PSA for Parents Considering HS Magnets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still, your middle of the road at a magnet program kid probably is also not getting into an ivy as a top grad from Rockville HS…

Nowadays only kids with extraordinary extracurricular awards get into Ivy. Simply being the top of the school isn’t enough.

My kid was towards top of magnet class. Placed nationally in several academic competitions but still overshadowed by several classmates. Feel free to not believe me but odds would likely have been better at home HS. Luckily we are not hung up on Ivy and did not attend for this reason. But I met many families who were and were disappointed.

The issue is if your kid would also win national academic competitions at home school. Home schools typically lack atmosphere for competition in national Olympiad and clubs lack sponsorship from teachers or have very inexperienced sponsors. Even schools like Churchill are not good at these competitions.

No one is winning Olympiad from school. They are all training with private enrichment academies and tutoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was not our experience. 2 kids at different magnets both at Ivies. One had several T15 admissions, the other in early and done. I think the real issue is how to stand out from peers. Mine had complementary ECs (w/ honors in various arts areas) along with honors for stem interests. Also, colleges do not have quotas. Sure, they won't take 20 kids from a school, but they might take 3 one year and 5 another. The magnets helped my kids find what they were interested, and sometimes find what they weren't (#1 ditched CS after required class was done and never looked back). We saw a lot of kids on what seemed to be a prescribed path -- similar clubs (Sci bowl, Robotics), enrichment (CTY and AOPS anyone?), music (violin/piano), sports (tennis/golf). Were all these kids really interested in all the same things? Even if they were, it makes it harder to stand out, but my guess is that some of that was parents setting a "path to success." The problem is, there isn't one path!

Some of us do all those activities because our kids are interested not because of college as that money would be far better saved for college. They may not have specific quotas but even if they take 20 kids, 20 out of 500+ is not very many and that's the problem. And, 3-5 kids is even less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a lottery at big schools. No. Your kid didn't not get into UMD because they did robotics or played the cello. UMD does not care that deeply about your child. They do not care if their ECs were cliches or exciting and different.

It's also not helpful or particularly kind to chime in with stories about how all the enrichment art classes you paid for is what helped your kid get in.

It's a lottery.

What I sincerely advise is that every one of you should get your mind off of big schools--sure, send your kid to a big school if you want, that's fine--but stop thinking the "rank" of a school with 30,000 students matters one iota. It rarely does. Every big research U in the country has opportunities. So do many smaller universities and many smaller schools.

Here's what Blair SMCS can get you for sure: money. Get as much merit aid as you can from wherever you can and launch your brilliant kid in a space where they aren't just a number in a lottery, one out of 250 in a class taught by TAs.

I am the arts poster. I do agree w/ you about being successful at a variety of schools, but you really missed my point. All the way around. It isn't strictly a lottery. (Sure, it can feel like it when you don't know what the schools are looking for in their class). My kids stood our, not because of "art classes," but because of cultivated talents demonstrated through awards and portfolios. BTW, we didn't pay a lot for classes. A lot less than others were paying for various CTY or AOPS! They also had excellent essays -- writing sometimes gets overlooked by the STEM community, and it's important.

Re: UMD. It's a great school and does care about your cello, but cares more about your stats. And stats will also help w/ merit at merit schools (as PP mentioned).

If you are majoring in music or even minoring or willing to be on the marching band, they do care about your musical ability and offer HS kids opportunities as well, so they wouldn't offer those programs if they don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still, your middle of the road at a magnet program kid probably is also not getting into an ivy as a top grad from Rockville HS…

Nowadays only kids with extraordinary extracurricular awards get into Ivy. Simply being the top of the school isn’t enough.

My kid was towards top of magnet class. Placed nationally in several academic competitions but still overshadowed by several classmates. Feel free to not believe me but odds would likely have been better at home HS. Luckily we are not hung up on Ivy and did not attend for this reason. But I met many families who were and were disappointed.

The issue is if your kid would also win national academic competitions at home school. Home schools typically lack atmosphere for competition in national Olympiad and clubs lack sponsorship from teachers or have very inexperienced sponsors. Even schools like Churchill are not good at these competitions.

No one is winning Olympiad from school. They are all training with private enrichment academies and tutoring.

There is science Olympiad team. There is a thing called peer pressure. If almost everyone in the class is taking AMC10/12 at 9th grade and many of them taking different competitions, it makes your kids more likely to take the competitions than from a school very few are doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids (and families) should not make a decision on whether to attend a magnet solely on whether they think it will get them into an ivy or any other selective school. You should choose magnet if you want your kid to learn the material, be with a like-minded cohort, and if you want them to have a magnet high school experience. Attending a magnet is not a free ticket to college.

OP here. I completely agree but just wanted to make people aware of this. I see many magnet parents surprised with this come senior year.

I find this surprising for Blair SMCS since Ostrander says this repeatedly, beginning with the 8th grade info session before they even apply. I guess people just don’t believe him?

Tell that to the parent of the kid over on the College forum whose kid just got rejected from UMD with a 1540 SAT and 4.7 WGPA

The student was admitted to UMD but not to engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids (and families) should not make a decision on whether to attend a magnet solely on whether they think it will get them into an ivy or any other selective school. You should choose magnet if you want your kid to learn the material, be with a like-minded cohort, and if you want them to have a magnet high school experience. Attending a magnet is not a free ticket to college.

OP here. I completely agree but just wanted to make people aware of this. I see many magnet parents surprised with this come senior year.

I find this surprising for Blair SMCS since Ostrander says this repeatedly, beginning with the 8th grade info session before they even apply. I guess people just don’t believe him?

