THE AMERICAN IN Academic Profile 2019-2020

Headmaster: Christopher Nikoloff I Academic Dean: Dr. Mark Abisi • Phone: +41 91 960 5115 • [email protected] Director of and Counseling: Greg Birk • Phone: +41 91 986 5458 • [email protected] IB Diploma Coordinator and UK University Counselor: Howard Stickley • Phone: +41 91 960 5108 • [email protected] University and College Counselor: Carroll Birk • Phone: +41 91 986 5457 • [email protected]

Mission Statement private, co-educational boarding and day school, it is the oldest American in Europe. Now serving The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) is part of a students from Pre- to Postgraduate, TASIS family of international that welcomes young is accredited by the New England Association of Schools people from all nationalities to an educational community & and the European Council of International that fosters a passion for excellence along with mutual Schools. respect and understanding. Consistent with the vision of its founder, M. Crist Fleming, TASIS is committed to transmitting the heritage of Western civilization and Faculty world cultures: the creations, achievements, traditions, and ideals from the past that offer purpose in the present Of the 66 High School faculty members, 79 percent and hope for the future. Seeking to balance the pursuit hold advanced degrees and 53 percent hail from the of knowledge with the love of wisdom, and promoting United States. TASIS actively encourages professional the skills of lifelong learning, an appreciation for beauty, development, supports faculty graduate study, and and the development of character, each school combines requires peer observation and dialogue about teaching a challenging academic program with opportunities and learning. for artistic endeavor, physical activity, and service to others. Believing in the worth of each individual and the importance of enduring relationships, TASIS seeks to Student Body embody and instill the values of personal responsibility, The High School is composed of 244 boarding students civility, compassion, justice, and truth. and 163 day students, with 54 nations represented. The majority of students (58%) come from Europe, with the The School remainder hailing from Latin America (15%), Asia (10%), the US and Canada (9%), or the Middle East and Africa TASIS Switzerland is the first of several TASIS Schools (8%). The Class of 2020 comprises 111 students, and the founded by M. Crist Fleming. Founded in 1956 as a High School retention rate is 85%.

