NOTHING DAUNTS a scholarNil Doctis Arduum � Nothing Daunts a Scholar

One University Road � Boston,MA 02215 � P: 617-353-9000 � F: 617-353-8999 � www.buacademy.org

The mission of Boston University Academy is to educate talented students who are passionate about

learning and who share the joy of inquiry. Engaging with dedicated teachers in a small and caring

community, students first immerse themselves in a classically based curriculum and then continue their

intellectual interests at Boston University, a major research institution.

A SCHOOL WITH A DIST INCT IVE

APPROACH TO education

Asmall, independent day school for highly motivated students in grades 9–12, Boston University

Academy thrives on a distinctive curriculum.Our classical foundation prompts students to

grapple with the challenging languages and ideas that have engaged some of the greatest minds

inWestern Civilization.Our university component, consisting of coursework at Boston

University, opens a world of educational possibilities and enables students to pursue their passions

at advanced levels.You could say that ours is an educational concept based in tradition, in a

school that is anything but traditional.

©Design:PeapodDesign,NewCanaan,Connecticut,Copywriting:LeslieVirostek

Photography:KalmanZabarsky,FrankCurran,AlbertL’Etoile,AllysonShifley’08

ONEPAGE

STUDENTS WHO ARE GAME FOR ANY

INTELLECTUAL challenge

The Academy’s student body is diverse, but our students tend to share certain characteristics.

They possess a willingness to tackle daunting challenges, whether it’s deciphering a passage of

Herodotus in the original Greek, voicing an opinion in a University English class taught by a

renowned scholar, or developing an intriguing idea on global warming into a 30-plus-page

senior thesis. It’s thus fitting that our Latin motto, Nil Doctis Arduum, is traditionally

translated as “Nothing Daunts a Scholar.” Spend a day at the Academy and you’ll see

how this sentiment truly captures our spirit.

PAGE THREE

I WANT TO BE WHERE LEARNING

HAS no upper limitsNil Doctis Arduum }

“THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE

CLASSES AT THE UNIVERSITY

IS EXCIT ING AND RARE, AS IS

THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN

UNDER SUCH A PASSIONATE

FACULTY AT THE ACADEMY. ”

FOURPAGE

Located at the heart of the Boston University campus,the Academy operates independently but draws upon the considerable material and human resources of the

University to create an ideal secondary school education for the most insatiable learners.We like to say that

we provide a “ceilingless” educational experience, one in which our students’ zeal for learning takes them as

far as they are capable.Our juniors and seniors feel confident in their academic preparation and capacity to

meet the demands of college-level work.Moreover,within the supportive framework of the Academy, the

University has been a part of their experience from the beginning.The Academy is most certainly their

home, but the University has gradually become their very own, familiar neighborhood.

seek knowledge

F IVEPAGE

KellyClass of 2009, KingstonPrevious School: Duxbury Middle School

Kelly, whose University courses include Chineseand biology, enjoys being on the Academy’screw team and Student Council. A figure skatersince the age of two, she spends time awayfrom school practicing and competing.

On Academy students: “This school is toughand to succeed here, you really have to possessa zest for knowledge. Not only do students herelove to learn, but also you feel like they haveyour back when you need help. Academystudents truly support each other in their dailystruggles and achievements.”

On the University component: “It not onlyacclimates you to a college atmosphere beforeactually being thrown into one, but the courseselection is endless. Honestly, you will neverbe bored here since there is alwayssomething more.”

challenge them to appreciate varying perspectives.The confidence that Academy students develop in theirideas and talents readies them for the rigors of Universitycoursework as juniors and seniors, yet they benefit fromconnecting with University resources from the very firstyear. Guided by Academy faculty, they visit Universityresearch laboratories with their science classes, utilize theUniversity’s Mugar Library of some 5.4 million volumes,and access University athletic facilities for physicaleducation and arts facilities for Academy performances.

INTELLECTUAL RESOURCESAcademy students have the unparalleled opportunityof learning from and working alongside talented andinvested historians, classicists, mathematicians, and scientists.Academy faculty include several award-winning humanitiesteachers, prize-winning writers, and a post-doctoralresearcher known for having students enact variousmolecular behaviors in class.Additionally, our students’educational experience is profoundly affected by theirinteractions with Boston University faculty members.Not only do these professors teach our students inUniversity courses, but they also work alongside ourstudents in laboratory internships and often speak atweekly all-school meetings.

SETTINGS FOR LEARNINGA high school with fewer than 200 students, theAcademy offers access to numerous cutting-edge sciencelaboratories, a 10,000-seat sports stadium, and over2,000 courses, including offerings in more than adozen modern languages.

