SMOA Outstanding Student Ginnie: SMOA Helped Me Improve My Academic Background and Realize My Dream of UCLA
Ginnie, a 12th grader from the charming metropolis of Shanghai who attends a private high school in Philadelphia, USA, never imagined that she would be unable to return to the United States to attend classes after her summer vacation in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19. However, she is a cheerful and optimistic person, and in the process of searching for a suitable online program in China, she was introduced to St. Mary’s Online Academy (SMOA) by her classmates at the same school.
Upon learning more about St. Mary’s Online Academy, Ginnie learned that St. Mary’s Online Academy is a time-zone free U.S. high school online program launched by St. Mary’s School, a century-old famous school in the U.S., for the Asia-Pacific region. Because of St. Mary’s School’s endorsement as a “big IP”, Ginnie and her family felt reliable and at ease, and made a firm choice. Looking back after one semester, the “understanding” SMOA brought Ginnie too many unexpected surprises and gains.
Offer
- UCLA (2021 U.S. News #20)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (2021 U.S. News #30)
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2021 U.S. News Ranking #47)
Why is the SMOA “understanding”?
1. Rich AP courses, flexible and friendly course selection, convenient exams
Ginnie’s original U.S. high school had almost severe restrictions on course selection. Not only did she have to choose courses in the order of regular, honors, and AP, but only AP subjects taken at her school were allowed to be tested at her school, making it impossible for her to take a satisfactory AP course in 11th grade. Instead, SMOA offers 20 AP courses for students to freely choose from, which Ginnie is excited about.
“SMOA cares more about students’ ideas and needs, and I was able to choose AP Chemistry, AP Psychology, and AP Human Geography, which I had long desired, as well as the regular courses Financial Math and Creative Writing, which are relevant to my college aspirations; In addition SMOA offers a wealth of resources for AP exams, and even self-study AP courses can be enrolled here to take the exams, which was unimaginable at my previous U.S. high school.”
2. Project-based learning explorations that firmly capture the essence of American education
After moving from an American high school to SMOA, Ginnie’s biggest impression is that SMOA’s foreign teachers are more open and flexible in their teaching mode, and there are many project-based learning experiences, which makes the courses significantly more interesting and the desire for independent exploration stronger. In AP Psychology, for example, when it comes to the boring knowledge of ancient psychology, the teacher will ask the students to create WeChat or Facebook accounts for ancient psychologists and simulate how they would share their views and ideas through these social accounts.
The format of the program is in line with the students’ interests, while the inner part of the program is to master the knowledge of ancient psychology. Ginnie believes that this is in fact very suitable for the concepts and goals of American education, and that SMOA’s brand of “Authentic American Education” is indeed genuine and deserved.
3. Learning coaches provide all-around support and care, so you can learn without worry.
It is inevitable to be a little nervous and apprehensive when trying an online course for the first time, but SMOA is very different and considerate in that each student is equipped with a one-on-one professional bilingual learning coach, whose services can be said to have permeated every step of the process, from familiarizing oneself with the platform of the class, communicating with the foreign teacher, to choosing courses and applying to universities.
For example, when the foreign teacher did not leave enough time to review the homework and exams, Ginnie gave feedback to her learning coach, who communicated and coordinated with the teacher at the first time, and the teacher quickly made improvements and provided students with individual Q&A time, which greatly enhanced the learning efficiency. And like the usual occasional network delay lag, forgetting to attend class and other issues, the learning coach is also all-around. With the companionship and support of the learning coach, Ginnie said she had no more worries and was able to devote herself to her studies without any distractions.
What surprises and rewards SMOA brings
1. Significantly improved GPA, successfully enrolled in a top U.S. university
Ginnie’s GPA was 4.23 when she was in 11th grade at her high school in the U.S. After joining SMOA, her GPA has seen a qualitative improvement, reaching 4.5, and her AP course experience has greatly enhanced her academic background.
Such a score has actually made many people envious, and she has applied to a number of Top 30 outstanding universities, including Washington University in St. Louis, UCLA, etc. She hopes that through her efforts in these years she can apply to her ideal university.
2. Self-discipline and self-reliance, a new learning experience in online courses
While many of her American high school classmates are still suffering from jet lag, Ginnie has already planned a good routine and study habits to maintain her self-discipline and self-reliance in order to be in a better state for her classes. For example, for the first class that starts at 8:50 a.m., she wakes up at 8:20 a.m., washes up, and eats breakfast, so that she can have a clear and excited brain to be fully engaged in the class.
In addition, SMOA pays great attention to student participation in class, which makes Ginnie, who already likes to speak and interact, “a fish out of water”, not only actively answering questions, but also interacting with the teacher and classmates through the chat box of the class software, making every class a great success.
3. Be in the company of the best and gain valuable friendships and growth
Although SMOA students come from all over the world, Ginnie has found that there are “hidden tigers and hidden dragons” here, and that the students who attend the classes with her are not only high achievers, but also very capable in various aspects. Being part of a team with such high standards and demands, Ginnie has more role models and opportunities to improve herself.
What’s even more valuable is that Ginnie often uses her free time during vacation to get together with her SMOA partners in the same city, which extends the friendship from online to offline.Walking with the best, exchanging learning tips and interests, she not only gained the friendship of like-minded people, but also found the sparkling self.
