How Vidhi S. Went From Struggling With ELA to Accepted at Two Magnet Schools

A former Kumon student finds real coaching, earns accelerated math placement, and gets accepted to East Brunswick and Piscataway Magnet Schools.

Vidhi S. — Accepted to East Brunswick Magnet School (AI & Robotics) and Piscataway Magnet School

When Vidhi started at Genie Academy in 2020, she was coming from Kumon. Her dad Keyur remembers the experience clearly: so many repetitive pages and an expectation that parents would review the homework themselves. Vidhi was in 3rd grade. English was the family's second language. ELA was a struggle. Confidence was low.

Today, Vidhi is an 8th grader accepted to two magnet schools: East Brunswick Magnet School (AI and Robotics) and Piscataway Magnet School. She earned accelerated math placement with a 96% on her qualifying exam and a MAP score of 280. She plays basketball, performs on the flute, and wants to become an aerospace engineer.

This is how she got there.

The Starting Point

Before Genie Academy, Vidhi was at Kumon. Her dad Keyur was looking for something that would actually move the needle. Kumon wasn't doing it. The worksheets were repetitive, there was no real instruction, and the program expected parents to review homework at home. For a family where English is a second language, that was an especially tough ask.

Vidhi's grades in 3rd and 4th grade were, in Keyur's words, not so great. ELA was the biggest concern. She lacked confidence and motivation in the subject. When you're struggling with reading and writing in a language your parents are still navigating themselves, the gap can feel impossible to close.

"She lacked confidence and motivation when she was struggling with ELA. English is my second language, so she also struggled." — Keyur, Vidhi's dad

Keyur wanted Vidhi to be a strong academic student. Not just passing. Strong. He wanted her ahead of the school curriculum, positioned for advanced classes, with scores high enough to open doors. He found Genie Academy, met with Mr. Mohit, and liked that the program was in-person with real classroom instruction. That mattered to him.

The Coaches Who Changed Everything

Coach Mark: The ELA Breakthrough

ELA was Vidhi's weakest subject when she walked in the door. Coach Mark changed that. He focused on essay writing and pushed Vidhi to use more advanced vocabulary. He didn't just teach from the curriculum. He recommended outside books and encouraged creative writing, building the kind of depth in language that worksheets never touch.

For a student whose family speaks a different language at home, this was transformational. Coach Mark gave Vidhi the tools and the confidence to write at a level she hadn't thought possible.

Coach Kiara: Writing Structure

Coach Kiara reinforced the ELA gains with specific essay writing tips and techniques. Between Coach Mark's creative approach and Coach Kiara's structural guidance, Vidhi developed a complete writing toolkit.

Coach Takuma: Making Math Click

Then there was Coach Takuma. Vidhi was enrolled in Abacus and Math, and Coach Takuma became the coach who took her math skills to another level. When Vidhi hit a wall with math proofs, Coach Takuma found a way to make it click.

When asked what Coach Takuma does differently, Vidhi put it simply:

"The way he teaches just helps me remember all of the material. He teaches differently than everyone else. Some of the other teachers would try and explain it on the paper, but he just has this thing where he explains it really good." — Vidhi

Keyur noticed it from the parent side too. The coaches knew Vidhi's weaknesses and paid real attention to them. The extra materials they provided helped with review and retention between classes. This wasn't a worksheet factory. This was coaching.

The Shift

Something changed after Vidhi started at Genie Academy. She liked the books and templates. She loved the extra practice on the topics. She became more excited to complete homework and lessons.

Not less. More.

That's worth pausing on. A kid who was grinding through repetitive Kumon worksheets with low motivation started looking forward to her academic work. That shift in identity is where real progress begins.

"I struggled with math and ELA both when I was starting out, but then I built up my skills by practicing them." — Vidhi

The progress was linear from there. Her MAP and NJSLA scores kept climbing. No major roadblocks. Just steady, compounding growth fueled by real instruction and coaches who knew exactly where she needed to improve.

The Results

Accelerated Math Placement

In 5th grade, Vidhi took the qualifying exam for accelerated math. The prerequisites were demanding: a 95% or above in class to even sit for the test, then a 92% or above on the test itself to earn placement. Vidhi scored a 96% and earned her spot in accelerated math starting in 6th grade. Her MAP score hit 280, meeting the prerequisite for the advanced program.

"Before I was in Junior Academy, there was no chance for accelerated courses. I think that if I didn't go to Junior Academy, then I would have not been in accelerated math." — Vidhi

Two Magnet School Acceptances

By 8th grade, Vidhi was accepted to both East Brunswick Magnet School and Piscataway Magnet School. East Brunswick placed her in the AI and Robotics track. This wasn't something the family had originally planned for. Keyur had hoped for advanced classes. Magnet school was, in his words, a happy surprise.

"The magnet school is mostly focused on what I want to become when I grow up. I want to become an aerospace engineer, so it'll help me with the engineering part. Drawing, sketching, and solving the problems. And the math is probably going to help me a lot too." — Vidhi

Why Aerospace?

Vidhi wants to go above the atmosphere. Not planes. Space.

"I feel like space is very interesting, and I want to try and become a part of it." — Vidhi

A student who came in struggling with ELA in 3rd grade is now setting her sights on aerospace engineering. That's not a small transformation.

Beyond Academics

Vidhi doesn't just study. She's been playing basketball for three years and plays the flute. Her dad noticed real changes in how she carries herself: punctual, hard-working, always completing her work on time, with strong attention to detail. Her classmates notice too. They're consistently impressed with her work ethic.

The next goal? High SAT scores. The Soni family is already thinking about that chapter. And beyond that, a path toward aerospace engineering. The foundation is set.

Dad's Perspective

"Best coaches, good materials that help kids be stronger academics. Coaches are well educated, calm, and well-spoken. Face-to-face discussions and interactions help so much." — Keyur

When asked what he'd tell a parent who was unsure about enrolling their child, Keyur kept it simple:

"I would say it's the best place for a kid. This is the best one!" — Keyur

Vidhi's Perspective

We asked Vidhi what she'd say if a friend asked whether they should go to Genie Academy:

"I would say yeah. It'll help you if you're struggling right now." — Vidhi

The hardest part of preparing for the magnet school tests? You didn't know exactly what would be on them. You had to study everything. That's where years of building real skills at Genie Academy paid off. Vidhi wasn't cramming for one test. She had the foundation to handle whatever came.

The Bigger Picture

Vidhi came to Genie Academy from Kumon in 3rd grade, struggling with ELA, with English as her second language at home, and with grades that weren't where her dad knew they could be.

Five years later, she's in accelerated math, accepted to two magnet schools, studying AI and robotics, playing basketball, performing on the flute, and dreaming about space.

That didn't happen because of repetitive worksheets. It happened because real coaches paid attention to a real student, found her weaknesses, and built her up. Coach Mark unlocked her writing. Coach Kiara gave her structure. Coach Takuma made math click. And Vidhi did the work.

This is what it looks like when the right coaching meets a student who's willing to try.