Moving to College Park

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in University Park, just blocks away from Northwestern. My kids aren't yet high school aged, but I know very few kids from the neighborhood who go to Northwestern--it is widely considered not a great option. For public, most families try to get into Eleanor Roosevelt (STEM magnet) or College Park Academy. For privates, the top choices are DeMatha (boys), Seton (girls), Sandy Spring Friends, St. Anselm's Abbey (boys)--I think they're all technically religious, but I don't know anything about the daily religiosity actually happening at any of them. I'll chime back in if I think of any others that I'm missing.

I find comments like this so odd. There are 2 thousand kids at Northwestern. Obviously kids "go there." But not families that look like you, PP? Is that it?

Not the PP but my kid goes to Northwestern and there are very few kids walking from University Park to Northwestern in the mornings. I see a handful of kids walking that way but I know almost all of them from the VPA program. UP is only a small percentage of the population for the attendance zone because the population density is comparatively low. Most of the kids in the comprehensive program come from Hyattsville, Chillum and Mt Rainier.

But your point is valid....often people that say "no one" goes to the schools and mean no white middle class kids go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are planning to relocate to College Park in Summer 2024. I'm looking for guidance on High School options. College Park Academy looks promising, but I'm concerned about the lottery process since we are not current residents.

It looks likely we'd be zoned for
Northwestern High School. Can any share current feedback on their experience?

Are there any non religious private high schools?

Tough spot. You'll probably either need to just accept attending NW (and there are worse places for sure) or move to Greenbelt instead but that might not be an option for you and real estate market is tight there and taxes are very high for PG. But then you could go to ERHS even if not the magnet bit. I don't think its all that anyway, if my kids went there, I'd rather they get to pick and choose their classes rather than being in the very regimented "SciTech" curriculum. I'm assuming non SciTech students can take AP classes.

For location, and quality, I'd consider DeMatha. Its Catholic but its a good school and many of the students are non Catholic. You'd have to hope they take a late application and have space though..

[Anonymous]

My advice: live in Greenbelt and go to ERHS. Avoid Northwestern if you can. I have quite a few friends who sent their kids there and they all regret it; many pulled them out and put them in private school. The VPA program is more like an after school club than a true program.

[Anonymous]

OP I live in Mt Rainier and I love it and college park, but if I were in your situation and committed to public school I would rent for a year in bounds for ERHS and figure out the lottery or whatever before buying.

It’s tough that the PG schools are what they are and by the time kids get to high school, what looks like a very diverse feeder area is not. But you can’t fix it by yourself and if you have the ability to play the game, you should. There’s no benefit of public school or diversity that your kid would get at Northwestern that they won’t get at ERHS, but a lot more potential pitfalls and challenges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in University Park, just blocks away from Northwestern. My kids aren't yet high school aged, but I know very few kids from the neighborhood who go to Northwestern--it is widely considered not a great option. For public, most families try to get into Eleanor Roosevelt (STEM magnet) or College Park Academy. For privates, the top choices are DeMatha (boys), Seton (girls), Sandy Spring Friends, St. Anselm's Abbey (boys)--I think they're all technically religious, but I don't know anything about the daily religiosity actually happening at any of them. I'll chime back in if I think of any others that I'm missing.

I find comments like this so odd. There are 2 thousand kids at Northwestern. Obviously kids "go there." But not families that look like you, PP? Is that it?

If you look at the stats, by the time kids get to high school, almost all of the more affluent families zoned for NW have chosen something else. Or moved. The elementary schools are the most racially and economically diverse, the middle schools less so, the high school far less. Since UP is homogeneously affluent, it makes sense that few kids from the neighborhood are enrolled at NW. That’s what the PP said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My advice: live in Greenbelt and go to ERHS. Avoid Northwestern if you can. I have quite a few friends who sent their kids there and they all regret it; many pulled them out and put them in private school. The VPA program is more like an after school club than a true program.

This is completely false. The VPA program is strong, at least in the Visual Arts stream. My kid has had 15 hours of art instruction a week for Freshman and Sophomore year and for Junior and Senior year it goes up to 22.5 hours a week.