The Academy thrives in a comfortable, self-contained,freestanding building designated for the exclusive useof our students.Within our nurturing walls,Academystudents engage in discussions in a small seminarenvironment and explore their interests in an inclusivecommunity. Students and faculty enjoy learning fromeach other’s insights and experiences.They trulyappreciate each person’s opinions and contributions.As a result of the size of the student body, a musicianis comfortable joining the fencing team, a roboticsmachinist is encouraged to audition for the schoolplay, and a soccer player identifies a connection withEmerson’s themes of self-reliance. It’s a setting wherestudents can pursue their passions as their classmates

I WANT TO learnFROM EVERYONE AROUND ME

S IXPAGE

Nil Doctis Arduum }

“I THINK THE BEST OPPORTUNITY

HAS BEEN THE CHANCE TO

INTERACT WITH ADULTS IN A

PLACE WHERE I AM RESPECTED

AND MY OPINIONS ARE

CONSIDERED IMPORTANT. ”

SEVENPAGE

GREAT DISCUSSIONS STARTWITH GREAT TEACHERSOne of the best things we can say about our gifted, dedi-cated teachers is that they are as excited about teaching asour students are about learning.They are teachers who don’tstop explaining just because the bell has rung, and who don’tstop answering questions just because the school day is over.Their extensive knowledge of, and genuine enthusiasm for,their subject matter is evident in the dynamic, electriclearning atmosphere they create in their classrooms.Theyexpect a great deal from students, and in return they happilydevote their energy, patience, and creativity toward fosteringstudents’ deep understanding of a topic.

Academy faculty are rarely at a loss for words.Yet, theirunderlying goal is always to draw out their students’ ideas,interpretations, and responses to the material.The Academyteacher’s job isn’t finished until students have developed thecapacity to craft informed, well-reasoned, verbal and writtenarguments.The Academy classroom experience is trulycentered on students and their growth as thinkers and people.

CURIOUS STUDENTSAcademy students are looking to make the most of everypossible learning opportunity.They see studying not as achore, but as an exciting challenge.They talk about classwork and concepts outside of class; they read widely andavidly in their eagerness to understand the world aroundthem, and they talk just as much. In taking college-levelcourses as high-schoolers, they aren’t trying to rushthrough their adolescence or be anything they’re not.Rather, they are comfortable with the vital, centralimportance of intellectual learning in their lives.

Dynamic teachers, diversely talented students.Boston University Academy is an intense place to learn, in part because there are so many passionate

people to learn from.We are a small, close-knit community that thrives on discussion, debate, and

the sharing of ideas and experiences. Being self-motivated and relishing collective, peer-to-peer, and

collaborative learning are not mutually exclusive here.We work hard, and enjoy the work and the

ever-present fellowship and support of teachers, classmates, teammates, and friends. interactmeaningfully

EIGHTPAGE

Whether they are making puns out of Greek words that soundamusing, reading up on Hittite history for fun, or putting mathto work in science and robotics competitions, our students arenot afraid to acknowledge their love of learning.

At the same time,Academy students have talents that liebeyond the academic realm. Our student body includes aconcert pianist, a competitive equestrian, a published artist,an award-winning filmmaker, a software developer, and aballerina from the Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker, to name afew. Our students celebrate each other’s successes, and theAcademy prides itself on being highly supportive of andaccommodating toward students’ outside pursuits.

While Academy students are quite accomplished in manyareas, they aren’t afraid to try new things.The opportunitiesfor leadership, service, and personal growth and developmentare numerous here.All of our students choose to be involvedin some combination of after-school sports, student clubs,and Academy-sponsored activities.

THE ACADEMY BY THE NUMBERSStudents

Total: 154Boys: 88 (57%); Girls: 66 (43%)Students of color: 25%Previous schools attended by BUA students:

41% public schools; 50% independent schools;6% parochial schools; 3% homeschooled

Average Class Size: 13Student to Teacher Ratio: 7:1

Faculty

Total: 21Men: 13;Women:8Faculty with Master’s degrees: 9Faculty with Doctorate degrees: 6

MichelaClass of 2010, CambridgePrevious School:Buckingham,Browne&Nichols

A soccer player and peer tutor, Michela likeslearning to tango and machining parts for therobotics team.

On loving science: “Mr. Garber’s hilarious andeccentric demonstrations were not the onlyreason I loved physics. I enjoyed how the courseincorporated math to explain how and why theworld works the way it does. My experiences onthe science and robotics teams solidified what Ilearned in class and pushed me to learn more.”

