Choosing between Blair SMCS and Wheaton Engineering?

[Anonymous]

If your kid is choosing between these two programs, or they did in a previous year, what are your thoughts? What factors are you taking into account?

[Anonymous]

Mine did - he mostly picked because Blair was home school anyway. Everyone he knew wanted to her in to the Blair magnet and some did. The open house at Wheaton was less engaging. And the commute is easier.

Tbh, either would have been fine. I think the hands on aspect at Wheaton would have been great.

[Anonymous]

Thank you!

One thing my kid really wants is a good robotics program.

Any thoughts on how that might play into this decision?

[Anonymous]

Is this a joke?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a joke?

Why would this be a joke?

[Anonymous]

Hi, my kid was waitlisted for the engineering magnet at Wheaton and is now in the engineering academy. He really likes it. He has a couple of great engineering teachers, including one who graduated from MIT.

My impression of the Blair magnet is that it is more medical and biology oriented. But I could be wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you!

One thing my kid really wants is a good robotics program.

Any thoughts on how that might play into this decision?

I just posted about my kid at Wheaton. He doesn’t do robotics team. It’s a lot of hours per week, he says. Multiple days after school? You should ask someone at the school because my info could be wrong. It sounds kinda intense, which could be a good thing if your kid is into it

I know there is a girls robotics team and they went somewhere in the Middle East and won a prize.

[Anonymous]

Blair SMCS is in no way medical/biology focused. If anything, it is far more math and CS oriented. They have the best robotics team in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

There is no comparison between the two. None.
Blair if you can get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no comparison between the two. None.
Blair if you can get in.

Because they are focusing on different things.
Blair is more math and CS oriented.
Wheaton is engineering. Reason why they usually send more students to UMD's Clark school of engineering.

-Blair alumnus

[Anonymous]

We also have to make this decision, and neither school is our home school though DC is at TPMS now so many of the kids they’ve met are zoned for Blair. Wheaton is much farther away though sounds less intense and we’ll know other kids going there too. But CS might be the main deciding factor - DC is really into it and it’s not part of the Wheaton program (you’d have to fit it in on your own). With Blair’s extra period, it’s more school but more opportunity to take all of the STEM subjects plus electives that you are interested in. I think the cohort would be good at either, though Blair is obviously more selective in general. But we’d meet more families at Wheaton that would live near us as opposed to Blair which pulls from the entire lower county. Bottom line - pros and cons to both, but we’ll probably choose Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no comparison between the two. None.
Blair if you can get in.

+1
Only Kids who don’t get in Blair consider Wheaton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair SMCS is in no way medical/biology focused. If anything, it is far more math and CS oriented. They have the best robotics team in the DMV.

Which program in MCPS is medical/biology focused?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no comparison between the two. None.
Blair if you can get in.

+1
Only Kids who don’t get in Blair consider Wheaton

Clearly you have no idea what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Blair SMCS is in no way medical/biology focused. If anything, it is far more math and CS oriented. They have the best robotics team in the DMV.

Which program in MCPS is medical/biology focused?

Wheaton’s biomed program