Transfer from Big 3 to BCC in high school w/ college admissions in mind

[Anonymous]

I’m also one of the people in the back row. When and why did GDS get rid of AP courses?

PS I’m a BCC parent, daughter is a white girl, she’s semi-hooked and working hard to be fully hooked because even from BCC a bunch of 5s on APs aren’t going to get her where she may want to go.

PSS Generally very happy with BCC - great value for the money : )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges aren’t particularly interested in upper middle class white or Asian kids right now as an institutional priority. The high school matter less than the demographics.

The point is to get the inflated AP GPA, which state schools like but private HS do not value.

This is about getting into a state school? Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges aren’t particularly interested in upper middle class white or Asian kids right now as an institutional priority. The high school matter less than the demographics.

They’re so uninterested that they’re taking 20-30% Asian students in their classes. Such neglect.

Versus how many qualified Asian applicants?

There is no such thing as “qualified.” Top colleges only care about grades & test scores beyond a basic threshold.

[Anonymous]

This has to be a troll. I don’t know about GDS but Sidwell had excellent college results this year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges aren’t particularly interested in upper middle class white or Asian kids right now as an institutional priority. The high school matter less than the demographics.

They’re so uninterested that they’re taking 20-30% Asian students in their classes. Such neglect.

Versus how many qualified Asian applicants?

Irrelevant. You says it isn’t an institutional priority. How can that be if a quarter of the class is Asian? That just doesn’t square.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all know what school you are talking about, FYI. IMO, why don't you write a letter to the school that details all of your valid concerns. I happen to know what school you are talking about because parents are always complaining about it in the private school forum. I can't understand why you don't organize, band together, write a letter/petition, and give it to the board. The school is founded on justice and using your influence in positive ways, so why don't you try that before pulling out of a school that your child enjoys?

For those in the back row, it’s GDS.

Because OP’s child is a white boy so at minimum, such complaints will fall on deaf ears and beyond that, they run the risk of being seen to be leaving for reasons other than college admissions.

The school should institute AP classes, which they announced they were stopping well before this lady’s kid entered high school, because she complains? Sure make it about her kid being a white boy and not because it’s an insane demand to make on a school. Example 21836295 of misguided white victimhood.

Leaving GDS for BCC is misguided white victimhood....

No. Thinking the school would refuse to restart AP classes because a white kid asked for it (as opposed to the fact that it’s an insane demand) is an example of misguided white grievance. Leaving GDS for BCC because you think it will help your kid get into a state flagship is a first world problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has to be a troll. I don’t know about GDS but Sidwell had excellent college results this year

You make no sense.

The thread is about GDS, not SFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all know what school you are talking about, FYI. IMO, why don't you write a letter to the school that details all of your valid concerns. I happen to know what school you are talking about because parents are always complaining about it in the private school forum. I can't understand why you don't organize, band together, write a letter/petition, and give it to the board. The school is founded on justice and using your influence in positive ways, so why don't you try that before pulling out of a school that your child enjoys?

For those in the back row, it’s GDS.

Because OP’s child is a white boy so at minimum, such complaints will fall on deaf ears and beyond that, they run the risk of being seen to be leaving for reasons other than college admissions.

The school should institute AP classes, which they announced they were stopping well before this lady’s kid entered high school, because she complains? Sure make it about her kid being a white boy and not because it’s an insane demand to make on a school. Example 21836295 of misguided white victimhood.

Perhaps the student started at GDS before they did away with APs.

I’m just telling how it is at GDS for PP that thinks complaining will do any good. You being happy about it isn’t relevant either.

They announced in 2018 they were stopping in 2022 so no one entering high school did so on the mistaken assumption that AP classes would be offered. Bemoaning being so unfortunate being a white kid attending an expensive private school and living in one of the richest areas of the country is just kind of pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges aren’t particularly interested in upper middle class white or Asian kids right now as an institutional priority. The high school matter less than the demographics.

They’re so uninterested that they’re taking 20-30% Asian students in their classes. Such neglect.

Versus how many qualified Asian applicants?

There is no such thing as “qualified.” Top colleges only care about grades & test scores beyond a basic threshold.

Agree that grades and test scores aren’t the whole equation, but the threshold is high at top schools for unhooked students. A “qualified” student is one who meets this threshold. Plenty of qualified students aren’t admitted in favor of hooked students, or said differently, institutional priorities. OP’s child is never going to meet an institutional priority unless he/she applies to a school at which they are a legacy.

