Private to APS WL IB -- Will it be less grueling??

[Anonymous]

Our DS is currently at Gonzaga, and its been a grueling and stressful start to high school. We have at least 2-3 quizzes a week and it seems like 2 tests a week. Then there is the essay on short stories or science reports. Its a lot of structure writing and testing nonstop, not to mention the math and science problem sets but those are pretty straightforward.

He is struggling with the writing, feeling like they aren't even teaching him how to do these structured analysis, quotes, and references, all sorts of grammar rules to follow.

We are hoping it would be a bit more support and slower ramp up at WL -- we may transfer in the Spring. Can anyone speak about the current assignment load for the Honors and AP classes that freshman take? How often are quizzes and tests? How many writing assignments have they had so far? How stressful are mid-terms for the end of this semester?

We expect by the time IB classes, the reading and writing effort will exceed even the load we have now, but we hope that there will be maturity and a more gradual ramp up in skills to ready for that point. But anyone who can speak to the IB experience, that would be welcome as well.

[Anonymous]

If your child is struggling now why do you assume you should be looking at AP and Honors classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is struggling now why do you assume you should be looking at AP and Honors classes?

This is my kids choice. If they go WL they want those classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is struggling now why do you assume you should be looking at AP and Honors classes?

By struggling is they work long hours because they want the high A, rather than just take a solid B and go to bed. It drives me nuts.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is currently a sophomore at wl and I do not think freshman year was bad in term if workload. There is a wide variety for workload between teachers though, so it is possible that you will draw a short straw and end up with very rigorous teachers. There is one ap class that is encouraged if you are pre-ib, otherwise they encourage all intensified classes. Intensified classes do not have a gpa bump, only ap and ib classrs do. I think that by junior year if you do full ib it is very intense.
College options from Gonzaga vs wl are very different. Most of my daughter’s friends (pre-ib and very driven) are aiming for state schools. When I was in highschool (went to Gonzaga), most of my friends were aiming top 20 college if not Ivy League. Just different trajectories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is currently a sophomore at wl and I do not think freshman year was bad in term if workload. There is a wide variety for workload between teachers though, so it is possible that you will draw a short straw and end up with very rigorous teachers. There is one ap class that is encouraged if you are pre-ib, otherwise they encourage all intensified classes. Intensified classes do not have a gpa bump, only ap and ib classrs do. I think that by junior year if you do full ib it is very intense.
College options from Gonzaga vs wl are very different. Most of my daughter’s friends (pre-ib and very driven) are aiming for state schools. When I was in highschool (went to Gonzaga), most of my friends were aiming top 20 college if not Ivy League. Just different trajectories.

Like any public high school in an affluent area there's a core group that applies and gets into top schools like NYU, Brown, Yale, U of Chicago, etc., every year. A small number are likely legacy admits as well, for the schools that still offer that. Arlington Magazine publishes where Arlington high school students are accepted (broken down by school), and in my opinion, the list for W-L is impressive, in part because the school has an academic magnet program. Nothing against second tier state schools as those are absolutely fine options but W-L students are also competing for spots at the Ivies.

Do ask your son if he wants to do the IB Program specifically, as there are a number of prerequisites. At W-L, all IB students are expected to pursue the diploma. Junior year is very intense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is currently a sophomore at wl and I do not think freshman year was bad in term if workload. There is a wide variety for workload between teachers though, so it is possible that you will draw a short straw and end up with very rigorous teachers. There is one ap class that is encouraged if you are pre-ib, otherwise they encourage all intensified classes. Intensified classes do not have a gpa bump, only ap and ib classrs do. I think that by junior year if you do full ib it is very intense.
College options from Gonzaga vs wl are very different. Most of my daughter’s friends (pre-ib and very driven) are aiming for state schools. When I was in highschool (went to Gonzaga), most of my friends were aiming top 20 college if not Ivy League. Just different trajectories.

A lot has changed in college admissions since you were in high school. I'd bet that Gonzaga and IB students at WL are applying to the same colleges. I think the biggest difference is likely that Gonzaga students are more likely to be full pay than those from a public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DS is currently at Gonzaga, and its been a grueling and stressful start to high school. We have at least 2-3 quizzes a week and it seems like 2 tests a week. Then there is the essay on short stories or science reports. Its a lot of structure writing and testing nonstop, not to mention the math and science problem sets but those are pretty straightforward.

He is struggling with the writing, feeling like they aren't even teaching him how to do these structured analysis, quotes, and references, all sorts of grammar rules to follow.

We are hoping it would be a bit more support and slower ramp up at WL -- we may transfer in the Spring. Can anyone speak about the current assignment load for the Honors and AP classes that freshman take? How often are quizzes and tests? How many writing assignments have they had so far? How stressful are mid-terms for the end of this semester?

