MCPS High School Magnet Decisions

[Anonymous]

Don’t worry. In the same school, you will rotate among the 3 programs. No time conflict.

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Anonymous wrote:I was surprised that the CAP and RMIB welcome sessions are at the same time, so it's impossible to attend both. I would have thought a fair number of kids would get both (we did). Do you think they are unaware (because RMIB is countywide and CAP is DCC) or is it some kind of power play between the programs or assumption that all kids have a clear 1st choice?

There were conflicts last year too. Not that particular conflict but DC had at least 2 days with conflicts so missed out on 2 open houses.

The poolesville welcome sessions are all at the same time. Not sure how that's supposed to work if you are trying to decide between programs at the school.

[Anonymous]

DD always had MAP-M above 97th percentile, recently 98-99 (260+ score), and her MAP-R was at best 94th percentile (last score was 245). Applied to Blair and to RM and Kennedy IB. Got into both IBs but not into Blair. She is happy, I am utterly confused (not disappointed / complaining, just kind of “this doesn’t make sense” confused).

[Anonymous]

PP here: the reason I am confused is that her reading scores were so-so at best, and her math scores, while not crazy outliers, were top 1-2%. So I am surprised that if she didn’t qualify for Blair with great math scores, she qualified for IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD always had MAP-M above 97th percentile, recently 98-99 (260+ score), and her MAP-R was at best 94th percentile (last score was 245). Applied to Blair and to RM and Kennedy IB. Got into both IBs but not into Blair. She is happy, I am utterly confused (not disappointed / complaining, just kind of “this doesn’t make sense” confused).

My guess is that more people with high MAP-M applied this year to Blair, than high MAP-R applied to RM. Also it may be (and it looks like) that your DC's scores in both cases are quite close to decision range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The poolesville welcome sessions are all at the same time. Not sure how that's supposed to work if you are trying to decide between programs at the school.

My DS was accepted to both PHS SMCS and Humanities, but I haven’t received information on Welcome sessions. Do you know when the welcome sessions will be held?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About 60 students in Poolesville SMCS each year. In the beginning of 2023-2024 school year there were 62 smcs students in class 2027, so far 3 students dropped out of the program because it is too intense and they don’t fit.

Anonymous wrote:After the acceptances and declines, how many kids (freshmen) are there each year in Poolesville SMCS program?

Interesting…I have a smcs student, a senior, and I didn't know this information.

[Anonymous]

I am a parent of smcs freshman. My child told me the 3 students quit in October, right after quarter one and middle December respectively. Their classmates all know about this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 60 students in Poolesville SMCS each year. In the beginning of 2023-2024 school year there were 62 smcs students in class 2027, so far 3 students dropped out of the program because it is too intense and they don’t fit.

Anonymous wrote:After the acceptances and declines, how many kids (freshmen) are there each year in Poolesville SMCS program?

Interesting…I have a smcs student, a senior, and I didn't know this information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here: the reason I am confused is that her reading scores were so-so at best, and her math scores, while not crazy outliers, were top 1-2%. So I am surprised that if she didn’t qualify for Blair with great math scores, she qualified for IB.

The top 1-2% nationally is not the same as MCPS. The average SMCS kid scores about 20 points higher. The magnet coordinator stated the mean and median scores a year or so ago at one of the information sessions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here: the reason I am confused is that her reading scores were so-so at best, and her math scores, while not crazy outliers, were top 1-2%. So I am surprised that if she didn’t qualify for Blair with great math scores, she qualified for IB.

Unfortunately for her, you really need solid 99th percentile scores for Blair. At least above 270 to maybe get in and above 285 to likely get in.

[Anonymous]

True. DS got 297 for MAP-M and it’s not the highest in his non-magnet MS.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:DS just told me he got his results. Into Blair, RM and Poolesville. Didn't expect this. He likely will decline all 3.

Why did he apply then.

To stroke his parents’ ego.

You sound upset.

There are many reasons why kids apply and then decline. I would encourage kids to go to the information nights, and they can make up their minds at that time after hearing the presentations and seeing the cohorts. No push from parents because magnet is a huge commitment that students endure (not the parents!).

DP. I agree with PP. Parent had 2 kids apply and get in to all programs. First turned tgem all down and now parent says second will likely turn down before ever visiting? That sounds like ego stroking to me. And, I am not upset -- had 2 kids go through this, get into great magnets (one got into all and chose carefully with a lot of visits/shadows etc), and now last is in early to top college. So, while it's fine to choose what's best, even if that is none, the immediate dismissal of the poster smacks of ego.

You realize that kids in the covid years never had a chance to visit the school right? They had to make decisions based on a zoom call.

And also, no one said without visiting. Read through the thread.

I do because I had kids going through this during covid. They carefully looked at the programs, went to the zooms etc. to decide. They would not have been dissing it from the point of initial acceptance. As for your chide on reading the thread, the "visiting" part got added only after you were pressed on the boast. Revisionist at best. Your initial post was clearly an ego stroke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was invited to rm. Where do you find the info for the welcome session?

We got an email congratulating my kid and providing information on the welcome session before the letter was in Parentvue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here: the reason I am confused is that her reading scores were so-so at best, and her math scores, while not crazy outliers, were top 1-2%. So I am surprised that if she didn’t qualify for Blair with great math scores, she qualified for IB.

Unfortunately for her, you really need solid 99th percentile scores for Blair. At least above 270 to maybe get in and above 285 to likely get in.

You can check past threads, but I seem to recall that 273 was median for Blair Magnet admits or attendees. They just don't care about the ridiculously high MAP scores.

Blair Magnet has very few spots. Far more students are qualified than admitted. Admissions is very "holistic" (arbitrary), not anything the applicant can measure or control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here: the reason I am confused is that her reading scores were so-so at best, and her math scores, while not crazy outliers, were top 1-2%. So I am surprised that if she didn’t qualify for Blair with great math scores, she qualified for IB.

SMACS is more desired (competitive / selective) than IB, by supply and demand. Many students at highly resourced schools and families, where most of the qualified students are, prefer non-IB to IB for the flexibility in the AP course selection, and for the college credit friendliness. And there are several local IB / partial-IB programs to absorb students.

But SMACS has a lot of courses and labs and clubs you can't get anywhere else, even at the other academically desirable W schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here: the reason I am confused is that her reading scores were so-so at best, and her math scores, while not crazy outliers, were top 1-2%. So I am surprised that if she didn’t qualify for Blair with great math scores, she qualified for IB.

Unfortunately for her, you really need solid 99th percentile scores for Blair. At least above 270 to maybe get in and above 285 to likely get in.

Yeah, my 278 kid didn't get into Blair a few years ago. Too many higher scoring kids in his MS.