How did your MCPS-educated kid do in college?

[Anonymous]

Or other kids you know who graduated from MCPS in the last decade? Did they attend UMD, other colleges in MD, community college, public or private located anywhere in the world, small/large, liberal arts college or other type?

Do you think MCPS prepared them well for college? Do you think it was mostly things student did outside MCPS that helped them while they were in college?

What did they end up doing after graduating from college?

Does MCPS collect longitudinal data of their graduates, e.g. to what colleges did MCPS students enroll for past decade? e.g. what they studied? Where can families see that information if it exists?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think MCPS is collecting data from students that are no longer a part of the school system. Not do I think it is their business how those college students are performing

[Anonymous]

I have a college kid and a high schooler who spent the majority of their school career in MCPS.

MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the country, mostly because it has a wide array of academic offerings, provides services and accommodations and magnet instruction, and gets reasonably decent scores in state and national testing.

For STEM, it's better than top privates. For Humanities and writing, it's not as good.

But parents need to understand that APs are the goal to be prepared for college and beyond. Honors is the new grade level; grade level is the new remedial; and remedial is what some kids need when they have significant disabilities, or are recovering from various setbacks in their lives.

MCPS' Achilles heel is English instruction, which needs to be entirely overhauled. The level of instruction and expectations in 9th and 10th grade "Honors" English in particular are abysmal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a college kid and a high schooler who spent the majority of their school career in MCPS.

MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the country, mostly because it has a wide array of academic offerings, provides services and accommodations and magnet instruction, and gets reasonably decent scores in state and national testing.

For STEM, it's better than top privates. For Humanities and writing, it's not as good.

But parents need to understand that APs are the goal to be prepared for college and beyond. Honors is the new grade level; grade level is the new remedial; and remedial is what some kids need when they have significant disabilities, or are recovering from various setbacks in their lives.

MCPS' Achilles heel is English instruction, which needs to be entirely overhauled. The level of instruction and expectations in 9th and 10th grade "Honors" English in particular are abysmal.

STEM is not better than the top privates, outside of maybe the magnet programs.

This is a tired stereotype.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell course catalog: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1761922736/sidwell/nvrdst4fzkbiktxervc1/2025_26USCurriculumGuide1031.pdf

Blair magnet courses: https://old.mbhs.edu/departments/magnet/courses.php

I don’t at all see where Blair is stronger in STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or other kids you know who graduated from MCPS in the last decade? Did they attend UMD, other colleges in MD, community college, public or private located anywhere in the world, small/large, liberal arts college or other type?

Do you think MCPS prepared them well for college? Do you think it was mostly things student did outside MCPS that helped them while they were in college?

What did they end up doing after graduating from college?

Does MCPS collect longitudinal data of their graduates, e.g. to what colleges did MCPS students enroll for past decade? e.g. what they studied? Where can families see that information if it exists?

Four of my six went to MCPS.

Two went to boarding schools, DH family does this. Two wanted to rest did not.

All majored in Engineering/CS or Engineering Electrical

The four that went to MCPS went to MIT, Stanford, Georgia Tech & UC Berkeley.

All graduated in 4 years. All went to graduate school to specialize.

OP it's not only about MCPS they don't do it all. You as the parent are the reason whether they are successful in learning or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a college kid and a high schooler who spent the majority of their school career in MCPS.

MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the country, mostly because it has a wide array of academic offerings, provides services and accommodations and magnet instruction, and gets reasonably decent scores in state and national testing.

For STEM, it's better than top privates. For Humanities and writing, it's not as good.

But parents need to understand that APs are the goal to be prepared for college and beyond. Honors is the new grade level; grade level is the new remedial; and remedial is what some kids need when they have significant disabilities, or are recovering from various setbacks in their lives.

MCPS' Achilles heel is English instruction, which needs to be entirely overhauled. The level of instruction and expectations in 9th and 10th grade "Honors" English in particular are abysmal.

STEM is not better than the top privates, outside of maybe the magnet programs.

This is a tired stereotype.

Public is where Stem is better. The college acceptances tell us that as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or other kids you know who graduated from MCPS in the last decade? Did they attend UMD, other colleges in MD, community college, public or private located anywhere in the world, small/large, liberal arts college or other type?

Do you think MCPS prepared them well for college? Do you think it was mostly things student did outside MCPS that helped them while they were in college?

What did they end up doing after graduating from college?

Does MCPS collect longitudinal data of their graduates, e.g. to what colleges did MCPS students enroll for past decade? e.g. what they studied? Where can families see that information if it exists?

Four of my six went to MCPS.

Two went to boarding schools, DH family does this. Two wanted to rest did not.

All majored in Engineering/CS or Engineering Electrical

The four that went to MCPS went to MIT, Stanford, Georgia Tech & UC Berkeley.

All graduated in 4 years. All went to graduate school to specialize.

OP it's not only about MCPS they don't do it all. You as the parent are the reason whether they are successful in learning or not.

If two of them went to boarding school, then that dictated their results — not MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a college kid and a high schooler who spent the majority of their school career in MCPS.

MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the country, mostly because it has a wide array of academic offerings, provides services and accommodations and magnet instruction, and gets reasonably decent scores in state and national testing.