TASIS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges and the European Council of International Schools • College Board CEEB Code: 796612 • International Baccalaureate School Code: 0834 Via Collina d’Oro 15, 6926 , Switzerland Tel: +41 91 960 5151 Fax: +41 91 994 2364 Website: www.tasis.ch Course Offerings English • Introduction to Literature • Honors Introduction to Literature • World Literature • World Literature Honors • American Literature • British Literature • AP English Language and Composition • AP English Literature and Composition • IB English A Literature 1 and 2 (SL/HL) • IB English A Language and Literature 1 and 2 (SL/HL) English as an Additional Language • English Grammar & Composition 1 and 2 • English Grammar, Composition & Literature 1 • English Grammar, Composition, & American Literature • English Grammar, Composition, & British Literature • IB English B 1 and 2 (HL) Mathematics • Mathematics 1 Core • Mathematics 2 Core • Mathematics 3 Core • Mathematics 4 Core • Mathematics 1 Extended • Mathematics 1 Advanced Curriculum • Mathematics 2 Extended (includes second-year Algebra topics) • Precalculus • Precalculus Honors • Calculus • AP Statistics • AP Calculus AB • AP Calculus BC TASIS offers an American college preparatory program with • IB Mathematics 2 (SL/HL) • IB Math Studies 2 (SL) International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs, • IB Math Applications 1 (SL/HL) • IB Math Analysis 1 (SL/HL) emphasizing a strong liberal arts and requiring components of community service and project-based academic travel experiences History at all grade levels. Students are expected to complete a minimum • Ancient & Medieval History • Modern History of 19 credits and to enroll in a minimum of five full-credit courses • United States History • Art History • EAL Ancient & Medieval History • EAL Modern History each semester. (An alternative program of studies may be designed • AP European History • AP United States History • AP Art History for students with special talents, interests, or needs. Such a program • AP Government and Politics • AP Economics* must follow established guidelines and requires the approval of the • IB History 1 and 2 (SL/HL) • IB Art History (SL) Academic Committee.) • IB Business Management 1 and 2 (SL/HL) • IB Economics 1 and 2 (SL/HL) Graduation Requirements Theory of Knowledge • IB Theory of Knowledge 1 and 2 The minimum requirements for graduation are 19 credits, including the following: Science • Biological and Physical Sciences • Physics • Biology • Four years of English. All seniors must pass either a 12th-grade • EAL Biology • Chemistry • Ecology • Computer Science 1 and 2 English course offered by the English Department or IB English B 2 • AP Biology** • AP Physics** • AP Chemistry** HL (IB Diploma candidates only). • AP Environmental Science** • IB Biology 1 and 2 (SL/HL) • Three years of Mathematics, completing through Mathematics 3 at a • IB Physics 1 and 2 (SL/HL) • IB Chemistry 1 and 2 (SL/HL) minimum • IB Environmental Systems and Societies 1 and 2 (SL) • Three years of History, including Modern World History and either Modern Languages US History or an IB Group 3 course, and successful completion of the • Level 1: French, German, Italian, Spanish Civic Literacy Exam • Level 2: French, German, Italian, Spanish; IB ab initio 1 • Three years of Laboratory Science • Level 3: French, German, Italian, Spanish; IB ab initio 2; IB B SL 1 • Third-year proficiency in a modern language other than English • Level 4: French, German, Italian, Spanish; IB Language B HL 1, SL 2 that is offered at TASIS. Native English speakers arriving in grade 11 • Level 5: French, German, Italian, Spanish; IB B HL 2 are required to demonstrate second-year proficiency in a modern • IB Italian A Language & Literature 1 and 2 (SL/HL) language that is taught at TASIS from the introductory level or • IB Russian A Language & Literature 1 (SL/HL) continue on to third-year proficiency if they have a background • IB Native Language A Literature 1 and 2 (SL: SSST) in French, German, Italian, or Spanish. Native English speakers 9° Grado - Sezione Italiana / 9th Grade Italian Section*** arriving in grade 12 or for a postgraduate year are expected to • Lingua Italiana 9 • Letteratura e Lingua Italiana 9 continue their study of a modern language or complete one year • Storia Italiana 9 • Storia dell’Arte 9 of French, German, Italian, or Spanish. • One credit in Performing Arts or Visual Arts Fine Arts • All students in grades 9-10 are required to take Physical Education. • Drawing & Painting • Advanced Drawing & Painting • One Senior Humanities credit, fulfilled by AP US History, Art History, • Photography 1 and 2 • Architecture 1 and 2 • Ceramics & Sculpture AP Art History, IB Art History, or, for IB Diploma candidates, Theory • Instrumental Ensemble • Choir • Music Theater Arts • Music Literacy of Knowledge • Drama 1 and 2 • AP Studio Art: Drawing • AP Studio Art: 2-D Design • Participation in the Global Service Program each semester for • IB Visual Arts 1 and 2 (SL/HL) • IB Theatre Arts 2 (SL/HL) grades 9-11 * AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics are offered in alternating years. • Completion of all Academic Travel assignments and obligations ** AP Biology/Physics alternate years with AP Chemistry/Environmental Science. • Fulfillment of the Sports and Activities requirement each semester *** Required for local residents according to cantonal law. TASIS POLICY ON REPORTING GPA AND CLASS RANK

The school year is divided into two semesters, ending in January and June. The year-end grade is cumulative, covering the full work in a year’s course and reflecting a 50%/50% weighting for the first and second semesters, respectively. The Academic Honor Roll is calculated each midterm and end-of-semester grading period. Students with a GPA of 3.8 or higher in a given semester receive Highest Honors while those with a 3.5 or higher receive High Honors and those with a 3.2 or higher receive Honors. TASIS does not rank students or report cumulative GPA because the majority of TASIS seniors have been at TASIS for fewer than four semesters at the time of university application.

Recent Test Scores

IB EXAMS TASIS 2019 TASIS 2018 Worldwide Number of diploma candidates 51 48 – Percentage earning diplomas 98% 98% 77% Mean diploma score 32.2 31.5 29.6 Highest IB score 42 40 45 Percentage earning Bilingual Diplomas 53% 38% 23%

In 2019, 75 students took 428 IB subject exams (scored 1-7): 95% of scores were 4 or above, 75% were 5 or above, and 40% were 6 or above.

AP EXAMS In 2019, 80 TASIS students combined to take a total of 156 AP exams: 64% of scores were 3 or above, 46% were 4 or above, and 71 students recorded a 3 or higher on at least one exam, which The College Board defines as a school success rate of 89%. Twenty-five students were named AP Scholars for demonstrating exemplary college-level achievement on their exams.

