DCI or J-R?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been following the college admissions for years now at DCI, and they seem much less impressive than J-R.

If the IB track makes the DCI kids stand out more, why isn’t it translating to top-notch college admissions. How is the college counseling?

DCI hasn’t had college admissions for years now. They have only graduated 3 classes. They already have had Ivy admits and to top schools.

JR has more than 3 times the number of students so you can’t really look at absolute numbers. You should look more at percentages.

so believe this is the 5th graduating class this spring

[Anonymous]

DCI is steadily improving but can't touch J-R academics yet. IB Diploma sounds wonderful but without a sizeable cohort of high performers, it's just going to be OK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go with DCI hands down if your kid is considering the IB diploma track. Strong writing and critical thinking skills in a comprehensive program. In addition, a mini-thesis that will set him apart when applying to colleges.

Your kid can take some HL exam junior year and get scores. Your kid can take a few AP exams too before applying to college. Yoir kid will stand out and have a much better shot at getting into good colleges if he does well in the diploma program. AP kids are a dime a dozen, not so IB.

JR is definitely way more chaotic, overcrowded, and bigger then DCI. Also it’s very difficult to get into many of the courses needed.

It’s not difficult to get into any needed course at JR…what nonsense is this.

Yup. Categorically untrue.

I have two kids that have gone through the school- neither has had an issue getting into classes they have wanted (one graduated with 12 APs, the other is on track to graduate with 10-11)...having said that, popular classes can be very large so if that is an issue for you/your child, JR might not be a great fit.

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.

The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.

The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go with DCI hands down if your kid is considering the IB diploma track. Strong writing and critical thinking skills in a comprehensive program. In addition, a mini-thesis that will set him apart when applying to colleges.

Your kid can take some HL exam junior year and get scores. Your kid can take a few AP exams too before applying to college. Yoir kid will stand out and have a much better shot at getting into good colleges if he does well in the diploma program. AP kids are a dime a dozen, not so IB.

JR is definitely way more chaotic, overcrowded, and bigger then DCI. Also it’s very difficult to get into many of the courses needed.

It’s not difficult to get into any needed course at JR…what nonsense is this.

Yup. Categorically untrue.

I have two kids that have gone through the school- neither has had an issue getting into classes they have wanted (one graduated with 12 APs, the other is on track to graduate with 10-11)...having said that, popular classes can be very large so if that is an issue for you/your child, JR might not be a great fit.

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.

The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.

The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.

Again, not true. Plenty of APs for sophomores to take. One of my kids took 2 in 10th grade, the other took 3. Yes, some AP classes are large (some are quite small). Yes, schedules can be a mess and it can take a week or two to straighten that out. If you can't deal with a little inconvenience, J-R is not right for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go with DCI hands down if your kid is considering the IB diploma track. Strong writing and critical thinking skills in a comprehensive program. In addition, a mini-thesis that will set him apart when applying to colleges.

Your kid can take some HL exam junior year and get scores. Your kid can take a few AP exams too before applying to college. Yoir kid will stand out and have a much better shot at getting into good colleges if he does well in the diploma program. AP kids are a dime a dozen, not so IB.

JR is definitely way more chaotic, overcrowded, and bigger then DCI. Also it’s very difficult to get into many of the courses needed.

It’s not difficult to get into any needed course at JR…what nonsense is this.

Yup. Categorically untrue.

I have two kids that have gone through the school- neither has had an issue getting into classes they have wanted (one graduated with 12 APs, the other is on track to graduate with 10-11)...having said that, popular classes can be very large so if that is an issue for you/your child, JR might not be a great fit.

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.

The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.

The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.

Again, not true. Plenty of APs for sophomores to take. One of my kids took 2 in 10th grade, the other took 3. Yes, some AP classes are large (some are quite small). Yes, schedules can be a mess and it can take a week or two to straighten that out. If you can't deal with a little inconvenience, J-R is not right for you.

Same, one of mine took three APs as a sophomore. Got everything he requested.

[Anonymous]

Looks like DCI hs scores higher than J-R :
Best High Schools:

1. Walls
2. Banneker
3. BASIS
4. DCI
5. McKinley Tech
6. Latin
7. Ellington
8. Wilson (JR)
9. EL Haynes
10. CHEC

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-sc...of-columbia/rankings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College counseling certainly isn't DCI's strong suit. But it isn't J-Rs either. You want good college counseling in DC, you hire somebody or help your own teens.

J-R has a much bigger high-performing cohort than DCI. For that reason alone, I'd stick with J-R.

Agree.

Also better sports teams since you mentioned that, and a lot more activities. There are pluses to having classmates in the neighborhood in HS.

[Anonymous]

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.
The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.
The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.


This was absolutely true for my senior. Maybe it's gotten better for lower grades but just because some got lucky doesn't mean it hasn't been true for a lot of kids at JR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go with DCI hands down if your kid is considering the IB diploma track. Strong writing and critical thinking skills in a comprehensive program. In addition, a mini-thesis that will set him apart when applying to colleges.

