Frequently Asked Questions
We're sure you have questions! Here are some answers.
We're sure you have questions! Here are some answers.
Absolutely! Please reach out to us at any time. We would love to answer any questions you have before applying.
We're a great fit for curious, self-motivated students who are excited about building things, solving problems, and thinking deeply. Many of our students are gifted or twice-exceptional and thrive in an environment where they have autonomy, structure, and purpose. Students do not need a formal giftedness assessment to join Barefoot Technology Academy.
AdmissionsYes. Students are expected to engage consistently in live classes, mentorship, collaborative work, and independent projects. The weekly schedule is flexible but structured to support deep, sustained learning.
ScheduleYes. We welcome international students. However, our live classes and mentorship meetings are scheduled based on U.S. time zones, so students must be available during those hours.
We expect incoming students to have basic familiarity with at least one programming language, but they don't need to be advanced. We'll help them build from where they are.
Students must have access to a laptop or desktop computer capable of running tools like Unity, Python, or web development environments. Chromebooks and tablets are not suitable. They'll also need a webcam, microphone, and reliable internet connection.
We do not require or consider test scores in admission. Each applicant is evaluated individually based on their written application, portfolio, and interview.
If you are particularly concerned about test scores, we recommend taking a practice PSAT 8/9 test. While we do not have a minimum score, students who achieve a Nationally Representative Percentile above 90 are most likely to thrive here.
However, standardized tests do not reflect every kind of intelligence, and many gifted students - especially those with test anxiety, test aversion, or neurodiverse profiles - demonstrate their strengths more authentically through their portfolio.
In 2026, we will have a student-teacher ratio of no more than 8:1. In future years, we will never exceed a 12:1 ratio.
Our model is built around what colleges are increasingly looking for: students who can think critically, work independently, and show evidence of authentic learning beyond the classroom.
Students prepare a large portfolio of real, interdisciplinary work that demonstrates mastery across a range of skills and topics. Similar mastery transcripts have been accepted by over 700 top universities around the world, including all the Ivy Leagues and almost every school in the U.S. News Top 50 Universities list.
Students also work one-on-one with mentors to identify their goals, develop their interests, and prepare for next steps, whether that's selective colleges, entrepreneurial ventures, internships, or research opportunities. We provide guidance on standardized testing, independent AP or dual-enrollment options, and college application planning, but our core focus is helping each student develop a record of meaningful work that stands out in college admissions, job applications and in the real world.
Graduation Requirements CompetenciesColleges value students who can demonstrate initiative, creativity, and depth. Our graduates present strong portfolios and letters from mentors, which stand out in the admissions process.
Yes. Math, science, and the humanities are woven into our projects and discussions. Instead of siloed classes, students learn these subjects in context, applying them to problems and creations that matter to them.
Through the Core Curriculum, students learn skills, philosophy and literature; and through projects, students learn interdisciplinary content.
Core Curriculum ProjectsWe have a general policy that we don't teach things that are available for free online. This means we don't actively teach content like algebra, US history, etc. However, students still learn these things, usually through coming across an issue in a project that they don't know how to solve, and then filling in the gaps in their knowledge.
This is called "Just in Time" learning, as opposed to "Just in Case" learning, where students learn lots of content out of context. By learning through projects, students explore a wide variety of concepts and learn what they need to know at the time they need to know it.
Say, for example, a student is doing a project on architecture and decides to build a scale model of a building. They need a lot of content knowledge in order to do that. So they realize they don't know how to calculate the length of the hypotenuse, go to a site like Khan Academy and learn some geometry, and then immediately apply it. Students have access to staff and peers for help directing their explorations.
Core Curriculum Projects Just in TimeStudents are learn a variety of technologies, including coding languages like Python, C#, Wolfram Language/Mathematica, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, and software such as Unity, GitHub, Blender and Figma.
No. We use a mastery-based system where students demonstrate progress through projects, reflections, and portfolio artifacts. Feedback is qualitative, specific, and focused on growth.
Instead of an A - F grade based on performance, students submit reflections for each competency they apply in a project. They are given a score on each competency they apply. A score of 1 represents basic high school level work and an emerging competency, 2 represents good high school level work and a developing competency. A score of 3 represents advanced high school level work and proficiency in the competency, and a score above 4 represents undergraduate level work and mastery of the competency.
Students are held to high academic standards and are expected to work at an undergraduate level by the end of their time at Barefoot Technology Academy.
CompetenciesYou can find the competencies we work towards on the competencies page.
The competencies were developed in conjunction with a group of industry and education experts, and adapted from the Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education from The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU). We also took inspiration from OneStone's Growth Transcript, the Great Schools Partnership, and PBLWorks.
