Poolsville SMACS program

[Anonymous]

Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

The issue of Bethesda Beat that lists college admissions suggests that students from these programs attend more elite colleges than students not in these programs but it's a chicken and the egg question. If your child wishes to pursue a STEM career by all means attend SMACS, but otherwise they may be better off at their home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

Kids get into top colleges and scholarships based on their own abilities rather than the programs they are in. A student who could attend SMACS will do just as well at a different magnet, in IBDP, in AP, or attending another specialty program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

The whole point of high school is not solely about college/scholarships. Students today aren't machines. While outcomes are important (and alternatives such as Comm. Coll. for example, should be respected, because everyone's situation is different), it's about teaching them how to think and giving them the best ways to cope emotionally for challenges they'll face ahead. You don't solely pick a program for colleges, because if your kid does well wherever they are, they'll be seen. People who win top scholarships or go to strong schools were going to be fine regardless. Correlation doesn't equal causation.

[Anonymous]

If you main goal is college admissions, you should go to a school where you will really stand out which is much harder at a competitive magnet. That said, a child that goes to a competitive magnet will have a smoother transition to a very competitive college than one who had a less challenging HS path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

Kids get into top colleges and scholarships based on their own abilities rather than the programs they are in. A student who could attend SMACS will do just as well at a different magnet, in IBDP, in AP, or attending another specialty program.

Colleges use metrics like GPA to determine merit. A typical magnet student will be credited with more AP-caliber classes than a student at their home school taking just APs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

Kids get into top colleges and scholarships based on their own abilities rather than the programs they are in. A student who could attend SMACS will do just as well at a different magnet, in IBDP, in AP, or attending another specialty program.

Colleges use metrics like GPA to determine merit. A typical magnet student will be credited with more AP-caliber classes than a student at their home school taking just APs.

What? Are you trying to say that a magnet student takes more AP classes? This may be true, but they would also take a lot of AP classes if they were just at their home school. Or are you trying to say that somehow magnet AP classes count for more than "regular" AP classes, which is just untrue.

Colleges also don't just use whatever the district's GPA/WGPA calculations are. They recalculate using their own formulas to have something comparable across districts. In MCPS Honors, AP, IB, and classes designated "Advanced" all earn 1.0 quality point bump in WGPA. No difference based on type of advanced course.

[Anonymous]

It’s an intense program. Your kid should go if they thrive on the content. Otherwise, they should go elsewhere. Four years of misery will likely not give them a boost in college admissions.

[Anonymous]

What if your kid likes math but not computers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s an intense program. Your kid should go if they thrive on the content. Otherwise, they should go elsewhere. Four years of misery will likely not give them a boost in college admissions.

Agree they should do it because they want to and have a thirst for knowledge not because it will help them in college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if your kid likes math but not computers?

Then don't go. Seriously they will be miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

Kids get into top colleges and scholarships based on their own abilities rather than the programs they are in. A student who could attend SMACS will do just as well at a different magnet, in IBDP, in AP, or attending another specialty program.

Colleges use metrics like GPA to determine merit. A typical magnet student will be credited with more AP-caliber classes than a student at their home school taking just APs.

What? Are you trying to say that a magnet student takes more AP classes? This may be true, but they would also take a lot of AP classes if they were just at their home school. Or are you trying to say that somehow magnet AP classes count for more than "regular" AP classes, which is just untrue.

Colleges also don't just use whatever the district's GPA/WGPA calculations are. They recalculate using their own formulas to have something comparable across districts. In MCPS Honors, AP, IB, and classes designated "Advanced" all earn 1.0 quality point bump in WGPA. No difference based on type of advanced course.

A magnet student will take something like 16 magnet classes in addition to APs. Colleges do not treat honors classes as comparable to APs but they do treat magnet classes as comparable. A magnet student will have a higher GPA using that scale than what would be possible for a student just taking APs at their home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

Kids get into top colleges and scholarships based on their own abilities rather than the programs they are in. A student who could attend SMACS will do just as well at a different magnet, in IBDP, in AP, or attending another specialty program.

Colleges use metrics like GPA to determine merit. A typical magnet student will be credited with more AP-caliber classes than a student at their home school taking just APs.

What? Are you trying to say that a magnet student takes more AP classes? This may be true, but they would also take a lot of AP classes if they were just at their home school. Or are you trying to say that somehow magnet AP classes count for more than "regular" AP classes, which is just untrue.

Colleges also don't just use whatever the district's GPA/WGPA calculations are. They recalculate using their own formulas to have something comparable across districts. In MCPS Honors, AP, IB, and classes designated "Advanced" all earn 1.0 quality point bump in WGPA. No difference based on type of advanced course.

Yes, that's exactly why a magnet student has a higher threshold than what is possible for a student who is at their home school. They have access to additional AP-caliber classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

Kids get into top colleges and scholarships based on their own abilities rather than the programs they are in. A student who could attend SMACS will do just as well at a different magnet, in IBDP, in AP, or attending another specialty program.

Colleges use metrics like GPA to determine merit. A typical magnet student will be credited with more AP-caliber classes than a student at their home school taking just APs.

What? Are you trying to say that a magnet student takes more AP classes? This may be true, but they would also take a lot of AP classes if they were just at their home school. Or are you trying to say that somehow magnet AP classes count for more than "regular" AP classes, which is just untrue.

Colleges also don't just use whatever the district's GPA/WGPA calculations are. They recalculate using their own formulas to have something comparable across districts. In MCPS Honors, AP, IB, and classes designated "Advanced" all earn 1.0 quality point bump in WGPA. No difference based on type of advanced course.

Yes, that's exactly why a magnet student has a higher threshold than what is possible for a student who is at their home school. They have access to additional AP-caliber classes.

A Lot more work and dedication required to thrive in the SMACS magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this program in any ways helpful to get better college or scholarships?

Kids get into top colleges and scholarships based on their own abilities rather than the programs they are in. A student who could attend SMACS will do just as well at a different magnet, in IBDP, in AP, or attending another specialty program.

Colleges use metrics like GPA to determine merit. A typical magnet student will be credited with more AP-caliber classes than a student at their home school taking just APs.

What? Are you trying to say that a magnet student takes more AP classes? This may be true, but they would also take a lot of AP classes if they were just at their home school. Or are you trying to say that somehow magnet AP classes count for more than "regular" AP classes, which is just untrue.

Colleges also don't just use whatever the district's GPA/WGPA calculations are. They recalculate using their own formulas to have something comparable across districts. In MCPS Honors, AP, IB, and classes designated "Advanced" all earn 1.0 quality point bump in WGPA. No difference based on type of advanced course.

Yes, that's exactly why a magnet student has a higher threshold than what is possible for a student who is at their home school. They have access to additional AP-caliber classes.

A Lot more work and dedication required to thrive in the SMACS magnet.

The SMaCS program is also an extended day program. Instead of 7 periods, this program has 8... running almost an hour later than a normal HS day. Not only do the students take a high number of AP classes, they get an additional 8 semesters in HS where they can pursue electives they are interested in (and/or take even more AP classes). It's a grind for sure, but for students with a strong sense of time management it can be quite rewarding. A number of students in this program are actually eligible to graduate in their junior year (with a few check boxes taken care of in summer school). My kid started the program with 4 HS credits from MS program and had 20 of 22 required credits at the of sophomore year. Could have graduated really early, but everyone needs a senior year