We expect by the time IB classes, the reading and writing effort will exceed even the load we have now, but we hope that there will be maturity and a more gradual ramp up in skills to ready for that point. But anyone who can speak to the IB experience, that would be welcome as well.

Just a reality check. My child is a sophomore at Yorktown (so not WL) and has quizzes in 2 classes every day they meet, many weeks has 2 tests in a week, and has regular writing assignments in both AP classes that require a lot of structure, references, etc. It is a constant stream of testing and assignments. He is taking 2 APs and all intensified. Last year it was a bit less intense but he did do a good amount of writing and I helped him with the writing and he worked with the teachers on drafts to improve.

I guess my point is this is all going to be happening anywhere you go if the kid is in the highest rigor classes. Maybe you need to really supplement at home and support and push through? I think moving mid year will create a whole set of other issues for your kid.

[Anonymous]

My DD is currently a junior doing full IB at W-L - the workload is very heavy and it is pretty intense. She went from getting all As -- including AP classes -- to a mix of As and Bs. She has had to work much harder -- good time management and executive functioning is key for success in IB.

I don't have the context to compare to the workload at Gonzaga, but my DD has multiple quizzes and tests each week, as well as in-class essays and other written homework. It is a ton of work. What might be different is that they are allowed to do test corrections up to a certain grade if needed. The teachers also all seem pretty great and students can meet with them during General's Period (it's a short free period) or at different times to discuss their work and how to do better.

If you're interested in looking at college admissions related to kids in the IB program, I'd recommend looking at W-L's Instagram for the 2025 class: https://www.instagram.com/wldecisions25/ The IB logo is used whenever a kid was in the program. The list is pretty impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is currently a sophomore at wl and I do not think freshman year was bad in term if workload. There is a wide variety for workload between teachers though, so it is possible that you will draw a short straw and end up with very rigorous teachers. There is one ap class that is encouraged if you are pre-ib, otherwise they encourage all intensified classes. Intensified classes do not have a gpa bump, only ap and ib classrs do. I think that by junior year if you do full ib it is very intense.
College options from Gonzaga vs wl are very different. Most of my daughter’s friends (pre-ib and very driven) are aiming for state schools. When I was in highschool (went to Gonzaga), most of my friends were aiming top 20 college if not Ivy League. Just different trajectories.

I think more people in general go for state schools now because costs have gone so high. But while the excellent state schools are very popular, there are still a lot of families in APS whose kids are going to top private colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DS is currently at Gonzaga, and its been a grueling and stressful start to high school. We have at least 2-3 quizzes a week and it seems like 2 tests a week. Then there is the essay on short stories or science reports. Its a lot of structure writing and testing nonstop, not to mention the math and science problem sets but those are pretty straightforward.

He is struggling with the writing, feeling like they aren't even teaching him how to do these structured analysis, quotes, and references, all sorts of grammar rules to follow.

We are hoping it would be a bit more support and slower ramp up at WL -- we may transfer in the Spring. Can anyone speak about the current assignment load for the Honors and AP classes that freshman take? How often are quizzes and tests? How many writing assignments have they had so far? How stressful are mid-terms for the end of this semester?

We expect by the time IB classes, the reading and writing effort will exceed even the load we have now, but we hope that there will be maturity and a more gradual ramp up in skills to ready for that point. But anyone who can speak to the IB experience, that would be welcome as well.

Just a reality check. My child is a sophomore at Yorktown (so not WL) and has quizzes in 2 classes every day they meet, many weeks has 2 tests in a week, and has regular writing assignments in both AP classes that require a lot of structure, references, etc. It is a constant stream of testing and assignments. He is taking 2 APs and all intensified. Last year it was a bit less intense but he did do a good amount of writing and I helped him with the writing and he worked with the teachers on drafts to improve.

I guess my point is this is all going to be happening anywhere you go if the kid is in the highest rigor classes. Maybe you need to really supplement at home and support and push through? I think moving mid year will create a whole set of other issues for your kid.

That’s sophomore year — I’m looking at Freshman year, and how it ramps up. He wants to switch in January because this pace is not sustainable. Can anyone speak to tests, quizzes, essays for Freshman?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DS is currently at Gonzaga, and its been a grueling and stressful start to high school. We have at least 2-3 quizzes a week and it seems like 2 tests a week. Then there is the essay on short stories or science reports. Its a lot of structure writing and testing nonstop, not to mention the math and science problem sets but those are pretty straightforward.

He is struggling with the writing, feeling like they aren't even teaching him how to do these structured analysis, quotes, and references, all sorts of grammar rules to follow.

