Academics

The world-class artistic training provided to SAB’s students is focused on preparing young people for professional careers in dance, therefore we do not offer academics within the School. Classes for our Prep and Children’s Divisions take place in the afternoon and evening, leaving students’ academic lives unaffected by their commitments to SAB. However, at the Intermediate and Advanced levels, students must balance more rigorous training with their academic commitments as their dance curriculum impedes their ability to have a traditional high school experience.

Despite the demands of training at this elite level, SAB has the responsibility to ensure that our students get a quality education that prepares them for today’s world. As such, the School has a robust set of academic resources, programs and policies that not only support our students but also embody an institutional value for education and academic pursuits.

SAB believes strongly in the importance of academic choice for families. The resources and partnerships we offer aim to accommodate a variety of educational philosophies and values, ensuring that the decision to train at SAB does not prohibit families from making the academic choices that are best for their students. All of SAB’s academic resources and partnerships are overseen by the Assistant Director of Student Life for Academic and Cultural Programs.

Academic Partnerships

SAB requires that all our students actively pursue and receive their high school diploma. To support this policy, the School has longstanding partnerships with two brick and mortar high schools, one public and one private, that cater to professional and pre-professional students.

The public-school option, Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS) is conveniently located in midtown, two subway stops from Lincoln Center. The private school, Professional Children’s School (PCS) is located a short walk from our campus.

Many families also choose to enroll their students in online or correspondence high school programs. And while SAB does not maintain a partnership with any particular program, online students are able to participate fully in any of the in-house academic resources and support systems we provide. Online programs are self-driven and require strong time management skills and parental oversight. As such, SAB requires that new residential students demonstrate a proven track record of success in online education at home before enrolling and moving into our residence hall.

Resources and Support

Our Assistant Director of Student Life for Academic and Cultural Programs is designated to support Intermediate and Advanced students academically. This staff member oversees the School’s relationships with both PPAS and PCS, liaising with their administrations to ensure our students’ unique needs are being met. This position also works with each school to adjust student schedules around rehearsals and oversees all of SAB’s in-house academic support such as tutoring, study hours, test proctoring and the SAT Prep class.

Additional programs are in place to support students once the school day has ended. Formalized tutoring in various subjects is available weekly in the residence hall for all Intermediate and Advanced students. For those who live in our residence hall, formalized evening study hours or study groups are an option to help them better utilize their evenings for academic work.

The SAB Honors Society allows the School’s artistic and administrative leaders to recognize and celebrate our students’ academic accomplishments. Inductions are held in the late spring to recognize Intermediate and Advanced students from PPAS, PCS and online schools with an overall G.P.A. of 3.75 or higher.

Higher Education

Many of our students have goals set for higher education which the School strongly supports. It is not uncommon for our most advanced students to take online college classes while finishing their studies at SAB and many of our students enroll in local colleges or universities once they have been professionally placed in a new city or state.

SAB Student Studying
Photo credit: Rosalie O’Connor

To help students explore higher education, SAB offers specialized programming in their junior and senior years. These programs aim to support students’ higher education goals and to demystify the college search and application process. In the junior academic year, programs focus on the varying types of colleges and universities, the Common Application, financing an education and understanding the FAFSA process. In the senior academic year, programs aide students as they explore institutions of interest, gather their application materials, write their personal essays and, eventually, apply to college.

Each year, SAB partners with the Princeton Review to host an SAT Prep Class in our residence hall. The class is open to all juniors in high school and financial aid is available to help offset the cost of the class.