Who is considering turning down a middle school magnet spot?

[Anonymous]

No one applies any more, PP. The County just decides and sends out offers. We have been discussing this for the last two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got accepted to both and will for sure turn down Eastern. DC never liked writing but born to be a STEM child. TPMS is a perfect fit.

Why did you apply to Eastern if you knew this? It’s a writing intensive program.

DP

What?? There is no ‘application’. The county picks kids based on ambiguous criteria and sends them acceptance letters.

PP didn’t apply to Eastern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do you care?

Their kid is on the waitlist and they are grasping.

Actually, my DC got into both Eastern and TPMS, but we’re thinking of turning down the spots and wondering if that’s crazy or unusual.

It’s not crazy or unusual given the new process. When there was a more involved application process, most people who applied were dying to go. Now many people get in who are somewhat indifferent, and also many kids get into both programs. As a result, fewer of the original admitted students have been choosing to attend, and more kids ultimately get in from waitlist and appeals.

If you’re happy with your home school and haven’t been dying for something else, then no it’s not crazy to turn down the spots - particularly if you are far away and DC is happy with neighborhood friends.

We went through this last year and knew of three kids from DD’s CES who declined spots. And one who went, but came back to the home school this year.

Not worth the commute and hassle for many families.

[Anonymous]

Slightly different but my DD did not even apply. The commute would have been very long and that just seemed unnecessary for an 11 year old. Her middle school years were disappointing (no enriched classes then) and she was very determined to go to a HS magnet by 8th. She is now at Blair and wished she had gone to TP. I will say she works hard and maybe the coasting years of middle school were a good break? She would not agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Slightly different but my DD did not even apply. The commute would have been very long and that just seemed unnecessary for an 11 year old. Her middle school years were disappointing (no enriched classes then) and she was very determined to go to a HS magnet by 8th. She is now at Blair and wished she had gone to TP. I will say she works hard and maybe the coasting years of middle school were a good break? She would not agree.

Again, students don't apply anymore.
I do think there is some validity to your last point. My daughter is the opposite. Is going to a middle school magnet and has already indicated they are not interested in high school magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geography is a factor. Where are people commuting from or choosing not to commute from?

If it take an hour each way, and it's likely way more for us if we use the bus system, that's the equivalent of over two months of work weeks sitting on a bus. I realize that many kids around the world (and even in MoCo) may view that as normal, or even desirable, for the right school, but that just seems excessive to me.

Or...it is additional time your child gets to spend with people who have similar brains?

Haha. It is not. Please don’t kid yourself they are interacting on the bus. They all have phones out staring straight ahead.
The buses are mixed with middle and high schoolers and many many of the kids carpool. My child does the 1 hour plus each way and it totally sucks. On the way there it mean she catches the bus at 6:35. They get there much earlier than school starts. On the way home she takes a bus from Eastern to Blair and then switches buses and that makes it a little over an hour. She leaves at 6:35 and gets home at 4:10 to commute from Gaithersburg.

How is a kid from Gaithersburg going to Eastern? If you moved from downcounty to Gaithersburg after your child got in to Eastern, no wonder the commute is so long. We live in Gaithersburg and dc attends MLK. There are no high school students on dc’s magnet bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geography is a factor. Where are people commuting from or choosing not to commute from?

If it take an hour each way, and it's likely way more for us if we use the bus system, that's the equivalent of over two months of work weeks sitting on a bus. I realize that many kids around the world (and even in MoCo) may view that as normal, or even desirable, for the right school, but that just seems excessive to me.

Or...it is additional time your child gets to spend with people who have similar brains?

Haha. It is not. Please don’t kid yourself they are interacting on the bus. They all have phones out staring straight ahead.
The buses are mixed with middle and high schoolers and many many of the kids carpool. My child does the 1 hour plus each way and it totally sucks. On the way there it mean she catches the bus at 6:35. They get there much earlier than school starts. On the way home she takes a bus from Eastern to Blair and then switches buses and that makes it a little over an hour. She leaves at 6:35 and gets home at 4:10 to commute from Gaithersburg.

How is a kid from Gaithersburg going to Eastern? If you moved from downcounty to Gaithersburg after your child got in to Eastern, no wonder the commute is so long. We live in Gaithersburg and dc attends MLK. There are no high school students on dc’s magnet bus.

Not the PP, but Wootton includes some areas that some people consider to be Gaithersburg.

[Anonymous]

My child wants to turn down a TPMS spot in hopes of coming off the Eastern waitlist (and has the stats to make this a credible risk, but not a slam dunk).

I agree that Eastern is a better fit, but think there is value in having a bird in hand, and value in leaning into your weaknesses a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child wants to turn down a TPMS spot in hopes of coming off the Eastern waitlist (and has the stats to make this a credible risk, but not a slam dunk).

I agree that Eastern is a better fit, but think there is value in having a bird in hand, and value in leaning into your weaknesses a little.

You can accept TPMS and then change if you get off the other waitlist. I don’t think that accepting one spot means you give up chance of the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child wants to turn down a TPMS spot in hopes of coming off the Eastern waitlist (and has the stats to make this a credible risk, but not a slam dunk).

I agree that Eastern is a better fit, but think there is value in having a bird in hand, and value in leaning into your weaknesses a little.

