deadest_of_parrots t1_j9xooqr wrote on February 25, 2023 at 8:37 AM

My daughter went to BSA if you have any questions. She’s not super academic (good grades but not amazing) and she absolutely thrived there. Also, lots of her friends there were very academic. Personally I loved the mix of people she got to be in school with and loved that the school is small - class sizes are usually fairly small. The teachers are in general amazing and at least for my daughter helped her find her confidence in subjects she struggled in. I can’t speak for city other than it’s great reputation - I think it’s a decision that’s going to center on your kid’s needs.

Mojo_art OP t1_j9ytt3b wrote on February 25, 2023 at 3:56 PM

Thanks so much for sharing your experience!

One big question we have about BSA is how beholden are the kids to their area of focus? Like, if they’re there to study music, how free or limited are they to take an acting or studio art class?

Did you and your daughter love having an area of focus, or was it ever limiting?

deadest_of_parrots t1_j9yvd3s wrote on February 25, 2023 at 4:07 PM

It’s very focused. My daughter was music and although they had a semester of collaborative classes, crossing disciplines is generally only done on a “for fun” basis. Mainly because half the day is a full academic schedule and the other half is their chosen discipline, which doesn’t leave time for other stuff. It’s a longer school day to accommodate this already. That doesn’t mean she won’t have friends in other disciplines - my daughter had friends in all areas. Also because of this the choice of classes in general is less diverse, which is either a drawback or a blessing depending on your kid.