Best thing about the Academy? “The enthusiasmof the teachers. Every teacher, even if he doesnot have you as a student, is willing to help youwith homework, talk about class, or even giveyou a spontaneous 40-minute lecture on a topicof your interest and his mastery.”

Mr. GarberPhysics TeacherRobotics and ScienceTeams Advisor

Mr. Garber, who has done graduate-level researchon the biological applications of optics, likesteaching science that is not “watered down.”

On University resources: “One of my students isworking on an experiment on lobster matingpreferences. Her lab is down the street in thebiology research building. In between classes shecan go to the lab. It’s that easy. For me, fromborrowing expensive pieces of demonstrationequipment, to spontaneously going on a tour ofa research laboratory, to supervising studentresearch and interacting with professors doingcutting-edge research, every day can besomething exciting and new.”

Pedagogical methods you are famous for?“Nothing. There are rumors, however. Acinderblock smashed on my chest todemonstrate inertia… Rollerblading whileoscillating to demonstrate the wave equation…”

NINEPAGE

Nil Doctis Arduum } Demand a lotFROM ME EVERY DAY

“SCHOLARSHIP IS NOT SO

MUCH BEING LEARNED AS

KNOWING HOW TO LEARN. ”

TENPAGE

GRADES 9 AND 10:THE CLASSICAL FOUNDATIONBoston University Academy’s rigorous program of studies isclassically based in grades 9 and 10.As they make their waythrough the Academy curriculum, our students take coursesin traditional disciplines—English, mathematics, science, history,the visual and performing arts, and physical education.What’sunique here from the beginning, though, is the centrality ofclassical texts, ideas, and languages to what and how we learn.

Our approach to teaching the classical tradition prompts studentsto understand historical perspectives, to think critically, to delvedeeply, to master the use of primary texts, and to honeinterpretive powers. Importantly, this rigorous, unrelenting,extremely fruitful and satisfying mode of inquiry applies to ouracademic work across the board, whether the topic is lasers, themental state of Hamlet, the practical ramifications ofMachiavellian philosophy, or the finer points of Euclideangeometry.Teaching students how to learn—along with providinga solid foundation of knowledge—is the beauty of the classical

model.Asking questions to gain perspective and under-standing, as well as to gather evidence, becomes secondnature to our students, who also learn to develop carefullycrafted, well-argued written expressions of their ownthoughts and ideas. Engaged scholars, our students leavethe Academy with the capacity to become enlightened,thoughtful, intellectual citizens of society.

Our students are required to study two years of eitherLatin or ancient Greek, equipping them to read, in theoriginal language, some of the texts upon which ourcurriculum is based.This language study confers a richer,understanding of classical works, culture, and history.Many students are amazed by how much they end uploving Greek or Latin. Many are pleasantly surprised bythe extent to which studying ancient languages andcultures is relevant to understanding today’s complex andmulticultural world.

ELECTIVE COURSESAcademy “Short Courses” for grades 9 and 10round out students’ academic experiences and nicelycomplement the required curriculum. Wide-rangingexplorations on a variety of topics that vary from yearto year, Short Courses offer additional perspectiveson the topics studied in core classes and present theoption to enjoy interests in such areas as art history,engineering, philosophy, introductory programming,photography, and creative writing.

gain perspective

ELEVENPAGE

JonathanClass of 2009, LexingtonPrevious School: Diamond Middle School

Jonathan, who plays the violin in the Academy’sChamber Orchestra and the University’s All-CampusOrchestra, chose to pursue advanced Greek classesat the University.

On taking Greek: “As a prospective student, I haddoubts about the usefulness of learning a ‘dead’language, but I have no doubt now. Learning aclassical language opens up a whole world oftexts that you can appreciate on their own termsand not through somebody else’s interpretation.”

On how the Academy has changed him:“In middle school, I always disliked math andscience and assumed I would be a writer ormusician. Though my love of literature and musichas not diminished, BUA taught me to love mathand science and also introduced me to subjects Ihadn’t even been aware of, such as philosophy.”

Mr. BaiseFormer Director of Studies, EnglishTeacherAcademy Press Advisor

A published poet and essayist, Mr. Baise enjoysteaching The Great Gatsby, Huckleberry Finn,and students who expect a great deal fromtheir teachers.

On Academy students: “They are intelligent andtalented and yet respectful of their peers andtheir teachers. They’re also willing to take risks:to think in new ways, to attempt answers todifficult questions, to allow for the opinions ofothers to influence their own, to take collegecourses earlier than most high school students.”