STANDARDIZED TESTS

SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing Mathematics Middle 50% Middle 50% Class of 2019 (61 took the SAT) 540–640 550–680

ACT English Math Reading Science Middle 50% Middle 50% Middle 50% Middle 50% Class of 2019 (17 took the ACT) 24–29 25–28 20–32 24–28

Additional Program Strengths requirement for all students. Some travel assignments are related to courses of study, some are related to particular Opsahl Global Service Program student interests, and others are assigned by grade level. The Opsahl Global Service Program was envisioned by Jan Opsahl ’68, the School’s first international student, who believes that the experience of serving those in need should be required for every TASIS student. Global Service groups partner with an array of organizations, from international nonprofits to country-specific institutions to local charities, and students attend weekly service meetings throughout the year to prepare for service trips throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Academic and Independent Travel Travel is an integral part of a TASIS education. Whether academic or independent travel, students have an exceptional opportunity to take advantage of their location in the middle of Europe. Academic Travel is part of the Middle and High School curriculum and is a graduation University Acceptances for the Classes of 2015–2019 Boldface type indicates schools where TASIS students matriculated Mount Holyoke College University of South Florida University of Sheffield USA AND CANADA The New School, Eugene Lang College University of Southern California University of South Wales of Art University of Liberal Arts University of Tennessee University of Southampton Alliant International University The New School, Parsons School of Design University of Texas University of St. Andrews American University New York University of Texas, Arlington University of Surrey Arizona State University New York School of Interior Design University of Texas, San Antonio University of Sussex Augsburg University New York University University of Toronto University of the Arts London Babson College Newbury College University of Toronto, Scarborough University of Warwick Bard College North Carolina State University University of Victoria University of Westminster Barnard College Northeastern University University of Virginia University of York Barry University Northwestern University University of Washington Baruch College (CUNY) Nova Southeastern University University of Waterloo SWITZERLAND Bates College The Ohio State University Utah State University Business School Lausanne Baylor University Ontario College of Art & Design Vancouver Island University École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) Beloit College Oregon State University Vanderbilt University EU Business School, Geneva Bentley University Pace University, New York City Vassar College EU Business School, Montreux Binghamton University (SUNY) Pennsylvania State University Wake Forest University Nordwestschweiz (FHNW) Boston Architectural College Pepperdine University Washington College Franklin University Switzerland Boston College Portland State University Washington State University Geneva Business School Boston University Pratt Institute Wentworth Institute of Technology Geneva School of Diplomacy Bowdoin College Purdue University Western University/Brescia University College Glion Institute of Brandeis University Queen’s University Wheaton College, Massachusetts Les Roches International School Brock University Quest University Wheelock College of Hotel Management Brooklyn College Quinnipiac University Whittier College Scuola universitaria professionale Bryant University Radford University Whitworth University della Svizzera italiana (SUPSI) Bucknell University Regis University Williams College Swiss Business School California College of the Arts Rochester Institute of Technology Worcester Polytechnic Institute United International Business Schools, Zurich California Institute of the Arts Roger Williams University Wright State University Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) California Polytechnic State University, Rollins College Yale University Universität St. Gallen San Luis Obispo Rutgers University York University Webster University, Geneva Capilano University Ryerson University Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Carleton University Salve Regina University UNITED KINGDOM Wissenschaften (ZHAW) Chapman University San Diego State University The Academy of Contemporary Music Clark University Santa Barbara City College Arts University Bournemouth REST OF THE WORLD Colgate University Santa Clara University Bath Spa University The American University of Paris, France College of Charleston Sarah Lawrence College Bellerbys College The American University of Rome, Italy College of Staten Island (CUNY) Savannah College of Art and Design Birkbeck, University of London ArtEZ Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, The Netherlands College of the Holy Cross School of the Art Institute of Chicago Bournemouth University Barcelona Business School/UIBS, Spain College of the Redwoods Seattle Pacific University British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) Bard College Berlin, Germany College of William and Mary Seattle University Brunel University BI Norwegian School of Management, Norway College of Wooster Seton Hall University Buckinghamshire New University British and Irish Modern Music Institute Colorado School of Mines Skidmore College Canterbury Christ Church University (BIMM), Ireland Colorado State University Smith College Cardiff University Colegio de Estudios Superiores Columbia College Chicago Snow College City, University of London de Administración, Colombia Columbia University Southern California Institute of Architecture Coventry University Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, The Netherlands Concordia University Southern Methodist University De Montfort University Erasmus University College, The Netherlands Cornell College St. Cloud State University Durham University ESADE, Spain Cornell University St. Edward’s University Exeter College ESMOD Berlin International University of Art for Dartmouth College St. John’s University, Queens Goldsmiths, University of London Fashion, Germany Davidson College St. Lawrence University Hartpury University EU Business School, Spain Dean College St. Mary’s College, Indiana Heriot-Watt University Geneva Business School, Spain DePauw University Stanford University Hult International Business School Guido Carli Free International University Dowling College Stonehill College Imperial College London for Social Studies (LUISS), Italy Drake University Stony Brook University (SUNY) Istituto Marangoni London