THE ACADEMIC Experience
Jenny Li ’22
Hometown: Shanghai, China
I had a great experience here at St. Johnsbury Academy, especially academically. Prior to every semester, my guidance counselor and I chose classes based on their connection to my future major and interests. He helped me plan my four years of classes properly by combining challenging classes and fun classes. For example, I took anatomy and physiology in my sophomore year which ignited my interest in biology, and I took a modern dance class to balance my stressful schedule in my junior and senior year.
During my four-year experience at the Academy, I got the chance to achieve high-level education and take college-level classes. After I finished AP Calculus BC in my junior year, I was able to take the next level math classes—multivariable calculus and linear algebra—in my
senior year. Having a chance to take these classes helps me prepare for college classes ahead of time and be ready for more challenging classes in the future.
In addition to the high level of mathematics classes St. Johnsbury Academy has, we also have a large range of English classes from ESL to AP. These classes help students, especially international students like me, to learn English and literature effectively. Take me as an example: after taking a placement test, I was assigned to ESL 4 class, which is the highest level of ESL class. In this class, Mrs. Greenstone taught me how to speak and write English properly and correctly. During my sophomore and junior years, I went up to the accelerated English level class with my native English-speaking classmates, in which I cultivated my understanding of literature from different decades through reading and analyzing texts. During my senior year, I chose to challenge myself by taking AP Literature and Composition. Here, I used the reading and writing skills from previous English class to explore concepts like character, setting, structure, perspective, figurative language, and literary analysis in the context of literary works and completed my own research project.
The large number of AP classes St. Johnsbury Academy provided enabled me to take 8 AP courses during high school, which let me earn 39 credits at the University of California Santa Barbara before I even started my freshman year. I saved time and money because of those credits. I believe the various courses the Academy provides, from arts to science, from ESL to the AP level, and the well-planned schedule and high-level teaching techniques at the Academy helped me get into a great university and prepared me well for my college journey.