Academic Profile
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2018-2019 |
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BUFFALO SEMINARY |
Helen L. Marlette, Head of School |
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205 Bidwell Parkway |
Molly O. Greene, Director of College Counseling |
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Buffalo, New York 14222 |
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(716) 885-6780 FAX (716) 885-6785
CEEB#: 330990
SCHOOL: Founded in 1851, Buffalo Seminary is a small, selective, independent, nonsectarian, day and boarding, college preparatory girls’ school. Enrollment in grades 9 through 12 is 183 (155 day, 28 boarding). 100% of graduates enroll in four-year colleges. 42% of the students receive need-based financial aid. There are 37 members of the teaching faculty. 70% hold degrees beyond a BA/BS. The student-teacher ratio is 5 to 1. SEM is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools and a member of The Association of Boarding Schools, The National Association of Independent Schools, The Small Boarding School Association, The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools and the One Schoolhouse Online School for Girls.
SCHOOL LIFE: Buffalo Seminary is dedicated to being a school where integrity, honesty, tolerance and concern for others are dominant forces. The Academic Honor Code requires each student to sign an Honor Pledge on all tests, papers, examinations, and designated homework assignments. Each student has a faculty advisor and at each grade level, there is a class dean who facilitates collective goal-setting, monitors class dynamics, and gives support to class officers. There is a variety of committees, clubs, and boards on which students gain leadership skills (including School Government Association, international and cultural awareness clubs, Mock Trial, Math Club, Science Club, Model UN, Writers’ Club, Book Club, Dance Club, Outdoors Club, Ski Club, Seminaria (yearbook), Community Service Board, SADD, GSA). Opportunities abound in drama (2 productions annually), vocal, and instrumental ensembles. The athletic program provides interscholastic competition in the following 14 sports: basketball, bowling, crew, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, indoor track, lacrosse, sailing, soccer, squash, swimming, and tennis.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM: Buffalo Seminary has the following requirements for graduation: English (4 years), History (3 years), Foreign Language (3 years), Mathematics (3 years), Science (3 years), a 4th year of either Math or Science, Fine Arts (2 years and 2 trimesters). It is the expectation that every Buffalo Seminary student contribute in a meaningful way to her community, both in and out of school and we provide numerous opportunities for community service through partner nonprofit organizations. We are on a trimester system. English electives, with the exception of AP English Language & Composition and Foundational Junior English, are open to juniors AND seniors.
CAPSTONE PROGRAM: The Class of 2019 is the second at SEM to complete a Capstone program. Before she graduates, each SEM student devotes herself to a self-directed project of her own design. Our Capstone scaffolding is begun in the freshman and sophomore years with research classes. Each SEM junior spends a trimester reflecting on her passions and talents, narrowing down her research question, and planning the details of her Capstone project, all under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team of faculty. As a senior, guided by a faculty mentor, she will complete and share her project, which includes an academic piece of writing and an artifact to be presented in an academic symposium (SEMposium).
ADVANCED PLACEMENT: It is Buffalo Seminary’s policy that the reporting of AP scores is left to the discretion of each senior, although she is required to take the exam if she is enrolled in an AP course. In May 2018, 61 SEM students sat for 116 exams in the following subjects: Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science A, English Lang. & Comp., English Lit. & Comp., French Lang. & Culture, Microeconomics, Physics C., Psychology, Spanish Lang. & Culture, Statistics, U.S. Gov. & Politics, U.S. History, and World History. Students earned a 3 or above on 76% of those tests. While there is no formal cap on how many AP courses a student can take, rarely does a student take more than three per year. Students must receive either teacher or department chair approval to enroll in an AP and/or honors course.
