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|  |   Frequently Asked Questions | Q. | What is The Branson School looking for in a student? | | A. | We are looking for students who have demonstrated strong commitment and dedication to their academic and extra-curricular activities. We want students with a passion for learning and exploration, students actively involved in their education. There are no specific high or low test scores or grades that automatically assure or deny entrance; there are no automatic "cutoff" points. |
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| Q. | Do you have quotas on geographic, ethnic or public/private school admission? | | A. | The Branson School does not have quotas. We are looking for a wide range of students. We have outreach to the entire Bay Area (East Bay, Marin County, San Francisco, and as far north as Santa Rosa and Sebastopol). Competitive applicants from public schools, private schools, independent, and home-schooled settings are strongly encouraged to apply to our community. |
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| Q. | What is the curriculum like at Branson? | | A. | Branson is a college preparatory school. One hundred percent of our students attend 4-year colleges and universities across the nation and occasionally abroad. The curriculum offers Honors and Advanced Placement courses in most subject areas. We offer extensive Fine Arts, outdoor education and community service programs. As members of the Marin County Athletic League, we also offer an extremely competitive athletic program.
Please visit the Academic area of this web site for more specific information on the courses offered. |
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| Q. | What is the average amount of homework a freshman might have? | | A. | Most freshmen have between 2-3 hours of homework per night. That will
vary depending on the time of year. Most freshmen have one free period in
their daily schedule. During this time, many students will complete
homework assignments. We also have long lunch periods each day, which can be used for study time after the student has eaten lunch. |
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| Q. | What is the tuition for 2010-2011? | | A. | Tuition for 2010-2011 is $33,570. Predictable expenses of $2,000 cover the cost of the lunch program, textbooks, dues, cultural and social activities, and other miscellaneous expenses. |
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| Q. | Is Financial Aid available? | | A. | Financial aid is based solely on need. There are no merit scholarships. A family must fill out the Financial Aid request card found in the application packet and return it to the Business Office. The Business Office will then mail the family a full financial aid application, which must be postmarked by the January 13, 2011 deadline. |
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| Q. | Who makes up the Admission Selection Committee? | | A. | The Admission Selection Committee is made up of the Director of Admission, administrators, and faculty. Application review begins in February and continues throughout the month. |
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| Q. | Which standardized tests are accepted with the application? | | A. | Branson accepts the following standardized tests:
1. the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) taken during the applicant's 8th grade year OR
2. the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) taken during the applicant's 8th grade year OR
3. California's Standardized Testing and Reporting Program (STAR) results from the applicant's 7th grade year.
4. The IOWA test results from an applicant's 8th grade year.
If an applicant chooses to take either the SSAT or the ISEE, we suggest s/he does so no later than a January test date so we can receive the scores as close to our application deadline as possible. Transfer student applicants are not required to submit any standardized test scores.
To register, please visit the SSAT website at http://www.ssat.org.
ISEE test dates and information can be found on their website: http://www.iseetest.org. |
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| Q. | Do you have individual one-on-one interviews? | | A. | As part of your all-day visit, you will be interviewed by a faculty or staff member. |
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| Q. | What do you mean by the Preliminary Filing Date on the Part 1: Parent/Guardian Application?
| | A. | If you complete the Part 1: Parent/Guardian Application by the Preliminary Filing Date (December 1st), you are doing so as a courtesy to the schools to which you are applying. It allows the Admission Office to have an approximate idea of the number of applications they will be receiving.
Each school may use the Preliminary Filing Date in different ways, so it is important to check with each independent school for its expectations. At Branson, it is acceptable to submit the answer to question #3 of the Part 1: Parent/Guardian application under separate cover if more time is needed for that portion. If it is sent under separate cover, please make sure the applicant's full name is at the top of the document.
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| Q. | What is your policy on siblings in the admission process? | | A. | There is no specific policy on siblings. We like to keep families together, but never at the expense of a child's development and overall success. |
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| Q. | Are school visits and open houses required of students who are applying to Branson? | | A. | Student visit days are required as a way for prospective students and parents to judge for themselves whether Branson is a good match. Open houses are not required, but are strongly encouraged. Presentations from the Head of School, academic, athletic and fine arts departments, as well as from Community Service, are made during Open House. |
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| Q. | What schools do your students come from?
| | A. | Students from all over the Bay Area are interested in Branson. We
typically receive applications from students representing over 80
schools. For a list of of the schools of our most recent matriculating
students, please refer to the "Middle Schools" download on the right. |
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| Q. | What is the commitment by the school in areas of ethnic or cultural diversity? | | A. | There is a strong commitment by our Head of School, the faculty and administration, and the Board of Trustees supporting diversity. There is a great ethnic diversity amongst our faculty (12 faculty and administrators of color) that provides professional role models to all of our students. The National Association of Independent School defines ethnic diversity in these terms: Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander, Bi-Racial/Multiracial, Black/African American, Chicano/Hispanic/Latino, East Indian, Middle Eastern, Native American Indian/Alaska Native. Of our total enrollment, 21 percent are students of color. |
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| Q. | How would you define diversity at Branson? | | A. | Every aspect of who we are defines the diversity of our campus. As individuals, we each have our own style of expression. We value and encourage that style in the way that we dress, the skin that we live in, the voices that we use to express ourselves and in our ability to listen to the experiences of others. Diversity is a key component of our Mission Statement.
In our community, the diversity of religion, family make-up, gender, sexual orientation and social economic status is a part of the sound that we all create in order to question, to understand and to appreciate one another.
There is diversity in thought and there is diversity in who teaches you. It is in this search that we strive to share our lives, to understand the lives of others, to create our own stories and to appreciate the world we live in together.
There are a number of student organizations dedicated to promoting diversity on campus, including the Black Male Forum, Thethnic Branson Sisterhood, Latino Student Alliance, Asian Student Alliance, EGALATE (the school's Gay-Straight Alliance) and STRIVE (Students Tackling Racial Issues Via Education). In addition, the Diversity Committee, comprising faculty, administrators and trustees, addresses issues of diversity on a community level.
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