On why he likes teaching the 9th grade litera-ture course: “Because the students are learning,usually for the first time, to read and writecritically, to participate meaningfully in adiscussion-based course, and, perhaps mostimportantly, to understand and appreciate thebroadening and often life-altering experiencethat literature can provide.”

STUDENT SUPPORTEach student benefits from the guidance, support, andadvocacy of a faculty advisor who knows him or her well.Monitoring both the academic and social progress of theiradvisees, faculty advisors meet weekly with their advisinggroups and are key contacts for parents. A full-time schoolcounselor is also available to offer support for learning stylesand other emotional needs, as well as assistance in thetransition to life at the Academy and at the University.Additionally, students and families work with two collegecounselors, who advise them not only in the college process,but also in University course selection and registration.

ALL-SCHOOL MEETINGEvery Thursday morning, Academy students and facultygather for a weekly community meeting. All-SchoolMeetings allow Academy faculty, Boston Universityprofessors, and guest speakers to speak on topicsthat either supplement or complement our corecurriculum. The topics of Chinese history, nanotechnology,and Athenian democracy—to name a few—have sparkeddiscussions and inspired independent learning.

PAGE TWELVE

GRADES 11 AND 12:THE UNIVERSITY COMPONENTIn the junior and senior years students continue to take coursesoffered by the Academy, and they also select courses fromBoston University’s undergraduate course catalogue. Hundredsof course offerings make it possible for students to build uponthe liberal arts foundation developed at the Academy and topursue their particular interests at advanced levels. Somestudents choose to try something new, such as internationalrelations or microeconomics. Others look to explore moredeeply a discipline or topic they already enjoy, such asquantitative analytical chemistry or readings in Shakespeare.

Academy coursework in the junior year includes study inAmerican history and literature as well as math, typicallycalculus. In the spring semester, juniors embark on their firstmajor research project at the Academy: the junior paper.This interdisciplinary research project allows students toexamine closely a work of American literature that they’vechosen in its historical context.

Students take as many as two University classes a semester ingrade 11 and as many as four in grade 12.Typically juniorsenroll in University biology, completing the science sequencethat began with physics and chemistry at the Academy, andtake a modern language. In taking University language courses,students often achieve in two years the equivalent of four yearsof high school language study. Most Academy students graduatewith proficiency in two languages, one classical and one modern.

AN OPPORTUNITY FORSCIENTIFIC RESEARCHJuniors with a special interest and solid aptitude in sciencemay enroll in the Academy Science and EngineeringResearch Program (ASERP), an elective science seminar.Weekly tours of Boston University’s science andengineering laboratories and the examination of currentscience periodicals give ASERP students insight intocutting-edge scientific research. By the end of the program,students spend more time in the laboratories where theywill ultimately fulfill summer internships.Through ASERP,our students have interned in Boston University labs inspace science, manufacturing engineering, nanotechnology,cognitive neuroscience, biology, and linguistics, amongothers, as well as labs connected to Harvard MedicalSchool and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.A SAMPLING OF UNIVERSITY COURSES

TAKEN BY ACADEMY STUDENTSAfrican American Religious HistoryAncient Greek: Plato and PaulAnthropology: Children and CultureClassics of Russian ProseChinese I–IVComputer SystemsHuman Nutrition ScienceHuman Infectious DiseasesIntroduction to Art HistoryIntroduction to Creative WritingModern PersianMultivariate CalculusOceanographyPrinciples of NeuroscienceSocial PsychologySpanish I–IVThe Solar SystemTudor England, 1485–1603

followyour passion

THIRTEENPAGE

ACADEMY SENIOR SEMINARSAlthough many of their courses take place at the University,seniors view the Academy as their educational home.Theymay stay connected to their favorite Academy teachers bytaking semester-long Senior Seminars.These elective coursesvary in topic from year to year and have included appliedmathematics and creative writing.

THE SENIOR THESISAll Academy students must complete an independentlyresearched senior thesis on a topic of their choosing.Thesistopics vary widely, and students often seek to explore linesof inquiry sparked by books or issues studied in Universitycourses or by laboratory work.A year-long project and aculminating experience, the thesis demonstrates students’ability to read closely, research thoroughly, think analytically,and write coherently in scholarly fashion. Students selectUniversity professors to serve as advisors to the project andmay be invited to defend the research before a committeeof the advisor and a member of the Academy faculty.

