Iain McClintonSenior year all over the world can be overwhelming for both parents and children because it is a time of great self-reflection, questioning, and transformation. Your sons and daughters are preparing to move on, leave childhood behind, and start making adult decisions about their future academics and careers.
The BASIS senior year is unique in several respects, and it is worth explaining what makes the BASIS curriculum so unique. In grades 9-11, the BASIS curriculum is built around making our students into strong candidates when they apply to college. This is why it is designed so that each BASIS student (when possible) meets graduation requirements by the end of 11th grade. This means that we can present as much evidence of their academic prowess to colleges and universities as possible; a distinct advantage in the college admissions process.
12th grade is when we shift our academic focus from helping students get into college to helping them be successful at college. However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done on the application itself to give students the best possible chance of college acceptance.
Seniors have a daily College Counseling class, taught by their counselors. Each day they work on their college applications with our guidance. The counseling classes are made up of short lectures, one-on-one conferences, and independent work time, giving our students the opportunity to craft exemplary essays, activity lists, college lists, and final applications. A college counseling class of this nature is something very few schools offer, and we feel it gives our students a competitive edge.
The most valuable work the college counseling staff does is to guide and strategize with students on their applications. Our goal is to work alongside you and your sons and daughters in creating the most exemplary, competitive applications worthy of all the efforts put into your child’s education thus far and worthy of the respect of the world’s top universities.
Students should be aware that their best source of support and advice is their BIPH college counselor. The BIPH college counselors write highly individualized counselor recommendations for every senior that convey a student's character and any personal qualities that test scores and grades alone do not reveal.
Counselor recommendations play a pivotal role in the application process where an honest assessment of a student's potential success in college can tip the scales in their favor.
If there is one single piece of advice that I would give all seniors it is this: Learn to communicate with your college counselor. Share not only your essays but also your feelings, hopes, and desires. Let us into your lives, for that is how we learn about you and enrich and personalize our recommendations with anecdotal evidence of what we know of you as people, students, future college applicants, and future leaders.