What makes Whitman such a (reputation of a) "pressure cooker?"

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure what point OP is making about AP vs. non-AP classes. AP classes still have grades that are separate from AP scores. "Pressure-cooker" schools are just a function of lots of affluent kids in one place pursuing the same rigorous classes and extracurriculars. Whitman is the most affluent HS in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher I wonder what it would be like teaching at W schools. I’m considering applying next year. My gut feel is that I would prefer BCC over Whitman because to me a diverse environment is more interesting.
Churchill and Poolesville are too far of a commute for me. WJ would probably work too.
Not sure how to compare WJ to BCC but I guess either would be fine

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s strange that it’s such a pressure cooker and yet so few get into top tier schools.

But that's the reason. Top tier schools tend to admit 2-3 kids per school because they want geographic diversity from around the country and have a relatively small class size. When there are a lot of academically qualified students at a school, they are all competing against each other to stand out and look "unique" (which ironically they don't, because everyone is doing exactly the same.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s strange that it’s such a pressure cooker and yet so few get into top tier schools.

But that's the reason. Top tier schools tend to admit 2-3 kids per school because they want geographic diversity from around the country and have a relatively small class size. When there are a lot of academically qualified students at a school, they are all competing against each other to stand out and look "unique" (which ironically they don't, because everyone is doing exactly the same.)

this x 100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:I am wondering what makes Whitman such a "pressure cooker?" It would seem that regardless of which "W + BCC" school you go to, if you're aiming for a selective college, you still need a certain number of high AP scores. So whether you go to, for example you go to Whitman, BCC, or Walter Johnson, you'll probably be evaluated the same way by a college. So in any of those schools, the amount of pressure will be on yourself and the college you're aiming for. So what makes Whitman such a "pressure cooker?" In thinking it through, I would think that the pressure comes from the non-AP classes, where getting an "A" means competing against the other students. Is that the case? Is that where the pressure comes from? And again, I imagine the pressure comes from extra-curriculars, and perhaps there is an arms race for how many / quality of extra-curriculars. I welcome sincere observations. Thank you. Please, no derailing of conversations. Thank you.

No clue because most of these schools are pretty similar. Yes, the communities vary, but there's not much difference within specific groups like high-achievers. Although the bulk statistics may show some difference, ironically, Wootton or WJ seem to have more outliers. My biggest concern with Whitman is the lack of diversity and the routine racial incidents.

"My biggest concern with Whitman is the lack of diversity and the routine racial incidents." -Takoma Torch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s strange that it’s such a pressure cooker and yet so few get into top tier schools.

But that's the reason. Top tier schools tend to admit 2-3 kids per school because they want geographic diversity from around the country and have a relatively small class size. When there are a lot of academically qualified students at a school, they are all competing against each other to stand out and look "unique" (which ironically they don't, because everyone is doing exactly the same.)

This is probably true but not sure a student from BCC is that geographically different from Whitman. What does stand out perhaps are things like recommendations where it's easier to be a top student when there is a less stacked peer group. I am convinced that being from a magnet or other high pressure / achieving area is a minus for college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s strange that it’s such a pressure cooker and yet so few get into top tier schools.

There's a reason that the number of students getting into top tier schools is not as large as people might think. Colleges are comparing you against your peers in your high school. So while your child may have taken all the right classes and done well, they must have something else to make them stand out. This in itself creates a pressure cooker environment. In a lot of ways, I think having our kids attend a W school was not to their advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s strange that it’s such a pressure cooker and yet so few get into top tier schools.

There's a reason that the number of students getting into top tier schools is not as large as people might think. Colleges are comparing you against your peers in your high school. So while your child may have taken all the right classes and done well, they must have something else to make them stand out. This in itself creates a pressure cooker environment. In a lot of ways, I think having our kids attend a W school was not to their advantage.

The vast majority are going to UMD anyway every year from Whitman (and likely all the other Bethesda HS's). And I think that is actually the goal, it's instate and it's less expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had three kids graduate from Whitman. You have to try out for everything. In other MCPS high schools, some sports need players or are “no-cut.” Not Whitman with the exception of the football team. Swimming, cross country are all cut teams. Want to work on the Tv show, you need to try out. Many positions on the newspaper and yearbook are highly competitive. For the high average kids, it just wears them down because they feel like they don’t have a decent shot at anything. Whitman showcases a big club night but most of these “ clubs” never amount to anything except resume value for the organizer. All the top kids are always competing with each other and it makes for a pressure cooker environment.

Parent of 2021 grad and a current student at Whitman. I can't compare to other high schools (which is really what your question is, OP - why is Whitman a pressured environ any more or less than other mcps high schools), but I do think this poster nailed a big reason my kids feel/felt stressed out at Whitman. Every little thing is pursued by the students to the Nth degree at Whitman. Want to be on the school paper - you need to take the journalism class (too bad if you didn't realize about that until junior year, because at the point the intro class isn't really available any more and you probably don't have room in your schedule unless you already were prioritizing journalism) and everyone wants to be an editor. Want to be on the field hockey team - you needed to have started young and do the clinics, etc. As a result, my kids found it hard to balance beyond one main prioritized activity at Whitman.