A SAMPLING OFSENIOR THESIS TOPICSVernacular Percussive Dance in AmericaThe Development of Nationalism in ArgentinaThe Study of Infertility by Analysis of Human

Ovarian FolliclesConcepts of the Afterlife in Christianity and IslamIntegrality of Binomial CoefficientsAnalysis of Stress in Free-Ranging BatsRalph Waldo Emerson:A Father in MourningThe Character of Kundry in Richard Wagner’s

Opera Parsifal

ATS Computer LanguageDecadence in Late 19th Century French Literature

Dr. JewellClassics TeacherYearbook Advisor

A teacher of both Greek and Latin, Dr. Jewelladores the poems of Catallus and Greek phrasesthat demonstrate the unique personality of thelanguage. She’s famous for urging her studentsto “Save the subjunctive!”

On her students: “They’re witty and fun to bearound. Furthermore, they keep me on my toes.It’s not enough to know the material well:you have to be able to anticipate and deal withquestions and new angles coming from students.”

On her colleagues: “The teachers aretremendously dedicated to their material,making sure they really know what’s going onand can communicate it and wrestle with it, andto their students, making sure that learning isabout asking key questions and struggling tofind answers, building confidence, and takingcharge of one’s own learning.”

SamanthaClass of 2009, BostonPrevious School: Rogers Middle School

Samantha, who wants to continue studyingGreek at the University, likes the fact that bothfaculty and students enjoy Academy eventsand activities.

Best thing about the Academy? “The atmospherethat the students, faculty, and staff create allowsyou to be yourself while learning. The students atBUA can be smart and be goofy at the same time.”

On opportunities at the Academy: “Theexperiments we do in chemistry or physics,the things we read in English, and the chance totake ancient Greek are not something normallyseen in schools. BUA gives you the chance to beexposed to a wide variety of learning. The collegecourses at BU that you can take during yoursenior year range from Arabic language classes toMulti-Variable Calculus, and that’s an opportunitythat any ordinary senior would not have.”

FOURTEENPAGE

A DAY IN THE lifeNil Doctis Arduum }

donotprint

Short Course: Introduction toPhilosophy with Dr. Davis

Hit the Academy lunchroom at the Student Unionto grab pizza or sushi withyour dining points

Arrive at BU CentralMBTA stop – first classstarts in 15 minutes

Compare the themes ofhospitality in Achebe’sand Homer’s workswith Mr. Gambone

Read selections of medievalLatin with Ms. Glenn

GRADE 9

GRADE 11

7:45 a.m.

Meet friends for breakfaston campus

10:25 a.m.

Japanese I at the University

11:00 a.m.

Set up the bake sale inAcademy lobby to fundraisefor upcoming ModelUnited Nations conference

9:15 a.m.

Calculus with Dr. Divacat the Academy

8:35 a.m.

Debate the causes of theCivil War with Dr. Hornin American History classat the Academy

Activity Block:Yearbook

Soccer game atBU’s Nickerson Field

Head home onthe MBTA train

Physics with Mr. Garber –test theories of momentumby rollerblading in the halls

Concentrate on figuredrawing project forVisualArts with Mrs. Cellucci

5:10 p.m.

Find a study space inMugar Library toresearch Sinclair’s Jungle

for the junior paper

1:10 p.m.

Activity Block:Science Team

2:30 p.m.

Catch a quick break inthe junior/senior room atthe Academy

12:45 p.m.

Biology 107 with ProfessorWaserman – analyze plantand soil content fromrecent field trip

3:50 p.m.

Spring musical rehearsal atBU College of Fine Arts

F IFTEENPAGE

WHAT CAN I

try next?Nil Doctis Arduum }

Student Council, semi-formal dances, a skiing excursion, a spring international trip…

Boston University Academy is truly where the Life of the Mind meets Life as a Teenager.

The Academy specializes in giving students the intellectual stimulation they crave, along with

the social, recreational, artistic, athletic, leadership, and personal growth opportunities they desire.

Academy students enjoy such traditional activities as the yearbook and prom.

Then again, our students get distinctive “BUA experiences,” for example a giant school-wide sleepover

called Lock-In (hey, most of our students feel like this is a second home anyway), a Homecoming

soccer game under the lights at Boston University’s Nickerson Field, and the hilarious “Talk Like

a Pirate Day” (very popularrrrrgh!).What matters here is that our students know how to balance

academic work with other activities, and approach everything they do with their characteristic spirit

of adventure.

S IXTEENPAGE

VISUAL ARTStudents often get their first taste of studio art through therequiredVisual Arts Foundation course.They may chooseto further their exploration of creative expression througha Short Course.Advanced StudioTechniques, a course fordedicated artists, explores mixed media, printmaking, andsculpture, and supports the development of students’own portfolios.

