APS to offer direct path to college at GMU at 3 high schools

[Anonymous]

GMU probably heard about all of the nasty racist parents and kids at YHS and decided it was a no-go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at Yorktown and I wouldn't want her going to GMU because it's too close to home. She needs to go further away to have a more independent college experience.

So now, that's out of the way. This program is a nice thing. Its probably well intentioned. But Yorktown does in fact have some kids who are lower income, so limiting this to WL, WHS and ATT is kind of discriminatory. They should probably do a means-based county-wide program to actually be fair. Plenty of kids at WL and ATT aren't lower income or first generation college students.

I think if it doesn’t yield the result they’re going for, it will be changed.

For now, why don’t you think of if as even the non-economically disadvantaged kids, who have attended Title 1 schools, have some benefit that offsets their lack of academic opportunities/booster/PTA/alumni investment, same as for the disadvantaged kids at the same schools, while the disadvantaged kids at Yorktown do have the benefit of a richer, more connected school community.

Exactly.
No outrage over the segregation and inherent disparities in opportunities and resources with APS school boundaries and Arl Co housing policies and patterns; but heaven forbid YHS miss out on a program being offered to the high schools with a significant %age of poor minority students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:JFC. They can't just do it for all HSs in the area all at once. What an administrative nightmare. First, they want to see if it actually helps anything. Then, each year they expand, giving priority to the schools with the highest # of FRM/first gen families.

The constant whining from the right is RIDICULOUS.

No, it's the YHS attitude and entitlement that's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

It’s a shame Innovation and the Metro Corridor between Clarendon and Rosslyn no longer track to W-L. It’s so transit rich with busses and rail, and for the transit dependent, it was a convenient way to go to/from school. Maybe some will transfer to W-L to take advantage of this GMU initiative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

Perhaps the target schools have more economically disadvantaged and/or first generation students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

Perhaps the target schools have more economically disadvantaged and/or first generation students?

yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

Perhaps the target schools have more economically disadvantaged and/or first generation students?

yes.

This is a terrible policy. GMU is basically admitting anyone who has a pulse and encouraging students to borrow money for useless degrees. They have become a diploma mill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

Perhaps the target schools have more economically disadvantaged and/or first generation students?

yes.

This is a terrible policy. GMU is basically admitting anyone who has a pulse and encouraging students to borrow money for useless degrees. They have become a diploma mill.

OK. So let's not reach out to lower income students and perpetuate the status quo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

Perhaps the target schools have more economically disadvantaged and/or first generation students?

yes.

This is a terrible policy. GMU is basically admitting anyone who has a pulse and encouraging students to borrow money for useless degrees. They have become a diploma mill.

This is the problem. GMU is expensive and they are targeting families that can't afford it with students who have a higher chance of needing to drop out due to expenses before finishing the degree. I wonder if there is some incentive the Fed govt gives or the state , if they accept a certain number of students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent at Innovation elementary, I really wish all those kids were eligible. While our family is not the target audience, the school has a wealth of diversity socioeconomically and many first generation students.

Perhaps the target schools have more economically disadvantaged and/or first generation students?

yes.

This is a terrible policy. GMU is basically admitting anyone who has a pulse and encouraging students to borrow money for useless degrees. They have become a diploma mill.

This is the problem. GMU is expensive and they are targeting families that can't afford it with students who have a higher chance of needing to drop out due to expenses before finishing the degree. I wonder if there is some incentive the Fed govt gives or the state , if they accept a certain number of students

Reiterating:
OK. So let's not reach out to lower income students and perpetuate the status quo.
Adding:
So colleges should not even bother to seek or recruit low-income students who may not be able to afford it. Definitely shouldn't admit them just in case they can't finish paying for their whole degree. That certainly solves the problem. These students can still apply for financial aid and scholarships. Some of them would never even consider college, but getting an offer may result in them at least looking into it and the possibilities.

[Anonymous]

Yorktown has an albeit smaller, though still marginalized community of ELs, Sped students and other minority populations. Maybe instead of targeting marginalized students by school, GMU and APS could have worked out accepting applicants by FARM (Free and Reduced Meal) status.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, just adding across all high schools. Not just by school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, just adding across all high schools. Not just by school.

It's GMU's program, not APS'.
I really don't get all the upset about something that merely accelerates the application process - nothing else: no different eligibility requirements to attend GMU, no scholarship offer, no financial aid - just an expedited and shorter application process. Still have to "accept" and then complete an abbreviated application form, same FAFSA, still apply for any other financial aid and scholarships, still submit supplemental application requirements for specific schools (music, art, ...).

And again, this is GMU's program - not APS' initiative. I guess everyone would be happier if APS said they wouldn't participate at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, just adding across all high schools. Not just by school.

It's GMU's program, not APS'.
I really don't get all the upset about something that merely accelerates the application process - nothing else: no different eligibility requirements to attend GMU, no scholarship offer, no financial aid - just an expedited and shorter application process. Still have to "accept" and then complete an abbreviated application form, same FAFSA, still apply for any other financial aid and scholarships, still submit supplemental application requirements for specific schools (music, art, ...).

And again, this is GMU's program - not APS' initiative. I guess everyone would be happier if APS said they wouldn't participate at all.

I’m not upset about it, but what you wrote isn’t accurate. It is automatic admission if you have a certain GPA, not just a shorter application process. And for whatever reason, the acceptance rate of APS students applying to GMU is far below the 90% overall acceptance rate (geographic diversity? Yield protection?)