BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Upper School

"We love BASIS for both our daughters (Grades 5P & 5) and are excited to have them back this Fall. The children learn from highly qualified teachers, who love what they teach. They are constantly challenged in class by their teachers and peers. The workload is healthy. The children are taught to take ownership of their learning and grades - an awesome life skill to learn at such a young age! The management and teachers are very open to ideas and suggestions. We are delighted to have found the school for our children :)"

"I'm a student at Basis and honestly saying, I love it here. I can't wait to come back next year. The teachers are amazing and very helpful, the curriculum is challenging but not impossible, which is important if you want to compete in today's world, and the students are very kind and helpful (but there are a few that aren't as pleasant). There are a few negatives and positives about the school, but take in regard that no school is perfect. I already stated the positives, but the few negatives are that extracurriculars that are free at other schools are pretty expensive here and the Spanish teachers/department REALLY needs to be improved. Overall, if you (or your child if you're a parent reading this) like being challenged and working hard and want to learn and grow in a safe and supporting environment with great teachers and great students (not to mention great Head of School and deans), come to Basis. You won't regret it!"

"I am a student at BASIS Independent and would prefer to remain anonymous. This is due to various reasons that all point to the flaws of the school. Lately a fellow student had to take down the review he wrote although it contained nothing inappropriate. All he did was give it a one star review. The Head of School had to call his parents to do so. This is very unfortunate. Looking at the school, it's full of false advertisements. The teachers are not good. Students in 5TH GRADE swear and talk extremely inappropriately to their superiors, who don't mind so much. I am in a higher grade, however, and it is no better. The curriculum is not even that advanced as it claims to be, and most students don't care anymore. A friend was the most studious person I ever knew and now he has lost all interest. He, like countless others has been burnt out by the endless swarm and pressure of this school. It really shouldn't be charging 22,000 dollars per year. Please save your money and be wise to not send your kids to BASIS. They will get corrupted and talk about inappropriate things using bad language that doesn't get regulated. Students snuck out of campus at lunchtime several times, stealing things from stores before being apprehended. Nobody likes the school. The students hate it. Some teachers hate it. Then why waste your money sending your innocent child to a public school environment and learning system while paying much more than you deserve to pay? Do yourself a favor and save you and your child's future by not sending them here, ever. Thanks for your time."

"Personally as a student I liked BASIS. However there are numerous issues that have been going around: Advantages of BASIS: +Good academics. Challenging yet rewarding, the feeling after taking a hard AP you studied hard for is priceless. +Teachers. Some are passionate about their subjects and try to help their students as much as they can. Oh and they are funny too! +Control over the school: Basis gives quite a few opportunities to parents and students. One thing I love about the school is that you can start clubs. I did so myself and my club is now two years old. Parent meetings are held somewhat frequently and deans can always take student feedback and help students. Disadvantages/Cons: -Physical environment: Terrible campus. The whole school is grey and red, hardly any windows, only about half the classrooms have them! Hallways are always extremely crowded due to limited space, students have to walk up three flights of stairs to get to and fro classes. You only have 5 minute passing periods to get to classes on different floors! School is very small. You can walk from one end to the other in minutes. Really bad design throughout the school, paint peeling off, power outages, construction problems, etc. Oh, and there's no field. It's all astroturf. And only a tiny patch of THAT. -Cost: BASIS tuition alone is over $20k (based on their website). For such a small environment and some bad teachers it's not worth it. Also they make you pay outrageous money for several things, such as school buses and clubs. School events are also costly to pay for. -Teachers: Many teachers are not interested in their subjects and sound like they need a year off. Spanish teachers are terrible and are probably to be replaced next year, among other teachers. Some teachers just don't facilitate an interesting learning experience. Overall: Doesn't live up to expectations. Good idea, bad result."

"My son is a student at Basis. Although I was skeptical about the school at first - the amount of homework, competitive student body, etc, my son convinced me to give it a try. He really enjoys the challenge. He is in awe how much his mind has expanded and what great abilities he has to learn and to understand very challenging curriculum. The schools was very upfront about what they can and cannot do: they will deliver the very best in academics, provide the very best teachers. They did not promise any team sports, emotional behavioral classes, etc, and they stick to their promises. I love the administration of the school-they communicate with the parents in an open manner. We are extremely happy with the Basis."