What’s Something About Your School You Would Have LOVED To Know Before Enrolling

[Anonymous]

Will go first. Would have loved to know that:

1) School does not allow students to take home their graded quizzes and exams. Student may only review them in class.

2) School does not allow students to view their grades at anytime. Grades are open and viewable for a couple of days per month and even viewable for less time for parents.

3). You get ONE grade for each class at the end of the year.

We would have still enrolled but these were interesting aspects that we were not aware of prior to enrollment. And, my DD loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will go first. Would have loved to know that:

1) School does not allow students to take home their graded quizzes and exams. Student may only review them in class.

2) School does not allow students to view their grades at anytime. Grades are open and viewable for a couple of days per month and even viewable for less time for parents.

3). You get ONE grade for each class at the end of the year.

We would have still enrolled but these were interesting aspects that we were not aware of prior to enrollment. And, my DD loved it.

Meant to add this is Georgetown Visitation.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean one grade for each class? How else is it done?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean one grade for each class? How else is it done?

I mean you get one year end grade. There are no semester grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean one grade for each class? How else is it done?

I mean you get one year end grade. There are no semester grades.

I have a DD at Visi. There are semester grades, but they are averaged together for a year end grade. I'm not sure how else they would do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean one grade for each class? How else is it done?

I mean you get one year end grade. There are no semester grades.

What shows up on the first semester report card, then?

[Anonymous]

For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

[Anonymous]

We were new to private school and picked a k-8 for our child - were told by k-8 admissions office when we were applying, "we have great placement for HS, look at all the great schools our 8th graders get admitted to" - wish we had known that the HS chances were heavily influenced by whether or not you were a recruited athlete, had a sibling at the HS already, were a big donor at the k-8 school - guess it's a good lesson for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wish we had known that the HS chances were heavily influenced by whether or not you were a recruited athlete, had a sibling at the HS already, were a big donor at the k-8 school - guess it's a good lesson for college.

This is hardly unique for your K-8 school, when it comes to 9th grade admissions.

[Anonymous]

That some of the really cool electives in the course catalogue aren't actually offered every year, or ever.

There's a secret menu of course options that you have to know to ask about because it isn't advertised anywhere (e.g. extra AP classes as independent study).

Just because the student handbook says there's always transportation provided for something, like having a bus for away games for a sports team or for practices that are off-campus, doesn't mean it actually is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

Aren't all classes restricted in size? No one would want a 40 person class. Kids aren't guaranteed their first choice electives anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

This is pretty typical. I have kids at 2 different Big3 schools. Electives start in 11th and almost no one gets their choices in 11th. In 12th grade you maybe got one of your choices. One of my kids (now a senior) has the most random selection of courses ever. I sometimes worry that colleges are going to wonder "huh, why the heck would this kid take THIS history class and THIS English class? " Uh, because that's what she was given and there was no ability to switch (other sections were full or they would require her to switch a math section but this wasn't possible because other sections of the math class were full. These schools: WILL NOT add a kid to a class above the determined roster size. There is ZERO flexibility like in public. If the course size is 12, there will 12 students enrolled--doesn't matter if there is a desk in the room, etc.

Big3 course selection in our experience: "You get what you get and you don't get upset."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our HS - that the college counseling office will limit the number of colleges that you can apply to. That certain classes are restricted in class size because of "equipment" issues and your child won't get the electives they want because of that.

Aren't all classes restricted in size? No one would want a 40 person class. Kids aren't guaranteed their first choice electives anywhere.

You can EASILY go through these high schools having never received your top 3 choices for any English or History class. Then you're paying $56K for super specialized stuff that your particular kid doesn't care about: a year of Asian history or a year of Shakespeare. My history loving kid is having to take African American Culture as a history class (which I'm sure will be great but this kid would have killed for a spot in an actual history class).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will go first. Would have loved to know that:

1) School does not allow students to take home their graded quizzes and exams. Student may only review them in class.

2) School does not allow students to view their grades at anytime. Grades are open and viewable for a couple of days per month and even viewable for less time for parents.

3). You get ONE grade for each class at the end of the year.

We would have still enrolled but these were interesting aspects that we were not aware of prior to enrollment. And, my DD loved it.

Wish I had known that there were so many vocal Trump supporting families and country club members.

[Anonymous]

This happened a few years ago but wish I would have known my child would get assigned a new teacher and was going to be placed in a class with numerous behavior problems. I could have saved us a lot of money and a year of misery.