I'm an RMIB grad — ask me anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you keep in touch with any of your RMIB fellow graduates?

And was it easy to get to know kids outside of the RMIB program?

I keep in touch with a handful. I'd say my friends were roughly 60-40 IB vs. non-IB in high school. Met them through extracurriculars and mutual friends since our classes were separate for the most part. The annoying part is my IB friends all lived really far away from each other, and then my non-IB friends lived relatively close to each other while I lived farther away from them. Somehow whoever you befriend would live on the opposite end of the county from you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think completing the RMIB program was ‘worth it’? All the time and stress?

You were likely a motivated student anyway. Would you have done just as well without going through the RMIB program?

Or, in other words, what benefit would you say the RMIB provided?

This question is always hard to answer because it depends on what you’re looking for. Some people go into the program expecting to guarantee acceptance to Harvard or another top tier school. Others want a challenge or to improve their writing. I wanted the best education that I could get.

I go back and forth on if it was “worth it” a lot. I definitely got a good education. Sometimes I was shocked at the quality of writing my peers produced in college and thankful for IB in that standard. I’m not sure I would’ve gotten a full scholarship if I went anywhere else for high school. I didn’t apply to any Ivies (looked more at liberal arts colleges) so I won’t speculate about that. Maybe I would’ve enjoyed being the cream of the crop elsewhere more than the middle of the pack at RMIB.

I was terribly depressed during senior year from a combination of college apps, family issues, relationship drama, and some other stuff. My grades were slipping and I dreaded going to school because I felt like I didn’t have friends. Maybe that wouldn’t have happened if I went somewhere else, but maybe it would’ve been even worse. I don’t know. When I graduated, all I felt was relief that it was over. I got the fantastic education that I wanted but I also left feeling empty.

Were you depressed or stressed? Big difference between two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your comments!! I have a kid who was accepted to Blair and RMIB and is attending RMIB.

How was the workload? That is her biggest concern.

I found the quote button

It varied a lot. There was some homework that had to be turned in the next day, and other things had longer deadlines. We definitely learned time management very well. People would juggle school and sports and jobs and music and all sorts of extracurricular activities. It gets hectic junior and senior year when you've got the EE and college apps, but it was bearable. There were people who did their homework on the bus to/from school, at lunch, during dinner breaks or when they weren't doing things at tech rehearsals for drama. But honestly, even though it was stressful at the time, college was much easier than IB — I'm not sure if this is because of different workloads or from the time management skills we developed, but almost everyone I've talked to has had this experience.

My advice is to keep the big picture in mind. In the long term, an assignment or quiz doesn't matter as much as your mental health and keeping a healthy work-life balance. My personal philosophy was that if I didn't finish whatever I was working on by 1 a.m., I was going to bed because no school assignment was worth sacrificing my mental health. Besides, if you don't understand material in a sleep-deprived state at 1 a.m., what makes you think you'll understand it in an even more sleep-deprived state at 4 a.m.?

I keep hearing this over and over, as well.

I have an incoming senior at RMIB. DC is finding the work to be not that difficult, just a lot. From EE to IA to regular HW, and then extra curriculars and wanting some down time... it's a lot. I don't know about OP, but from what DC has told me, a lot of kids also procrastinate and goof off a lot (not that I blame them) when they should be focused, and that's part of the reason why they go to bed so late.

I don't expect my DC to attend an Ivy. DC isn't even going to bother with applying to those schools, but when all is said and done, I know that DC got the best education in HS that DC could've gotten, and it will help DC at college. Hopefully like OP and others, DC will find college easier than most which will give DC some breathing room to do other things.

If DC was going to go through a stressful time in academics, I'd rather it be at home where DC has family to support them rather than off at college where there is no family support around.

I don't know about other families or IB students, but DC told me that they are so glad they chose IB. Made some good friends, too.

Thank you PP! This is great to hear.

I have a kid at RMIB. She is definitely not aiming for an Ivy. She just wanted more of a challenge than what she had at her home MS. I’m glad to read your comments. She also enjoys soccer and wants to keep playing. I appreciate your comments about being stressed at home with family around versus being on your own.

