Data on Wilson graduates' admissions to university

[Anonymous]

Better at Wilson, that is. Teacher strength varies, as at any school. But my kids had some excellent teachers there.

[Anonymous]

I think it might make sense for someone concerned about this to make a list of secondary schools within commuting distance, procure exmissions lists, compare by some suitable metric, and on that basis, apply to private schools, or consider moving. I’m a Wilson parent, and I couldn’t begin to chance my student’s Ivy/elite college chances. I have relatives with children at elite NYC schools, and the college results were surprising.

With respect, that data has already been compiled and posted on DCUM for lower, western Montgomery County high schools for 2021. However that list doesn't include Einstein, which could be instructive. IMO, Wilson's demographics are an amalgamation of BCC + Einstein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think it might make sense for someone concerned about this to make a list of secondary schools within commuting distance, procure exmissions lists, compare by some suitable metric, and on that basis, apply to private schools, or consider moving. I’m a Wilson parent, and I couldn’t begin to chance my student’s Ivy/elite college chances. I have relatives with children at elite NYC schools, and the college results were surprising.

With respect, that data has already been compiled and posted on DCUM for lower, western Montgomery County high schools for 2021. However that list doesn't include Einstein, which could be instructive. IMO, Wilson's demographics are an amalgamation of BCC + Einstein.

Great that this info is available, am sure it will be of interest to some. Also, some discussion of Exmissions results for specific private and public schools in the college/university forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

There are parents who have posted in this thread about their disappointing experiences, too. And the data posted indicates that there are not top students at Wilson getting into top colleges, whatever the reasons.

But it seems you don’t want to see or hear that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

There are parents who have posted in this thread about their disappointing experiences, too. And the data posted indicates that there are not top students at Wilson getting into top colleges, whatever the reasons.

But it seems you don’t want to see or hear that.

LOL, I am PP, and I have two kids at Wilson, so I think I am pretty familiar with the pros and cons of the school. My point was that if you are really interested in considering Wilson, you can easily find the answers to your questions by talking to actual human beings that send their kids to the school, or by showing up and talking to guidance counselors and asking about college acceptance. But it's pretty obvious that, for whatever reason, you aren't interested in doing that. That's OK - it's up to you, and if you choose not to send your kids to Wilson I'm sure that your kids and your family and the kids that do go to Wilson will all be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

There are parents who have posted in this thread about their disappointing experiences, too. And the data posted indicates that there are not top students at Wilson getting into top colleges, whatever the reasons.

But it seems you don’t want to see or hear that.

LOL, I am PP, and I have two kids at Wilson, so I think I am pretty familiar with the pros and cons of the school. My point was that if you are really interested in considering Wilson, you can easily find the answers to your questions by talking to actual human beings that send their kids to the school, or by showing up and talking to guidance counselors and asking about college acceptance. But it's pretty obvious that, for whatever reason, you aren't interested in doing that. That's OK - it's up to you, and if you choose not to send your kids to Wilson I'm sure that your kids and your family and the kids that do go to Wilson will all be fine.

You are confusing me and a different PP. I’m not the same person as the one that expressed interest in people to talk to, although I am sympathetic with her desire for answers.

It’s odd that you seem to think because you/your family have had a good experience with Wilson, that that is true for everyone. Obviously, that is not true; people have described a range of experiences. I appreciate your loyalty to Wilson, but I cannot say that you have been helpful in providing insight into the different experiences, or whether my kids would have at fair shot at the colleges they have set their sights on when the published data don’t support it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

There are parents who have posted in this thread about their disappointing experiences, too. And the data posted indicates that there are not top students at Wilson getting into top colleges, whatever the reasons.

But it seems you don’t want to see or hear that.

LOL, I am PP, and I have two kids at Wilson, so I think I am pretty familiar with the pros and cons of the school. My point was that if you are really interested in considering Wilson, you can easily find the answers to your questions by talking to actual human beings that send their kids to the school, or by showing up and talking to guidance counselors and asking about college acceptance. But it's pretty obvious that, for whatever reason, you aren't interested in doing that. That's OK - it's up to you, and if you choose not to send your kids to Wilson I'm sure that your kids and your family and the kids that do go to Wilson will all be fine.

You are confusing me and a different PP. I’m not the same person as the one that expressed interest in people to talk to, although I am sympathetic with her desire for answers.

It’s odd that you seem to think because you/your family have had a good experience with Wilson, that that is true for everyone. Obviously, that is not true; people have described a range of experiences. I appreciate your loyalty to Wilson, but I cannot say that you have been helpful in providing insight into the different experiences, or whether my kids would have at fair shot at the colleges they have set their sights on when the published data don’t support it.

