By William O.
Hi, I'm William! I'm a full-time freshman, and this is my third year at Stanford OHS. I live in Haddonfield, New Jersey, a small historic town outside Philadelphia. I'm a competitive swimmer and rower, and I participate in drama at a local theater company. This year, I'm excited to swim for my local high school.
One thing I really like about Stanford OHS is the flexibility and predictability built into my schedule. Stanford OHS is a flipped classroom model – similar to a university schedule – where classes meet two times/week (three hours total). If you do the math, this leaves a lot of flexible time. Notice I said flexible, not free. Stanford OHS classes fill up much of this time because students are expected to learn the material independently and come to class prepared for high-level discussions.
On a typical Monday/Wednesday, I get up at 8:00 am. My first class is Textual Analysis and Argumentation(TAA) from 9:00-10:15 am. Then, on Wednesdays, it's onto TAA Lab from 10:30-11:15 am, followed by Rebellions & Revolutions from 11:30-12:45 pm. After a short lunch break, I get to work reading and watching videos for tomorrow's classes, or attending an office hour, usually from 1:00-3:30 pm. I have crew practice from 3:45- 6:30 pm. When I get home, I have dinner and attend my final class for the day, Precalculus, from 8:15- 9:30 pm.
Tuesday/Thursday is a lot easier! I'm in my Core class, Methodology of Science: Biology, from 9:00-10:15 am. Next is AP Chem, from 11:30-12:45 pm. In between, I do Chemistry reading. I have the rest of the day to attend office hours, do upcoming class prep, and do homework. I row from 3:45-6:15 pm, have dinner, and spend the rest of the evening working on assignments and playing online videos with friends.
Friday, I have my Astronomy homeroom from 12:00-1:00 pm, and participate in clubs. Some teachers are available for informal office hours, so I pop in as needed, especially when a test is looming. I check all my upcoming assignments for the weekend and make a schedule to know what I need to do.
Weekends are less regimented, but I reserve time on Saturday to do my AP Chem lab, which is usually cool. Sunday nights are spent prepping for Monday's classes and finishing homework assignments.
Stanford OHS is an excellent fit for me because it allows me to challenge myself by advancing through subjects according to my ability, not grade level or traditional course pathway.
For instance, I attended Stanford OHS in seventh grade as a single-class student. I decided to attend the school full-time when my brick-and-mortar school would not allow me to take Algebra 2 in eighth grade. By taking Geometry over the summer, Stanford OHS approved Algebra 2 in eighth grade. This means I can take the full scope of math courses at Stanford OHS, including university-level classes.
And this year, by taking Chemistry Boot Camp over the summer, I was able to place into AP Chemistry as a freshman, something I would not be able to do at my local brick-and-mortar school. The ability to teach myself honors-level physics next summer in physics boot camp means I will be able to take AP Physics next year, which is really exciting.
I'm grateful for these nontraditional opportunities at Stanford OHS because it allows me to follow my passion for math and science at a pace I am comfortable with while accelerating my learning. The community and camaraderie at Stanford OHS is genuine. Students never ask how you did on a test or discuss grades, which I like. While we are competitive with ourselves, most students are willing and able to help others. We have a large group of student tutors and teaching assistants who volunteer their time to help other students. And for impromptu questions, students communicate and answer questions on PRONTO, the official Stanford OHS chat platform. If you need help, a Stanford OHS student is willing to help!