By Claire Newfeld

Senior year at Tempe Prep is filled with many exciting activities: prom, senior trip, getting to lead Athletic Field Day, and of course, wearing red shirts on Fridays. But one thing most students dread is the senior thesis. To most students, the idea of reading multiple books, writing a 15- to 20-page paper, and then defending it in front of a group of faculty advisors is terrifying. However, the senior thesis is the capstone of the Tempe Prep experience. When completing their senior thesis, students will get to exhibit their love of learning, depth of inquiry, and sense of wonder that their teachers have tried so hard to instill in them.

So, what exactly is the process for writing a senior thesis? Every year, at the end of the third quarter, the teachers pair up and begin thinking of two to three books they may want to use for their thesis groups. The juniors are then presented with the list of books for each group and pick their top three group choices. The teachers for each group are not revealed, because the students should make their choices based on books they are interested in reading, not which teachers they would or would not like to work with. A maximum of six students are put in one thesis group. Generally, students get their first or second choices.

Over the summer, the students begin reading the assigned books for their group, plus one extra book of their choice that is part of the TPA curriculum. They also have the option, but are not required, to read another book that is not a part of the TPA curriculum. At least three meetings take place during senior year. The meetings last generally between one and three hours. During the meetings, the students and teachers discuss the texts and overarching ideas. However, if a student needs extra help or would like to further discuss ideas with an advisor, it is the student’s responsibility to make that contact. Individual meetings between a student and their advisor can take place throughout the entire senior thesis process.

The students then begin writing the outline for their papers, which is given to the advisors and their Humane Letters teacher. Once the advisors and Humane Letters teacher have approved it, the students start the writing process. The paper must include references to all three (or four) texts and may strictly be no less than 15 pages and no more than 20 pages. While this may seem outrageous to most students, they may be surprised when they actually begin writing. “If you really focus on exploring ideas instead of the length of the paper, you may discover that 20 pages is not enough,” says Mr. Veenstra, who leads a thesis group with Mr. Bolt. “Really allow the books to speak while you’re wrestling with an idea.”

Once the rough draft is complete, it is turned in to the advisors and the Humane Letters teacher. The Humane Letters teacher will look over the paper to make sure that the student is going in the right direction, while the advisors really look at the details of the thesis and are fairly critical. The final draft is due before the end of the third quarter, with significant consequences for not turning it in.

The final stage of the thesis process is the thesis defense. All members of the TPA community are welcome to come to any student’s thesis defense. The student will present their argument and ideas in front of a committee of faculty, who will proceed to discuss the text and big ideas with the student as a peer. Any leftover time is given to the audience to ask questions.

Finally, the faculty advisors evaluate the student on the entire senior thesis process. The students are given credit toward their Humane Letters grade and an individual credit for the senior thesis as a whole. There are four levels of evaluation. When evaluating, the teachers look at the entire process of the senior thesis. Was the student active in the meetings? Did they accurately analyze the text in their paper? Were they proactive about coming to the advisors for help? How did their senior defense go? All these questions and more are considered in the evaluation process.

The lowest result for the senior thesis process is a no pass. A student will receive this if significant effort was missing at some point in the process; for example, the student did not attend the meetings, or did not read one of the books. The next level is a low pass, which is given if the student met the requirements. A pass is the most frequently given credit, and is given if the student did fairly well with the thesis. Finally, a pass with excellence is given if the student went above and beyond somehow in the process.

Most people do not complete a thesis until graduate school and beyond. Why does Tempe Prep challenge its students to complete one in their senior year of high school? “It’s because we know you can do it,” says Mr. Veenstra. Many Tempe Prep graduates have said that because they have completed the senior thesis, they now feel more capable and ready to tackle college-level work. The senior thesis is also the capstone of the Tempe Prep curriculum. All the skills that students have been developing at TPA tie into the senior thesis, even ideas from science and mathematics classes.

If the senior thesis process seems overwhelming and stressful to you, don’t worry. Almost everyone begins the process absolutely dreading it. However, if you focus on exploring the texts and ideas, you will find the process enjoyable and enriching.