Blair SMAC vs strong private

[Anonymous]

MY DC is a strong athlete in a particular sport, and so has been given an indication that they will be accepted at one of the strong/well-regarded privates in DC. They were just accepted at Blair SMAC as well. My DC loves science, enjoys math, and really likes English/history too, though definitely more STEM than liberal arts. My child wants to play their sport if possible at school, but not a deal breaker and has no interest in playing in college - at least right now.

We would get financial aid for the private school, so I think it would be doable. So this let's us decide mostly on what would be better for our kid. Any thoughts from families that may have had kids both in SMAC and private? Or thoughts in general even if you haven't had both or struggled with the same decision?

[Anonymous]

No one’s academics in MD/DC compare to Blair.

[Anonymous]

I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

I am a private graduate and often they have disadvantaged college placement results, too. The pool you're competing with is just so superior, you have to be the best of the best to gain admittance and that's a lot to put on a kid. Don't base either of these decisions on college placement.

[Anonymous]

if you want to play varsity sports, take the top private option.

[Anonymous]

I know a number of Blair SMAC athletes who are now competing in college athletics at : Princeton, Cornell, UCLA, Yale etc….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

You compete against other students in your school/program for college admission to top schools. It doesn’t matter how amazing the kids are, colleges are only going to admit 2 or 3 from the same school (yes, MIT admits 6-7 from SMCS). Sometimes it’s hard for a kid to distinguish themselves when everyone is taking same classes, same ECs, same high scores. A kid doesn’t stand out in the cohort of 100 SMCS kids the same way they would in the top 10 at their home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

You compete against other students in your school/program for college admission to top schools. It doesn’t matter how amazing the kids are, colleges are only going to admit 2 or 3 from the same school (yes, MIT admits 6-7 from SMCS). Sometimes it’s hard for a kid to distinguish themselves when everyone is taking same classes, same ECs, same high scores. A kid doesn’t stand out in the cohort of 100 SMCS kids the same way they would in the top 10 at their home school.

True. Big fish/small pond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

You compete against other students in your school/program for college admission to top schools. It doesn’t matter how amazing the kids are, colleges are only going to admit 2 or 3 from the same school (yes, MIT admits 6-7 from SMCS). Sometimes it’s hard for a kid to distinguish themselves when everyone is taking same classes, same ECs, same high scores. A kid doesn’t stand out in the cohort of 100 SMCS kids the same way they would in the top 10 at their home school.

True. Big fish/small pond.

Well, same situation if the kid is in the top private. The peer groups will be in a higher caliber for both. If for college admission, staying home school will be a better choice. For a better HS experience, go to private. For better STEM program, go to Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

You compete against other students in your school/program for college admission to top schools. It doesn’t matter how amazing the kids are, colleges are only going to admit 2 or 3 from the same school (yes, MIT admits 6-7 from SMCS). Sometimes it’s hard for a kid to distinguish themselves when everyone is taking same classes, same ECs, same high scores. A kid doesn’t stand out in the cohort of 100 SMCS kids the same way they would in the top 10 at their home school.

True. Big fish/small pond.

Well, same situation if the kid is in the top private. The peer groups will be in a higher caliber for both. If for college admission, staying home school will be a better choice. For a better HS experience, go to private. For better STEM program, go to Blair.

What does that even mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

You compete against other students in your school/program for college admission to top schools. It doesn’t matter how amazing the kids are, colleges are only going to admit 2 or 3 from the same school (yes, MIT admits 6-7 from SMCS). Sometimes it’s hard for a kid to distinguish themselves when everyone is taking same classes, same ECs, same high scores. A kid doesn’t stand out in the cohort of 100 SMCS kids the same way they would in the top 10 at their home school.

I see. So let me get this right. My kid, whose home school is Blair should turn down the magnet place because he’ll have a better chance for college applications if he’s in the general population at Blair not magnet. Did I get that right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

You compete against other students in your school/program for college admission to top schools. It doesn’t matter how amazing the kids are, colleges are only going to admit 2 or 3 from the same school (yes, MIT admits 6-7 from SMCS). Sometimes it’s hard for a kid to distinguish themselves when everyone is taking same classes, same ECs, same high scores. A kid doesn’t stand out in the cohort of 100 SMCS kids the same way they would in the top 10 at their home school.

I see. So let me get this right. My kid, whose home school is Blair should turn down the magnet place because he’ll have a better chance for college applications if he’s in the general population at Blair not magnet. Did I get that right?

Either way it's still a fish/pond question, honestly. Say your kid is at Whitman or BCC or Churchill -- he's still going to be at a disadvantage compared to someone from Nowheresville in a different state. Colleges are looking for well-rounded student bodies, not well-rounded students. They want kids from all 50 states, a diversity of areas within those states (say upstate NY vs. NYC), plenty of foreign countries, different races, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. And they don't want to overrepresent even a strong program like Blair SMCS -- because as amazing as it is there are lots and lots of super-amazing public magnet HS around the country.

So have your kid take the magnet spot if that's what he wants to do, but start setting expectations for college now (if you haven't already done so or if you haven't had a kid go through the process recently, like in the last two years) because safeties have become targets and targets have become reaches for plenty of kids with perfect GPAs and test scores and strong ECs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know much about privates, but DC is a Blair magnet graduate. The cons for Blair magnet is 1. very intense 4 years 2. disadvantaged college acceptance results
The pros: much better preparation for STEM related fields at college

What do you mean by disadvantaged college acceptance results? Being in the Blair magnet puts you at a disadvantage compared to students who aren’t in a magnet? What are you saying??

You compete against other students in your school/program for college admission to top schools. It doesn’t matter how amazing the kids are, colleges are only going to admit 2 or 3 from the same school (yes, MIT admits 6-7 from SMCS). Sometimes it’s hard for a kid to distinguish themselves when everyone is taking same classes, same ECs, same high scores. A kid doesn’t stand out in the cohort of 100 SMCS kids the same way they would in the top 10 at their home school.

I see. So let me get this right. My kid, whose home school is Blair should turn down the magnet place because he’ll have a better chance for college applications if he’s in the general population at Blair not magnet. Did I get that right?

Not at all! This post is primarily cautioning parents from thinking about that sort of thing. Let the kid go where the kid wants to do and is best suited!

[Anonymous]

I would look at the course curriculums for each school and map out what 4 years would look like. This was very helpful for my kid when they were deciding between public and private.