Art enthusiasts may also join the after-school Art Club. In aworkshop atmosphere, students develop independent proj-ects and receive guidance while completing projects relatedto classes.The club also provides opportunities for commu-nity-related art projects and excursions to local exhibits.

Arts at the AcademyThrough performing and visual arts courses in the academic curriculum and a variety of extracurricular

activities,Academy students gain an appreciation for the arts, enjoy collaborating with peers on creative

endeavors, and pursue their own artistic development. Students can explore their imaginative powers

through Academy and University coursework, Short Courses, and participation in Chamber Orchestra,

Gallery Hoppers,Art Club, Drama Club, Opera Club,A Capella Group, Chorus, and “BUA-stock,”

our own music festival for student bands and performers.show yourself

SEVENTEENPAGE

BetsyClass of 2010, BelmontPrevious School: Chenery Middle School

A member of the fencing team, Betsy also playsthe violin in the Academy’s Chamber Orchestra.

On Latin: “I enjoy Latin because translating apassage is similar to solving a puzzle, makingit more like math than people may assume.”

On the motto: “To me, the phrase ‘NothingDaunts a Scholar’ means that with knowledgeand an ability to think, you have the power todo anything that you want. One of the mostimportant things that BUA students learn ishow to think.”

Best thing about the Academy? “Beingintelligent, but also nice, is ‘cool.’ It’s a supportiveenvironment for learning, thinking, and creatingwhere you can learn a ton both inside theclassroom and in extracurricular activities.”

MUSICMusicians and singers have many opportunities to developtheir skills and perform at the Academy.Vocalists may jointhe Academy’s Choral Ensemble, which performs at theWinter and Spring Concerts, Commencement, and variousschool events. Students enjoy the use of practice roomsand concert halls at Boston University’s arts facilities.Instrumentalists may participate in the Chamber Orchestrathat performs at Academy concerts and recitals. Academystudents are also invited to audition for University musicgroups, such as the BU Community Orchestra, BU PepBand and Marching Band, and the BU Symphonic Chorusand Chapel Choir, as well as the Greater BostonYouthSymphony Orchestra in residence at the University.

DRAMAThe Academy’s year-long performing arts course introducesstudents to acting techniques,musical theater studies, dance,character development, and improvisation.The after-school dramagroup offers student theater enthusiasts an opportunity to practicetheir craft, both separately and in conjunction with course-relatedproductions.All students who are interested in theatricalperformance are welcome to audition for the Academy’s fallmusical, spring play, and annual senior-directed production.

Recent musicals and dramatic productions at the Academyhave included Godspell,Arcadia, Carousel, Pippin,My Fair

Lady, Urinetown, and The Crucible, all of which were re-hearsed and staged at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts.

EIGHTEENPAGE

be active

Athletics at the AcademyThe Academy offers a variety of interscholastic sports to satisfy athletes who are looking for a

competitive experience.Through the physical education requirement, the Academy also offers a

variety of recreational sports that foster a lifelong appreciation for the benefits of physical activity.

Student athletes benefit from the extraordinary athletic facilitiesand resources available through Boston University. For example,our crew teams receive instruction from BU varsity rowersand use the University’s DeWolfe Boathouse, while the tennisteam practices and competes at the University’s Track andTennis Center. For physical education, our students often usethe University’s Fitness and Recreation Center, which boaststwo pools, a jogging track, raquetball and squash courts,volleyball, basketball and badminton courts, a climbing wall,and a dance studio.

The Academy’s interscholastic teams compete in theMassachusetts Bay Independent League, the New EnglandPreparatory School Athletic Conference, and the Girls’Independent League. Despite the size of our student body,Academy teams are competitive within their leagues. Ourboys’ basketball team won back-to-back championships in2006 and 2007, and our fencing team sent two girls to the2007 Junior Olympics.

All students are encouraged, though not required, to participatein an after-school sport.Teams are open to all who want to join– there are no tryouts and experience is not necessary.

NINETEENPAGE

JohnClass of 2008, CambridgePrevious School:BostonArchdiocesan Choir School

A soccer and basketball player, John plays and singsin a rock band and researched Bob Dylan for hissenior thesis.

On why he chose Greek over Latin: “I tookit because it seemed so outlandish, only todiscover how indebted the modern world isto the culture and the language.”

On his peers: “Each student has at least one thingthat he is passionate about, and that makes for agreat exchange of ideas both in and out of class. Atthe same time, there is no sense of competition orone-upmanship to be found.”

The Academy is the kind of place where…“Lunchtime banter can go from Nietzche toCaesar to baseball to music and then back toNietzche, because it turns out he loved music.”