Also, the pressure to take as many APs as possible, regardless of one's interests, is heavy at least among my kids' cohorts. My older DC is a humanities oriented student and still took MV, AP Calc BC, AP chem, and AP physics. At most challenging high schools elsewhere in the country, that would be unnecessary since DC's interests were really in the AP english and social studies classes. Said DC is not even at a top 30 university, by the way, despite rigorous classes, a 3.98uw gpa and 1580 SAT. Most of the students at Whitman getting into ivies and other top schools have those stats and also national level awards or are an athletic recruit. It feels like a race to nowhere to have taken all of those classes, pushed on the activities, and land at a fine but not stellar college that most of the other admitted students landed at via a much less intense academic route. We learned with our younger not to get sucked into that pressure (or at least to a lesser extent).

[Anonymous]

^^This AP thing is so true. We've just left Whitman after 10th grade to find in our new location, kids do not take AP Gov't or AP US History until 11th / 12th grades because they are considered harder.

At Whitman, my kid took AP Gov't in 9th and AP US History in 10th.

It's nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:Even if BCC has a high FARMs rate, the UMC students will still have to put the same "pressure" on themselves to be competitive for selective colleges. And there's probably a large cohort of them creating "competition" and "pressure." So I keep wondering, what makes Whitman a pressure cooker. I appreciate the example of the child practicing SATs since 7th grade. And the reality of the amount of external coaching/training/lessons. But wouldn't that wealth factor exist in BCC as well? It draws from one of the wealthiest areas in the country.

Every school has such a cohort. There isn't anything special about Whitman. Sure, it's a fine school but RMIB makes it look easy by comparison.

The IB Diploma Programme has exactly the same requirements at all of the schools that offer the IB Diploma Programme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:Even if BCC has a high FARMs rate, the UMC students will still have to put the same "pressure" on themselves to be competitive for selective colleges. And there's probably a large cohort of them creating "competition" and "pressure." So I keep wondering, what makes Whitman a pressure cooker. I appreciate the example of the child practicing SATs since 7th grade. And the reality of the amount of external coaching/training/lessons. But wouldn't that wealth factor exist in BCC as well? It draws from one of the wealthiest areas in the country.

Every school has such a cohort. There isn't anything special about Whitman. Sure, it's a fine school but RMIB makes it look easy by comparison.

The IB Diploma Programme has exactly the same requirements at all of the schools that offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Actually the two schools are roughly on a par, and if you look at historical evidence of where the kids end up, Whitman usually beats RMIB just slightly. And I think that's because a lot more kids at RMIB want to get into UMD

[Transplant_1]

OP here. I greatly appreciate all the shared experiences, particularly about Whitman and having to try out for everything, clubs being no more than resume builders for the club leaders, and the Whitman parent sharing about the grades, classes taken, and how it all shook out in college. It is a shame kids can't relax a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:Even if BCC has a high FARMs rate, the UMC students will still have to put the same "pressure" on themselves to be competitive for selective colleges. And there's probably a large cohort of them creating "competition" and "pressure." So I keep wondering, what makes Whitman a pressure cooker. I appreciate the example of the child practicing SATs since 7th grade. And the reality of the amount of external coaching/training/lessons. But wouldn't that wealth factor exist in BCC as well? It draws from one of the wealthiest areas in the country.

Every school has such a cohort. There isn't anything special about Whitman. Sure, it's a fine school but RMIB makes it look easy by comparison.

The IB Diploma Programme has exactly the same requirements at all of the schools that offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Actually the two schools are roughly on a par, and if you look at historical evidence of where the kids end up, Whitman usually beats RMIB just slightly. And I think that's because a lot more kids at RMIB want to get into UMD

Whitman isn't even in the same league as RM. Just look at the college outcomes listed by Bethesda Beat. It isn't even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:Even if BCC has a high FARMs rate, the UMC students will still have to put the same "pressure" on themselves to be competitive for selective colleges. And there's probably a large cohort of them creating "competition" and "pressure." So I keep wondering, what makes Whitman a pressure cooker. I appreciate the example of the child practicing SATs since 7th grade. And the reality of the amount of external coaching/training/lessons. But wouldn't that wealth factor exist in BCC as well? It draws from one of the wealthiest areas in the country.

Every school has such a cohort. There isn't anything special about Whitman. Sure, it's a fine school but RMIB makes it look easy by comparison.

The IB Diploma Programme has exactly the same requirements at all of the schools that offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Actually the two schools are roughly on a par, and if you look at historical evidence of where the kids end up, Whitman usually beats RMIB just slightly. And I think that's because a lot more kids at RMIB want to get into UMD

Whitman isn't even in the same league as RM. Just look at the college outcomes listed by Bethesda Beat. It isn't even close.

Whitman is precisely what you'd expect for a school that is 95%+ white/Asian with almost 0% FARMS. It isn't anything special. It just has fewer students dragging down its test averages than other schools because of the boundary gerrymandering that allows this kind of segregation to continue.