College admissions really does start in middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest thing is math placement. If you don’t get into an advanced track early on, you probably won’t be able to take AP calculus in high school, which is a problem if you want to major in STEM.

It also matters when it comes to extracurriculars like sports, music, or STEM competitions. It’s extremely hard to do well in those activities if you don’t start early well before high school

One thing I've noticed is that private schools all have algebra in 8th, geometry in 10th, and algebra 2 in 11th. Algebra is required to do well on SATs so this is critical. Many public schools don't start algebra 1 until 9th.

Never seen a public school that didn't allow algebra until 9th, excluding that one California policy

My kid took algebra 1 in 7th grade along with a third of his MCPS classmates. Some public school kids even take it in 6th grade.

Yeah my 8th grader is in algebra with 6th and 7th graders in MCPS

[Anonymous]

All of these super advanced MCPS kids do not impress admissions people. It is perfectly fine to take Calc as a senior. Once again it is the stupid DMV bias here. Get out of your bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of these super advanced MCPS kids do not impress admissions people. It is perfectly fine to take Calc as a senior. Once again it is the stupid DMV bias here. Get out of your bubble.

Oh. I must have missed the part where MCPS kids are banned from elite universities and don’t excel in NMSF and win national awards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It actually starts with marriage. Pick a partner with the best possible genes. Then have them eat a ton of choline and DHA (but not EPA) during pregnancy and breastfeeding period. Etc. etc.

So true!

[Anonymous]

Colleges can tell happy kids. They can tell curated kids. They can tell over-bearing parents. The harder you try, the worse it will be. Just relax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest thing is math placement. If you don’t get into an advanced track early on, you probably won’t be able to take AP calculus in high school, which is a problem if you want to major in STEM.

It also matters when it comes to extracurriculars like sports, music, or STEM competitions. It’s extremely hard to do well in those activities if you don’t start early well before high school

One thing I've noticed is that private schools all have algebra in 8th, geometry in 10th, and algebra 2 in 11th. Algebra is required to do well on SATs so this is critical. Many public schools don't start algebra 1 until 9th.

Never seen a public school that didn't allow algebra until 9th, excluding that one California policy

My kid took algebra 1 in 7th grade along with a third of his MCPS classmates. Some public school kids even take it in 6th grade.

Make sense when so many kids take multivariable calculus or AP physics C in high school, which requires you to take calculus by 9th or 10th grade

Not necessarily. DC took Calc in 11th and Physics C in 12th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of these super advanced MCPS kids do not impress admissions people. It is perfectly fine to take Calc as a senior. Once again it is the stupid DMV bias here. Get out of your bubble.

Oh. I must have missed the part where MCPS kids are banned from elite universities and don’t excel in NMSF and win national awards.

Some kid who takes calculus in the womb in DMV is not seen as being any better than a kid who takes it as a senior, all other things being equal. Yet so many people here get their panties in a bunch because their kids aren't taking calc and physics and whatever soon enough. Doesn't matter.

Stuy, Bronx Science, Dalton, Trinity, Horace Mann, Scarsdale, Millburn kids don't do any of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest thing is math placement. If you don’t get into an advanced track early on, you probably won’t be able to take AP calculus in high school, which is a problem if you want to major in STEM.

It also matters when it comes to extracurriculars like sports, music, or STEM competitions. It’s extremely hard to do well in those activities if you don’t start early well before high school

One thing I've noticed is that private schools all have algebra in 8th, geometry in 10th, and algebra 2 in 11th. Algebra is required to do well on SATs so this is critical. Many public schools don't start algebra 1 until 9th.

My public school kid took algebra in 7th and is in multivariable calculus now in senior year. This is a pretty common most advanced track here in Nova publics. The second most advanced track is algebra in 8th which leads to calc AB or BC in senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest thing is math placement. If you don’t get into an advanced track early on, you probably won’t be able to take AP calculus in high school, which is a problem if you want to major in STEM.

It also matters when it comes to extracurriculars like sports, music, or STEM competitions. It’s extremely hard to do well in those activities if you don’t start early well before high school

I guess but if you don't qualify for the advanced math track, then you don't qualify for it for a reason. Probably that you're not good at math. So maybe STEM isn't for you.

[Anonymous]

There are so many different paths to success, in high school, in college, and beyond!!

Take it one step at a time. And make sure to slow down to enjoy your kids at each stage. It really does go fast!! 😢

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It actually starts with marriage. Pick a partner with the best possible genes. Then have them eat a ton of choline and DHA (but not EPA) during pregnancy and breastfeeding period. Etc. etc.

Except for regression to the mean…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges can tell happy kids. They can tell curated kids. They can tell over-bearing parents. The harder you try, the worse it will be. Just relax.

No they can’t. Most colleges don’t do interviews-how are they supposed to assess if a kid is “happy?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not really. Just have the money, average GPA and test scores, or else be a minority or visa-holder, and you are a shoe in.

Just be a recruited athlete. Ivy League with 3 APs. Suckers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of these super advanced MCPS kids do not impress admissions people. It is perfectly fine to take Calc as a senior. Once again it is the stupid DMV bias here. Get out of your bubble.

Oh. I must have missed the part where MCPS kids are banned from elite universities and don’t excel in NMSF and win national awards.

Some kid who takes calculus in the womb in DMV is not seen as being any better than a kid who takes it as a senior, all other things being equal. Yet so many people here get their panties in a bunch because their kids aren't taking calc and physics and whatever soon enough. Doesn't matter.

Stuy, Bronx Science, Dalton, Trinity, Horace Mann, Scarsdale, Millburn kids don't do any of this.

Wrong. Stuyvesant High School's math follows a sequence of Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, and then Calculus AB or BC but it also offers advanced courses like Multi-variable Calculus and Differential Equations, AP Statistics, and electives for students who complete the core sequence early. That means kids are at the minimum taking algebra in middle school. Other kids will be more advanced.

Dalton, Trinity, and Horace Mann are private schools for ultra wealthy New Yorkers. I don’t know their math curricula, but they don’t need to do advanced math because these kids have the privilege of being legacy and donor admits because they’re rich and privileged. Never heard of Scarsdale and Millburn but will take your word for it that they don’t push math education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. Just have the money, average GPA and test scores, or else be a minority or visa-holder, and you are a shoe in.

Just be a recruited athlete. Ivy League with 3 APs. Suckers.

Sports are just as broken here. Plenty of people who play on travel teams since 5 can’t pass high school tryouts