APS - transferring to W-L high school - when?
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Anonymous
Novelty has worn off, and people are realizing that IB doesn't mean much if you don't actually get the full diploma (which, is pretty freaking hard). You have the potential to earn more college credit through AP as many colleges don't accept standard level IB credits. Sorry WL fans... |
Anonymous
The class of 2017 has graduated. I'm talking about current numbers, which show a gap between permitted IB transfer numbers and actual number of transfers. Maybe some kids do the pre-IB years at their home schools and then transfer? That seems unlikely, because I don't know a lot of kids who want to leave their current friends for a new school, but maybe that's the case. Also, regardless of what other posters think about the merits of IB, OP didn't ask about that (and if s/he did, probably a lot of people would point out that it's been discussed plenty already and would supply links). So, OP: Current numbers indicate that transferring is entirely doable, especially if your child transfers at the beginning of high school. If your child drops IB, s/he will have to return to the home school. DCUM posters never pass the opportunity to rehash old arguments. |
Anonymous
APS admissions stats to highly selective schools aren't good at all. The full IB track at W-L may not be to a road to nowhere, but it's nothing special, either. |
Anonymous
1. Apply to transfer to W-L in 8th grade. Make sure your child meets the IB prerequisites. https://washingtonlee.apsva.us/international-baccalaureate-program/application-information/ 2. The last couple of years the number of kids applying to transfer has FAR EXCEEDED the number of available spots so you kid may end up on waiting list. Persist, though, because a good number of kids who get into W-L decide to stay at their base HS or get into H-B for HS. 3. Your child can apply to W-L in later grades but make sure he/she is taking the required pre-IB curriculum (see link above) and getting As/Bs 4. As last year's college acceptances show, W-L has an advantage over the other Arlington HS. http://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-snapshot/ Perhaps part of that is the counselors, because as a parent of a current Yorktown senior I am very disappointed in the school's almost nonexistent college counseling. |
Anonymous
Look, your information is wrong. There is no guarantee that OP's child will be able to transfer in order to do IB under the current system. All your numbers show is that the number of IB transfer students was lower than the current transfer cap for the 2015-2016 incoming class. But when was the cap set? What year? Let me tell you: it was 2016-2017. So they could have deliberately admitted fewer students in 2015-16 because of overcrowding. Perhaps parents made a stink, and so they set the cap at a slightly higher number the following year. The number of students who graduate from the IB program is slightly lower than the number who start out as IB transfers as Freshmen, which makes sense, since they can be booted to their home school if they don't meet the program requirements. I know someone who was kicked out of W-L during their senior year for that very reason. Due to overcrowding, they are not "looking the other way" any longer when students don't meet the program requirements. But AFAIK, there is no option to transfer into IB at any point beyond 9th grade, so the number of IB students who receive diplomas is lower than the numbers admitted as Freshmen because some kids either move away, leave voluntarily, or, are forced out of the program. Your numbers do NOT reveal that every qualified applicant is admitted. In fact, I know that not to be true. What I don't know, because the information is not made public, is how MANY students apply each year and how MANY are waitlisted and/or rejected. And given some of what I've seen of the K-12 strategic plan that's being discussed leads me to believe that living in the W-L district might not a guarantee for IB either moving forward. OP should be made aware of all of this rather than be led to believe that her child will have no problem getting into IB. We have no way of knowing that. I am not commenting on the merits of IB, or even W-L. But you shouldn't give OP a false sense of the ease with which any child in Arlington can access an IB diploma. That's all. |
Anonymous
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There are so many IB high school programs in northern Virginia area. https://www.fcps.edu/academics/graduation-requirements-and-course-planning/college-credit-high-school/international.
Or: http://www.ibo.org/programmes/find-an-ib-school/ Why is OP so focused on W-L? |
Anonymous
Not sure why you think OP is "so focused on W-L." OP stated her family will be new to APS, not that she was looking for recommendations for an IB high school in northern Virginia. |
Anonymous
My point is only that if OP wants IB, moving to a small school distinct that has one such program may not be the best way to a ccomplish her goals |
Anonymous
People live in Arlington for the commute. You can go to FCPS- but you'll be further from downtown. Not a mystery. |
Anonymous
Marshall is better and not that far away. |
Anonymous
Still twice the commute downtown. Life is full of trade offs. |
Anonymous
| OP here - thanks for all the information and insight on this. It has been helpful. |
Anonymous
Wow, you are doing a great job of not noticing the bickering (although maybe that was helpful, too, in a different way) |
Anonymous
OP - The kids apply in 8th grade, with a small essay and their transcripts. You probably can't apply if you don't already live here since that is usually the Arlington way with these things. Applications are due relatively soon. If the kid is zoned for W-L, it is almost automatic (vaguely grade dependent, but not a high bar). If the kid is not zoned for W-L, then there is a lottery for spots among all those who qualify. You absolutely do not transfer in after 10th as the normal way. You start there in ninth. IB kids take all intensified classes (math, english, social studies and science). Intensified is the local word for honors. A few take AP World. Sophomore year they are required to take AP Gov, and take intensified most everything else. 11th grade IB starts in earnest. If your kid is not zoned for W-L and doesn't take at least a reasonable number of IB classes, your kid has to leave. Many kids don't complete the program because it requires a lot of work. Too much humanities for my kid, and HL Physics is not offered, anyway. I don't know where you are from, but at least our home country is starting to accept US Transcripts with AP Classes, so if returning home is your concern, I suggest having a discussion with a university or two at home. |
Anonymous
She didn't ask your opinion about housing markets. And Marshall isn't "better" on every single measure a person might care about. |