Interview with a representative of the American school Storm King School

At the annual conference for secondary education ALPHE Frankfurt, I met with representatives of some schools I was interested in Europe and North America. One of them is the American private school Storm King School.

The school is located in the suburbs of new York, which I consider as a significant advantage for teenagers who go to study in the United States. In addition, the school holds a high position in the rankings. During our conversation, the representative of the school explained me the reason for the high academic achievement of its students and also explained which students the expect to Storm King School.

Larisa: I have you seen your school in the top 30 us schools. What's your secret to success?

A representative of the school (R): Storm King School is a special school because it resembles a closed family-run boarding. Just imagine, there are 45 teachers and only 80 students. The name of the new pupil all know within the first week! Therefore, for the learning process, every student receives adequate attention and assistance. This can explain the good performance of our students, because if there are 5-7 students in the class the material is absorbed significantly better. But if we see that the student is lagging behind in any subject, then we organize one-on-one classes with the teacher.

L: Your school is located near new York city which is a big advantage. Tell us what families can expect from the school campus.

R: Right, the Storm King School campus has wonderful location, just an hour drive from New York. The fastest way to get to is the train, which stops right near the school. The area is suitable for children and adolescents, around is the forest, beautiful nature. The campus covers 50 acres. This is enough to place a good sports infrastructure and residence, making it comfortable for the students.

L: How many residences are on campus?

R: On campus there are 5 residences: two for girls and three for boys. Rooms – single and double. High school students live in single, and most of the new students we placed in double rooms so they can make friend faster.

L: What percentage of foreign students studying in the school?

R:: 40% Storm King School students are the foreign students from 26 countries. The majority of foreign students came to us from China, a lot of students from Europe. For aAll the foreign students we help to improve English, conducting ESL classes. But you need to pass TOEFL exam at least at 50 points to get to school.

L: What are the requirements for admission to your school?

R: first you need to fill the application form. Then we will arrange a Skype interview with the student. In addition, we require a transcript for the last 2 years. Preference is given to the candidates with the highest scores. Basically we take children with grades A and B (equivalent to the grades 12-9). There are exceptions when we accept students with a GPA (equivalent to the grades 8-7), but it can be athletes, e.g. football players. We suggest to apply in advance, as there are often no places anymore by the end of May.

L: Very often children who I interview for the schools are talented athletes, musicians or actors. Do your school supports children's talents? And what kind of kids you want to see between your students?

R: Yes, we welcome talented kids and encourage their endeavors. We have, for example, the champion of tennis studying among juniors. Especially for her we conduct tennis lessons at our campus. Despite the fact that the school is small, we have organized a lot of extracurricular activities. For your athletes they can select from more than 20 sports clubs, including football, basketball, fencing, sailing, golf and tennis.

In addition, the Storm King School is very popular among children who enjoy art. We have an art school, after which graduates enter prestigious universities in the field of design and fashion. Not to mention our fashion program. Many students come to us specifically for it and then enter very good universities. Practicing the program, children are introduced to fashion industry, go to fashion shows in New York and engaged with experienced teachers. There are clubs for drama, arts and a big theater, so we welcome children of every talent.

L: That's great, very interesting. I often advise parents before they decide on a school to go to study for one semester, or participate in the summer camp. Do you offer such programs in Storm King School?

R: Yes, you can come for one semester, from January to June. Next week we will be opening a new residence, so we enroll new students for January. We have camps: we conduct the ESL summer camp and the filming camp. We plan to open a sports camp and include courses in fencing, sports, tennis, football, running. The course will be held for 2-3 weeks in the summer. This will be a camp organised with the support of Nike, but with the participation of our employees and trainers.

A small school with huge potential Storm King School uses a personal approach to its students and contributes to the development of their talents. I advise parents who are looking for a good school close to New York, to pay attention to the Storm King School.