2010 College Profile Information Sheet - The Miami Valley School

2 0 1 0 P R O F I L E F O R C O L L E G E S
The Miami Valley School • 5151 Denise Drive • Dayton, OH 45429
Tel: 937-434-4444 • Fax: 937-434-1033 • CEEB Code: 361833
www.mvschool.com
Peter B. Benedict II, Headmaster • Samuel Wagner V, Head of Upper School/College Counselor • Colin Dunnigan, Director of College Counseling
Katie McCallum, Registrar • Rachel Moulton, English Department Chair/College Counselor
The Miami Valley School, founded in 1964, is an independent,
coeducational, college-preparatory day school located in suburban
Washington Township, immediately south of Dayton, Ohio.
Governed by a Board of Trustees, the school enrolls students from
early childhood through grade 12.
MVS has a faculty and student body diverse in race, religion,
national origin, and socioeconomic status. Approximately
35 percent of students come from an ethnically-diverse background
and 36 percent of the student body receives merit-based or needbased
financial aid. Maintaining rigorous academic standards
through a selective admission process, 100 percent of graduating
seniors attend college, though occasionally a student, with
counseling assistance from the school, will choose to defer entrance
for one year.
M I S S I O N & C O R E V A L U E S
The Miami Valley School challenges young people of promise to
become self-sustaining learners and compassionate global citizens.
Five core values guide us in achieving our mission:
Excellence, Caring Community, Experiential Learning,
Celebration of Individual Gifts, and Character.
E N R O L L M E N T
189
100
141
19
Upper School (Senior Class: 49)
Middle School
Lower School
Early Childhood
449 Total
(representing 34 communities around the Greater Dayton region)
F A C U LT Y
18 full-time teaching faculty in the upper school, of whom 14 hold
master’s degrees and two hold doctoral degrees.
C L A S S R O O M I N S T R U C T I O N
All courses are college preparatory by design and content. The
average class size is 14 students; no single section contains more
than 20 students. Writing is required across the curriculum and
includes lab reports, journals, research papers, and formal essays.
The placement of students in courses is carefully monitored to
provide each student with the best opportunity to achieve personal
success while developing effective critical thinking skills. Several
courses are interdepartmental and are team taught.
I M M E R S I O N
Immersion, a four-week experiential learning program of intensive
study in a specified subject area, is required of all students enrolled
in grades nine through 12. All ninth grade students are enrolled
in the same program. For students in grades 10 through 12,
approximately 12 elective programmatic offerings are available each
year. Additionally, students may create individualized projects, such
as an independent study/internship or enroll in another institution
or program. Immersion offerings provide an exceptional in-depth
learning opportunity with most activities occurring off campus,
including overseas. Alumni frequently refer to Immersion as the
most influential and informative program of their MVS experience.
Examples of Immersion offerings from 2009 and 2010 include:
Immersion Programs
A Night on the Town: Visual, Performing, Culinary Arts
Criminal Justice
Habitat for Humanity: Southern U.S.
Marine Ecology & Bahamian Culture: Bahamas
Peruvian Adventure
Rock Climbing, Caving, and Relative Wind
Sports Management
Turkey: Anatolia Through the Ages
Individualized Projects
Automotive Industry: Manufacturing, Marketing, and Repair
Contemporary Media & Communication
Game Theory
Sports Medicine
Physician Shadowing & Observation of Surgery
A C A D E M I C C A L E N D A R
MVS operates on a trimester calendar. Each trimester is
approximately 10 weeks long, with trimester examinations in
November, February, and June. Mid-year reports requested by
colleges are mailed in late February following the completion of
the winter trimester. The Immersion program, lasting four weeks,
occurs between the winter and spring trimesters.
A C C R E D I TAT I O N
The Miami Valley School is accredited by the Independent School
Association of the Central States (ISACS) and is chartered as a
comprehensive college-preparatory school by the State of Ohio.
Memberships are held in CEED, CSEE, NACAC, NAIS, OACAC,
and OAIS.
The Miami Valley School does not discriminate on the basis of national or ethnic origin, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

C O U R S E O F F E R I N G S 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 1 1
A minimum of 20 credits is required for graduation. Students
are required to complete a minimum of five courses each term.
