Independent College Prep & Private High School in Omaha
Upper School: Grades 9-12 (Ages 14-18)
Program Overview
Brownell Talbot's Upper School offers one of the best independent college prep and private high school programs in Omaha, NE. It is designed to provide young people, ages 14-18, with a strong Omaha college preparatory school education. In addition to enabling academic excellence, it promotes lifelong study and work habits for continued success throughout college and career.
Our Upper School is home to a faculty with proven experience in classroom teaching, adolescent development, and strong parent communication. With small class sizes, a diverse number of instructional environments, and a whole-child approach to teen growth and development, Brownell Talbot takes great pride in honing skills that help develop capricious teenagers into respectable young adults and future leaders. Of our 17 full-time Upper School faculty members, 70% have advanced degrees. The average class size is 12.3 students, and the largest individual class is 21 students.
Students at BT are surrounded by peers who want to do well and are not afraid to put in the work. There is an intrinsic motivation throughout the Upper School community that encourages students to achieve new levels of success.
A Whole Student Focus
The ninth through twelfth grade curriculum at Brownell Talbot is multi-faceted due to the unique needs of modern day high school students. These include building skills for academic excellence, instilling study habits for collegiate success, encouraging hard work ethic for career satisfaction, as well as developing life skills, providing leadership opportunities, teaching goal-setting techniques, encouraging extracurricular participation, and using mindfulness for a healthy work-life balance.
Beliefs and Philosophy
No matter whether a BT student enters our community in Lower School, Middle School, or Upper School, they become part of the larger BT family. Friendships often become lifelong and our commitment to our students reflects this bond.
The Upper School curriculum is the capstone of a Brownell Talbot education, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes, outstanding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) experiences, 100+ hours of college counseling curriculum, and 100% matriculation to college and university level education.
Features and Differentiators
- Small class sizes (12:1 teacher-student ratio).
- Most rigorous college prep curriculum in Nebraska.
- 14 AP and five dual enrollment classes offered.
- 24 sports and activities to participate in.
- 100+ hours of college counseling curriculum.
- World-ranked, champion robotics team.
- World language oral proficiency requirement.
- Outstanding STEM experiences (inquiry based labs).
- House system (promotes school spirit & lifelong friendships).
- Malone Schools Online Network (nationwide college level seminars).
- On-demand access to grades, schedules & lesson plans.
- 1:1 technology program.
More About Our Omaha Private High School & College Prep Curriculum
Graduation Requirements
Upper School courses are taught at an advanced level, comparable to honors level. BT has the highest graduation requirements in the State of Nebraska. Students must complete a minimum of 250 credit hours.
Course Schedule and Credits
Brownell Talbot follows a five-day rotation in which on the first day of the rotation the students attend all eight periods. The other four days consist of 80-minute rotating block periods, four per day. Course credits are primarily determined by the frequency of classes during a six-day rotation. English, history, math, science, and world language courses are typically five credits per semester and upper level science courses with an extended lab (AP Chemistry and AP Biology) are six credits per semester.
Small Advanced Placement Courses (AP)
Nowhere is our small classroom environment as important as in our 14 Advanced Placement (AP) courses. With an average class size of just 12 students in the Upper School, you can be sure that your son or daughter is getting the attention they deserve when they need it most.
College Counseling
All students are enrolled in college counseling courses when they enter the eighth grade. By the time students graduate, the counselors have taught them for five years in formalized college counseling seminar courses. Each small group class meets 10-25 times per year, with topics ranging from personality profiles and college research to résumé writing and compiling a college list.
The House System
The House System is designed to encourage closer relationships between students of the House and the House dean (faculty sponsor), as well as increased school spirit across campus. Houses meet three times a week and are led by the House dean and House leader (upper class student). Brother and sister houses are paired together.
Points of Pride
The Points of Pride is a comprehensive character education program integrated into weekly chapel, House activities, and daily life. The Points of Pride are based on the principles that members of the Brownell Talbot family are respectful of self and others; honest; independent critical thinkers; ethical decision-makers; reflective, lifelong learners; and responsible citizens of our school, community, and country.
Malone Schools Online Network
Malone Schools Online Network is a consortium of college preparatory independent schools, each selected by the Malone Family Foundation to receive scholarship-endowment funding in recognition of success in educating gifted and talented students. MSON provides students, generally juniors and seniors, with a variety of superior virtual, real-time classes that enhance existing curriculum of each member school. Teachers for MSON have experience in independent school education and are experts in their fields. They share a commitment to excellence, small class sizes, and personal relationships. Participating students must demonstrate sufficient independence, commitment, and ability to succeed in a virtual discussion seminar setting.
Is BT Right for Your Teenager? Schedule a Visit.
Finding the right college preparatory high school in Omaha, NE, for your child can be a challenging task. At this age your child may need extra structure and a challenge to connect them with a specific passion or goal. We encourage all families to involve their children in selecting a new school, and invite you to tour our fantastic campus, or even be a “Raider for a Day,” paired up with a Student Ambassador. We take great pride in our students and our community and look forward to sharing them with you. We look forward to getting to know you and your student better in the near future.
Independent College Preparatory & Private High School in Omaha NE | Upper School at Brownell Talbot