CLASS OF 2019: 43 students
COURSE DESIGNATIONS: AP (Advanced Placement); H (Honors) – Courses designed to provide more intensive study for students of superior ability and interest; No Letter Designation (Standard) – College preparatory course
COURSE OFFERINGS FOR SENIORS FOR THE 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR*:
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ENGLISH Autobiography (I, II) Conspiracy Literature (I, II, III) Hamlet Magical Realism in Literature Medieval Romance Modern and Contemporary Poetry Poetic Proclamations in Hip-Hop Queer Literature & Theory Reel Narrative Science Fiction & Progress Short Story |
MATH AP Calculus AB, BC (full year) AP Statistics (full year) Introduction to Calculus (full year) Financial Algebra (A, B, C) PreCalculus (full year)
HISTORY AP European History AP U.S. Government & Politics (two trimesters) The '60s in America Urban Studies World Today |
SCIENCE** AP Biology (full year) AP Chemistry (full year) AP Physics C: Mechanics (full year) Astronomy: Search for Alien Life Astronomy: Solar System Astronomy: Stars & Galaxies Introduction to Python Video Game Design
ONLINE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AP Psychology AP French Language AP Microeconomics AP Latin |
FOREIGN LANGUAGE AP Spanish Language (full year) Introduction, Intermediate, or Advanced Spanish/French (depending where a student is in requirement) (full year) Spanish: Afro-Latinos Spanish: l'Actualidad Spanish: Latino American Cinema French: Bon Appetit! French: Francophone Culture in Film French: L'Acutalite
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*classes are one trimester in length unless otherwise noted
**students cannot take both AP Chemistry and AP Biology because of a scheduling conflict
EXPLANATION OF GRADES:
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A+ = 100-97 |
B+ = 89-87 |
C+ = 79-77 |
D = 65-69 |
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A |
= 96-93 |
B = 86-83 |
C = 73-76 |
F = 64 and below |
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A |
= 92-90 |
B- = 80-82 |
C- = 70-72 |
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Students whose averages are 3.33 (B+) or greater (with no grade lower than C+) earn Merit Roll; whose averages are 3.67 (A-) or greater (with no grade lower than B) earn Honor Roll; and whose averages are 4.33 (with no grade lower than A-) earn High Honor Roll. Students are only awarded these honors at the end of the year based on their final grades. For this purpose alone, grade point averages are calculated on a 4-point scale, with added weight given to Honors and Advanced Placement courses. We do not provide a GPA to colleges.
FINAL JUNIOR YEAR GRADE DISTRIBUTION ACADEMIC COURSES (*Unweighted*):
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A+ |
A |
A- |
B+ |
B |
B- |
C+ |
C |
C- |
D or below |
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English* |
33 |
30 |
23 |
13 |
7 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
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Math |
7 |
11 |
10 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
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History |
1 |
16 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Science |
2 |
16 |
9 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Foreign Language |
0 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
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*final trimester grades, not final year grades
STANDARDIZED TESTING CLASS OF 2019
SAT Subject Test
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Mid 50% |
Mean |
Students tested |
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Biology - Ecology |
610 - 670 |
640 |
2 |
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Biology - Molecular |
530 - 570 |
583 |
7 |
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Chemistry |
600 - 670 |
668 |
4 |
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English Literature |
650 - 730 |
690 |
2 |
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Math Level I |
690 - 690 |
690 |
1 |
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Math Level II |
660 - 720 |
700 |
3 |
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Spanish |
570 - 570 |
570 |
1 |
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U.S. History |
620 - 690 |
655 |
2 |
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World History |
500 - 640 |
570 |
2 |
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SAT Reasoning Test through the December 2018 test
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Mid 50% |
Mean |
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Evidence-based Reading & Writing |
590 - 700 |
638 |
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Math |
540 - 700 |
622 |
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TOTAL |
1150-1370 |
1260 |
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Mid 50% |
Mean |
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Composite |
24-29 |
26.4 |
ACT Test through the October 2018 test 
2014-2018 COLLEGE MATRICULATION:
University of Alabama
Allegheny College
American University
Amherst College
Assumption College
Babson College
Belmont University
Binghamton University (SUNY)
Boston College
Boston University
Brown University
University at Buffalo (SUNY)
University of California
Davis
Los Angeles
San Diego
Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz
California Institute of Technology
Canisius College
Case Western Reserve University
Clarkson University
Colgate University
College of Charleston
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
CUNY
Baruch
Daemen College
Davidson University
University of Dayton
Denison University
DePaul University
Drexel University
Duke University
Duquesne University
D’Youville College
Eckerd College
Emory University
Fairfield University
The University of Findlay
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
The George Washington University
Georgetown University
Gettysburg College
Goucher College
Hampshire College
Hampton University
Hawaii Pacific University
High Point University
Hilbert College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Houghton College
Howard University
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Indiana University
Bloomington
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Ithaca College
Jacksonville University
John Carroll University
Johns Hopkins University
Kent State University
Kenyon College
LIM College
Lafayette College
Lincoln University
Long Island University
Loyola University Chicago
Maryland Institute College of Art
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Medaille College
Mercyhurst University
University of Miami
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
Mount Holyoke College
Nazareth College
University of New Hampshire
New York University
Niagara University
Northeastern University
University of Notre Dame
Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Ohio Wesleyan University
University of Oregon
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University
University of Pittsburgh
Pratt Institute
Queens University (Canada)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
University of Rochester
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Rutgers University
University of San Francisco
Sarah Lawrence
Savannah College of Art and Design
Simmons College
Skidmore College
St. Edward’s University
St. John Fisher College
St. Lawrence University
Suffolk University
SUNY Alfred State College
SUNY Buffalo State College
SUNY Canton
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Oswego
SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Purchase
Syracuse University
United States Military Academy
The University of the Arts
University of Tampa
University of Toronto (Canada)
Tufts University
Utica College
University of Vermont
Washington College
University of Wisconsin
Madison
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xavier University (OH)
Yale University