These are good perspectives from both of you! The college app season is a bit toxic — there was somebody keeping a spreadsheet of where everybody applied early decision and people posted every Ivy they got accepted by on Instagram, for example. I didn't apply to any Ivies, but Ivy decision day was a huge deal for most of my peers. Got into my top choice but turned it down because of the hefty price tag. Can confirm on the procrastinating front as a major procrastinator myself haha.

Good luck to your DC on the college app process! Block out the noise and focus on what they want for themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Were you depressed or stressed? Big difference between two.

I won't bother you with details, but depressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know how to quote people, so I'll just reply to everybody here.

I did not attend an MYP middle school. The only difference I could really discern from my peers who did is that they were more familiar with all the little intricacies of IB — the learner profile, the language, the grading style, etc.

I wish I'd tried out more things. In middle school I wanted to join debate or mock trial or Model UN or any of those types of club, but I didn't when I got to high school because I wasn't very comfortable public speaking and, coming from a non-magnet middle school, it was intimidating to be around people who all knew each other and what they were doing. Instead, I stuck with extracurricular activities where I felt more confident. I also wish I hadn't succumbed to some of the academic pressure — I took AP BC Calculus in junior year and IB HL Math in senior year because that was what was expected of me, even though I struggled a lot and only use math occasionally today. The classes I took in high school had more advanced math than some of my engineering friends took in college.

The Hoover transition happened during my time there. The whole thing was a huge ruckus and people were really, really mad. From a student standpoint, it was definitely a bit frightening that we were suddenly getting new coordinators who weren't as familiar with all of the different processes. Also, one of them was a clown whom the students didn't have much respect for.

Have you followed the story of Hoover's lawsuit and demotion since?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Were you depressed or stressed? Big difference between two.

I won't bother you with details, but depressed.

Glad you are better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your comments!! I have a kid who was accepted to Blair and RMIB and is attending RMIB.

How was the workload? That is her biggest concern.

I found the quote button

It varied a lot. There was some homework that had to be turned in the next day, and other things had longer deadlines. We definitely learned time management very well. People would juggle school and sports and jobs and music and all sorts of extracurricular activities. It gets hectic junior and senior year when you've got the EE and college apps, but it was bearable. There were people who did their homework on the bus to/from school, at lunch, during dinner breaks or when they weren't doing things at tech rehearsals for drama. But honestly, even though it was stressful at the time, college was much easier than IB — I'm not sure if this is because of different workloads or from the time management skills we developed, but almost everyone I've talked to has had this experience.

My advice is to keep the big picture in mind. In the long term, an assignment or quiz doesn't matter as much as your mental health and keeping a healthy work-life balance. My personal philosophy was that if I didn't finish whatever I was working on by 1 a.m., I was going to bed because no school assignment was worth sacrificing my mental health. Besides, if you don't understand material in a sleep-deprived state at 1 a.m., what makes you think you'll understand it in an even more sleep-deprived state at 4 a.m.?

I keep hearing this over and over, as well.

I have an incoming senior at RMIB. DC is finding the work to be not that difficult, just a lot. From EE to IA to regular HW, and then extra curriculars and wanting some down time... it's a lot. I don't know about OP, but from what DC has told me, a lot of kids also procrastinate and goof off a lot (not that I blame them) when they should be focused, and that's part of the reason why they go to bed so late.

I don't expect my DC to attend an Ivy. DC isn't even going to bother with applying to those schools, but when all is said and done, I know that DC got the best education in HS that DC could've gotten, and it will help DC at college. Hopefully like OP and others, DC will find college easier than most which will give DC some breathing room to do other things.

If DC was going to go through a stressful time in academics, I'd rather it be at home where DC has family to support them rather than off at college where there is no family support around.

I don't know about other families or IB students, but DC told me that they are so glad they chose IB. Made some good friends, too.

Thank you PP! This is great to hear.

I have a kid at RMIB. She is definitely not aiming for an Ivy. She just wanted more of a challenge than what she had at her home MS. I’m glad to read your comments. She also enjoys soccer and wants to keep playing. I appreciate your comments about being stressed at home with family around versus being on your own.

These are good perspectives from both of you! The college app season is a bit toxic — there was somebody keeping a spreadsheet of where everybody applied early decision and people posted every Ivy they got accepted by on Instagram, for example. I didn't apply to any Ivies, but Ivy decision day was a huge deal for most of my peers. Got into my top choice but turned it down because of the hefty price tag. Can confirm on the procrastinating front as a major procrastinator myself haha.