Tell that to the parent of the kid over on the College forum whose kid just got rejected from UMD with a 1540 SAT and 4.7 WGPA

From Blair SMCS? When did UMD become that competitive?

I just question that post. DS is at Blair, not magnet, and was accepted at UMD.

What major? How much merit??

[Anonymous]

OP, this is a well known fact. Colleges have certain quotas and will take very small number of students from each school. I know of a family that are in one of the worst schools in Frederick and their DDs have got into top schools with very mediocre grades. Why? Because most of the kids in that school are barely passing.

My kid went to SMCS program in PHS. Most of the students are performing at very high levels. However, only very few students are selected for top colleges because of the quota system. Most get into UMD with $$$ merit aid. Once in UMD, these students are able to do well in hard subjects like CS, premed, engineering and very few drop out of these programs. So, getting into a good college is not the end all. The aim of HS should be to get into a good major and also be able to do very well in college and be well prepared to get into a well paying job after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is a well known fact. Colleges have certain quotas and will take very small number of students from each school. I know of a family that are in one of the worst schools in Frederick and their DDs have got into top schools with very mediocre grades. Why? Because most of the kids in that school are barely passing.

My kid went to SMCS program in PHS. Most of the students are performing at very high levels. However, only very few students are selected for top colleges because of the quota system. Most get into UMD with $$$ merit aid. Once in UMD, these students are able to do well in hard subjects like CS, premed, engineering and very few drop out of these programs. So, getting into a good college is not the end all. The aim of HS should be to get into a good major and also be able to do very well in college and be well prepared to get into a well paying job after that.

1) there are not quotas. This is incorrect. 2) some excellent kids from SMCS are being turned away by UMD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can only speak for my 2023 grads experience but I would say without question that my kid would have had more college options if he had gone to our home HS.

He has no regrets and enjoyed the program. Also has a huge jump on credits and very well prepared for college.

But if your kid has their heart set on an Ivy, competing with other magnet classmates and looking “average” because the school publishes GPA bands is not helpful.

You have no idea whether your kid would have gotten into an Ivy if they had gone to another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids (and families) should not make a decision on whether to attend a magnet solely on whether they think it will get them into an ivy or any other selective school. You should choose magnet if you want your kid to learn the material, be with a like-minded cohort, and if you want them to have a magnet high school experience. Attending a magnet is not a free ticket to college.

OP here. I completely agree but just wanted to make people aware of this. I see many magnet parents surprised with this come senior year.

I find this surprising for Blair SMCS since Ostrander says this repeatedly, beginning with the 8th grade info session before they even apply. I guess people just don’t believe him?

Tell that to the parent of the kid over on the College forum whose kid just got rejected from UMD with a 1540 SAT and 4.7 WGPA

Not surprised that it happens. Surprised that people are surprised, when they’ve been told for 4 years that you don’t do the magnet for college admissions purposes, you do it because it’s the right choice for high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this is a well known fact. Colleges have certain quotas and will take very small number of students from each school. I know of a family that are in one of the worst schools in Frederick and their DDs have got into top schools with very mediocre grades. Why? Because most of the kids in that school are barely passing.

My kid went to SMCS program in PHS. Most of the students are performing at very high levels. However, only very few students are selected for top colleges because of the quota system. Most get into UMD with $$$ merit aid. Once in UMD, these students are able to do well in hard subjects like CS, premed, engineering and very few drop out of these programs. So, getting into a good college is not the end all. The aim of HS should be to get into a good major and also be able to do very well in college and be well prepared to get into a well paying job after that.

1) there are not quotas. This is incorrect. 2) some excellent kids from SMCS are being turned away by UMD.

Correct, no quota if you have a hook. Quota to keep you out if you are a male over-represented minority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids (and families) should not make a decision on whether to attend a magnet solely on whether they think it will get them into an ivy or any other selective school. You should choose magnet if you want your kid to learn the material, be with a like-minded cohort, and if you want them to have a magnet high school experience. Attending a magnet is not a free ticket to college.

Well, it is true that most of the Bannker and Key scholars at UMD come from SMCS and RMIB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids (and families) should not make a decision on whether to attend a magnet solely on whether they think it will get them into an ivy or any other selective school. You should choose magnet if you want your kid to learn the material, be with a like-minded cohort, and if you want them to have a magnet high school experience. Attending a magnet is not a free ticket to college.

OP here. I completely agree but just wanted to make people aware of this. I see many magnet parents surprised with this come senior year.

I find this surprising for Blair SMCS since Ostrander says this repeatedly, beginning with the 8th grade info session before they even apply. I guess people just don’t believe him?

Tell that to the parent of the kid over on the College forum whose kid just got rejected from UMD with a 1540 SAT and 4.7 WGPA

Not surprised that it happens. Surprised that people are surprised, when they’ve been told for 4 years that you don’t do the magnet for college admissions purposes, you do it because it’s the right choice for high school.

I don't believe this. Those scores are far above the median for UMD such that it is not credible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can only speak for my 2023 grads experience but I would say without question that my kid would have had more college options if he had gone to our home HS.

He has no regrets and enjoyed the program. Also has a huge jump on credits and very well prepared for college.

But if your kid has their heart set on an Ivy, competing with other magnet classmates and looking “average” because the school publishes GPA bands is not helpful.

OP, what does that mean for a student who attends Blair as a home school and is not in SMCS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid’s home school IS Blair. Are you saying he’d do better outside of the magnet?!

No all Blair kids compete with the magnet kids. They would do better at a school without a magnet.