Throughout the development process, we've consulted with young people, parents, university professors, and professionals to ensure our students are getting what they need for both their own growth and to be ready for the wider world.
Success is not about test scores or letter grades. We measure growth through mastery of skills, depth of projects, and development of habits like curiosity, resilience, and initiative. Students graduate with portfolios that showcase who they are and what they can do.
Projects are student-driven, based on personal passions, and guided by mentors to ensure that students gain a deep and broad academic experience. The balance ensures that they develop core knowledge while also pursuing what excites them.
ProjectsGraduates leave with a portfolio of advanced, interdisciplinary work and strong mentorship relationships. Our students will go on to pursue college, internships, research, entrepreneurship, and other self-directed learning opportunities aligned with their interests and goals.
ProjectsWe partner with a wide variety of organizations for accreditation, curriculum, awards, technologies and opportunities.
For example, we currently partner with:
We are constantly expanding our partnerships to provide amazing opportunities for students.
Most days have around four hours scheduled for live classes, mentoring, and collaborative work. The rest of the time is spent on independent projects, reading, or offline exploration. Our goal is balance, not endless screen time.
ScheduleWe build strong peer communities through small cohorts, group projects, interest-based clubs, and casual online meetups. Many students also pursue local extracurriculars, sports, or volunteering in their own communities.
Social LifeWe specialize in working with twice-exceptional students. Every student has a weekly 1:1 meeting to customize their learning routines, navigate executive function challenges, and build on their strengths. We also work closely with parents to ensure consistent support.
Many of our students come to us after difficult school experiences. Our small-group model, flexible structure, and mentoring relationships are designed to provide a safe space for recovery, growth, and re-engagement with learning.
Our program is primarily online, but students attend our two-and-a-half-week summer program in August. We also connect geographically close students for regional meet-ups.
Yes. Parents are important partners in a student's learning. You'll meet your child's mentor during the first few days of school and can communicate regularly throughout the year as needed.
Good question! We can't, and don't, offer sports online. However, as part of the graduation requirements, students need to get parental sign-off on 3 hours of physical activity per school week. This can be in any format - team sports, exercise classes, or individual activities such as walking or biking.
Students are encouraged to incorporate art/music/theater/dance/creative writing/design into their projects, and must achieve mastery in Communication and Creative Thinking. They can also choose to focus on Art, Design & Production as an Advanced Competency, which would require them to create an artistic portfolio in their preferred art form.
All students take part in the annual creative showcase, which is student-curated. This may involve a talent show type event, putting on a theater production together, or similar.
We don't offer language instruction, but students must demonstrate proficiency in a world language not spoken in their home, or significant cultural proficiency in a specific culture or set of cultures.
Graduation Requirements CompetenciesThe first cohort will join Barefoot Technology Academy in August 2026. The first day of class will be August 24, 2026.
This depends on a lot of factors. We will open in 2026 as long as we have three students. We will not accept more than twelve students to the Founding Cohort. We estimate that we will have between three and eight students in our first year.
In the unlikely event that we don't hit our minimum enrollment for 2026, you will receive a full refund, including the non-refundable deposit. We will make this decision before July 1. If you choose to enroll in 2027, you will be automatically accepted into the program without having to re-do the application process.
No. Even if we raise tuition in future years, the Founding Cohort's tuition will remain the same for each year they are enrolled.
Yes. We will accept students aged 13-16 on August 23rd, 2026 to the Founding Cohort. Students need to be ready to enter 9th, 10th or 11th grade.
Barefoot Technology Academy will serve students up to 18.
We are in the process of receiving accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and we anticipate gaining full accreditation during the 2026-27 school year.
We are working closely with WASC to ensure that our curriculum and structure is rigorous and suitable for accreditation from the very beginning.
We also follow the National Standards for Quality Online Learning to ensure that our curriculum and provision is of the highest standard.
Absolutely! Please reach out to us or book a meeting at any time. We would love to answer any questions you have before applying.
Yes, and we're always grateful for donations. Please reach out to us to set up one-time donations to the scholarship fund.
We are a for-profit organization, and so donations are not tax-deductible. We have a restricted-use fund, and we sign a Donor Restriction Agreement with the donor to promise that any money will only ever go towards funding tuition for students in need.
We are happy to discuss named scholarships and conditions for your donation. For example, you may want to offer a scholarship named after your family, and receive annual updates from the student who receives your fund.
We do! Anyone can buy our merchandise through our Threadless store. We have t-shirts, hoodies, kids' items, hats, mugs, stickers, magnets, and more (there's even a skateboard)!
We receive 10% of the sales price from Threadless, and 100% of that goes towards our scholarship fund.
We have special designs for families, supporters, and the Founding Cohort, and traditional designs for everyone.