I can't speak to the other streams but the performances are fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Is it easy to get As from Northwestern? How is matriculation from Northwestern High School? Do a number of students go on to 4 year schools, any Ivy admittance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it easy to get As from Northwestern? Yes How is matriculation from Northwestern High School Terrible? Do a number of students go on to 4 year schools most don't but I believe 100% of the VPA kids did last year, any Ivy admittance?HAHAHAHA

If you are asking these questions, your kid shouldn't go to Northwestern....or any PGCPS high school, with the exception of the Academy of the Sciences.
Try private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it easy to get As from Northwestern? Yes How is matriculation from Northwestern High School Terrible? Do a number of students go on to 4 year schools most don't but I believe 100% of the VPA kids did last year, any Ivy admittance?HAHAHAHA

If you are asking these questions, your kid shouldn't go to Northwestern....or any PGCPS high school, with the exception of the Academy of the Sciences.
Try private.

ETA - A number of kids in VPA get admitted and scholarships to the Baltimore School for the Arts which is a high regarded post-secondary art school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it easy to get As from Northwestern? How is matriculation from Northwestern High School? Do a number of students go on to 4 year schools, any Ivy admittance?

PP is right but going to a non-competitive school has it's pluses. It is far easier to get on Student Government in lead ship roles, become editor of the school newspaper, be on the varsity sports team, be in the top 5% of the class or Valedictorian etc. These will boost a college application.
The kid who is on track to be the Valedictorian at Parkdale (in the IB program) wouldn't even be close to the top at ERHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it easy to get As from Northwestern? Yes How is matriculation from Northwestern High School Terrible? Do a number of students go on to 4 year schools most don't but I believe 100% of the VPA kids did last year, any Ivy admittance?HAHAHAHA

If you are asking these questions, your kid shouldn't go to Northwestern....or any PGCPS high school, with the exception of the Academy of the Sciences.
Try private.

Thank you. We're not interested in the VPA arm. We are applying to privates though, will find out on Friday. But looking into possible back-up options.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it easy to get As from Northwestern? How is matriculation from Northwestern High School? Do a number of students go on to 4 year schools, any Ivy admittance?

PP is right but going to a non-competitive school has it's pluses. It is far easier to get on Student Government in lead ship roles, become editor of the school newspaper, be on the varsity sports team, be in the top 5% of the class or Valedictorian etc. These will boost a college application.
The kid who is on track to be the Valedictorian at Parkdale (in the IB program) wouldn't even be close to the top at ERHS.

That was a lot of what I was thinking of when I asked... acknowledging that perhaps the easy As will make a student look a bit more competitive to colleges (assuming SAT scores will be used as some sort of equalizer). However, if Northwestern is pretty much easy in every way, is that a double-edged sword... would that make seniors look less competitive overall because schools know the student is up against a school population where most aren't even thinking about college or post-secondary education so it's just an easy leg up and thus, isn't demonstrative of a student who is truly capable?

Basically, do you go to the terrible school knowing your student will be 1 of a handful high achievers, or, go private where your student obtains a better education and aligns more with the overall school population but is now 1 of 100 high achievers?

But reading through the thread, I get the impression Northwestern is where students go only if 1) they are selected for the VPA program, 2) they have no other choice, or 3) there isn't much too much thought that goes into how high school determines post-secondary options/families just default to their inbound school/families don't want or care about a very competitive/inspiring high school experience.

[Anonymous]

You may "stand out" more at a place like NW, but do you want your kid to go to a school where being a good student is not the norm? A child's peer group in high school is their biggest influence (more than parents IMO). If I had a choice I'd rather my child be in an environment where doing really well in school is the baseline norm, not some odd thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may "stand out" more at a place like NW, but do you want your kid to go to a school where being a good student is not the norm? A child's peer group in high school is their biggest influence (more than parents IMO). If I had a choice I'd rather my child be in an environment where doing really well in school is the baseline norm, not some odd thing.

Great point

[Anonymous]

I don’t think this “standing out” argument is very compelling but Northwestern is not a good option for college prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may "stand out" more at a place like NW, but do you want your kid to go to a school where being a good student is not the norm? A child's peer group in high school is their biggest influence (more than parents IMO). If I had a choice I'd rather my child be in an environment where doing really well in school is the baseline norm, not some odd thing.

I think that saying that it is an odd thing for kids to do really well in school at NWHS. Lots of kids do well. All of the honors and AP classes are fully enrolled, there are lots of kids who do Dual Enrollment. Not the majority but it isn't a miniscule number either.
Peer group is a huge issue. If your kid wants to find trouble, they will. The VPA kids and honors students are a bunch of geeks who are geeky with each other. Just like any other high school, you find your people.