For parents with MS kids, rising HS kids in the W cluster

[Anonymous]

My DD discovered in 6th grade that all of her friends got entirely A grades, so after the 1st quarter she made sure this also happened for her through the rest of MS. She started her 2nd language in 8th grade and was in Honors where it was available.

When she got to Whitman in 9th grade and was still taking 2 languages, the top math & humanities subjects she found out that one of her more interesting friends was also taking college level neuroscience on weekends, getting up early mornings to ice skate and taking a further sport to an advanced level (team captain) in school. Another friend was taking AP Physics in 9th grade without having taken Physics first, and this girl's mother was getting her to take SAT tests already and had been doing so since she was 13.

This all sounds insane I'm sure, but thee pressure is on in the W schools like few others, and this is driven almost entirely by parental aspiration and the desire to get their kid into Harvard, MIT and similar. These same kids were taking about colleges when they were still in ES.

When we left the Bethesda area in the middle of HS to move to another state, my DD suddenly in her new HS ranked #1 in the class, due to her GPA which had been boosted by all the Honors and AP classes made available to her in Bethesda. When she graduated this new HS she was still in the top 10 kids, not the top 10 PER CENT the actual top 10 kids in a class of about 650 students. She worked hard at her AP classes and got 5's in the exams, A's in the school.

I think she was aware that she was one of many in Bethesda and only stood out once she left for a lesser district in a lesser state where there were lower achieveing kids generally and only one or two tiger moms.

I remember reading threads about moving to rural areas, moving to VA to get in-state advantages.

I just want to let you know if the opportunity arises for you to do this, take it, the pay off is huge in terms of college acceptances.

[Anonymous]

Great idea. Sabotage their high school education so they can do remedial coursework in state university.

The top quarter of a rich high school gets into state flagship. You dont need to move out to the country and be top 10 to get into state flagship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great idea. Sabotage their high school education so they can do remedial coursework in state university.

The top quarter of a rich high school gets into state flagship. You dont need to move out to the country and be top 10 to get into state flagship.

I think you are missing the point somewhat. She got into everywhere she applied including Edinburgh University and Oxford.

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids went to a W school and presently attend T20 colleges. The W schools certainly prepare students well for college. But when it comes to competition, you are competing with students at public schools in Palo Alto or Westchester County and similar. Most public school students at average or middling schools in weak school districts don't have a shot at the most selective colleges. Moving a bright kid from a W school to a random below average high school has many more risks than rewards - not least the peer group and the availability of advanced classes. But yes, big fish in small pond can be somewhat helpful, but generally not enough to overcome the weaker academics and other risks.

[Anonymous]

Many of knew this and this is why we don't live in a W school area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD discovered in 6th grade that all of her friends got entirely A grades, so after the 1st quarter she made sure this also happened for her through the rest of MS. She started her 2nd language in 8th grade and was in Honors where it was available.

When she got to Whitman in 9th grade and was still taking 2 languages, the top math & humanities subjects she found out that one of her more interesting friends was also taking college level neuroscience on weekends, getting up early mornings to ice skate and taking a further sport to an advanced level (team captain) in school. Another friend was taking AP Physics in 9th grade without having taken Physics first, and this girl's mother was getting her to take SAT tests already and had been doing so since she was 13.

This all sounds insane I'm sure, but thee pressure is on in the W schools like few others, and this is driven almost entirely by parental aspiration and the desire to get their kid into Harvard, MIT and similar. These same kids were taking about colleges when they were still in ES.

When we left the Bethesda area in the middle of HS to move to another state, my DD suddenly in her new HS ranked #1 in the class, due to her GPA which had been boosted by all the Honors and AP classes made available to her in Bethesda. When she graduated this new HS she was still in the top 10 kids, not the top 10 PER CENT the actual top 10 kids in a class of about 650 students. She worked hard at her AP classes and got 5's in the exams, A's in the school.

I think she was aware that she was one of many in Bethesda and only stood out once she left for a lesser district in a lesser state where there were lower achieveing kids generally and only one or two tiger moms.

I remember reading threads about moving to rural areas, moving to VA to get in-state advantages.

I just want to let you know if the opportunity arises for you to do this, take it, the pay off is huge in terms of college acceptances.

LOL. no.

No need to move.

W school at Stanford, MIT, CMU, Georgia Tech, multiple kids, yeah, we are good in a state with intelligent people and access to some of the best museums in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many of knew this and this is why we don't live in a W school area.

good for you!

[Anonymous]

My kid doesn't go to a W school but she's got a 4.0 and is taking some AP classes and Dual Enrollment courses. She's interested in American University and Drexel University as her top 2 with Stevenson University, Gannon University, and St Johns also being considered.

We aren't stressing over trying to get into Ivies

[Anonymous]

Very interesting, thank you, OP. We're not planning on moving, but it's good to know generally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very interesting, thank you, OP. We're not planning on moving, but it's good to know generally.

Thanks I am just glad it has provided some insight into what it's like. We actually had to move due to employment changes, I should add. We didn't randomly leave Bethesda and Whitman behind, it was a no-choice situation for us, but I had a mom friend who moved to the South around the same time because their careers were not tied to one location. And I fully agree, it is a huge risk to do it and can really not work out for the kids sometimes.