It is no secret that many high school courses are becoming just as rigorous (if not more so) as undergraduate college courses. This trend persists up the academic column, meaning undergraduate coursework difficulty is comparable to what it would have characterized graduate coursework not long ago. And, you guessed it, this extends into postgraduate work as well. This progress is beautiful but not without costs, the most expensive of which are time for a balanced approach to professional career fields and time to fully explore one's nascent interests. While we are thrilled (and impressed) to see students rise to meet the demands and challenges that mark a new generation, we are also keenly aware of the shortage of time - and the resulting imbalance - that often seeps into a student’s trajectory over the long run. This is where we come in. 

Four primary risks arise as a consequence modern academic pace: a shortage of time to “learn deeply and durably,” a lack of creative and critical thinking, a deficiency in early exploration, and missed opportunities for making cross-disciplinary connections. The BFA team has been intensely committed to acting as both leader and teammate in an effort to support students and institutions alike with a wide range of academic endeavors, from simply excelling on an exam to writing curricula and advising on theses and long-term projects. 

The benefit to our students is observed not only via measurable results - grades, test scores, merit scholarships and financial aid, and career paths - but also how they earn these merits and how they approach college, graduate school, and, ultimately, their careers.