BCC AP compared to IB compared to Blair magnet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I consider it odd and concerning that you had this question. You're super-focused on Blair's prestige. But you haven't even informed yourself about the IB-- neither about the fact that your DD would have 2 magnet IB options as alternatives to Blair, or about what the IB program, generally speaking, is about. Otherwise you'd know that your DD, from your description, is likely a better fit than a STEM class.

There is a lot of info on DCUM about the IB offerings in MCPS but there's also a ton of info about the IB program itself on the internet. Your child's MS counselor probably has a slide powerpoint from fall 2022 that he/she could share with you about HS application programs available to your DD, to be used as general background since next year might have some changes.

Please be mindful that you could be on the track of pushing your DD into a high school experience that is not the kind that makes her thrive but is imposing your own expectations--your concerns about her college acceptances is misplaced. Focus on getting her in the right place for her for high school--then the path to college will be smoother and more clear as she will know who she is and have had a chance to grow in her own areas of interest.

FWIW, B-CC's IB classes are not always on par with the equivalents at magnets. I say this as a parent who had a child at an IB magnet and one at B-CC. On a related note, the English curriculum at B-CC for 9th and 10th is not strong (Despite it being called honors...it is for everyone except ESOL students). This is not a reflection of the teaching ability but the fact that the expectations are watered down--the teacher cannot teach to the same level as they could at an IB magnet where all kids have a certain ability and motivation. B-CC is also a large school with less individual attention.

B-CC does have its strengths, however...I would say that the caliber of its drama program, and its school paper, for example, is probably very high above the magnets, as the magnets are part of bigger schools with less resources to cultivate these areas, and B-CC has a lot of talented kids who will be involved in these types of activities and keep them at a high bar. Secondly, the IB course selection at B-CC is quite diverse, as not all schools in the region offer the same number of classes.

OP here. Yes, I am looking for something that will help with college admissions, and I have heard from certain people that IB is not valued by admissions officers, relative to the workload, as much as AP courses are. So I have concerns with the IB route. A PP explained that some universities tend to value it more than others, so I'll look into that. Also, regarding STEM, she used to want to be a vet or doctor, and now she's not sure anymore, and has gotten more into writing. The Blair STEM magnet seemed like an obvious possibility before, but on further reflection, maybe not the best fit if her main focus is biomedical? Since we're inbounds for BCC, I've heard disgruntled parents complain about the lack of rigor there (my friend told me her son's AP Bio class comprised mostly of videos set up by the teacher?), compared to WJ and Whitman, hence why I'm checking all the options. I am happy to see from the link posted by a PP that they have math classes past AP Calc BC. I missed that on their website.

I know I should be grateful for the choices, and I am! But I have a senior in another school system who is going through college admissions, and we're all a bit shaken by the process. So I want to make sure DD's high school experience is one that is both a good fit for her, and a good strategy for whatever she may want to do in college. She will decide her own path, and to help her do that, I'm looking for all the information from parents on the ground, so to speak.

Thank you, PP, and everyone else who responded. Much food for thought!

[Anonymous]

I understand your concerns about getting in to a good college. I care a lot about that stuff too and try to learn a lot about what could be advantageous for my child. But I also found it good to step back and ultimately make a decision that was good for my child at the time, to make them a better thinker or have a happier experience, instead of what would improve their chances for HYPS. It stops you from making crazy decisions. I have a brilliant kid, but not a Regeneron finalist type. He’d probably have a better shot at MIT from his home school, where he wouldn’t be competing against the Regeneron finalist. But should I have sent him to the struggling school for 4 years instead of Blair? No. He’s getting a great education and is happy. BCC is not a struggling school. I hear BCC IB is great. Probably more competition from legacies at BCC than Blair, but more tippy tippy top kids at Blair. I would focus on figuring out if a particular pathway at BCC is rigorous enough, and not worry about a single class being too easy. Also figure out if AP and IB are taught together in a single class or separately. IB is more rigorous, so if AP students are in there, I would worry it is being dumbed down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand your concerns about getting in to a good college. I care a lot about that stuff too and try to learn a lot about what could be advantageous for my child. But I also found it good to step back and ultimately make a decision that was good for my child at the time, to make them a better thinker or have a happier experience, instead of what would improve their chances for HYPS. It stops you from making crazy decisions. I have a brilliant kid, but not a Regeneron finalist type. He’d probably have a better shot at MIT from his home school, where he wouldn’t be competing against the Regeneron finalist. But should I have sent him to the struggling school for 4 years instead of Blair? No. He’s getting a great education and is happy. BCC is not a struggling school. I hear BCC IB is great. Probably more competition from legacies at BCC than Blair, but more tippy tippy top kids at Blair. I would focus on figuring out if a particular pathway at BCC is rigorous enough, and not worry about a single class being too easy. Also figure out if AP and IB are taught together in a single class or separately. IB is more rigorous, so if AP students are in there, I would worry it is being dumbed down.

