Arlington Magazine - College admissions numbers 2019

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You folks realize that the denominators are accurate (naviance knows all the applications) but the numerators are only accurate if the kid came back and reported their results? My kid is represented at seven universities as an applicant, but not once as an acceptance.

He was accepted at many. He never went back to fill in the info.

No, they’re sticking their heads in the sand on this point because it destroys their narrative.

There is likely underreporting in all districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You folks realize that the denominators are accurate (naviance knows all the applications) but the numerators are only accurate if the kid came back and reported their results? My kid is represented at seven universities as an applicant, but not once as an acceptance.

He was accepted at many. He never went back to fill in the info.

I know at our school (MCPS) they did a good job of chasing down data because that’s what made naviance useful. And from what I saw the admission rates on the scatterplots were calculated for the data points where there were reported outcomes. I assume that’s what is being reported as well. I know in my DCs year that’s the data that was reported for our HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone move to Arlington thinking it's the ticket to an Ivy? That's just ridiculous. No public school is. I'm happy to live here for a short commute, good public services, a house I like, and a good education for my kids. DS wants to go to VA Tech and that's just fine with me, I'm sure he'll be well prepared and do well in life.

The reality is that if you are an Ivy grad from the days when it was relatively easy to get in, your kids are going to have a much, much harder time getting in unless you are donating a building. Doesn't matter where you live, it's just the numbers. It's a totally different game than 20-30 years ago.

+1. DH and I are both Ivy grads. If that was our only goal for our kid, we'd have them in private school. We are in public school because they are more in line with our values, and because we know that when we to go work every day, some of our colleagues are also Ivy grads, but even more of them graduated from good non-Ivy schools. We are all doing the same kind of work, are held in the same esteem, and are compensated under the same system that does not depend on our school credentials. Ivies aren't the end-all and be-all, and we are more concerned with our children's total well-being than with just the seal on their college diploma.

Private schools are not tickets to Ivies either. Not even close. Ivies are accepting more and more public school kids every year. However, there with an ever increasing number of applicants, your particular public school will not feel the increase. The truth is that numbers at privates are not great either. They look better on paper because college counselors do a good job of getting kids into a wide range of schools. But it's gotten relatively MUCH harder for private school kids to get into Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I feel that with APS, because so many pushy parents say the schools are good, people believe it to be so. But these parents — who are generally nerds with attitude and money — would never admit that something they chose is less than great.

The schools are generally good. However, something that hurts APS in the upper grades is that all its elementary schools have different approaches--ATS, science focus, montessori. This is what the parents want. But it is short-sighted.

When kids hit the secondary grades, APS MS teachers have to deal with kids from many different style schools, and are forced to teach to the middle or bottom to make sure all the students have the same information. Meanwhile, other VA counties, who have been teaching more uniformly from the beginning, can turn things up to get kids ready for advanced maths, APs and SATs.

APS will never be able to compete with this under its current system.

You make an excellent point.

I disagree with the point. Elementary education gives a basic foundation and teaches basic skills. If each approach is sound, the fact that they are different shouldn't matter. Why would it? If what you are saying is that kids are falling behind in one or more of these approaches, then that is a different point altogether.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Applied/accepted for the 4 Arlington high schools

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-a-snapshot-2/

Ouch!!!
This is awful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Applied/accepted for the 4 Arlington high schools

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-a-snapshot-2/

Ouch!!!
This is awful!

Really? Why do you say that? Looks pretty consistent with national averages for elites. Are you experienced with that? It would be normal to think that if you were not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You folks realize that the denominators are accurate (naviance knows all the applications) but the numerators are only accurate if the kid came back and reported their results? My kid is represented at seven universities as an applicant, but not once as an acceptance.

He was accepted at many. He never went back to fill in the info.

I know at our school (MCPS) they did a good job of chasing down data because that’s what made naviance useful. And from what I saw the admission rates on the scatterplots were calculated for the data points where there were reported outcomes. I assume that’s what is being reported as well. I know in my DCs year that’s the data that was reported for our HS.

How would the school even know if the kid got accepted at school X if the kid doesn’t tell them? It is personal information. My son’s school only knows of one acceptance, because they had to send final grades to the school where he enrolled. I can see a school choosing to expend energy getting the kids to do it, but bottom line, the schools only know what the kids tell them.

This same info is what forms the scatter plots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Applied/accepted for the 4 Arlington high schools

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-a-snapshot-2/

Ouch!!!
This is awful!

Really? Why do you say that? Looks pretty consistent with national averages for elites. Are you experienced with that? It would be normal to think that if you were not.

Because she lives in Lake Woebegone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Applied/accepted for the 4 Arlington high schools

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-a-snapshot-2/

Ouch!!!
This is awful!

Really? Why do you say that? Looks pretty consistent with national averages for elites. Are you experienced with that? It would be normal to think that if you were not.

I had same reaction -- percentages generally seem to be in range of admission rates national averages. And likely better than public school averages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Applied/accepted for the 4 Arlington high schools

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-a-snapshot-2/

Ouch!!!
This is awful!

Really? Why do you say that? Looks pretty consistent with national averages for elites. Are you experienced with that? It would be normal to think that if you were not.

I had same reaction -- percentages generally seem to be in range of admission rates national averages. And likely better than public school averages?

Just as unsurprising that someone from Nova thought they were better than everywhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Applied/accepted for the 4 Arlington high schools

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-a-snapshot-2/

Ouch!!!
This is awful!

Really? Why do you say that? Looks pretty consistent with national averages for elites. Are you experienced with that? It would be normal to think that if you were not.

Which elites?
The top DC privates? No
The top MCPS? No, just check out Whitman list
The top FCPS? No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Applied/accepted for the 4 Arlington high schools

https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-a-snapshot-2/

Ouch!!!
This is awful!

Really? Why do you say that? Looks pretty consistent with national averages for elites. Are you experienced with that? It would be normal to think that if you were not.

Which elites?
The top DC privates? No
The top MCPS? No, just check out Whitman list
The top FCPS? No

Oh... Burned.

[Anonymous]

It’s funny to see all the FCPS people trashing APS over their reported numbers when when FCPS won’t even release theirs for comparison.

[Anonymous]

And the APS kids at TJ are counted as FCPS students. What will the non-TJ FCPS school numbers look like?

[Anonymous]

You will never know because FCPS does not release that information.