Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?

[Anonymous]

Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

[Anonymous]

No, easier and magnet. Answers for your questions.

[Anonymous]

CAP families seem to suggest they are comparable. It doesn’t seem likely to me based on what I know of the programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CAP families seem to suggest they are comparable. It doesn’t seem likely to me based on what I know of the programs.

Magnet is far more rigorous. I have heard magnet students say that high school was harder than college - and they were engineering students at UMD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

CAP is Communications and Arts Program. It can't never be as intense, rigorous or offers as much intensity of advanced classes as the SMCS (Sciences, Math & Computer Science) magnet.
Two different programs.

[Anonymous]

Are they comparable? Aren’t these completely different programs targeting completely different kids/interests?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they comparable? Aren’t these completely different programs targeting completely different kids/interests?

Completely different. CAP is humanities based. Not even close to the magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

CAP is Communications and Arts Program. It can't never be as intense, rigorous or offers as much intensity of advanced classes as the SMCS (Sciences, Math & Computer Science) magnet.
Two different programs.

Yes I understand that. What I don’t understand is CAP parents who strongly believe that CAP is just as challenging and just as competitive to get offered a place and just as rigorous with advanced classes as the stem magnet. I’ve met enough parents under this impression that I wondered if I was missing something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

CAP is Communications and Arts Program. It can't never be as intense, rigorous or offers as much intensity of advanced classes as the SMCS (Sciences, Math & Computer Science) magnet.
Two different programs.

Yes I understand that. What I don’t understand is CAP parents who strongly believe that CAP is just as challenging and just as competitive to get offered a place and just as rigorous with advanced classes as the stem magnet. I’ve met enough parents under this impression that I wondered if I was missing something.

I know someone who had 2 kids go through it and thought it wasn’t all that. Just my n=2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

CAP is Communications and Arts Program. It can't never be as intense, rigorous or offers as much intensity of advanced classes as the SMCS (Sciences, Math & Computer Science) magnet.
Two different programs.

Yes I understand that. What I don’t understand is CAP parents who strongly believe that CAP is just as challenging and just as competitive to get offered a place and just as rigorous with advanced classes as the stem magnet. I’ve met enough parents under this impression that I wondered if I was missing something.

I'm a CAP parent, and friends with parents whose kids had a lot of great HS choices (Blair Magnet, RMIB, CAP), and none of the them have ever suggested CAP is harder to get into than the others. Rather, folks have said they are very happy that their child made the choice that was right for them, rather than getting swept up in which program is more "prestigious" at 14.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

CAP is Communications and Arts Program. It can't never be as intense, rigorous or offers as much intensity of advanced classes as the SMCS (Sciences, Math & Computer Science) magnet.
Two different programs.

Yes I understand that. What I don’t understand is CAP parents who strongly believe that CAP is just as challenging and just as competitive to get offered a place and just as rigorous with advanced classes as the stem magnet. I’ve met enough parents under this impression that I wondered if I was missing something.

I'm a CAP parent, and friends with parents whose kids had a lot of great HS choices (Blair Magnet, RMIB, CAP), and none of the them have ever suggested CAP is harder to get into than the others. Rather, folks have said they are very happy that their child made the choice that was right for them, rather than getting swept up in which program is more "prestigious" at 14.

This makes so much sense! As a humanities grad myself I’m sort of confused by the comparison. Math/science isn’t for everyone (even if they’re good at it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

CAP is Communications and Arts Program. It can't never be as intense, rigorous or offers as much intensity of advanced classes as the SMCS (Sciences, Math & Computer Science) magnet.
Two different programs.

Yes I understand that. What I don’t understand is CAP parents who strongly believe that CAP is just as challenging and just as competitive to get offered a place and just as rigorous with advanced classes as the stem magnet. I’ve met enough parents under this impression that I wondered if I was missing something.

I'm a CAP parent, and friends with parents whose kids had a lot of great HS choices (Blair Magnet, RMIB, CAP), and none of the them have ever suggested CAP is harder to get into than the others. Rather, folks have said they are very happy that their child made the choice that was right for them, rather than getting swept up in which program is more "prestigious" at 14.

It looks to be a great program. I don’t get the bragging.

[Anonymous]

CAP pulls from a smaller pool of candidates, so in that sense is less competitive to get into. But its students have won countless national awards and have excellent college outcomes, so it’s fairly comparable there. Simply being accepted into the CAP program won’t be considered as impressive, but it provides just as many opportunities for high-achieving students.

The STEM snobs will always insist that humanities classes can never be as difficult as math classes, but CAP students work plenty hard. It’s just a different type of work. Instead of grinding away at problem sets, they’re researching, writing, editing, conducting interviews, digging for stories to tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CAP pulls from a smaller pool of candidates, so in that sense is less competitive to get into. But its students have won countless national awards and have excellent college outcomes, so it’s fairly comparable there. Simply being accepted into the CAP program won’t be considered as impressive, but it provides just as many opportunities for high-achieving students.

The STEM snobs will always insist that humanities classes can never be as difficult as math classes, but CAP students work plenty hard. It’s just a different type of work. Instead of grinding away at problem sets, they’re researching, writing, editing, conducting interviews, digging for stories to tell.

What about volume of homework in freshman year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does CAP have the same volume, intensity of advanced classes as the Blair magnet? How much easier is it to get in to? Which has the most prestige?

CAP is Communications and Arts Program. It can't never be as intense, rigorous or offers as much intensity of advanced classes as the SMCS (Sciences, Math & Computer Science) magnet.
Two different programs.

Yes I understand that. What I don’t understand is CAP parents who strongly believe that CAP is just as challenging and just as competitive to get offered a place and just as rigorous with advanced classes as the stem magnet. I’ve met enough parents under this impression that I wondered if I was missing something.

I'm a CAP parent, and friends with parents whose kids had a lot of great HS choices (Blair Magnet, RMIB, CAP), and none of the them have ever suggested CAP is harder to get into than the others. Rather, folks have said they are very happy that their child made the choice that was right for them, rather than getting swept up in which program is more "prestigious" at 14.

As a parent I need my braggin' rights!