Arlington Magazine - College admissions numbers 2019

[Anonymous]

Having had experience with multiple HS college counseling departments, I think that's part of where Yorktown's problem lies. My YHS kid got minimal help from the counselor, and if we hadn't gone through the college admissions process with our older kids, he would've been in a much worse position.

I'm really surprised though at the W&M numbers from YHS. 30 out of 103 (29%)? That's lower than the overall admission rate (37%), not to mention the in-state rate (45%) and even the out-of-state rate (31%)!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It’s not news ... that APS has no magnet programs like TJ or Blair.

Hey moron, APS does have a magnet school. It's called TJHSST.

Not operated by APS or in the county.

[Anonymous]

I feel that with APS, because so many pushy parents say the schools are good, people believe it to be so. But these parents — who are generally nerds with attitude and money — would never admit that something they chose is less than great.

The schools are generally good. However, something that hurts APS in the upper grades is that all its elementary schools have different approaches--ATS, science focus, montessori. This is what the parents want. But it is short-sighted.

When kids hit the secondary grades, APS MS teachers have to deal with kids from many different style schools, and are forced to teach to the middle or bottom to make sure all the students have the same information. Meanwhile, other VA counties, who have been teaching more uniformly from the beginning, can turn things up to get kids ready for advanced maths, APs and SATs.

APS will never be able to compete with this under its current system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't give a fig about Ivy admissions. What freaks me out is that only 30 of 103 applicants from Yorktown (29%) made it in to William and Mary, if these numbers to be believed. That is FAR less than 10% of the class. And 44 our of 160 made it into UVA -- again, well fewer than 10% of the class. It is hard for me to believe that most of the top 10% is not applying to these two excellent state schools. The oft-repeated adage from this forum that UVA and W&M will take everyone in the top 10% just doesn't seem to hold true, at ALL.

What is true is that in order to be accepted, a student is typically in the top 10% but certainly UVA and W&M do not accept everyone in the top 10% and I have never seen that said anywhere. I know many in the top 10% who were not accepted at one or the other, including my oldest who graduated from W-L in the top 10% a few years ago and was rejected by UVA and waitlisted by W&M.

+1. It just doesn't make sense to think the whole top 10% can get into this two schools. They'd have to make the schools huge to take the top 10% across the whole state!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol only 10 acceptances to Michigan out of 76 applicants, 13% acceptance rate, I'm so confused

The OOS acceptance rate for Michigan is in the teens now. It's ranked higher than UVA this year. The Bethesda schools have a higher rate (22%) because a lot of kids actually choose to attend Michigan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the bloodbath comment. If you’re smart, you can think of a word that actually fits. No one died. Those schools probably have 90-100% of their kids going to college. Everyone is getting into one or more schools. Just because the most selective ones aren’t FULL of students from one school doesn’t mean there was a “bloodbath.”

Bloodbath is a commonly used term to describe these kinds of nonviolent situations. Not sure why some people are being woke and defensive about it

The word you are looking for here is "shutout".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the bloodbath comment. If you’re smart, you can think of a word that actually fits. No one died. Those schools probably have 90-100% of their kids going to college. Everyone is getting into one or more schools. Just because the most selective ones aren’t FULL of students from one school doesn’t mean there was a “bloodbath.”

Bloodbath is a commonly used term to describe these kinds of nonviolent situations. Not sure why some people are being woke and defensive about it

The word you are looking for here is "shutout".

And bloodbath is just fine too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't give a fig about Ivy admissions. What freaks me out is that only 30 of 103 applicants from Yorktown (29%) made it in to William and Mary, if these numbers to be believed. That is FAR less than 10% of the class. And 44 our of 160 made it into UVA -- again, well fewer than 10% of the class. It is hard for me to believe that most of the top 10% is not applying to these two excellent state schools. The oft-repeated adage from this forum that UVA and W&M will take everyone in the top 10% just doesn't seem to hold true, at ALL.

I am not sure why you expect better results. Langley and McLean attract more academically oriented families and Yorktown also loses top kids to W-L and HB Woodlawn every year. Some kids at YHS do well, but overall it under-performs relative to the income levels in North Arlington. This is nothing new. If it bothers you, send your kid to another school.

Is "more academically oriented families" code word for Asian? Because you FCPS families are deluding yourseves if you think the outcomes for your UMC white kid are different at Mclean or Langley than they are at Yorktown or WL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't give a fig about Ivy admissions. What freaks me out is that only 30 of 103 applicants from Yorktown (29%) made it in to William and Mary, if these numbers to be believed. That is FAR less than 10% of the class. And 44 our of 160 made it into UVA -- again, well fewer than 10% of the class. It is hard for me to believe that most of the top 10% is not applying to these two excellent state schools. The oft-repeated adage from this forum that UVA and W&M will take everyone in the top 10% just doesn't seem to hold true, at ALL.

I am not sure why you expect better results. Langley and McLean attract more academically oriented families and Yorktown also loses top kids to W-L and HB Woodlawn every year. Some kids at YHS do well, but overall it under-performs relative to the income levels in North Arlington. This is nothing new. If it bothers you, send your kid to another school.

Is "more academically oriented families" code word for Asian? Because you FCPS families are deluding yourseves if you think the outcomes for your UMC white kid are different at Mclean or Langley than they are at Yorktown or WL.

Slicing the baloney pretty thin here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to wonder what compels the FCPS people to come here and try to dump on APS at every turn. Most APS people don't give a shit about FCPS. If we cared, we'd live in Fairfax.

I know that FCPS is a more rigorous school system than APS. But I can barely set foot in Fairfax County without breaking out into hives. I can’t stand it there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I feel that with APS, because so many pushy parents say the schools are good, people believe it to be so. But these parents — who are generally nerds with attitude and money — would never admit that something they chose is less than great.

The schools are generally good. However, something that hurts APS in the upper grades is that all its elementary schools have different approaches--ATS, science focus, montessori. This is what the parents want. But it is short-sighted.

When kids hit the secondary grades, APS MS teachers have to deal with kids from many different style schools, and are forced to teach to the middle or bottom to make sure all the students have the same information. Meanwhile, other VA counties, who have been teaching more uniformly from the beginning, can turn things up to get kids ready for advanced maths, APs and SATs.

APS will never be able to compete with this under its current system.

You make an excellent point.

[Anonymous]

All VA public schools teach the same curriculum.

[Anonymous]

My kid recently graduated from one of the APS high schools.

I can tell you that one reason for the low acceptance rate at the best state schools is the number of Hail Mary passes by our kids.

We in Arlington tend to think our kids are truly special even when they aren’t. The kids who got into WM and UVA seemed about the right group to me. They were very bright and did very well.

There were many kids with my kid’s stats who applied and alas ended up elsewhere. We didn’t bother because it seemed obvious our kid wouldn’t get in.

[Anonymous]

You folks realize that the denominators are accurate (naviance knows all the applications) but the numerators are only accurate if the kid came back and reported their results? My kid is represented at seven universities as an applicant, but not once as an acceptance.

He was accepted at many. He never went back to fill in the info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You folks realize that the denominators are accurate (naviance knows all the applications) but the numerators are only accurate if the kid came back and reported their results? My kid is represented at seven universities as an applicant, but not once as an acceptance.

He was accepted at many. He never went back to fill in the info.

No, they’re sticking their heads in the sand on this point because it destroys their narrative.