We are hoping it would be a bit more support and slower ramp up at WL -- we may transfer in the Spring. Can anyone speak about the current assignment load for the Honors and AP classes that freshman take? How often are quizzes and tests? How many writing assignments have they had so far? How stressful are mid-terms for the end of this semester?

We expect by the time IB classes, the reading and writing effort will exceed even the load we have now, but we hope that there will be maturity and a more gradual ramp up in skills to ready for that point. But anyone who can speak to the IB experience, that would be welcome as well.

Just a reality check. My child is a sophomore at Yorktown (so not WL) and has quizzes in 2 classes every day they meet, many weeks has 2 tests in a week, and has regular writing assignments in both AP classes that require a lot of structure, references, etc. It is a constant stream of testing and assignments. He is taking 2 APs and all intensified. Last year it was a bit less intense but he did do a good amount of writing and I helped him with the writing and he worked with the teachers on drafts to improve.

I guess my point is this is all going to be happening anywhere you go if the kid is in the highest rigor classes. Maybe you need to really supplement at home and support and push through? I think moving mid year will create a whole set of other issues for your kid.

That’s sophomore year — I’m looking at Freshman year, and how it ramps up. He wants to switch in January because this pace is not sustainable. Can anyone speak to tests, quizzes, essays for Freshman?

But in another semester it will be sustainable somehow? I think that is the point being made. It’s just kicking the same can down the road and I would not at all assume switching mid school year will be easy or your son will even have a normal freshman year experience at an APS school because he’ll be coming in mid stream and need to figure all that out. It’s mid-semester in APS. The 2nd quarter is well under way and ends at the end of January. New content is being taught now that won’t be tested on until after Christmas break.

Can he drop down a level in classes at Gonzaga this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DS is currently at Gonzaga, and its been a grueling and stressful start to high school. We have at least 2-3 quizzes a week and it seems like 2 tests a week. Then there is the essay on short stories or science reports. Its a lot of structure writing and testing nonstop, not to mention the math and science problem sets but those are pretty straightforward.

He is struggling with the writing, feeling like they aren't even teaching him how to do these structured analysis, quotes, and references, all sorts of grammar rules to follow.

We are hoping it would be a bit more support and slower ramp up at WL -- we may transfer in the Spring. Can anyone speak about the current assignment load for the Honors and AP classes that freshman take? How often are quizzes and tests? How many writing assignments have they had so far? How stressful are mid-terms for the end of this semester?

We expect by the time IB classes, the reading and writing effort will exceed even the load we have now, but we hope that there will be maturity and a more gradual ramp up in skills to ready for that point. But anyone who can speak to the IB experience, that would be welcome as well.

Just a reality check. My child is a sophomore at Yorktown (so not WL) and has quizzes in 2 classes every day they meet, many weeks has 2 tests in a week, and has regular writing assignments in both AP classes that require a lot of structure, references, etc. It is a constant stream of testing and assignments. He is taking 2 APs and all intensified. Last year it was a bit less intense but he did do a good amount of writing and I helped him with the writing and he worked with the teachers on drafts to improve.

I guess my point is this is all going to be happening anywhere you go if the kid is in the highest rigor classes. Maybe you need to really supplement at home and support and push through? I think moving mid year will create a whole set of other issues for your kid.

That’s sophomore year — I’m looking at Freshman year, and how it ramps up. He wants to switch in January because this pace is not sustainable. Can anyone speak to tests, quizzes, essays for Freshman?

He's going to have some extra work to catch up on things APS taught this fall that he didn't learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is struggling now why do you assume you should be looking at AP and Honors classes?

This is my kids choice. If they go WL they want those classes.

You are having the wrong conversation with your kid. High school is very intense for kids taking the highest rigor classes. It’s not going to be magically better at another school in these type of classes and in fact you want him to learn the skill now of how to manage all of it, not junior year where grades count most. If it’s too much you work with your kid to drop down a level in classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is currently a sophomore at wl and I do not think freshman year was bad in term if workload. There is a wide variety for workload between teachers though, so it is possible that you will draw a short straw and end up with very rigorous teachers. There is one ap class that is encouraged if you are pre-ib, otherwise they encourage all intensified classes. Intensified classes do not have a gpa bump, only ap and ib classrs do. I think that by junior year if you do full ib it is very intense.
College options from Gonzaga vs wl are very different. Most of my daughter’s friends (pre-ib and very driven) are aiming for state schools. When I was in highschool (went to Gonzaga), most of my friends were aiming top 20 college if not Ivy League. Just different trajectories.

You are in need of a serious reality check if you think college options for these schools are “very different.” Gonzaga grads these days do not get into better colleges generally than W-L kids. Not even remotely. The only real difference is that more Gonzaga kids go to Catholic colleges.