Minimum departmental graduation requirements for students
completing four years at MVS include:
E N G L I S H - 4 credits
NO AP COURSES OFFERED
English 9 (grade 9) Y
World Literature (grade 10) 2T
Speech (grade 10) T
American Authors (grade 11) 2T
Classical English Literature (grade 12) 2T
-Electives- (1 trimester course required each spring for grades 10-12)
Adventure Literature T
Fiction Writer’s Workshop T
Film Criticism T
Grammar and Writing Workshop T
Great Books T
Hit the Road T
Jazz Age Poetry T
Journalism T
Killer Book Club T
Law in Literature T
Literature of Protest & Rebellion T
Literature of the South T
Losers T
Memoirs T
Native American Literature T
Novel Into Film T
Seeds of Modern Drama T
The Bible as Literature T
Ulysses T
M AT H E M AT I C S - 3 credits
Algebra I Y
Algebra II, Algebra II Honors Y
Geometry, Geometry Honors Y
-Electives-
AP Calculus (AB & BC) Y
AP Statistics Y
Advanced Math Topics Y
Discrete Math T
Introduction to Computer Science T
Multivariable Calculus Y
Precalculus, Precalculus Honors Y
Problem Solving T
Puzzle Making T
W O R L D L A N G U A G E S - 2 credits
NO AP COURSES OFFERED
French I, II, III, IV, V Y
Latin I, II, III, IV, Advanced Latin Y
Mandarin I, II, III, IV Y
Spanish I, II, III, IV, V Y
S C I E N C E - 3 credits
Biology (formerly Biology: A Human Approach) Y
Biology Honors (formerly Biology: A Molecular Approach) Y
Chemistry, Chemistry Honors Y
Physics, Physics Honors Y
-Electives-
Anatomy & Physiology (series of three electives) T
AP Biology Y
AP Chemistry (offered every other year) Y
Astronomy T
Earth Origins T
Ecology T
Forensic Science T
Introduction to Engineering T
Introduction to Login and Circuitry T
Nutrition and Food Supply Science (formerly Let’s Eat) T
Survey of the Senses T
S O C I A L S C I E N C E - 3 credits
World Civilizations (grade 9) Y
American Government, AP U.S. Government & Politics (grade 10) 2T
Making of the Modern World (grade 10) T
American History, AP United States History (grade 11) Y
-Electives-
AP European History Y
Advanced Topics in Psychology T
Buddhism T
Civil War T
Comparative World Religions T
Cultural Anthropology T
Fromm T
Global Realities T
Guns, Germs, Steel, & Beyond T
History of Rock & Roll T
How to Think of Weird Things T
In the Footsteps of the Buddha T
Jewish People and Faith T
Macroeconomics, Microeconomics T
Technology, Entertainment, and Design T
The Power of Myth T
V I S U A L & P E R F O R M I N G A R T S - 1 credit
-Visual Arts-
Art History T
Art Now! T
Basic Carving T
Big Art T
Ceramics T
Contemporary Painting T
Figure Drawing T
Furniture is Art 2T
Glass: Beads and Beyond T
Graffiti Art T
It’s Not Dollhouse Furniture T
Me, Myself, and I T
Mosaics T
Printmaking T
Sculpture (Junk and Other) T
Visual Design T
Ukrainian Eggs T
Zen and the Art of Drawing T
-Music-
Jazz Ensemble T
Music Technology T
Music Theory I, II T
Choir T
Sound Sculpture T
O T H E R R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Community service (see explanation under Distinctive Programs)
Health (Required for all ninth grade students) T
Physical Education
Not all AP courses and electives are offered each year.
AP courses indicated by bold print Y - Year-long T - Trimester 2T - Two trimesters
For more information on each individual course, visit: http://www.mvschool.com/academics/upperschool/overview

E V A L U AT I O N A N D T E S T I N G
Rank In Class
MVS does not report the rank of its students because of its small
class sizes.
Grade Point Average
The GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale and includes only courses
taken at MVS. Grades for physical education are not calculated
into the GPA. Honors and Advanced Placement courses are not
weighted when calculating the GPA. Plus/minus designations on
the transcript are calculated in the GPA, resulting in rare instances
of a GPA exceeding 4.0.
Grading
Students receive two types of grades: an academic achievement
letter grade and a numerical effort/work habit mark.
Achievement Grades
A+ = 4.33 (100 - 97)
B+ = 3.33 (86 - 84)
C+ = 2.33 (76 - 74)
D+ = 1.33 (66-64)
U = 56 & below
A = 4.00 (96 - 91)
B = 3.00 (83 - 80)
C = 2.00 (73 - 70)
D = 1.00 (63 - 60)
Work Habits/Effort Marks
1 = Excellent, Exemplary, Inspired, Engaged
2 = Good, Expected, High Quality, Diligent
3 = Average, Nominal, Satisfactory, Adequate
4 = Deficient, Avoidant, Insufficient, Disingenuous
5 = Unsatisfactory, Damaging, Absent, Irresponsible
Advanced Placement Summary for 2007-2010
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Chinese
Comp. Science AB
English Lang. & Comp.
English Lit. & Comp.
Environmental Science
European History
French Language
U.S. Gov’t & Politics
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Physics B
Physics C E & M
Physics C Mech.
