Baltimore School for the Arts High

My goodness. Of course there are no sports, academic teams etc. It is an ARTS school. The xtra time aside from academics is spent on the student's art. Seems that you misunderstand what this school is all about.

an extraordinary school! Kids apply and audition to enter, are judged entirely on the strength of their artistic potential, not on grades. Once they are accepted they are helped to get where they need to be academically -- additional help, tutoring, guidance, etc. Of course it is expected that they will work hard. Those that don't work hard generally leave the school. But the rewards are tremendous. The environment is about talent, and support of it. No harrassment, no bullying, no violence.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a current freshman student and we LOVE BSA. It is definitely one of the best education based decisions that I have made for my son. I was afraid that BSA was far to focused on the arts and not enough on academics only to discover that I was WRONG. The advanced placement program is excellent and extremely challenging. The students are well behaved and help one another out a lot. They are like a family.
--Submitted by a parent

I went to school here and it was the best high school experience, based on my experience and what others have told me about regular academic high schools. All of the teachers are highly qualified and go beyond the call of duty for the students. Class sizes are small so everyone can reach their personal potential whether it be academic or in their arts field. Students are admitted based on their audition, including their excitement to learn, and their ambition and drive to succeed. It is not an "easy" school to go to, and there is a evaluation that you must pass at the end of every year in your art field, in order to go on to the next year. I would recommend this school for any student who is passionate about the arts, and who can make the commitment to working many long hours to develop their skills. This school is perfect preparation for college, when I went to my four-year school in the arts, it was a piece of cake and there was no adjustment period as I was used to 4 hr studio classes, and critiques. The teachers here don't baby you, and I think that's what helped me develop and learn the most. I appreciated it.
--Submitted by a student

This School is My Dream School, I Play Guitar I've Looked At Everything for this School and It's Just A Perfect school For Artists And i will be Auditioning
--Submitted by a student

BSA is definitely a fine arts school, but there is a very strong culture which continually promotes some students, giving other students only a minimal, if any, chance to be in the spotlight. Questions or concerns from parents are not well-received. It is interesting that extracurricular activities received a 4-star rating, when actually there are no such activities--no sports, no academic teams, no clubs of any kind. Any after-school activities involve the student's art, with participation mandatory in most instances.
--Submitted by a parent

As a recent graduate of this school, I can say with much confidence that BSfA is a very diverse school with excellent faculty. TWIGS students are admitted not because of the 'know who's who' philosophy, but because it's a great program. The faculty is committed to pulling the most out of the students, and rather than being offended, some people must realize that they are doing their jobs. This school has been one of the greatest experiences for me and I'm proud to be a graduate.
--Submitted by a student

The individual who posted below that admission to BSA is dependent on 'who you know' is either simply sadly misinformed or is engaging in 'sour grapes' behavior. BSA is a true meritocracy: the most qualified young artists are admitted via audition.
--Submitted by a parent

I have to disagree with the parent who thinks the audition is all about who you know. I have a child who got into BSA, but did not participate in TWIGS. As a public school employee I also work with many children who participate in TWIGS but did not get in. In fact, of the 10 children I know in TWIGS who applied to SFA, only two got in (for instrumental music). None of the actors got in and the rest of the musicians did not get in.
--Submitted by a parent

I am sure this is a great school but it is all about who you know. It is really not about the audition. They say that you do not have to have experience. That is not true. Most of the students that are in the Twiggs Program that they offer are admitted. For this school to be in a very ethnic community, the population of the school is not very diverse. The arrogance of the staff is unbelievable!
--Submitted by a parent