DCC Choice Help
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Anonymous
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We are relocating next calendar year with a 9th grader to the down county consortium from a smaller school system. Looking for some advice on which school might offer the best fit for a smart kid with no singular focus as of yet - they are currently in 3 honors classes: Alg2, English and Bio. Really enjoyed social studies type classes in middle school. Likes to build things and artistic pursuits. Not really into robots or computer programming.
Anyone super familiar with the different schools and academies? We are feeling a bit lost in the process. |
Anonymous
Blair. Einstein and Wheaton are the DCUM favorites. Northwood has gotten some live here recently too. I wouldn't worry too much about the academies. Einstein is more artsy/humanities than the others. |
Anonymous
| Northwood is under construction and kids are being bused to a different location for a few years. Moving into a home zoned for Northwood with a current high schooler would be foolish, IMO, even if the new building will eventually be wonderful and the school community is good. It's going to be a logistical mess for a long time. |
Anonymous
The Einstein Visual Arts Program (VAC) is fantastic for an artsy child. It's extremely competitive and requires a portfolio review, interview, and 2 hour in person still life drawing. My DC excelled in HS primarily because of the support of the VAC faculty. It is still MCPS so expect the occasional I don't have a teacher for my statistics class and it's the 4th week of school. |
Anonymous
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The DCC schools all have open houses coming up, including a virtual one on 9/19. You can also see links to presentations from last year.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/school-info/downcounty/ I believe it's too late to apply to competitive programs like CAP at Blair or VAC at Einstein. Look into academies like VAPA at Einstein (visual/performing arts, very popular) or Global Studies Academy at Wheaton. Oh and if you want Blair, you should buy a house in that zone because it's hard to transfer in. It's also huge, which might be daunting coming from a smaller school. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| It sounds like OPs kid likes art but may not be committed enough for VAC. Regardless, Einstein would be a good choice because there is a tremendous arts program regardless of whether the magnet is right for their kid. Einstein is big enough that there is something for every kid, arty or not. |
Anonymous
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Agreeing with the above. Northwood would be a mistake just because it's under construction for the next two years (not including this year). So your child would spend 2.5 years being bussed across town to a holding facility that is itself under construction.
Blair or Einstein are both good bets. Einstein is smaller, and an IB school so many of the high fliers get channeled into that program. Blair has two magnet programs, and more AP options since there is no IB option. Honestly, I'd probably open my search to schools in-bounds for both of those schools and then pick one that works for commute/budget/lifestyle. |
Anonymous
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If Blair is not your home school, it's going to be a long shot for you. You can try your luck but I wouldn't put all of your eggs in that basket. It's the most populated and in-demand high school in the DCC.
Based on what you've offered, I would say Einstein would be a good fit for your kid. I would have said Northwood as well, but as another poster mentioned, with Northwood being in a transition for the next three years at the holding school at Woodward, that's going to be very messy and unpleasant. You can consider the IB program at Kennedy, since you said your kid is smart. But that comes with the other downsides of Kennedy, which has been bumpy for the last few years due to its high FARMS and EML populations and poor administrative leadership. |
Anonymous
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Honestly, now that I think about it, the ENTIRE DCC is really in a state of flux and transition.
Blair: Has an interim principal. Who knows how long it'll take to find a permanent one and given how pivotal principals are to school culture and climate, who knows what Blair is going to look like in the near future. Northwood: Holding school and construction for the next three years, which has been and will continue to be highly disruptive. Einstein: Steady eddy. Wheaton: New principal installed this school year after previous principal was pushed out under a cloud of whispers and suspicion. The answer to his being pushed out lies in the Maryland Court records of course. Kennedy: 2nd year for new principal who is very much still finding her footing. Lots of safety and security problems that the make the news and unfortunately, bad academic outcomes when compared with other MCPS high schools. IB program offers a glimmer of hope but the program is still relatively new and full of bumps in process, expertise and outcomes. So honestly, Einstein is your best bet. All of the other schools in the DCC are all full of unknown and uncertainties at the moment. |
Anonymous
| Einstein and Wheaton are also easy to get assigned to if you don't live in-bounds. They're increasing in popularity too, as Blair has been so hard to get into. And all three are very overcrowded. |
Anonymous
Not sure how application to the VAC would work with a transfer student, but the Visual and Performing Arts "academy" program (VAPA) is open to all Einstein students. VAPA allows a lot of flexibility to take a variety of arts electives, some taught by the same faculty as the VAC classes. It also makes it easier to do the IB Diploma program, which could be a good option for a humanities-focused kid. Both of the IB history teachers my senior has had have been fantastic, as is their IB English teacher. From what OP has said about their kid, it sounds like the Einstein community would be a good fit. Einstein is also considerably smaller than Blair. |
Anonymous
Sorry, meant *not* easy to get assigned to! |
Anonymous
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Is your DC a rising 9th grader or a current 9th grader?
If a rising 9th grader, you can participate in the process for next year and submit choices, if not, you will likely be at the school for your neighborhood. While others are cautioning against Northwood, I'd consider it. They are in a holding school that is a bit of a drive- but it's a new building and very nice. When they move back, they will also be in a brand new building. Northwood is smaller than many of the other schools and would likely be an easier transition from a smaller district. There are great teachers and programs there for a strong student interested in the arts. I encourage you to take a look. Looks of good information here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/school-info/downcounty/ |
Anonymous
I don't think they can participate until they can prove they are residents. |
Anonymous
| Wait, why is she late for the magnet programs? |