Your kid can take some HL exam junior year and get scores. Your kid can take a few AP exams too before applying to college. Yoir kid will stand out and have a much better shot at getting into good colleges if he does well in the diploma program. AP kids are a dime a dozen, not so IB.

JR is definitely way more chaotic, overcrowded, and bigger then DCI. Also it’s very difficult to get into many of the courses needed.

It’s not difficult to get into any needed course at JR…what nonsense is this.

Yup. Categorically untrue.

I have two kids that have gone through the school- neither has had an issue getting into classes they have wanted (one graduated with 12 APs, the other is on track to graduate with 10-11)...having said that, popular classes can be very large so if that is an issue for you/your child, JR might not be a great fit.

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.

The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.

The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.

Again, not true. Plenty of APs for sophomores to take. One of my kids took 2 in 10th grade, the other took 3. Yes, some AP classes are large (some are quite small). Yes, schedules can be a mess and it can take a week or two to straighten that out. If you can't deal with a little inconvenience, J-R is not right for you.

There are not plenty of AP’s as a sophomore. It’s not even a handful and nowhere near any selection and bogus courses

The schedule you want is not easy You don’t get responses in trying to rectify it and kids have to spend hours and days to get anything change. It’s really a sh*tshow.

The anecdotal of a few here is not the representative of the majority of kids especially 9th to 10th. It’s a well known fact among IB families the challenges most kids face every year.

[Anonymous]

I know two kids who moved from DCI to JR mid-high school and they say JR is much easier for whatever that is worth. DCI is easier to play a school sport without being a top champion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go with DCI hands down if your kid is considering the IB diploma track. Strong writing and critical thinking skills in a comprehensive program. In addition, a mini-thesis that will set him apart when applying to colleges.

Your kid can take some HL exam junior year and get scores. Your kid can take a few AP exams too before applying to college. Yoir kid will stand out and have a much better shot at getting into good colleges if he does well in the diploma program. AP kids are a dime a dozen, not so IB.

JR is definitely way more chaotic, overcrowded, and bigger then DCI. Also it’s very difficult to get into many of the courses needed.

It’s not difficult to get into any needed course at JR…what nonsense is this.

Yup. Categorically untrue.

I have two kids that have gone through the school- neither has had an issue getting into classes they have wanted (one graduated with 12 APs, the other is on track to graduate with 10-11)...having said that, popular classes can be very large so if that is an issue for you/your child, JR might not be a great fit.

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.

The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.

The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.

Again, not true. Plenty of APs for sophomores to take. One of my kids took 2 in 10th grade, the other took 3. Yes, some AP classes are large (some are quite small). Yes, schedules can be a mess and it can take a week or two to straighten that out. If you can't deal with a little inconvenience, J-R is not right for you.

There are not plenty of AP’s as a sophomore. It’s not even a handful and nowhere near any selection and bogus courses

The schedule you want is not easy You don’t get responses in trying to rectify it and kids have to spend hours and days to get anything change. It’s really a sh*tshow.

The anecdotal of a few here is not the representative of the majority of kids especially 9th to 10th. It’s a well known fact among IB families the challenges most kids face every year.

I mean…my kid is a sophomore. Has multiple APs, as do many friends. It wasn’t hard—requested them and got them, no schedule changes needed. My other kid requested one AP as a sophomore and got it (would have requested more but didn’t realize it was an option). In six years, only one of them has had to deal with a schedule change, and it was not a big deal to get it addressed.

Yes, there are some horror stories, but my sense is that those are the exceptions that get a ton of attention. The rule is that most kids get most classes they want/need and can resolve schedule issues with some annoying but not particularly onerous steps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know two kids who moved from DCI to JR mid-high school and they say JR is much easier for whatever that is worth. DCI is easier to play a school sport without being a top champion.

What made them move?

And easier to coursework or easier to deal with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been following the college admissions for years now at DCI, and they seem much less impressive than J-R.

If the IB track makes the DCI kids stand out more, why isn’t it translating to top-notch college admissions. How is the college counseling?

Because the kids are either not passing the IB test or the test happens so late after college acceptance that it’s meaningless, of the IB classes are dumbed down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go with DCI hands down if your kid is considering the IB diploma track. Strong writing and critical thinking skills in a comprehensive program. In addition, a mini-thesis that will set him apart when applying to colleges.

Your kid can take some HL exam junior year and get scores. Your kid can take a few AP exams too before applying to college. Yoir kid will stand out and have a much better shot at getting into good colleges if he does well in the diploma program. AP kids are a dime a dozen, not so IB.

JR is definitely way more chaotic, overcrowded, and bigger then DCI. Also it’s very difficult to get into many of the courses needed.

It’s not difficult to get into any needed course at JR…what nonsense is this.

Yup. Categorically untrue.

