Is IB worth it at BCC if my kids have EU citizenship?
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Anonymous
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My kid is a dual US/EU citizen and is entering MS. We have a choice of moving into either the Pyle/Whitman or Westland/ BCC school zone.
I hear that Pyle is academically stronger than Westland, but then BCC has the IB program. Is this IB program worth it if kid has EU citizenship? I understand it helps US kids if they wish to study at colleges overseas. I am a bit worried about all the drug issues at BCC I have been reading about lately. At the same time, I am also worried about Whitman since we are not rich and affluent and I would rather be in a more socio-economically diverse school; sounds like it would be a better fit that way. Thanks for any feedback. |
Anonymous
| Your kids will do fine at any of these schools. The academic strength you're referring to is just a bulk average which reflects the overall areas affluence. It has nothing to do with how your child will perform in school or what they'll get out of it. Factors like parental education level or family values play a larger part in that. My point is pick whichever school community suits you better and it will be fine. |
Anonymous
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There are no more drugs at BCC than Whitman.
I think the IB program is a good one. And it does help if you are looking at college overseas. That said, it isn't essential and you can definitely get in with good APs etc. |
Anonymous
Whitman's always had more of a reputation of drug use than BCC |
Anonymous
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BCC parent here: your kids don't need to do the IB program to be eligible for schools in Europe, although I'm sure it can help. Most kids who do the program aren't doing it for that reason. IB is academically rigorous and very well-regarded, but it emphasizes a specific model of learning and is not a great fit for all kids across the board. So be prepared that if you choose BCC, it's possible that your kids won't necessarily want to go the IB route.
BCC is a terrific school, so is Whitman. There's a trope that Pyle is somehow 'better' than Westland (or Silver Creek, which is the second feeder MS for BCC.) I've never heard anyone articulate how or why. My kids have had very good educational and social experiences, with widely diverse friend groups by every measure and (for the older one) very successful college outcome. I don't know how much of this would be different if they had gone to a different MS or HS. |
Anonymous
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OP here - thank you. So, have an IB diploma is not necessary for American HS students to apply to EU colleges?
Also, I read in the article that many BCC students are scared to go to the bathroom all day, due to all the drug use at school...I have not heard that about Whitman. I heard that Pyle is super organized and very strong academically. |
Anonymous
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For European colleges, I don't know that it's enough to just have been in an IB program. I think the student needs a specific IB score for some of the more prestigious European univ.
As a PP stated, AP and SAT scores should be good enough. That said, BCC has a mix of SES, but Whitman doesn't. Wealthy schools have issues all their own. The drug problems are everywhere, but it's more publicized in some schools more so than others. |
Anonymous
| Pyle and Whitman have a large percentage of European kids. Not sure if that is the case at Westland/BCC. Not sure if it matters. My kids go to Whitman and I don’t get the sense drug culture is as pervasive as BCC. |
Anonymous
| Your kid will be fine in either school. Choose the house/neighborhood you like best. |
Anonymous
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I’m not sure EU citizenship is relevant to completing the IB. I believe EU citizenship means your child can study at any public university in an EU country for the same tuition cost as their own citizens. I don’t know whether most good universities are public or private. It may well vary from country to country.
They would obviously have to meet the admission requirements which would vary from place to place. The IB should be accepted anywhere. However, many universities accept other qualifications like the SAT or ACT or APs. In fact, they may even require certain APs to be completed for particular courses. Eg. If child is applying for an undergraduate engineering degree. They probably have to have completed certain math and physics APs. You need to establish what the admission requirements are. I know someone whose child went to another EU country to study. They applied as an international student, despite the EU citizenship, as it was a hard university to get into and the likelihood of being admitted as a (high fee paying) international students was higher. |
Anonymous
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My kids are dual citizens (US, European country). They prefer APs. We're not fans of the IB - it's too restrictive. We're also targeting universities that accept APs (UK, Canada and US). You need to research universities to see whether there is one where having an IB is an advantage over having APs. Yes, this year there are more drugs at BCC than at WJ and WW (the other two schools we know about). It does not mean there will more drugs there by the time your kids enroll, because we know some of the, er, kids involved, and some of them are about to graduate. Drug culture is very local and fluid. In a few years, it could another MCPS school. Advantages of BCC over WJ and WW: it has fewer advanced classes available than WJ and WW. American universities judge students partly on whether they've pushed themselves to take the most advanced courses at their school. They actually receive a one-pager from school counselors of courses offered, as well as demographic data. Therefore the bar to stand out is slightly higher at WJ and WW. Big fish in little pond scenario. Also, it's in a real downtown, which is nicer in my opinion than either being encircled by multi-lane highways + Wildwood shopping center, or dead Whitman suburbia. There is slightly more socio-economic diversity. Disavantages to BCC over WJ and WW: it seems some core and AP teachers at BCC aren't that great. On the other hand, I've never heard similar criticism from parents at WJ and WW. Currently, there is that BCC drug issue. And there are fewer advanced options, particularly in post-AP math (works both as pro and con). The student body is a little less focused on academics than the other two (which again, can be a pro or a con). Conclusion: I don't think you can go wrong with any of these schools, OP. Pick the neighborhood you FIND A HOUSE IN. That can be quite difficult! |
Anonymous
Speaking to the "most rigorous course load" point above on college applications, can you get that check mark at BCC without doing IB? |
Anonymous
| That a parent can come on here and claim with any real authority or knowledge that there are more drugs at one suburban high school than another is laughable. Absolutely laughable. You have absolutely no way of knowing that. |
Anonymous
True. But I havr two kids at BCc. And they are certainly not scared to go knto thd bathrooms because of drug use. And I am 100 percent sure that they will encounter plenty of drugs whether at BCC or any other school, public or private. |
Anonymous
It's my opinion, and it's well-founded, because we know lots of families at these three schools - the ones at WJ and WW have never stepped into a drug exchange or seen anyone behaving suspiciously in any bathroom, whereas the one at BCC have. It's all anecdotal, but after nearly a entire school year of this... the anecdotes are piling up. Since this drug thing at BCC came to light, DCUM posters have insisted that drugs are everywhere equally. Not quite. What you should say is that a small coterie of dealers and users could suddenly proliferate at any school, in any period. Right now, it's BCC. This is why drugs at BCC don't bother me that much. But I do think data is important. |