索诺玛学院

[学术方面] 9年级第一学期我选了4门课：人文（Humanities），生物（Biology），计算机科学（AP Computer Science），ELL: Context & Culture。人文课经常有大大小小的作文，大作文需要阅读很多资料，比如说，围绕“80天环游地球”写一篇学术论文，我将这本小说精读了3-5遍才写出这篇作文；作文都有详细的评价标准，大作文一般是2-3周完成，学生第2周先交给老师第一稿，然后老师提出书面修改意见，成绩决定于第3周上交的最终稿。人文课里还有很有趣的作业，比如说画地图、仿写小说等。生物课很有挑战性，涉及到DNA复制、细胞分裂、细胞结构和相关的化学知识。因为我计算机基础比较好，直接选了AP课程，但是对我来说这个AP课程还是比较简单。ELL课讲了一些关于美国历史，但并不难。总体来说，作业负担不重，如果对自己要求比较高，就可能需要花更多的时间。Advisor每周与学生交流两次。 [生活方面] 学校附近有很多商场，比如说Costco，Target，Best Buy，Trader Joe 等。 学校在Santa Rosa镇上，交通比较便利。放假与开学之间有两周的 Intercession 活动，学生可以选择参加多种活动，如去其他国家旅游、校园艺术活动等。学校通过电子邮件与学生和家长联系，我每天能收到十多封邮件。SA是一所很新的学校，最近建成一幢食堂和科学馆大楼。 [申请方面] 全校有21名中国学生（约占7%），其中9年级有4名中国学生。在中国参加了TOEFL、SSAT考试和维立克面试（Vericant），在美国参加 SA 的访校和面试。TOEFL 和 SSAT 成绩是重要的基础，面试的过程也十分重要，竞赛获奖也是录取的参考。中国学生能融入到学校的生活，同学之间关系也十分融洽。 [住家方面] 住家是由机构安排的，也可以自己找，比如我就住在亲戚家。我的中国同学1-3人住在一个住家里，有的住家住在学校傍边，走路两三分钟就能到学校。许多高年级中国学生已经考完驾照，可以自己开车了。Santa Rosa 镇治安很好。 [课外活动和社团] 学校有许多社团(https://www.sonomaacademy.org/page/student-life/clubs)，我选了 MIT launch 的社团，在这个社团中我们讨论如何开公司，十分有趣。学校体育强度比较大，足球、篮球、网球周一到周五都是2小时的训练，周末经常有比赛。中国学生中有的选篮球，有的选足球。

[学术方面] The curriculum at Sonoma Academy is equal parts challenging and informative. Every assignment given is purposeful and helps me better understand the subject matter I am learning. Sonoma academy offers math classes that are far more challenging than the majority of other high schools, all the way up to multivariable calculus, and students who complete even these classes can take even more advanced ones at the nearby college. The work load is balanced; it provides enough challenge and rigor to prepare students for college, while still allowing enough time for the students to pursue interests such as playing an instrument or a sport, and allowing students to make friends. The teachers are always happy to assist students if they have a problem with any of the subject material, and are excellent at doing so. 学校的课程都有一定的挑战性，提供很多的知识和信息。作业都有针对性并让我更好的理解我所学习的东西。Sonoma的数学课程也比大多数其他高中提供的更具挑战性，难到比如多元微积分等，修完的学生都可以去附近的大学修更深入的数学课程了。课业量比较均衡，难度和负担程度都与大学很好的衔接，为大学学习做预备，同时也可以让学生有一些时间去发展兴趣爱好，比如练一种乐器、一种体育运动等，自然也提供时间和机会让学生互相交朋友。老师总能在需要的时候给予帮助，也非常专业。 [生活方面] Sonoma Academy has a beautiful campus, with lots of advanced technologies such as 3D printers, CNC machines, a robotics lab and engineering studio, a recording studio, and many other facilities that allow a student to pursue their interests beyond the classroom. The food is wonderful, a team of five professional chefs prepare it daily, and the menu is always changing. The food has never been the same thing twice. There is a major shopping center with any stores and restaurants about five minutes away by car. The school is not a boarding school, and as such international students stay with a family through a homestay program. I am not an international student, but have had one live with me for almost three years now. We have become good friends, and each of us has learned a lot about the other’s culture. In addition, he has helped me with my Mandarin classes and I have helped him with his English. Sonoma的校园很美，也有很多高科技的配置，例如3D打印，CNC机器，机器人实验室和工程实验室、录音室等，可以让学生在课余充分发展自己的兴趣。饮食很棒，有5个专业厨师每天烹饪，菜单总在换，很丰富，可以说从来没重样过:) 离学校开车5分钟的地方有一个购物中心，有不少商场和餐馆。学校不是寄宿制的，所以国际学生与自己的父母或者寄宿家庭居住在一起。我不是国际学生，但我与一名国际学生住在一起3年了。我们是好朋友，也了解了很多对方的文化。 [申请方面] N/A as I am not a chinese international student. 我不是国际学生所以不适用这一问题。 [住家方面] I have only experienced a homestay from the point of view of a homestay family, but will share my experience here anyways. I have enjoyed having Kevin stay with us a lot. He eats meals dinner with us every night, and has his own car that he drives to school in. During long weekends or breaks, if my family does anything or goes anywhere Kevin is always welcome to join us, and often does, but we do not force him to go on these trips if has schoolwork or other things he must do. Kevin and I work together if we are in the same class, and help each other understand our respective native languages. My parents and kevin’s communicate through phone calls and e-mail, and Kevin’s parents visit us at least once or twice a year. Kevin has taught us how to cook many authentic chinese dishes, and we make these dishes one or two nights per week. Kevin has his own room, bathroom, and study area, and is welcome anywhere in our home. 我只有过一次住宿家庭经历，与Kevin居住在一起很愉快，他每晚都跟我们一起吃饭，他有自己的车上下学。长周末或者短假期的时候，任何的家庭活动和外出我们都会邀请Kevin加入，但如果他有作业和其他的事情的话我们也不勉强。如果我们修同一门课的话会一起学习，也从对方的语言中互相了解。我的父母和Kevin的父母每周都发邮件打电话沟通，他父母每年至少过来1-2次。Kevin教我们做了很多纯正的中国食物，每周我们也做1-2次中餐。他有自己的卧室、洗手间和学习区域，当然也欢迎使用家里的任何其他地方。 [课外活动和社团] Sonoma Academy has a myriad of sports, clubs, and extracurriculars. The sports include basketball, soccer, tennis, cross country and track and field, baseball, lacrosse, equestrian, and volleyball. There are many clubs, but the one most popular with international students is the tea club, where different people bring many kinds of tea from all over the world, and share them among the group. There is also a new robotics team that international students have a presence in. The most popular sport among international students is tennis, but they have also participated in cross country, track, baseball and basketball. A number of our teams have done very well, but the best teams are our cross country teams. We advanced to the highest level possible for a highschool team, the state meet, and took first in the league. 学校开设了丰富的体育、社团和课余活动。体育有篮球、足球、网球、长跑、田径、棒球、曲棍球、马术和排球。社团很多，国际学生中最火的一个是茶艺社团，各国学生都会带来世界各地不同的茶，互相分享，还有一个国际生参加的机器人社团。我想国际生中最火的体育是网球，他们同时也参加长跑、田径、棒球篮球等。学校很多运动队都不错，其中最棒的要数长跑队，在州际联盟比赛中我校拿了第一名。