We are considering this as one of the DCC options for our child, who is a high-achieving student at a DCC middle school.
How do high achievers fare at Einstein? Do most (all?) of them enroll in the IB program? Or is there a solid and strong honors-level series of classes for these students outside the IB program? I would appreciate any info anyone may have. Thanks. |
The best place to find this info is to visit the school personally (schedule an appointment or attend one of the DCC open houses- Einstein's is coming up soon). EHS offers pre-IB for grades 9 & 10 since IB only begins in grade 11. 9th graders take AP US History- the teacher is very good; the other courses as of now seem to be OK but not hugely challenging for a very smart kid. Of the DCC high schools, I think EHS is the strongest one academically. |
OP here. Thank you very much. We will attend the open house, and I may schedule an appointment as well. I have some questions: *If IB begins in Grade 11, then how is the 9th and 10th grades curriculum differentiated from the regular high school one? Or is it not different? And does every 9th grader take AP US History, or only those bound for the IB Program? *Why do you think EHS is the strongest of the DCC high schools, academically? *Do you have a child at EHS? How has his/her experience been? Thanks again. |
I'd also like to know more about why the pp thinks Einstein is the strongest academically in the DCC. Are you limiting your comment to the IB program? How do you think Einstein's IB program compares to Blair's CAP program? Is Einstein's regular program (outside of IB) strong in terms of offering acceleration and AP/IB classes? |
Yes, I have a child at EHS. My child was also admitted to the CAP and RM IB programs but ended up at EHS because of her friends being there. That may sound like a lame reason for choosing a school, but maintaining friendships and a sense of community are also important.
Academically, the curriculum is differentiated in grades 9 & 10 by class choice- kids in the pre-IB "program" usually take AP US but others do not; kids who intend to go into IB should be taking Algebra 2, language 2 or 3 level, etc. Of course, any child can take any class, but the IB kids tend to choose/are put into the courses designated for pre-IB. Saying which school seems strongest is obviously an opinion, and mine is only based on my experiences visiting schools and talking with LOTS of people. It's just my opinion. I think the CAP program does compare well with EHS's IB program. If anything, it might create a more tight-knit community for the kids. However, I also know that many kids find the last-year project thing onerous and they're not sure why they should do it since few colleges will really recognize what it means, whereas most colleges will recognize what it means to have an IB diploma. When it comes down to it, the best school for your child really depends on your child's aptitude AND social needs. Not everyone who can get into Harvard will be happy at Harvard. Good luck! |
OP here. 21:49, would you be willing to correspond or talk offline more about Einstein? Without getting into too much personal detail, I think my child stands a fair chance of getting into one of the HS magnets, but like you am not sure those are right for DC.
If you would be willing to get more detailed on email I would be grateful. Thx. |
sure, just let me know how to contact you
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Thanks. My email address is anne foley 22 at gmail dot com (no separations on the name & number). I'll ask Joe Steele to delete this after it's been up for a day or so. |