Hong Kong University of Science Drew University Suffolk University Keele University and Technology, China Drexel University Syracuse University King’s College London Humanitas University, Italy Duke University Texas A&M University Kingston University HTL International School of Hospitality, Tourism Duquesne University Texas Christian University Lancaster University and Languages, Spain Eckerd College Texas State University Leeds Beckett University IE University, Spain Elon University Texas Tech University London Metropolitan University Instituto Europeo di Design, Spain Emerson College Trent University The London School of Economics Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo Emmanuel College Trinity College and Political Science De Mexico, Mexico Endicott College Trinity University London South Bank University Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores Fairfield University Tulane University Loughborough University de Monterrey, Mexico Florida Gulf Coast University Union College, New York Middlesex University International University of Monaco Florida Institute of Technology University of Alabama New College of the Humanities Istituto Marangoni, France Florida International University University of Alaska, Fairbanks Newcastle University Istituto Marangoni, Italy Florida Southern College University of Arizona Nottingham Trent University Jacobs University, Germany Fordham University University of British Columbia Oxford Brookes University John Cabot University, Italy Franklin & Marshall College University of California, Berkeley Queen Mary, University of London Keio University, Japan George Mason University University of California, Davis Queen’s University Belfast Les Roches International School of Hotel The George Washington University University of California, Irvine Regent’s University London Management, Spain Georgia Institute of Technology University of California, Los Angeles Richmond, The American International Marist College/Lorenzo de Medici Institute, Italy Georgian College University of California, Merced University in London MODUL University, Austria Goucher College University of California, San Diego Royal Holloway, University of London Moscow Aviation Institute, Russia Hamilton College, New York University of California, Santa Barbara SAE Institute London Moscow State Institute of International High Point University University of California, Santa Cruz School of Oriental and African Studies, Relations (MGIMO), Russia Hofstra University University of Central Florida University of London NEOMA Business School, France Hult International Business School University of Colorado St. George’s, University of London Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA), Italy Hunter College (CUNY) University of Colorado, Colorado Springs St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, London Peking University (Pre-University Int’l Program) Indiana University PUI University of Dayton Staffordshire University Polimoda International Institute of Design Iowa State University University of Denver Swansea University and Marketing, Italy Ithaca College University of Guelph University College London Politecnico di Milano, Italy Jacksonville University University of Hawaii, Manoa University for the Creative Arts Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands James Madison University University of Illinois University of Aberdeen Saxion Hogeschool, The Netherlands Johns Hopkins University University of Illinois, Chicago University of Bath Schiller International University, France Johnson & Wales University, Providence University of Illinois, Springfield University of Birmingham Schiller International University, Spain Kenyon College University of Kentucky University of Brighton St. Louis University, Spain King’s University College University of La Verne University of Bristol Stockholm University, Sweden Knox College University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Buckingham Suffolk University, Spain Lasell College University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth University of Cambridge Technische Universiteit Delft, The Netherlands Lawrence University University of Miami University of Central Lancashire Tilburg University, The Netherlands Lehigh University University of Mississippi University of Chester Touro College, Germany Lewis & Clark College University of Missouri University of Derby Trinity College Dublin, Ireland Long Island University, Brooklyn University of Nevada University of Dundee Universidad CEU San Pablo, Spain Louisiana State University University of New Hampshire University of East Anglia Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia Loyola Marymount University University of New Mexico University of East London Universidad de Navarra, Spain Loyola University Chicago University of North Carolina School of the Arts University of Edinburgh Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico Loyola University New Orleans University of North Carolina, Wilmington University of Essex Universidad Metropolitana, Venezuela Lynn University University of North Texas University of Exeter Universidad Panamericana, Mexico Manhattan College University of North Texas, Dallas University of Glasgow Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico Manhattanville College University of Notre Dame University of Greenwich Universida de Federal de São Paulo, Brazil Marist College University of Oklahoma University of Hertfordshire Università Bocconi, Italy Maryland Institute College of Art University of Oregon University of Kent Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy Marymount California University University of Ottawa University of Law Università de Bologna, Italy Marymount Manhattan College University of Pennsylvania University of Leeds Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Italy Massachusetts College of Pharmacy University of Pittsburgh University of Leicester Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands & Health Sciences University of Puget Sound University of Lincoln Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands McGill University University of Redlands University of Liverpool University College Dublin, Ireland McMaster University University of Rhode Island University of Manchester University of Cape Town, South Africa Merrimack College University of Richmond University of Nottingham University of Groningen Miami University University of Rochester University of Oxford The University of Hong Kong, China Michigan State University University of San Diego University of Plymouth Waseda University, Japan Millsaps College University of San Francisco University of Reading Webster University, Austria Montana State University, Bozeman University of the South University of Roehampton