I don't have personal experience, but if you kid is dead-set on Eastern, appeal. (And as someone else said, hopefully not an issue to accept TP in the meantime.) Our DC's CES teacher, when we met with the teacher at the end of last year, made it very clear that if we didn't get into one of the magnets, and that's what we wanted, we should appeal. She wouldn't give specific reasons, but my guess is that she saw that others were doing that successfully. This is a CES in a very low-FARMS area that basically had no kids accepted initially into the magnets the last two years (i.e., after they changed the criteria).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child wants to turn down a TPMS spot in hopes of coming off the Eastern waitlist (and has the stats to make this a credible risk, but not a slam dunk).

I agree that Eastern is a better fit, but think there is value in having a bird in hand, and value in leaning into your weaknesses a little.

I don't have personal experience, but if you kid is dead-set on Eastern, appeal. (And as someone else said, hopefully not an issue to accept TP in the meantime.) Our DC's CES teacher, when we met with the teacher at the end of last year, made it very clear that if we didn't get into one of the magnets, and that's what we wanted, we should appeal. She wouldn't give specific reasons, but my guess is that she saw that others were doing that successfully. This is a CES in a very low-FARMS area that basically had no kids accepted initially into the magnets the last two years (i.e., after they changed the criteria).

Except if you are already waitlisted THERE IS NO NEED TO APPEAL. You are automatically “appealed”. You are specifically told not to appeal or send additional info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child wants to turn down a TPMS spot in hopes of coming off the Eastern waitlist (and has the stats to make this a credible risk, but not a slam dunk).

I agree that Eastern is a better fit, but think there is value in having a bird in hand, and value in leaning into your weaknesses a little.

I don't have personal experience, but if you kid is dead-set on Eastern, appeal. (And as someone else said, hopefully not an issue to accept TP in the meantime.) Our DC's CES teacher, when we met with the teacher at the end of last year, made it very clear that if we didn't get into one of the magnets, and that's what we wanted, we should appeal. She wouldn't give specific reasons, but my guess is that she saw that others were doing that successfully. This is a CES in a very low-FARMS area that basically had no kids accepted initially into the magnets the last two years (i.e., after they changed the criteria).

Except if you are already waitlisted THERE IS NO NEED TO APPEAL. You are automatically “appealed”. You are specifically told not to appeal or send additional info.

You will be reconsidered either way, but if you have additional information to add about unique circumstances that make one program a better fit, it would be to your advantage to provide it. Pay attention to the instructions though about what you can provide and not provide.

[Anonymous]

It's not crazy, considering the commute can be brutal and that children may have serious extra-curriculars or other interests. If your child was accepted, then they will likely do well wherever they are!

However, please do go to the Open House, just in case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geography is a factor. Where are people commuting from or choosing not to commute from?

If it take an hour each way, and it's likely way more for us if we use the bus system, that's the equivalent of over two months of work weeks sitting on a bus. I realize that many kids around the world (and even in MoCo) may view that as normal, or even desirable, for the right school, but that just seems excessive to me.

Or...it is additional time your child gets to spend with people who have similar brains?

Haha. It is not. Please don’t kid yourself they are interacting on the bus. They all have phones out staring straight ahead.
The buses are mixed with middle and high schoolers and many many of the kids carpool. My child does the 1 hour plus each way and it totally sucks. On the way there it mean she catches the bus at 6:35. They get there much earlier than school starts. On the way home she takes a bus from Eastern to Blair and then switches buses and that makes it a little over an hour. She leaves at 6:35 and gets home at 4:10 to commute from Gaithersburg.

How is a kid from Gaithersburg going to Eastern? If you moved from downcounty to Gaithersburg after your child got in to Eastern, no wonder the commute is so long. We live in Gaithersburg and dc attends MLK. There are no high school students on dc’s magnet bus.

20878 is zoned that way. Frost/Wootton would be our home schools. That goes to Eastern. Gaithersburg is a large area and you must live further north.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geography is a factor. Where are people commuting from or choosing not to commute from?

If it take an hour each way, and it's likely way more for us if we use the bus system, that's the equivalent of over two months of work weeks sitting on a bus. I realize that many kids around the world (and even in MoCo) may view that as normal, or even desirable, for the right school, but that just seems excessive to me.

Or...it is additional time your child gets to spend with people who have similar brains?

Haha. It is not. Please don’t kid yourself they are interacting on the bus. They all have phones out staring straight ahead.
The buses are mixed with middle and high schoolers and many many of the kids carpool. My child does the 1 hour plus each way and it totally sucks. On the way there it mean she catches the bus at 6:35. They get there much earlier than school starts. On the way home she takes a bus from Eastern to Blair and then switches buses and that makes it a little over an hour. She leaves at 6:35 and gets home at 4:10 to commute from Gaithersburg.

How is a kid from Gaithersburg going to Eastern? If you moved from downcounty to Gaithersburg after your child got in to Eastern, no wonder the commute is so long. We live in Gaithersburg and dc attends MLK. There are no high school students on dc’s magnet bus.

OK. There are high school kids on the buses to Eastern at least. Because it's near Blair. Maybe MLK isn't near a high school? I don't know. In any event, just sharing our busing situation and you're free to ignore it but you seem to not believe that middle/high school kids are bused together.
I would recommend if you are considering one of the magnets, pull up the bus schedules and see what it would be like. They don't change that much from year to year.