I have two kids that have gone through the school- neither has had an issue getting into classes they have wanted (one graduated with 12 APs, the other is on track to graduate with 10-11)...having said that, popular classes can be very large so if that is an issue for you/your child, JR might not be a great fit.

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.

The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.

The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.

Again, not true. Plenty of APs for sophomores to take. One of my kids took 2 in 10th grade, the other took 3. Yes, some AP classes are large (some are quite small). Yes, schedules can be a mess and it can take a week or two to straighten that out. If you can't deal with a little inconvenience, J-R is not right for you.

There are not plenty of AP’s as a sophomore. It’s not even a handful and nowhere near any selection and bogus courses

The schedule you want is not easy You don’t get responses in trying to rectify it and kids have to spend hours and days to get anything change. It’s really a sh*tshow.

The anecdotal of a few here is not the representative of the majority of kids especially 9th to 10th. It’s a well known fact among IB families the challenges most kids face every year.

I mean…my kid is a sophomore. Has multiple APs, as do many friends. It wasn’t hard—requested them and got them, no schedule changes needed. My other kid requested one AP as a sophomore and got it (would have requested more but didn’t realize it was an option). In six years, only one of them has had to deal with a schedule change, and it was not a big deal to get it addressed.

Yes, there are some horror stories, but my sense is that those are the exceptions that get a ton of attention. The rule is that most kids get most classes they want/need and can resolve schedule issues with some annoying but not particularly onerous steps.

You are sugar coating. No APs in 9th grade and you are lucky if you can get into one AP class in sophomore year. The AP CS classes are now off limits unless you are in the IT academy. The quality of AP teachers varies widely as well. And every single year, my kids have had schedule issues that are very difficult to fix because the counseling office tries their best to avoid students for the first month of school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would go with DCI hands down if your kid is considering the IB diploma track. Strong writing and critical thinking skills in a comprehensive program. In addition, a mini-thesis that will set him apart when applying to colleges.

Your kid can take some HL exam junior year and get scores. Your kid can take a few AP exams too before applying to college. Yoir kid will stand out and have a much better shot at getting into good colleges if he does well in the diploma program. AP kids are a dime a dozen, not so IB.

JR is definitely way more chaotic, overcrowded, and bigger then DCI. Also it’s very difficult to get into many of the courses needed.

It’s not difficult to get into any needed course at JR…what nonsense is this.

Yup. Categorically untrue.

I have two kids that have gone through the school- neither has had an issue getting into classes they have wanted (one graduated with 12 APs, the other is on track to graduate with 10-11)...having said that, popular classes can be very large so if that is an issue for you/your child, JR might not be a great fit.

You can’t get AP classes until basically junior year. Freshman and sophomore, it’s honors for all which is basically gen ed classes.

The schedule can be a mess and you are put in classes you did not sign up for and then it’s hell trying to change to the right classes.

The AP classes are huge, like 30-35 students.

Again, not true. Plenty of APs for sophomores to take. One of my kids took 2 in 10th grade, the other took 3. Yes, some AP classes are large (some are quite small). Yes, schedules can be a mess and it can take a week or two to straighten that out. If you can't deal with a little inconvenience, J-R is not right for you.

There are not plenty of AP’s as a sophomore. It’s not even a handful and nowhere near any selection and bogus courses

The schedule you want is not easy You don’t get responses in trying to rectify it and kids have to spend hours and days to get anything change. It’s really a sh*tshow.

The anecdotal of a few here is not the representative of the majority of kids especially 9th to 10th. It’s a well known fact among IB families the challenges most kids face every year.

I mean…my kid is a sophomore. Has multiple APs, as do many friends. It wasn’t hard—requested them and got them, no schedule changes needed. My other kid requested one AP as a sophomore and got it (would have requested more but didn’t realize it was an option). In six years, only one of them has had to deal with a schedule change, and it was not a big deal to get it addressed.

Yes, there are some horror stories, but my sense is that those are the exceptions that get a ton of attention. The rule is that most kids get most classes they want/need and can resolve schedule issues with some annoying but not particularly onerous steps.

You are sugar coating. No APs in 9th grade and you are lucky if you can get into one AP class in sophomore year. The AP CS classes are now off limits unless you are in the IT academy. The quality of AP teachers varies widely as well. And every single year, my kids have had schedule issues that are very difficult to fix because the counseling office tries their best to avoid students for the first month of school

I’m not sugar-coating. I’m telling you what my kids’ experience has been and what I’ve heard from them about their friends’ experiences. I don’t know any kids who can’t get AP classes in 10th. I suspect that most kids who multiple APs in 10th are on the accelerated math track (meaning calc or pre-calc in 10th). But my kid who wasn’t on that track still had no problem getting a single AP class in 10th.

And both of my kids have found the quality of AP teaching to be mostly really good (with a couple of exceptions, and even then, not bad).

Sorry your kid has had such a difficult experience.