Psychology
Spanish Language
Statistics
U.S. History
Totals
AP Grade
D I S T I N C T I V E P R O G R A M S
A- = 3.67 (90-87)
B- = 2.67 (79 - 77)
C- = 1.67 (69 - 67)
D- = 0.67 (59 - 57)
5 4 3 2 1 Total % Passing
26 6 2
3 2 14 14 15
12 9 15 6 7
15 11 4 2 1
2
1
5 6 2 1
1
2 3 1
4 6 10 1
2 1 5 6
14 27 18 9
1
1 1
1
1 1
1 1
1 2 2
2 6 1
4 11 8 5 1
16 26 17 7 3
110 110 106 53 32
Service Learning
Service to school and community is an important component of
each student’s education. Annual internal and external service is
required of each student. A minimum of 80 hours of community
service is required for graduation.
Independent Study
Students may design and complete courses of study under the
auspices of a faculty advisor and faculty committee.
34
48
49
33
2
1
14
6
1
21
14
68
2
5
1
1
2
2
9
29
69
411
100%
39%
73%
90%
100%
100%
92%
83%
100%
95%
57%
86%
50%
20%
100%
100%
100%
100%
88%
79%
85%
79%
S TA N D A R D I Z E D T E S T I N G P R O F I L E
Class of 2010 - 37 students
SAT (34 test takers)
Section
Critical Thinking
Math
Writing
ACT (35 test takers)
Section
English
Math
Reading
Science
Composite
SAT Subject Tests (Class of 2010 & 2011)
Test
Biology - Ecology
Biology - Molecular
Chemistry
Chinese with Listening
English Literature
French
German with Listening
Latin
Math Level I
Math Level II
Modern Hebrew
Physics
Spanish
Spanish with Listening
U.S. History
Class of
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
Semifinalists
8
5
4
2
7
Mean
736
730
740
773
679
720
710
690
643
701
401
630
640
620
673
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying
AP Honors 2007-2009
AP Scholars
AP Scholars with Honor
AP Scholars with Distinction
Commended
4
4
6
2
10
Middle 50%
570-700
560-680
560-740
Middle 50%
26-33
23-29
26-33
23-31
25-31
26
11
13
Test Takers
5
9
11
3
12
1
1
1
4
27
1
4
2
1
28
Class Size
Students in their junior or senior years may choose to pursue a
course of study not available within the school curriculum. The
study may include college courses.
College Study
On occasion, a student may enroll in one or more courses at local
colleges—Sinclair Community College, University of Dayton,
Wright State University—under Ohio’s Postsecondary School
Enrollment Option (PSEO) for students in grades nine through 12.
49
37
49
44
55

C O L L E G E M AT R I C U L AT I O N S 2 0 0 6 - 2 0 1 0
Albion College
The Art Institute of Cincinnati
Ashbury College
Barnard College
Baylor University
Belmont University
Boston University
Bowling Green State University
Brown University
Butler University
California Polytechnic State
University, San Luis Obisbo
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Central State University
Centre College
Colgate University
College of Santa Fe
The College of Wooster
Columbia University
Columbus College of Art & Design
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Denison Unversity
DePauw University
Duke University
Earlham College
Elon University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University
Emerson College
Emory University
The Evergreen State College
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fashion Institute of Technology
Fisk University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Southern College
Franklin W. Olin College of
Engineering
Furman University
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
3
1
1
1
6
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
3
4
2
1
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
The George Washington University
Georgetown University
Grinnell College
Hanover College
Haverford College
High Point University
Hunter College of the CUNY
Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana University
Johns Hopkins University
Kalamazoo College
Kenyon College
Knox College
Lake Erie College
Lake Forest College
Lynn University
Marist College
Miami University
Miami University, Middletown
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
Muhlenberg College
New York University
Northeastern Ohio Universities
College of Medicine
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Nova Southeastern University
Oberlin College
The Ohio State University
Ohio University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Parsons The New School for Design
Pennsylvania State University
Pitzer College
Princeton University
Purdue University
Raffles Design Institute (China)
Rhodes College
Robert Morris University
Rollins College
3
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
3
1
1
4
1
1
2
1
1
7
3
1
4
1
1
3
1
2
3
3
13
5
1
1
1
2
1
2
3
1
2
1
1
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Saint Louis University
Salem College
School of Visual Arts
Spelman College
Syracuse University
Trinity University
Tulane University
University of Alabama
University of Arizona
Univeristy of California at Berkeley
University of California at
Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
College Conservatory
University of Colorado-Boulder
University of Dayton
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of Southern California
University of Toronto (Canada)
Vanderbilt University
Washington University in St. Louis
Webster University (Switzerland)
Wellesley College
Winthrop University
Wittenberg University
Wofford College
Wright State University
Xavier University
Yale University
Bold print indicates class of 2010
matriculation(s)
All state universities are the flagship state
university unless otherwise specified.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
13
1
1
10
1
2
2
2
1
4
1
1
4
1
1
2
1
3
1
7
2
1