We recently hired an independent consulting firm to survey current parents, current students, recent graduates, and college admissions officers, about their perceptions of Brownell-Talbot School.

Current Parents

The most common benefits cited by current parents included:

• Preparation for college. One hundred percent of graduates go on to college, often with substantial merit scholarships. Graduates report being better prepared for the rigors of college life than their peers.
• Strong writing and communication skills. These are among the top indicators of success in college and career.
• The quality of belonging to an extended family - a sense of partnership. Parents establish supportive relationships with other parents, administrators, and teachers. Students enjoy the role-modeling and cross-age opportunities of a school serving preschool through grade 12.
• Sense of self-worth. The School does a good job of developing sense of self. Self-worth is important because it enables kids to be confident and to make informed decisions in the face of peer pressure.
• Sense of capability, focus, and responsibility. Students know they are capable enough to accept new challenges. Organization, time-management, and study skills help them get the most from life. Everyone works hard, and it's cool to be smart.
• A non-parochial approach to ethical, moral, and spiritual values. Students interact with a more diverse group than the general population, providing more opportunities for learning tolerance and respect.
• Peace of mind. Students are surrounded by positive peers so there is less chance for negative influences. It's a positive and caring community.
• Breadth of experience. Kids can be involved in sports and a broad range of other activities.
• Child's satisfaction in school. Across the board - academically, socially, and in extracurricular activity - students feel welcome, happy, engaged, and challenged.
• Size. Students may want the promise of a larger social life at a much bigger school but, at this age, academics come first. No matter the size of the school, kids are going to have the same number of close friends.

Focus Groups Consisting of Current 8th and 12th Grade Students

The benefits students mentioned included:

• Being able to excel in everything; not getting pigeonholed.
• Being able to participate in a wide range of activities.
• Being around other kids who want to be here.
• Having teachers and friends who, if they see you slipping, help you get back on track.
• Being themselves.
• Providing a shy student the comfort level to be more outgoing.
• Establishing lifelong friendships.
• Sitting down as a group to talk about things, helping each other with character issues.
• Having friends across all the grades.

Alumni currently in undergraduate or graduate school

The benefits cited by recent alumni included:

• Gaining confidence in abilities, both academic and non-academic.
• Developing a strong work ethic.
• Communicating more effectively with professors.
• Taking challenging or difficult courses with confidence.
• Becoming more outgoing and caring.
• Helping become more creative, focused on academics, and motivated to explore interests.

College Admissions Officers

College admissions officers from Princeton, Boston College, St. Louis University, Colgate, Creighton, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Texas Christian University noted that Brownell-Talbot graduates (in order of frequency mentioned):

1) Are well spoken, excellent writers.

2) Are focused on academics, but not single-minded.

3) Have clear goals in focus.

4) Are well mannered, prepared, respectful, and good all-around.

5) Ask high-level questions and understand the college admissions process.

6) Have an ethical edge.

7) Are persistent achievers.

When these officers were asked to compare Brownell-Talbot graduates to graduates of other Omaha area schools, they used phrases like "one of the best, if not the best," and "outstrips other public and private schools in Omaha." The officers cited the School's intensive writing requirement, our faculty reputation and curriculum, and our strictly guided college preparation and highly-rated Advanced Placement (AP) success. They also noted that our students receive more one-to-one attention and mentoring from adults.

Facts You Should Know About Brownell-Talbot School

Faculty

• 50% of full-time faculty members hold advanced degrees.
• 69% of faculty have 10 or more years of teaching experience.
• 35% of faculty have taught at Brownell-Talbot for 10 or more years.
• 19 of 45 full-time faculty members have received national or regional recognition for teacher excellence and have trained other teachers.

Students

• The 33 members of the Class of 2009 received academic scholarship offers totaling approximately $1.4 million.
• College counseling begins in grade eight and continues through grade 12.
• The 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 speech teams won the Pioneer Conference Championship, the District Championship, and the State Championship.
• The mean ACT score for the Class of 2007 was 27, higher than any district in the Omaha area. The national average is 20.9, and the Nebraska average is 21.8.
• Five members of the Class of 2009 received recognition from the National Merit program  four  as semifinalists and one as a commended scholar. This represents 15 percent of the class. Two went on to become finalists and receive scholarships.
• 27% of students identify themselves as non-Caucasian. In the Omaha area, only 15% of the population identifies as non-Caucasian.
• Over the last five years, an average of 50% of students in grade seven qualified for the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP). Duke TIP focuses on the identification, recognition, and support of high-ability seventh graders. These students take college entrance exams alongside high school students as an opportunity to learn more about their abilities.
• 100% of students in preschool through grade 12 study or have studied a foreign language. Brownell-Talbot is unique in that it requires foreign language throughout the students' school experience.
• Students enjoy an 8:1 ratio to teachers.
• The student-to-computer ratio is 2:1.