What's Happening in McLean, VA…

BASIS Independent McLean (BIM) students Ethan Hsaio and Jackson Edelmann, by scoring in the PSAT’s top 1% in their junior year, are now among the 16,000 throughout the nation to become semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship.

In addition to the two semifinalists from BIM, the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program saw 13 seniors were named Commended Students.

Hsaio and Edelmann, along with all the other semifinalists, will now be contending for a finalist position and a chance at a National Merit Scholarship. Semifinalists must fulfill certain requirements to move on to finalist standing.

Each must submit an in-depth scholarship application of information concerning awards, extracurricular accomplishments, and leadership positions, as well as provide a resumé. Additionally, semifinalists must have an exceptional academic record and the recommendation and endorsement of a school official. Plus, they must achieve SAT scores that back up their qualifying test performance.

Banner printing is frequently viewed as an excellent way to recognize achievements such as those earned by BASIS Independent McLean students.

The BASIS Independent Schools network, of which BIM is a part, provides the high-achieving BASIS Curriculum for educating students from preschool through 12th grade. Founded in 1998, network schools offer instruction at the highest international levels. In total, 11 schools were in the network as of the academic year 2018-2019; five schools are in the U.S. (Northern Virginia, New York, and California), five international schools are in China, and the other one is in Bangkok, Thailand.