[Anonymous]

One year of GDS tuition is the total of four years of tuition at my child’s college.

Why would you stay another minute if you are unhappy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems genuinely weird to me. Like I think it is a troll.

+1 that thinking is so toxic. I strongly believe they have to stop publishing stupid rankings; it is poisoning people.

OP your kid should go visit some of the SLACs and schools "ranked" below 50 and realize that they are awesome too.

[Anonymous]

Top private vs the "other" W on DCUM!

Grabs popcorn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We all know what school you are talking about, FYI. IMO, why don't you write a letter to the school that details all of your valid concerns. I happen to know what school you are talking about because parents are always complaining about it in the private school forum. I can't understand why you don't organize, band together, write a letter/petition, and give it to the board. The school is founded on justice and using your influence in positive ways, so why don't you try that before pulling out of a school that your child enjoys?

For those in the back row, it’s GDS.

Because OP’s child is a white boy so at minimum, such complaints will fall on deaf ears and beyond that, they run the risk of being seen to be leaving for reasons other than college admissions.

The school should institute AP classes, which they announced they were stopping well before this lady’s kid entered high school, because she complains? Sure make it about her kid being a white boy and not because it’s an insane demand to make on a school. Example 21836295 of misguided white victimhood.

Leaving GDS for BCC is misguided white victimhood....

No. Thinking the school would refuse to restart AP classes because a white kid asked for it (as opposed to the fact that it’s an insane demand) is an example of misguided white grievance. Leaving GDS for BCC because you think it will help your kid get into a state flagship is a first world problem.

Restarting AP classes is not an insane demand. It’s recalibrating a decision that was made before the pandemic and is wrong for the new admissions reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you are seriously underestimating the caliber of student coming out of top DMV publics. All schools weight differently. Colleges take away the weights and recalculate using their own super special formula.

College admissions are brutal all over unless you are hooked. Look at the thread about the 4.6W GPA from McLean (2nd best HS in FCPS) who was denied at UVA and WL at VT.

I have done this twice. If your kid has started HS, don’t move him midstream without an actual problem. If not, figure out which environment is better for your particular kid, academically and socially. Consider ECs, advanced APs, etc. The subteam captains from my kids robotics teams had fantastic results this year (Georgia Tech, UVA, VT, Michigan CMU, UMD Honors, Cornell) is CS and Engineering. No hooks. But very smart and very talented. In STEM, a DMV public may have more options. Humanities is a tougher call.

My kids both punched above their weight (25-50% GPAs with no hooks) by finding their niche and going all out in HS and applying ED to good match colleges that were a good fit for them and their interests. They had a narrative about what they did in HS, where they were going, and how this specific college will get you there.

And toss USNWR. The T30 emphasis doesn’t help. Your kid will be more successful out of #45 than #25 if #45 is stronger in their major, has more opportunities specific to their future goals and they have a good social fit.

TL;DR: assume your kid would have the exact same college results coming out of the Big 3 and DMV public. Which one better allows them to run with their strengths. And where will they be happier?

+1. If you are changing schools just to try to game college admissions, BCC isn’t the school to choose. There is going to be lots of competition, and the kid is going to have to adapt to a completely new environment. If GDS isn’t working for the kid that’s one thing but don’t move just for college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think YOU are thinking these things- not your kid. No kid is talking about T30 and weighted GPAs. If YOU want to make this change, say so.

I can’t speak to the benefit of switching, just here to say I think you’re putting words in your kid’s mouth.

Also- college counseling is non existent at MCPS, so even “weak” and “disorganized “ beats … nonexistent!

Good point on college counseling.

I was not putting words in kid's mouth. You should see what the seniors are talking about. School had to have a meeting with seniors to tell kids to stop "bullying" URM kids who got into HYP. Kids are more sophisticated than you think. Like I said, i do not want the kid to change. But feel free to believe what floats your boat

PP you were replying to here and I believe you now. This sounds miserable for the kids- I’m sorry.

I’m of two minds- is your son a freshman? And you say he wants to make a move? Then maybe going public for 10-12 grade would make sense. But if he’s happy there- and you have the dough to pay that tuition plus four more years of college- then I would stay. It’s not going to be demonstrably better at a public.

You didn’t say which way he leans in terms of interest. If he’s interested in science/math/CS/engineering? Then move right now. The classes available and the level of the other students is just so much better in public (this info from my friend who used to work at a private HS and who said she’d never send her son to private if he leaned in the science way…)

Good luck, OP.