They’re in middle of finals now, so the office may be a little more busy than usual. Keep trying!
“What do they mean when they say academic?”
It means that they have tests and homework and stuff. (But that doesn’t imply that everyone does it.) One teacher has you prepare for her twice-weekly class by reading a perek with rashi and metzudos and then taking a short quiz on it. There are a few big reports, which take up a lot of time. If you love learning, as most of the MR girls do, you’ll love doing the reports. I know it sounds weird. I learned so much from preparing and researching. I loved looking things up and feeling like a guy in beis medrash, sitting at the teachers desk at 2 AM with an impressive-looking pile of sefarim in front of me. I just didn’t like taking the time to do it.
Midterms and finals are pretty stressful, as you might expect. But you can study with friends in Gan Sacher, the big public park – that makes it more enjoyable.
The core classes typically have more work than the electives. It depends on which electives you take. If you take more than the required electives, you’re also letting yourself in for more work. But I would have taken all of them if I could 🙂
The teachers are amazing and the classes are amazing and the girls are amazing and the location is amazing and the chef is amazing and Machon Raaya is INCREDIBLE!!!!! You should go. Just saying.