INTERSCHOLASTIC TEAMSBasketballCrewCross CountryFencingSoccer (coed)TennisUltimate Frisbee (coed)

RECREATIONAL SPORTS/PHYSICAL EDUCATIONBallroom Dancing SoftballIce Skating SwimmingMartial Arts Touch FootballRock Climbing VolleyballSailing (coed)

TWENTYPAGE

give of yourselfThe Academy’s assortment of clubs is always changing, asstudents start new organizations geared toward their specialinterests. Here’s a partial listing of student groups:

Academy Press

Admission Ambassadors and HostsArt ClubChamber EnsembleChorusEnvironmental ClubGay Straight AllianceJazz BandLiterary Magazine/Lit CaféMath ClubModel UNNerdly HobbiesOpera ClubPeer AdvisorsPeer TutorsRobotics TeamScience TeamStudent CouncilYearbook

SPOTLIGHT ON WRITINGCreative students of the literary or artistic persuasion jointogether to work on theYearbook, the Academy Press, or inthe development of the Literary Magazine and Literary Café.For the Literary Magazine, students function as members ofan editorial collective that solicits and selects works of art,fiction, poetry, and drama from their peers and prepares themfor publication. Public readings, music, and food are all featuredat the Lit Café, which celebrates student literary creativity atthe Academy.

Student Clubs and OrganizationsThe Academy organizes a large number of student clubs and organizations.The credit, of course,

belongs to our students who devote their energy and enthusiasm toward activities that excite them.

TWENTY-ONEPAGE

SPOTLIGHT ON ROBOTICSOne of the most popular extracurricular activities at theAcademy is the Robotics team. Each year the teamengineers and fabricates a robot designed to accomplish aspecific task, such as putting a Styrofoam ball into a goal ina game that is part-soccer, part-basketball.The team entersits robot, which may be as large as a refrigerator, in annuallocal, regional, and national competitions.The glory of havingsuccessfully met a number of complex design challengesis only half the fun. Most students say Robotics is aboutteamwork as much as engineering. Our well-establishedRobotics program, supported by the people and facilitiesof the BU College of Engineering, often mentors “rookie”teams from the area and has been recognized withsportsmanship awards for these efforts. Service in the nameof science and technology is also part of the team’s workto mentor kids from Boston and Cambridge public schoolsin local LEGO competitions.

COMMUNITY SERVICEKind and supportive of their peers, our students areexpected to be engaged citizens at the Academy, and arealso encouraged to be thoughtful members of the othercommunities to which they belong.Through the Academy’scommunity service requirement (20 hours per academicyear), our students make meaningful contributions asclassroom and after-school aides at local schools, as coachesfor children’s swimming and fencing teams, and as volunteersat community centers, museums, libraries, medical centers,and food pantries. Our students gain an appreciation forthe rewards of service to others, and many continue theirvolunteer work well beyond the Academy requirement.

CraigClass of 2008, SwampscottPrevious School: Cohen Hillel Academy

A member of the ultimate Frisbee team and captainof the Robotics team, Craig remembers building aLEGO Millennium Falcon when he was 10.

On loving science: “I’ve always tried to figureout how things work, and nothing is better thanphysics and chemistry and biology at pickingapart the universe. Then applying these facts withengineering, I enjoy building something fromnothing to create a better world.”

Best opportunity he’s had at the Academy?“Interning at a gastroenterology/hepatology lab atBrigham and Women’s Hospital that studies thefunction of START proteins. Also, the Academyhas allowed me to utilize the University’s librariesand other facilities. We use a room in the engineer-ing building for the Robotics team, and this pastyear we took our robot to Atlanta to compete inthe FIRST Robotics championship competition.”

KaanClass of 2009, BostonPrevious School:Noble & Greenough School

A peer advisor, soccer player, and member of theModel UN, Kaan enjoys volunteering for politicalcampaigns in his spare time.

On the workload at the Academy:“Though many of us complain about the heavyworkload or the difficult class material, the pointof these struggles is to absorb as much of theinformation as you can, and then use it in yourown life as much as possible.”

On what the Academy has done for him:“I think the best door it has opened is theopportunity to take college courses in my junioryear. That is the best way to prepare for college,and it will make the transition into college fromBUA an easier one.”

Best thing about BUA? “The teachers.”

TWENTY-TWOPAGE

Nil Doctis Arduum }

COLLEGE MATRICULATIONOver the last two years Academy studentshave enrolled in nearly 50 different colleges anduniversities, including:

Amherst College, Boston University,Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University,Case Western University, Cornell University,Dartmouth College, Duke University,Emory University, Harvard University,John Hopkins University,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,NewYork University, Princeton University,Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,Stanford University, Swarthmore College,University of Chicago,University of Massachusetts at Amherst,University of Pennsylvania, andWesleyan University.

