I should have kept my kid at Wilson; college admits are much better than the Big3

[Anonymous]

I moved my kid from Deal to private for 9th. The workload is about 5 times that of DCPS. My kid is finally learning to write and study.
It's night and day over DCPS. I can't stress this enough. It's easily 5 times the workload and my kid is actually learning.. I have kids left in DCPS. This year is another shit-show.
English school english classes that don't read a single book or write a single paper. AP classes that DON'T HAVE A TEACHER so the school is giving every kid an A as a default.

College admits are out and the Wilson admits (of white, upper class kids) are better than those at the Big3. These kids are the siblings
of the my kid's friends. They are getting in (unconnected) to Brown, Yale, Northwestern, Penn, and on and on.
You know how a Big 3 was shut out of Brown? Well, not Wilson. They have several kids going and they're not URM. They're upper middle class white kids.
DCPS grossly inflated grades during the pandemic. 19-20 quarters 3 and 4 counted any assignment as extra-credit. So if you did anything (EVEN ONE ASSIGNMENT) quarters 3 and 4 you
got an A. They those quarters were added to 1 and 2 and rounded up. It was almost impossible to get a B. Like statistically impossible if you turned in a SINGLE assignment.
Then last year (20-21) they barely had school and the lowest grade anyone could get was a B. Anything lower than a B was a "P".
You could get As for breathing (and my kids did). I can't emphasize enough how easy it was and is. It was insanity. My kids (19-20 and 20-21) had 98%+ in all classes
with next to no work). It was really stressful for us (and a lot of parents) because we knew our kids weren't learning anything. As such, many of us pulled our kids out.
But now, the kids graduating with this DCPS education are getting the top acceptances out of DC. I'm happy for them but it just seems insane.

I'm sure I'll get crucified for this but it's wacky. These kids are in some giant loophole or elite college admissions. Colleges are not taking the suburban public kids either
(with their 1600 SATs and 15 APs). Urban is where it's out--whether or not anything was learned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I moved my kid from Deal to private for 9th. The workload is about 5 times that of DCPS. My kid is finally learning to write and study.
It's night and day over DCPS. I can't stress this enough. It's easily 5 times the workload and my kid is actually learning..

OP this year may be more extreme but your complaint is nothing new. I grew up in the DMV (since before we called it the DMV) and we have always known this. Just focus on the quoted for now, decide whether or not you want to transfer your kid to Wilson in a later year, and move on.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell senior parent and we all know this is true. Still- and I mean this, even though our family is still sweating it out with two deferrals to date- I would send my kids to private again, knowing this, over Wilson any day.

[Anonymous]

I mean if the goal is bragging rights for which college your kid attends then sure. But you said yourself that your kid is getting a better education than the dcps kids. So doesn’t that mean he’ll be better prepared wherever he goes to college? Why is this a bad thing?

[Anonymous]

Hahahahahaha. You private school parents are a bunch of whiny babies. Sorry your children are not strong candidates for top colleges. Wilson is not perfect, but colleges know what they are doing. Better for them to have kids that can overcome some adversity in public schools rather than entitled spoiled brats from private school.

[Anonymous]

It has always been like this. I grew up here and switched to one of what is considered a big 5 or whatever stupid designation for high school. I went to one of the colleges you mention. 2 of my classmates were friends from my public school days. The difference is freshman year in college was a huge wake up call bc the work and level expected was no joke. I actually found it easier than high school and was well prepared. My 2 friends struggled. One ended up having to graduate a year behind and the other struggled all 4 years.

I don’t mean to sound like I was an amazing student. My point is I was well prepared and able to get a lot out of my college experience vs having everything be a struggle and just trying to stay afloat. I know which experience I want my kids to have, which is why they are all in private.

[Anonymous]

Go Tigers! #TigerPride

This parent of a sophomore loves everything you reported, OP! Hoping to keep the trend going.

[Anonymous]

OP here.
The other thing that is that my kid and other friends who left DCPS for private (Big5 and otherwise) are having a hard time with academics this fall. It hasn't been easy to suddenly be accountable for writing and reading.
Don't get me wrong--it's been AWESOME to watch as a parent (my kid is learning!!!) and they're all getting there. But the learning curve has been straight up. My kid is getting his/her first B (ever).
Meanwhile, their peers left in DCPS will have better college outcomes, having done 10% of the work. I just shake my head.

And to the poster who said that the kids at Wilson are disadvantaged unlike their coddled private peers? Give me a break. We're talking about wealthy, upper NW white people at Wilson.
Many are wealthier than I am. In fact, most are. These kids are at no disadvantage. They're just attending a high school that asks nothing of them and the colleges are non the wiser.

[Anonymous]

But then your kid will have an easier time in college as they know how to write and study. Many kids have a horrible first year as they realize they have major gaps in knowledge and study skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go Tigers! #TigerPride

This parent of a sophomore loves everything you reported, OP! Hoping to keep the trend going.

has your kid read one book this year? Has he written one paper?
if you're honest, the answer to both is no. are you genuinely ok with this?

-Wilson parent who does not share your optimism

[Anonymous]

Perhaps you should write to the admissions offices of Brown, Princeton, etc. and let them know they are being hoodwinked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But then your kid will have an easier time in college as they know how to write and study. Many kids have a horrible first year as they realize they have major gaps in knowledge and study skills.

C'est moi. While I was a voracious reader and had a fairly formidable foundation in language and social sciences, I attended a mediocre HS, so my study and writing skills were fairly lacking. Took a couple of quarters to become accustomed to the school demands/pace of work.

[Anonymous]

Oh, OP. You didn’t know that your big X isn’t a magic bullet? After all those posts about how fabulous it is and how glad you are that you switched?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But then your kid will have an easier time in college as they know how to write and study. Many kids have a horrible first year as they realize they have major gaps in knowledge and study skills.

C'est moi. While I was a voracious reader and had a fairly formidable foundation in language and social sciences, I attended a mediocre HS, so my study and writing skills were fairly lacking. Took a couple of quarters to become accustomed to the school demands/pace of work.

How did it turn out for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
The other thing that is that my kid and other friends who left DCPS for private (Big5 and otherwise) are having a hard time with academics this fall. It hasn't been easy to suddenly be accountable for writing and reading.
Don't get me wrong--it's been AWESOME to watch as a parent (my kid is learning!!!) and they're all getting there. But the learning curve has been straight up. My kid is getting his/her first B (ever).
Meanwhile, their peers left in DCPS will have better college outcomes, having done 10% of the work. I just shake my head.

And to the poster who said that the kids at Wilson are disadvantaged unlike their coddled private peers? Give me a break. We're talking about wealthy, upper NW white people at Wilson.
Many are wealthier than I am. In fact, most are. These kids are at no disadvantage. They're just attending a high school that asks nothing of them and the colleges are non the wiser.

Everyone at Wilson isn’t wealthy, white, and upper class.