I don't know what else I can do for you; I accurately described my experience as being a positive one; I noted that different kids have different experiences at Wilson and that there are indeed pros and cons to the school. This is an anonymous, public forum OP, and there is only so much useful information you can glean from it. You should not be basing your decisions about Wilson on comments on this forum (which, as others have noted, is based on a single, inaccurate and incomplete list of where Wilson students were accepted a few years ago). You should talk to families in person with kids that attend Wilson, and talk to the people who work there. Stop wasting your time on this forum and go get some real-life perspectives about Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

There are parents who have posted in this thread about their disappointing experiences, too. And the data posted indicates that there are not top students at Wilson getting into top colleges, whatever the reasons.

But it seems you don’t want to see or hear that.

LOL, I am PP, and I have two kids at Wilson, so I think I am pretty familiar with the pros and cons of the school. My point was that if you are really interested in considering Wilson, you can easily find the answers to your questions by talking to actual human beings that send their kids to the school, or by showing up and talking to guidance counselors and asking about college acceptance. But it's pretty obvious that, for whatever reason, you aren't interested in doing that. That's OK - it's up to you, and if you choose not to send your kids to Wilson I'm sure that your kids and your family and the kids that do go to Wilson will all be fine.

You are confusing me and a different PP. I’m not the same person as the one that expressed interest in people to talk to, although I am sympathetic with her desire for answers.

It’s odd that you seem to think because you/your family have had a good experience with Wilson, that that is true for everyone. Obviously, that is not true; people have described a range of experiences. I appreciate your loyalty to Wilson, but I cannot say that you have been helpful in providing insight into the different experiences, or whether my kids would have at fair shot at the colleges they have set their sights on when the published data don’t support it.

I don't know what else I can do for you; I accurately described my experience as being a positive one; I noted that different kids have different experiences at Wilson and that there are indeed pros and cons to the school. This is an anonymous, public forum OP, and there is only so much useful information you can glean from it. You should not be basing your decisions about Wilson on comments on this forum (which, as others have noted, is based on a single, inaccurate and incomplete list of where Wilson students were accepted a few years ago). You should talk to families in person with kids that attend Wilson, and talk to the people who work there. Stop wasting your time on this forum and go get some real-life perspectives about Wilson.

I am not asking you to do anything for me. I have just been participating in a discussion of the issues. I don’t expect complete answers from this forum, although I find it helpful to hear people’s experiences and views.

I have no idea why you are so focused on repeating pablum (“it would be fine for your family!”), nor do I understand why you expect your opinion to be accepted as the final word.

Apologies to others for this derailment. Back to the substance of this thread.

[Anonymous]

I've had kids at both Wilson and a Big3 private (St. Albans, NCS, Sidwell).
In an ideal world there would be some option between the two.

I like Wilson. It is real world and teaches kids how to solve their own problems. Kids are exposed to peers from all over the city and world. It's incredibly diverse economically and racially---probably the most diverse community most of these kids will ever be a part of in their lifetimes. In this regard alone it's a very special place.
The academics at the Big3 private are light years stronger, especially in English, foreign language, other humanities. However, the kids work REALLY hard. It's a bit of a sweatshop. I'd say they do 4 times the work of Wilson kids. And the population is by-in-large so wealthy. It feel like a different world than even the upper NW DC publics. Next level wealth.

[Anonymous]

^^ Thank you. That’s quire interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

There are parents who have posted in this thread about their disappointing experiences, too. And the data posted indicates that there are not top students at Wilson getting into top colleges, whatever the reasons.

But it seems you don’t want to see or hear that.

+1 Numbers don’t lie. There are not alot of top performing students at Wilson. Have you seen the most recent PARCC scores? I don’t recall it ever being so bad.

Almost 50% of the kids are below grade level in ELA. 75% of the kids are below grade level in math. On top of these terrible numbers, only about 1/4th of the students are above grade level in ELA and only a measly 3% are above grade level in math.

Compare above to past numbers. Wilson is definitely losing top performing students whose families have chosen other options for HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

DP: The real problem is finding a reason to be excited about Wilson. HS options in DC are scant, and this is the biggest of the ‘good’ options. And yet it is so unimpressive.

Again, it's up to you PP. During my time as a DCPS parent, I've met lots of parents like you - you have a savior complex, and want people to put on a show and beg you to send your kid to a DCPS school. I've been there, done that, at my kids elementary and middle schools, and it's not necessary at Wilson. There are plenty of fantastic kids from deeply involved families at Wilson, and they get a fine education and then move on to success at excellent colleges. We'd love to have you and your family be part of that. But if not, that's OK, it's your choice.

LOL. I’m not looking to join a sorority. I just wish that DCPS provided a solid and challenging public education to all students, as is its civic and moral responsibility. But DCPS, and Wilson in particular, seems happy just letting top students have to go elsewhere, as though they weren’t citizens and taxpayers too.

This is not correct PP. There have been multiple posts on this thread from the parents of those students explaining that they sent their kids to Wilson, and that they had a perfectly fine experience. There are dozens and dozens of top students at Wilson, if you bother to make the effort to look. But you don't want to see or hear that - you appear to have made up your mind, and no amount of evidence will convince you otherwise.

