"I can only say good things about SAIL. It's a wonderful place. It's got a very independent approach to learning, and it's incredibly personal. SAIL worked for me because at Lincoln, I was completely capable of making good grades but I just didn't put the effort in because I didn't think that my teachers really cared and I also didn't really care about what I was learning. It was very impersonal, and if I didn't see the value in something, I didn't believe it was worth my time, and I didn't (at that point) see the value in high grades. But at SAIL, my classes were small enough that my teachers really did know me. And they knew what to expect from me, academically and personally, and so I felt the need to perform well so that they felt satisfied. I felt like I owed it to the school, my teachers, and myself to do well in school. Also, it was easier. That doesn't mean that I didn't finish with a good education. I may have never learned many grammar rules but my classes prepared me very well for college, and I learned more skills that transferred to my life outside of class. It wasn't easier as in lower quality, but it was easier as in less busywork to do.

And when I say it's a more independent approach to learning, it means that you have to take more responsibility for your own education. Even though the teachers will expect a lot from you, they really expect you to be in charge. So, the teachers will encourage you and push you, but they won't punish you too much, so you are kind of in charge of yourself. That was really good for me, because feeling like education was a choice that I made helped me to want to do well."