Good luck to your DC on the college app process! Block out the noise and focus on what they want for themselves.

Omg, thank you for this. I am actually going to tell my kid this tonight. He is one to get super stressed and compare himself to others. I hope he can block out the noise and focus on what is best for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your comments!! I have a kid who was accepted to Blair and RMIB and is attending RMIB.

How was the workload? That is her biggest concern.

I found the quote button

It varied a lot. There was some homework that had to be turned in the next day, and other things had longer deadlines. We definitely learned time management very well. People would juggle school and sports and jobs and music and all sorts of extracurricular activities. It gets hectic junior and senior year when you've got the EE and college apps, but it was bearable. There were people who did their homework on the bus to/from school, at lunch, during dinner breaks or when they weren't doing things at tech rehearsals for drama. But honestly, even though it was stressful at the time, college was much easier than IB — I'm not sure if this is because of different workloads or from the time management skills we developed, but almost everyone I've talked to has had this experience.

My advice is to keep the big picture in mind. In the long term, an assignment or quiz doesn't matter as much as your mental health and keeping a healthy work-life balance. My personal philosophy was that if I didn't finish whatever I was working on by 1 a.m., I was going to bed because no school assignment was worth sacrificing my mental health. Besides, if you don't understand material in a sleep-deprived state at 1 a.m., what makes you think you'll understand it in an even more sleep-deprived state at 4 a.m.?

I keep hearing this over and over, as well.

I have an incoming senior at RMIB. DC is finding the work to be not that difficult, just a lot. From EE to IA to regular HW, and then extra curriculars and wanting some down time... it's a lot. I don't know about OP, but from what DC has told me, a lot of kids also procrastinate and goof off a lot (not that I blame them) when they should be focused, and that's part of the reason why they go to bed so late.

I don't expect my DC to attend an Ivy. DC isn't even going to bother with applying to those schools, but when all is said and done, I know that DC got the best education in HS that DC could've gotten, and it will help DC at college. Hopefully like OP and others, DC will find college easier than most which will give DC some breathing room to do other things.

If DC was going to go through a stressful time in academics, I'd rather it be at home where DC has family to support them rather than off at college where there is no family support around.

I don't know about other families or IB students, but DC told me that they are so glad they chose IB. Made some good friends, too.

Thank you PP! This is great to hear.

I have a kid at RMIB. She is definitely not aiming for an Ivy. She just wanted more of a challenge than what she had at her home MS. I’m glad to read your comments. She also enjoys soccer and wants to keep playing. I appreciate your comments about being stressed at home with family around versus being on your own.

These are good perspectives from both of you! The college app season is a bit toxic — there was somebody keeping a spreadsheet of where everybody applied early decision and people posted every Ivy they got accepted by on Instagram, for example. I didn't apply to any Ivies, but Ivy decision day was a huge deal for most of my peers. Got into my top choice but turned it down because of the hefty price tag. Can confirm on the procrastinating front as a major procrastinator myself haha.

Good luck to your DC on the college app process! Block out the noise and focus on what they want for themselves.

Omg, thank you for this. I am actually going to tell my kid this tonight. He is one to get super stressed and compare himself to others. I hope he can block out the noise and focus on what is best for him.

PP here with the senior at RMIB.

I know of a few RMIB grads who went to normal state universities because they got a full ride.

We also cannot afford the expensive top tier schools, and we make too much to get much financial aid. Some of those schools do not offer merit aid. Plus, I think we all know that those elite schools are playing a numbers game, and at some point, it becomes like a lottery.

I think the RMIB experience is great for many reasons, but it's not a guarantee road to an elite university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your comments!! I have a kid who was accepted to Blair and RMIB and is attending RMIB.

How was the workload? That is her biggest concern.

I found the quote button

It varied a lot. There was some homework that had to be turned in the next day, and other things had longer deadlines. We definitely learned time management very well. People would juggle school and sports and jobs and music and all sorts of extracurricular activities. It gets hectic junior and senior year when you've got the EE and college apps, but it was bearable. There were people who did their homework on the bus to/from school, at lunch, during dinner breaks or when they weren't doing things at tech rehearsals for drama. But honestly, even though it was stressful at the time, college was much easier than IB — I'm not sure if this is because of different workloads or from the time management skills we developed, but almost everyone I've talked to has had this experience.