THE world I S ALL BEFORE ME

TWENTY-THREEPAGE

The College Counseling Office provides practical assistancewith the college process. During the junior year our twocounselors meet individually with students and parentsand hold weekly group meetings to discuss college visits,interviews, applications, test plans, and financial aid andscholarships. In addition, the Academy hosts visits ofbetween 35 and 50 college representatives from the USand abroad. Support from college counselors continuesthroughout the senior year, as students complete theapplication process, prepare for interviews, and makeimportant decisions about which college is the best match.

As our matriculation list demonstrates, the nation’stop colleges and universities view our graduates aswell-prepared, highly qualified candidates for admission.

AN IDEAL TRANSITIONAcademy alumni begin undergraduate life at theircolleges or universities with some distinct advantages.One is that they are already on their way to fulfilling thebachelor’s degree requirements. Our students can enrollin as many as twelve college courses at Boston University,and typically a portion of these may be transferable at thediscretion of the college to which they matriculate.

Equally important, students benefit from the practicalpreparation they’ve gained at the Academy. Selecting andsigning up for courses, anticipating the workload and writingrequirements, interacting with professors in class and duringoffice hours—our students become well versed in negotiatingthese and so many other aspects of being a college student.Such experience makes for a smoother transition tocollege life.

The College ProcessHaving been exposed to college academics at Boston University,Academy students have a solid frame

of reference within which to consider typical college-search questions: Large university or small liberal

arts college? City campus or nonurban setting? As educated consumers approaching the college market,

our students have confidence that they are making informed decisions about where they would like to

further their education and have identified keen areas of academic interest.

AnnaClass of 2007, NewtonPrevious School: Brown Middle School

Matriculating at Barnard College, Anna was anactor and director in Academy dramaticproductions and sang in the A Capella groupand the chorus. She loves writing poetry.

On the Academy’s advantages: “I’m heading tocollege with something like six of my ninerequirements completed by the 12 classes I’vetaken at BU. I’m not worried about adjusting tothe academic side of college, because I’veexperienced it for the past three years.”

On Academy people: “The students are fun andkind, as well as academically motivated. Theteachers are invested, intelligent, and alwaysavailable, to the point that one of my bestfriends at school is my junior year Englishteacher. The adults respect the students andtake their opinions and efforts seriously, and thestudent atmosphere remains largely free ofcliques and competition.”

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As you can see, Boston University Academy students spana wide range of backgrounds and interests, but they sharetwo things in common: intellectual curiosity and caringabout others.While our students work hard in ourrigorous program, they also look out for each other, andso competition tends to be against one’s own standards.In addition to providing a small, nurturing Academy homefor the normal social and emotional needs of teenagers,we also have access to the breadth of a major researchuniversity with no ceiling to intellectual growth…acombination that can’t be beat!

Your potential at the Academy is enormous. Once you arewell grounded in our classically based tradition, the worldof University electives will open up with global topics that

spark your imagination.And though you might not feelready right now to write a senior thesis, for instance, by thetime you are a senior, you will find yourself trained up andeager to engage with a topic that excites you.

The best way to learn about the Academy is to come andexperience it, by scheduling an interview and tour, andvisiting us for a day of classes.Then you’ll really understandhow special the Academy is, with the energy of ideasbuzzing between smiling, interesting peers and brilliant,encouraging teachers. If you think of yourself as anaspiring scholar, you’ll fit right in, happy and undaunted.

James S. Berkman

TWENTY-FOUR

From the Head of School

Applying to the AcademyBoston University Academy welcomes students who havegenuine intellectual curiosity, a love of learning, and arespect for intellectual, social, and cultural diversity.Prospective students and their families are encouraged tovisit the Academy, participate in classes, and meet studentsand faculty to determine if our community is a match foryou and your family.

All students interested in enrolling at the Academy mustcomplete an application.The application process begins withthe interview, during which the prospective student andfamily meet with an admission representative as well as tour

the school with a current student. Prospective students mayalso spend the day and visit classes as a way to experience aday in the life of an Academy student.After the interview,prospective students must submit the Student Questionnairewith a graded school essay, recommendations from currentmath and English teachers, current school transcripts, andSSAT scores. Parents are also required to complete the FamilyQuestionnaire.All application materials are enclosed in thispacket and are due by January 31.

Families are invited to visit us at one of our fall Open Houseson November 1 or December 6.