For STEM, it's better than top privates. For Humanities and writing, it's not as good.

But parents need to understand that APs are the goal to be prepared for college and beyond. Honors is the new grade level; grade level is the new remedial; and remedial is what some kids need when they have significant disabilities, or are recovering from various setbacks in their lives.

MCPS' Achilles heel is English instruction, which needs to be entirely overhauled. The level of instruction and expectations in 9th and 10th grade "Honors" English in particular are abysmal.

STEM is not better than the top privates, outside of maybe the magnet programs.

This is a tired stereotype.

Public is where Stem is better. The college acceptances tell us that as well.

Prove it. Show the data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell course catalog: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1761922736/sidwell/nvrdst4fzkbiktxervc1/2025_26USCurriculumGuide1031.pdf

Blair magnet courses: https://old.mbhs.edu/departments/magnet/courses.php

I don’t at all see where Blair is stronger in STEM.

Come back to me once you're compared their respective MIT and Caltech acceptances over the past five years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell course catalog: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1761922736/sidwell/nvrdst4fzkbiktxervc1/2025_26USCurriculumGuide1031.pdf

Blair magnet courses: https://old.mbhs.edu/departments/magnet/courses.php

I don’t at all see where Blair is stronger in STEM.

Come back to me once you're compared their respective MIT and Caltech acceptances over the past five years.

It isn’t a reasonable comparison. A disproportionate number of kids at Blair apply to MIT and Caltech. Not so for a top private that isn’t a specialized STEM magnet.

You’d have to compare acceptances vs applications at each school. That data is not publicly available.

What I can say is that outside of the STEM magnet programs, MCPS is not stronger in STEM than top private schools. You can easily see that in course offerings and facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a college kid and a high schooler who spent the majority of their school career in MCPS.

MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the country, mostly because it has a wide array of academic offerings, provides services and accommodations and magnet instruction, and gets reasonably decent scores in state and national testing.

For STEM, it's better than top privates. For Humanities and writing, it's not as good.

But parents need to understand that APs are the goal to be prepared for college and beyond. Honors is the new grade level; grade level is the new remedial; and remedial is what some kids need when they have significant disabilities, or are recovering from various setbacks in their lives.

MCPS' Achilles heel is English instruction, which needs to be entirely overhauled. The level of instruction and expectations in 9th and 10th grade "Honors" English in particular are abysmal.

STEM is not better than the top privates, outside of maybe the magnet programs.

This is a tired stereotype.

I have friends with kids at Sidwell, St Albans and Landon, and they are not learning anything more profound than what’s available to my kid in MCPS. She’d doing AP Physics C (mechanics and electricity & magnetism) and will have two years of math after AP Calc BC.

I KNOW privates can’t compete with MCPS in math and science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a college kid and a high schooler who spent the majority of their school career in MCPS.

MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the country, mostly because it has a wide array of academic offerings, provides services and accommodations and magnet instruction, and gets reasonably decent scores in state and national testing.

For STEM, it's better than top privates. For Humanities and writing, it's not as good.

But parents need to understand that APs are the goal to be prepared for college and beyond. Honors is the new grade level; grade level is the new remedial; and remedial is what some kids need when they have significant disabilities, or are recovering from various setbacks in their lives.

MCPS' Achilles heel is English instruction, which needs to be entirely overhauled. The level of instruction and expectations in 9th and 10th grade "Honors" English in particular are abysmal.

STEM is not better than the top privates, outside of maybe the magnet programs.

This is a tired stereotype.

I have friends with kids at Sidwell, St Albans and Landon, and they are not learning anything more profound than what’s available to my kid in MCPS. She’d doing AP Physics C (mechanics and electricity & magnetism) and will have two years of math after AP Calc BC.

I KNOW privates can’t compete with MCPS in math and science.

And private offer those courses too.

You have absolutely zero evidence that privates “can’t compete” with MCPS in math and science, especially when you take out the magnet programs.

Why on earth would thousands of parents pay for a subpar math and science curriculum? Why would any elite college accept kids out of such a school?

If what you’re saying is true, then private school college acceptances would be worse than public school, and the only kids getting in would be kids of massive donors, athletes, or legacies.

[Anonymous]

It isn’t what they learning. It the BS policies that teach them they can have second chances, they can turn in work whenever and still not earn a zero. That’s my issue with public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a college kid and a high schooler who spent the majority of their school career in MCPS.

MCPS is one of the best public school systems in the country, mostly because it has a wide array of academic offerings, provides services and accommodations and magnet instruction, and gets reasonably decent scores in state and national testing.

For STEM, it's better than top privates. For Humanities and writing, it's not as good.

But parents need to understand that APs are the goal to be prepared for college and beyond. Honors is the new grade level; grade level is the new remedial; and remedial is what some kids need when they have significant disabilities, or are recovering from various setbacks in their lives.

MCPS' Achilles heel is English instruction, which needs to be entirely overhauled. The level of instruction and expectations in 9th and 10th grade "Honors" English in particular are abysmal.

I totally disagree about English. All of mine went to college and said "why do other school systems not teach kids to write"

Everything else you wrote totally agree!