My advice is to keep the big picture in mind. In the long term, an assignment or quiz doesn't matter as much as your mental health and keeping a healthy work-life balance. My personal philosophy was that if I didn't finish whatever I was working on by 1 a.m., I was going to bed because no school assignment was worth sacrificing my mental health. Besides, if you don't understand material in a sleep-deprived state at 1 a.m., what makes you think you'll understand it in an even more sleep-deprived state at 4 a.m.?

I keep hearing this over and over, as well.

I have an incoming senior at RMIB. DC is finding the work to be not that difficult, just a lot. From EE to IA to regular HW, and then extra curriculars and wanting some down time... it's a lot. I don't know about OP, but from what DC has told me, a lot of kids also procrastinate and goof off a lot (not that I blame them) when they should be focused, and that's part of the reason why they go to bed so late.

I don't expect my DC to attend an Ivy. DC isn't even going to bother with applying to those schools, but when all is said and done, I know that DC got the best education in HS that DC could've gotten, and it will help DC at college. Hopefully like OP and others, DC will find college easier than most which will give DC some breathing room to do other things.

If DC was going to go through a stressful time in academics, I'd rather it be at home where DC has family to support them rather than off at college where there is no family support around.

I don't know about other families or IB students, but DC told me that they are so glad they chose IB. Made some good friends, too.

Thank you PP! This is great to hear.

I have a kid at RMIB. She is definitely not aiming for an Ivy. She just wanted more of a challenge than what she had at her home MS. I’m glad to read your comments. She also enjoys soccer and wants to keep playing. I appreciate your comments about being stressed at home with family around versus being on your own.

These are good perspectives from both of you! The college app season is a bit toxic — there was somebody keeping a spreadsheet of where everybody applied early decision and people posted every Ivy they got accepted by on Instagram, for example. I didn't apply to any Ivies, but Ivy decision day was a huge deal for most of my peers. Got into my top choice but turned it down because of the hefty price tag. Can confirm on the procrastinating front as a major procrastinator myself haha.

Good luck to your DC on the college app process! Block out the noise and focus on what they want for themselves.

Omg, thank you for this. I am actually going to tell my kid this tonight. He is one to get super stressed and compare himself to others. I hope he can block out the noise and focus on what is best for him.

PP here with the senior at RMIB.

I know of a few RMIB grads who went to normal state universities because they got a full ride.

We also cannot afford the expensive top tier schools, and we make too much to get much financial aid. Some of those schools do not offer merit aid. Plus, I think we all know that those elite schools are playing a numbers game, and at some point, it becomes like a lottery.

I think the RMIB experience is great for many reasons, but it's not a guarantee road to an elite university.

That is so true. And that's perfectly okay. If you are good, you have many options after 4 years at a less than top tier Unis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you followed the story of Hoover's lawsuit and demotion since?

I vaguely remember hearing about it generally when it happened, but didn't pay much attention and can't recall any specific details.

[Anonymous]

What was your schedule like on a regular day or week? How much time did you spend on activities and how did you fit in the homework?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What was your schedule like on a regular day or week? How much time did you spend on activities and how did you fit in the homework?

I'd wake up at 6 and head out the door around 6:25 since my bus stop was one of the earlier ones on the route. Nap on the bus, get to school around 7:15, hang out with friends until class started at 7:45. A lot of people would eat lunch in 4th period and spend lunch doing homework, making up assessments, at a club, or getting help from teachers. After school, I'd either hang around for a club, go to my job, go directly home, or hang out with friends. I worked 8 hours a week in junior and senior year and stayed after school for a club usually 2 hours to 40 a week, depending on the time (it was only ever 40 during tech week for drama).

I did homework right when I got home, although I had friends who would do it during lunch for either a class later that day or a class the next day. Occasionally I did homework during other classes if we weren't doing anything.

[Anonymous]

Do you have any advice about figuring out topics for the various IAs and EE?

[Anonymous]

Did RMIB actually teach you how to be a better writer? Or were you expected to already be a good writer before you even attended?

Basically, did your RMIB teachers provide feedback on your writing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did RMIB actually teach you how to be a better writer? Or were you expected to already be a good writer before you even attended?

Basically, did your RMIB teachers provide feedback on your writing?

I’m super curious about this too, and hope OP comes back to answer it.