There are parents who have posted in this thread about their disappointing experiences, too. And the data posted indicates that there are not top students at Wilson getting into top colleges, whatever the reasons.

But it seems you don’t want to see or hear that.

LOL, I am PP, and I have two kids at Wilson, so I think I am pretty familiar with the pros and cons of the school. My point was that if you are really interested in considering Wilson, you can easily find the answers to your questions by talking to actual human beings that send their kids to the school, or by showing up and talking to guidance counselors and asking about college acceptance. But it's pretty obvious that, for whatever reason, you aren't interested in doing that. That's OK - it's up to you, and if you choose not to send your kids to Wilson I'm sure that your kids and your family and the kids that do go to Wilson will all be fine.

You are confusing me and a different PP. I’m not the same person as the one that expressed interest in people to talk to, although I am sympathetic with her desire for answers.

It’s odd that you seem to think because you/your family have had a good experience with Wilson, that that is true for everyone. Obviously, that is not true; people have described a range of experiences. I appreciate your loyalty to Wilson, but I cannot say that you have been helpful in providing insight into the different experiences, or whether my kids would have at fair shot at the colleges they have set their sights on when the published data don’t support it.

I don't know what else I can do for you; I accurately described my experience as being a positive one; I noted that different kids have different experiences at Wilson and that there are indeed pros and cons to the school. This is an anonymous, public forum OP, and there is only so much useful information you can glean from it. You should not be basing your decisions about Wilson on comments on this forum (which, as others have noted, is based on a single, inaccurate and incomplete list of where Wilson students were accepted a few years ago). You should talk to families in person with kids that attend Wilson, and talk to the people who work there. Stop wasting your time on this forum and go get some real-life perspectives about Wilson.

I am not asking you to do anything for me. I have just been participating in a discussion of the issues. I don’t expect complete answers from this forum, although I find it helpful to hear people’s experiences and views.

I have no idea why you are so focused on repeating pablum (“it would be fine for your family!”), nor do I understand why you expect your opinion to be accepted as the final word.

Apologies to others for this derailment. Back to the substance of this thread.

PP, can you read? What I wrote above was that there are pros and cons to Wilson, and that it works for my family but that different kids and families will have different experiences!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But as was mentioned earlier, I wonder how many kids apply to Yale from Wilson? You can't get in if you don't apply, and if you don't have a "hook" but have the stats, admission is basically a lottery. We live in Upper NW and even though some of us parents went to HYPS etc, I don't get the sense that a lot of our kids are applying. According to Bethesda Magazine, 31 kids from Whitman and 23 from BCC applied to Yale in the 2019-20 school year (4 from Whitman and 1 from BCC got in). I don't get the sense that nearly as many kids from Wilson are even trying to get in to HYP.

They're applying to the elite schools (including HYPS) from Wilson. I know many. They're just not getting in. I don't know why. Maybe it's the luck of the draw. Maybe it's "honors for all" (very little distinguishes the kids from each other anymore so the entire cohort is written off by a school). maybe the school has been burnt by past ill prepared Wilson students (quite possible given how little the kids learn to write). Who knows.
-Wilson parent of a junior

Well, I just checked Naviance and only 12 applied to Yale last year, same to Harvard. So, pp's presumption is correct in that fewer Wilson kids are applying. Maybe they're not interested. My kid was not. I know top kids across the country who went to top privates and boarding schools; not one got into HYP last year and many were double legacy.

BTW - you keep bashing Wilson. There's still time to move to Whitman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP - Principal Martin's decision to eliminate AP World History as an option for 10th grade was the last "Honors for All" straw for our family. Last year we sent our straight A Deal student to Walls instead. We did not choose Walls; we effectively were driven from Wilson. At Wilson academically strong students are slow rolled for two years (9th & 10th) in "Honors for All" and then placed into large AP classes with 30+ students their last two years (11th & 12th) so that the on-level classes for juniors and seniors can be limited to no more than 20 students. The school's policies are no longer designed to meet the needs of academically strong students (which I believe is unethical) and as such it does not surprise me that Wilson's placements into top schools have begun to slip.

Thanks for the info. This is precisely the type of information one potential parent/student needs. If there are no opportunities for academically-driven students to take, then it is more than natural that one may choose another school. Maybe that's the endgame of DCPS, who knows? However, the idea that parents are insensitive to the quality of the curriculum and of the placements is naïve at best. If the school underperforms then some students won't come.

PP, it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to not send your kid to Wilson, and are willing to seek that excuse from an anonymous group of randos rather than talking to actual parents. That's fine - you don't have to send your kid to Wilson, and you can justify it however you want - you don't need anybody's permission to send your kid to Walls or move to MD or do whatever you think is best.

The hand wringing on this thread is crazy. PP probably went to Walls because the elite private schools drove her away, too. They vowed to cut all AP classes the same year the AP board cut back on AP World History to white wash the curriculum. Go to Walls, just own your choice without making daft pronouncements.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/19/eight-private-high-schools-washington-area-are-dropping-out-ap-program