If your child turned down a magnet to stay at their local school how did they like it?

[Anonymous]

Do they think they made the right choice?

[Anonymous]

Yes, and i do too. The kid had had enough of magnet program culture, and the local school is closer, more convenient, and less homogeneous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, and i do too. The kid had had enough of magnet program culture, and the local school is closer, more convenient, and less homogeneous.

Turned down boarding school and IB magnet for IB home school after magnet MS.

No commute. Less homework. More time for activities and down time/other interests. Magnet personality meant DC sometimes went over the top with projects and areas of interest, which teachers were easily impressed by. Still took a ton of IB and AP classes, although as a parent I occasionally had to step in to insist that DC be allowed to register for a particular class or class load which would typically be considered “too much” for a student. I’m sure I appeared very cocky, helicopter-y and that people assumed that I was secretly pushing DC, which wasn’t at all the case. Teachers and admin often don’t recognize the special need and drive of gifted students - you have to allow them to pursue what they’re interested in at the level they’re interested, which can be atypically high & deep.

It worked out OK. I don’t think it would have been better at a magnet. The stuff about high school that was rocky, would have been rocky at any school, magnet or otherwise.

[Anonymous]

YMMV, but one downside of going back to home high school was that it was actually less diverse than magnet schools in every dimension. That had more of a negative impact than I anticipated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YMMV, but one downside of going back to home high school was that it was actually less diverse than magnet schools in every dimension. That had more of a negative impact than I anticipated.

one person's diversity is another person's homogeneity. esp in these magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YMMV, but one downside of going back to home high school was that it was actually less diverse than magnet schools in every dimension. That had more of a negative impact than I anticipated.

You choose an area that wasn't diverse on purpose so how is that an issue?

[Anonymous]

DD was extremely successful at her home school. It was just more convenient. As academics go her home school was a better fit in the end. They had a female Computer Science teacher such a gem. Given computers were a passion of my kid we were lucky. Also, our public is extremely good on even a bad day so she could take great courses. And she went to MC as a senior (not sure that is done anymore ), took two classes then went back to her home school.

Honestly OP this is a very personal decision every kid is different. My DD friends that went to the Magnet that year did great they loved it. And it was a good fit for them and their families.

[Anonymous]

I'll give a different perspective. We made a huge mistake in insisting that our kid go to the home school rather than the magnet HS after CES and magnet middle school. We seriously underestimated their attachment to their cohort and their difficulty in reintegrating into the home HS where everyone else has been friends since forever. Especially with the pandemic disrupting so much of middle school, we just didn't think through how important it was to them as a kid who has been struggling with anxiety and depression to continue those strong social connections. Because no one from their CES came to their MS magnet, we thought it would be the same and they'd again make friends easily. It hasn't happened. HS is different.

It's a decision I regret pretty much daily at this point. We had really good reasons as their parents for saying the home HS is the best choice overall, which I won't go into because there's no point, but it turns out those reasons didn't stack up against our kid's happiness, and I'd do anything to take that decision back.

[Anonymous]

Sports would have been really tough at the magnet. Kiddo loved running too much, loved being part of the team.

[Anonymous]

There are a bunch of magnets who do cross country & track. There are a fair number of athletes.

[Anonymous]

My kids loved being at a "highly gifted center" (CES back in the day) but chose to go to our local middle and high school and were very happy with the choice. They were involved with lots of extracurriculars, in school and out, and were glad to avoid long commutes.

[Anonymous]

Cousin who turned down HS magnet after going to CES and local middle ended up at a top college/law school and has an amazing career!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a bunch of magnets who do cross country & track. There are a fair number of athletes.

Transportation was an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:YMMV, but one downside of going back to home high school was that it was actually less diverse than magnet schools in every dimension. That had more of a negative impact than I anticipated.

You choose an area that wasn't diverse on purpose so how is that an issue?

Exactly!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a bunch of magnets who do cross country & track. There are a fair number of athletes.

They are not sports with heavy travel schedules and personal training and practices. Running takes stress off. Not a team sport. In and out.