuition: $29.2k and above
• Proportion of Asian students: 90%
• Asian community popularity: Extremely high

In terms of admission rate, the official website shows the following: 

In 2018, 58% of BASIS Independent School graduates were admitted to a U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities and/or Best National Liberal Arts Colleges top 25 schools and 88% to a top 50 school. The admission rate of Ivy League schools also reached 7.5%.

Application Process

BASIS Independent applications are mainly concentrated in grade 5 and grade 9 and all applicants also need to take the school entrance exams.

Exam content: 30 minutes each in mathematics, English, and writing.

In addition, the application materials that need to be prepared are:

• Parents interview (at least one of the parents has a 30-minute meeting)
• Transcripts within three years (transcripts are only required for grades 5-10)
• Recommendation letter from mathematics and English teachers
• Online Application

There are a few different requirements for international students. For example, international applicants require a TOEFL score of 90 or above. International students also need to take a one-hour math test (not an entrance test for local students).

The interview process for international students includes making an appointment for a one-hour online interview. The interview includes English reading and writing tests.

The result distribution is divided into two rounds which consist of Early Admission and Regular Admission respectively. However, Early Admission is only for grades 5, 6, and 7.

School Characteristics

Academic Characteristics:

Pre-K through kindergarten: Early Years: Chinese, mathematics, art, social studies, etc. Two teachers and specialists that join the class for specific content instruction.

Grades 1-3: Primary Years: Humanities, mathematics & technology, engineering, performing arts, music, Mandarin, physical education. Two teachers: Subject Expert Teacher (SET) and Learning Expert Teacher (LET).

Grades 4-5: Bridge Years: From grade 4 there is no head teacher and humanities is divided into English, history, math and science. From grade 5 there are also two science courses.

Grades 6-8: Intermediate Years

Grades 9-12: High School Years: Most schools only let students take AP exams in their final year while BASIS Independent requires students to start taking AP exams in grade 9. Students must complete at least six AP exams to graduate and usually they will take 10-12 AP courses on average. In addition, students complete a three-month research-oriented senior project during their last year.

Non-academic Characteristics:

According to first-hand information from parents, extracurricular activities at BASIS Independent are lacking. For parents who are worried that BASIS Independent may not have enough extracurricular activities, they can have their children attend open houses.

Surprisingly, BASIS Independent has no playground and does not attach much importance to sports and extracurricular activities. In addition, students have a lot of homework. However, the advantage of BASIS Independent is that it has a strong learning atmosphere and the family backgrounds of students are similar.

Competition results:

• Second place in Bay Area Math Olympiad
• Fifth place in Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
• Sixth place in the National Science Olympiad
• Speech & Debate Tournament of Champions: Two students ranked 6th
• MATHCOUNTS: Four students entered the state level
• 2019 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist: Two students

Parents’ Opinions

“Dozens of children study together with fast course progression and a high academic standard. After a semester, BASIS Independent will directly communicate with the parents of students who are lower in the rankings. They will say something along the lines of ‘your child is not suitable for here and it is better to transfer them to another school.’ San Jose BASIS Independent seems to be like this.”

“BASIS Independent is a balance between American and Chinese schools. The school also pays attention to extracurricular activities. However, academic pressure is really high and extracurriculars are eliminated from high school. Teachers are mostly white but also Asian.”

Note: Amei did some research and found that the elimination rate was 10% last year.

“The curriculum and teaching system of mathematics at BASIS Independent are different from public schools. Because of this, students who have completed high school at BASIS Independent will not lag behind academically at the college level.”

“My friend’s daughter went to BASIS Independent in grade 6 and they did not like it because they were learning too fast and the structure was not solid enough. Students are also divided into classes according to test scores.”

“Parents should not listen to the content of the open house. Instead, they should talk to the parents of students who graduated from BASIS Independent. This school has its own characteristics. We are now in grade 9 and feel that the junior high school experience was worthwhile. However, there are some students who are not suitable for BASIS Independent. It is best to consult with an advisor and see if BASIS Independent is a good fit according to the situation of your child.”

Lastly, if you have any other questions regarding BASIS Independent School, feel free to contact their admissions department here.