How Arya Went From “I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Be Selected” to Gifted and Talented and Rutgers Prep

A year ago, 3rd grader Arya had already decided she wasn’t a math person. When her mom encouraged her to work toward admission for the Gifted and Talented program, Arya’s response was immediate: “I don’t think I will ever be selected.” Today she’s in that very Gifted and Talented program, has also been accepted to Rutgers Prep, and her reading diagnostic jumped from 355 to 615 — landing her in the top 90th percentile.

The Starting Point

Arya started her academic journey as an average student. She wasn’t necessarily struggling, but she wasn’t excelling either. Math was her main sore spot, with 75s on tests to start the year. But the real problem wasn’t her ability to understand math — it was her identity. Arya had already decided she wasn’t “good at it,” and that belief kept confirming itself as she learned a concept and then forgot it a week later.

Her mom Tejal could see the trajectory forming: a daughter on the path to disliking school.

“Yes, she lacked confidence and motivation, felt she wasn’t good at math and therefore prepared herself to not do well.”

The Trigger

Tejal saw the struggle and initially wasn’t even thinking about additional support for reading and writing — just math. The school offered three math groups for various levels, but the support was limited. The trigger for Tejal was seeing Arya come home with 70s and 75s week after week.

“I know she can do better, but she wasn’t confident and in turn wasn’t interested.”

A coworker whose child attended Genie Academy recommended it. Tejal had also heard from friends who “hated” Kumon. Genie Academy seemed like the best fit.

The Coaches Who Changed Everything

Coach Rima (Abacus) connected with Arya from day one. They bonded over common passions — like a shared love for tennis. Arya began opening her eyes to the possibility of liking math because of Coach Rima’s infectious enthusiasm. Arya started trying to follow in the footsteps of this new role model, and that is where the real change began.

Coach Heidi (Reading, Writing, Common Core) “literally changed her writing,” as Tejal put it. Heidi covered comprehension thoroughly, changing how Arya felt about reading entirely. Heidi challenged Arya, encouraged her to keep trying, made it fun, listened to her, and gave her chances to try again — because Heidi genuinely believed in her.

“The coaches are really endearing and make a difference in teaching a child. They care. They do make a big impression on children.”

Tejal pointed out that Arya never once said she didn’t want to go to Genie Academy. It’s a place that supports her and motivates her to be her best.

The Shift in Identity

Before Genie Academy, Arya was an average student who had started to check out. She lacked the confidence and the motivation to succeed, and she had already prepared herself to not do well.

After Genie Academy, Arya began caring — a lot. She wanted to do better. She cared about excelling. Since her first session, she has blossomed: more confident, ready to tackle challenges instead of shrinking from them.

“Genie Academy changed her attitude about motivation.”

A year ago Arya didn’t like math. Now she loves calculating fractions, decoding constructive responses, and solving mental abacus problems.

Tejal described a pivotal moment in a conference with Coach Heidi. A real conversation about Arya’s writing. Taking it seriously. Telling Arya “I believe in you.” That reduced her anxiety and unlocked a creativity the school had never drawn out.

The Results

Accepted into the Gifted and Talented program. Accepted to Rutgers Prep. Reading diagnostic: 355 → 615 — top 90th percentile.

Rutgers Prep acceptance required Arya to pass the IOWA state test covering math, reading comprehension, and writing, perform well in interviews, and demonstrate high participation in the classroom. She did all of it.

She went from being a little below average in math to excelling and performing slightly above average. She has consistently scored 95% on unit tests, and — just as importantly — she’s retaining the information instead of just memorizing and forgetting.

Worth noting: Arya didn’t get into Rutgers Prep the first time. She got in the second time. The difference wasn’t the curriculum — it was her attitude. Between those two attempts, Arya developed an intrinsic drive that fueled a work ethic beyond what she could have imagined for herself. She could have given up. She didn’t. That is commendable.

Beyond Academics

Arya is incredibly active. Beyond Genie Academy, she plays piano (and has been since she was five), practices tennis three times a week, takes a weekly swimming class, and is testing for her black belt in June. Time management has become a core skill for her out of necessity.

“Arya used to take forever on 5–6 questions. Now she manages her time effectively.”

She has become more independent and takes ownership of her work. Her confidence in the classroom has translated into confidence with her peers, too.

Arya’s Perspective

“After joining Genie Academy I have realized that I have grown confident when answering questions at school.”

Her favorite memory? “Winning a trophy at the abacus challenge!”

What she’d tell another student thinking about joining:

“There is a program called Genie Academy that can help you grow your confidence and catch you up on subjects your age.”

Mom’s Perspective

Tejal describes Genie Academy as “something I would recommend to other parents focused on learning, not just repetition, with educators that make it enjoyable.” She values Genie’s philosophy of going at the student’s pace, and the flexibility to tailor the work to each child.

“It’s helpful to supplement school with smaller classes, non-formal settings where learning is the top priority and tailored to each student’s pace and learning.”

Closing

A year ago, Arya told her mom she would never be selected for Gifted and Talented. Her mom told her that if she worked hard, she could get there. Genie Academy gave Arya the coaching, the confidence, and the belief in herself to prove that trying was worth it. Now she’s setting her sights on honors classes in middle school.

This is the power of discovering the genius your child was born to be. In Arya’s case, she just needed some help realizing she’d had it in her all along.