Blair STEM is a good program doesn’t help with college admissions. 40% go to UMD and the rest of the college admissions are similar to say BCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand your concerns about getting in to a good college. I care a lot about that stuff too and try to learn a lot about what could be advantageous for my child. But I also found it good to step back and ultimately make a decision that was good for my child at the time, to make them a better thinker or have a happier experience, instead of what would improve their chances for HYPS. It stops you from making crazy decisions. I have a brilliant kid, but not a Regeneron finalist type. He’d probably have a better shot at MIT from his home school, where he wouldn’t be competing against the Regeneron finalist. But should I have sent him to the struggling school for 4 years instead of Blair? No. He’s getting a great education and is happy. BCC is not a struggling school. I hear BCC IB is great. Probably more competition from legacies at BCC than Blair, but more tippy tippy top kids at Blair. I would focus on figuring out if a particular pathway at BCC is rigorous enough, and not worry about a single class being too easy. Also figure out if AP and IB are taught together in a single class or separately. IB is more rigorous, so if AP students are in there, I would worry it is being dumbed down.

IB is definitely not more rigorous for science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand your concerns about getting in to a good college. I care a lot about that stuff too and try to learn a lot about what could be advantageous for my child. But I also found it good to step back and ultimately make a decision that was good for my child at the time, to make them a better thinker or have a happier experience, instead of what would improve their chances for HYPS. It stops you from making crazy decisions. I have a brilliant kid, but not a Regeneron finalist type. He’d probably have a better shot at MIT from his home school, where he wouldn’t be competing against the Regeneron finalist. But should I have sent him to the struggling school for 4 years instead of Blair? No. He’s getting a great education and is happy. BCC is not a struggling school. I hear BCC IB is great. Probably more competition from legacies at BCC than Blair, but more tippy tippy top kids at Blair. I would focus on figuring out if a particular pathway at BCC is rigorous enough, and not worry about a single class being too easy. Also figure out if AP and IB are taught together in a single class or separately. IB is more rigorous, so if AP students are in there, I would worry it is being dumbed down.

I know AP and IB are combined for Spanish at BCC. I don’t know about any other classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand your concerns about getting in to a good college. I care a lot about that stuff too and try to learn a lot about what could be advantageous for my child. But I also found it good to step back and ultimately make a decision that was good for my child at the time, to make them a better thinker or have a happier experience, instead of what would improve their chances for HYPS. It stops you from making crazy decisions. I have a brilliant kid, but not a Regeneron finalist type. He’d probably have a better shot at MIT from his home school, where he wouldn’t be competing against the Regeneron finalist. But should I have sent him to the struggling school for 4 years instead of Blair? No. He’s getting a great education and is happy. BCC is not a struggling school. I hear BCC IB is great. Probably more competition from legacies at BCC than Blair, but more tippy tippy top kids at Blair. I would focus on figuring out if a particular pathway at BCC is rigorous enough, and not worry about a single class being too easy. Also figure out if AP and IB are taught together in a single class or separately. IB is more rigorous, so if AP students are in there, I would worry it is being dumbed down.

Blair STEM is a good program doesn’t help with college admissions. 40% go to UMD and the rest of the college admissions are similar to say BCC.

LOL - wow you're a bright one! The reason so many go to UMDCP is they can't afford to sink $300k+ into an ivy education when $40k will suffice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand your concerns about getting in to a good college. I care a lot about that stuff too and try to learn a lot about what could be advantageous for my child. But I also found it good to step back and ultimately make a decision that was good for my child at the time, to make them a better thinker or have a happier experience, instead of what would improve their chances for HYPS. It stops you from making crazy decisions. I have a brilliant kid, but not a Regeneron finalist type. He’d probably have a better shot at MIT from his home school, where he wouldn’t be competing against the Regeneron finalist. But should I have sent him to the struggling school for 4 years instead of Blair? No. He’s getting a great education and is happy. BCC is not a struggling school. I hear BCC IB is great. Probably more competition from legacies at BCC than Blair, but more tippy tippy top kids at Blair. I would focus on figuring out if a particular pathway at BCC is rigorous enough, and not worry about a single class being too easy. Also figure out if AP and IB are taught together in a single class or separately. IB is more rigorous, so if AP students are in there, I would worry it is being dumbed down.

Blair STEM is a good program doesn’t help with college admissions. 40% go to UMD and the rest of the college admissions are similar to say BCC.

LOL - wow you're a bright one! The reason so many go to UMDCP is they can't afford to sink $300k+ into an ivy education when $40k will suffice.

Perhaps, but the admission stats published by Bethesda suggest otherwise since Blair does significantly better than BCC or any other MCPS HS for that matter.