Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is the application process?
Submit an online application, along with a $100 non-refundable application fee, download student transcript requests and letter of recommendation forms, and schedule an entrance exam and a family meeting. Read more about our application process at BASIS Independent Fremont.
-
What is your age cutoff for TK and K?
Students must turn four years old by May 31 of the year they are applying for Transitional Kindergarten and five years old by September 1 of the year they are applying for Kindergarten.
For example, a student must turn four years old by May 31, 2024, to attend Transitional Kindergarten in the fall of 2024. And, 5 years old by September 1, 2024, to attend Kindergarten in the fall of 2024.
-
The curriculum is challenging; how do I know my child will succeed?
From their very first day as a BASIS Independent student, children see and understand how incredibly serious we take their education and academic growth. Ours is an environment that champions hard work and the belief that all students can achieve amazing feats when they put their minds to it. We are all a team—your child, other students, teachers, managers alike—and the team works together to ensure the success and empowerment of each student. The support your child will receive is unmatched; the culture that welcomes them each day to explore and learn is warm, spontaneous, alive with curiosity, and always nurturing. Our results are only possible because of our culture of learning. Teachers provide office hours throughout the school week for students. And, students can go to our peer tutoring center Monday through Friday.
Read more about student services.
-
How do you select teachers?
We hire the country’s brightest and most promising minds; individuals who are committed to sharing their subject matter expertise with students.
When determining which teachers would be the best fit for our school, we consider a variety of important factors. For Subject Expert Teachers, we require a degree representing their expertise in a particular discipline and/or significant teaching experience in the subject they want to teach. For Learning Expert Teachers, we often look for candidates with degrees in either early childhood or elementary education. Our SET/LET teaching model is one of the cornerstones of our acclaimed curriculum.
After several rounds of interviews, we invite finalists to the school to give a teaching demonstration. This is a 20-minute lesson where they demonstrate how they would structure their class. During these demos, we focus less on content and more on student engagement and interaction.
Because we are in the fortunate position of often having far more applicants than we have job openings, we are able to be quite selective in this process. We only hire those teachers who can recreate that spark that is an unmistakable component of a BASIS Independent classroom.
-
What type of extracurricular activities do you offer?
We offer a tremendous variety of extracurricular activities, always based on the school’s student and teacher interests.
-
Which standardized tests do your students take?
Our students take internationally recognized tests such as the PISA and the ISA, in addition to the College Board’s AP® exams and PSAT®. The SAT® and ACT are optional but heartily recommended. We do not take the Common Core or the Regents or any other state-mandated tests.
-
Do you offer financial aid?
At this time we do not offer any financial aid. We do offer tuition payment plans in one, two, or ten installations.
-
What resources will you have in your school for students with special needs?
BASIS Independent will not have resources on campuses for many special needs, and we will also not maintain a school psychologist; however, our teachers and administrators have a long and successful record of supporting, challenging and inspiring students who require various learning accommodations.
Ask any experienced BASIS Independent teacher what a BASIS Independent student looks like and they will give you this very straightforward answer: a BASIS Independent student works hard, asks questions, and helps other people. All we ask is that the student is willing to work. At BASIS Independent Schools, we build on that educational competency. Above all, our strong and results-oriented support team of teachers and administrators never gives up on a student.
For questions regarding your student’s specific situation, please contact your Head of School.