Stanford University Online High School

Why did you choose OHS?

Before I began the OHS, I attended a small public school for 5 years and transferred to a small private school for my 5th and 6th grade years. While these schools served me well for the time that I attended them, I needed something different. The classes had ceased to interest me, the students had become lackadaisical, and I wished for students and professors that loved learning and teaching as much as I did. After talking with a girl on my ski team, I learned about the Stanford OHS. I decided to apply to the OHS due to the high quality of instruction that it promised as well as the extraordinary community described to me by previous student ambassadors. I am currently enrolled as a full-time student at the OHS.

What are classes like at OHS?

Classes at the OHS are unlike any that one will experience outside of the OHS. The online classroom enables us to converse with our classmates and instructors through video and text chat. However, it is the instruction that takes place within the classroom that makes the experience truly extraordinary. I remember the first class meeting that I experienced, a Spanish 1 class. As I entered as a scared 7th grade student, and met my teacher, I realized that the OHS is truly unbelievable. From very early on in this Spanish course, which is designed for first year Spanish students, our Profesora spoke mainly Spanish to us. However, while challenging, it was never too overwhelming. There is an inexplicable talent that the OHS instructors have to teach an extraordinary amount of material in a short period of time. While it does require work on the student's end, it is definitely worth it, and the student finishes the course with the ability to understand and retain the information introduced.

What is student life like at OHS?

Student life at the OHS is incredibly established, and not simply for an online school. Even though students live thousands of miles away from each other, the camaraderie makes student life comparable to that of a very tightly knit brick and mortar school.

Study groups create a forum for students to share knowledge with each other, while also providing the opportunity for friendships to develop elsewhere. When I started the OHS, I could never have guessed that I would have the friends that I have today. Programs like Skype make conversations possible, and I feel as though my OHS friends are the closest friends that I have ever had. Clubs give the students the opportunity to delve into topics that they are interested in outside of the classroom. Clubs also enable students to connect with like-minded peers on a variety of topics. Students are also able to create a new club if there is something that they are interested in that doesn't yet exist in club form. Outside of the classroom, the OHS provides many opportunities to meet up with fellow students. Students can meet anywhere from at a coffee shop to at Graduation weekend, a period of 3 days, that was the one of the best experiences of my life. Additionally, I attended the OHS Summer Program for the first time this year, and I had a wonderful time! I loved spending time with my friends and instructors, and I came back excited to start the school year.

How has OHS helped you realize your goals?

Academically, the OHS has taught me how to manage my time, how to work insanely hard, how to accept constructive criticism, and also when to just let go, stop being a perfectionist, and have a little bit of fun. Outside of the OHS, I have been able to compose on the piano, study French, travel to Europe, ski, and play tennis with children in the area. I appreciate that the OHS has given me the opportunity to explore these interests in greater detail than brick and mortar school enabled me to.

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