Where do the B+ - high SAT students go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

I think the colleges recalculate the GPA so all the fluff courses get dropped. Band, photography, art history and shop ...all of them are discarded. As for SATs, if you have money to send to Sidwell, then colleges expect that your kid can easily get 1550 in SAT.

Kid is in STEM magnet in MCPS. Probably will get celebrated because of perfect stats and ECs. No hooks thankfully, so will get in because of himself and not because he is Asian-American male.

You are 1) racist and 2) don’t seem to understand that it’s HARDER for Asians to get in…bc they get better test scores and grades (look at the MoCo magnets, you idiot)

Asian kids get to grow up in way better and safer environments than kids of other racial groups. It’s not even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

You sound bitter and envious. How about feeling grateful that you were able to afford a high quality education for your child. He/she ran with that opportunity and had a very good GPA.

Celebrate the child you have, and the opportunities they will earn him/her. It is enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

Your kid has had every advantage and better do a damn good job if they want to go to an elite public university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

I notice private school parents have all these myths about public school grading. At least in our FCPS schools, the quarter grades are percentages calculated like anything else, there aren't test re-takes unless you fail and you are then limited to a C on the retake even if you score 100 percent. The retake policy is to prevent kids from failing/dropping out of school, not to help those who are gunning for selective schools. Super-scoring is a word for SATs that is open to all private and public schools at the college that accept it. The weighting policy on APs is transparent, reported on school profiles and colleges rescore according to their preferences. Personally I think private schools started dropping APs when parents noticed their kids weren't getting higher exam scores than public school kids and started questioning the value. I went to private schools, I think they offer a great education, but you're really confused if you think public schools have some big advantage in college admissions. Of course you're free to stop paying gazillionK a year and send your kid to one.

Well said. So sick of the private school parents constantly making these false claims about public schools. It just screams insecurity.

Right? I feel Ike they are always second-guessing their return on investment (considering there are excellent public schools where we live).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

I notice private school parents have all these myths about public school grading. At least in our FCPS schools, the quarter grades are percentages calculated like anything else, there aren't test re-takes unless you fail and you are then limited to a C on the retake even if you score 100 percent. The retake policy is to prevent kids from failing/dropping out of school, not to help those who are gunning for selective schools. Super-scoring is a word for SATs that is open to all private and public schools at the college that accept it. The weighting policy on APs is transparent, reported on school profiles and colleges rescore according to their preferences. Personally I think private schools started dropping APs when parents noticed their kids weren't getting higher exam scores than public school kids and started questioning the value. I went to private schools, I think they offer a great education, but you're really confused if you think public schools have some big advantage in college admissions. Of course you're free to stop paying gazillionK a year and send your kid to one.

Well said. So sick of the private school parents constantly making these false claims about public schools. It just screams insecurity.

FCPS grading and testing is much stricter than MoCo and Loudoun. The latter two have a combo of more grade bumps, more retakes, fewer timed tests, fewer finals etc. Fortunately ad coms know all this and adjust accordingly.

Thank you PP for mentioning this. I’m surprised this doesn’t come up more often. The grading across counties and even by schools can be really different I have learned.

[Anonymous]

For a Sidwell parent to suggest that their kids are at a disadvantage when it comes to college admissions is rich.

Every high school includes a school profile with a student's transcript that explains in detail its grading system, grade distribution, test scores and distribution, APs and honors classes offered, percent of students who go to college and where, etc. No college rejects a 3.8 student at Sidwell over a 4.7 student at a MCPS unless the 4.7 student is an overall better applicant. More to the point, no college is ever directly comparing the two at all. College admissions isn't like the NCAA basketball tournament, where Student A is pitted only against Student B and the winner advances. That's not how it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re generally better off with higher grades than SATs. The reverse signals laziness. UVA for example will not take a B+ student with a 1500.

think OP was pretty clear about the intent of her question: what are the options for a B+/high SAT score student? But way to go with the grade shame.

No I think OP was thinking the results of a couple hours’ test would make up for 3 years of Bs. And it won’t.

Weird. There is nothing in OP’s post to suggest what you said. Your post reflects more on you — that you are a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

I think the colleges recalculate the GPA so all the fluff courses get dropped. Band, photography, art history and shop ...all of them are discarded. As for SATs, if you have money to send to Sidwell, then colleges expect that your kid can easily get 1550 in SAT.

Kid is in STEM magnet in MCPS. Probably will get celebrated because of perfect stats and ECs. No hooks thankfully, so will get in because of himself and not because he is Asian-American male.

You are 1) racist and 2) don’t seem to understand that it’s HARDER for Asians to get in…bc they get better test scores and grades (look at the MoCo magnets, you idiot)

Asian kids get to grow up in way better and safer environments than kids of other racial groups. It’s not even close.

There is nothing like reverse racism, Karen. Well, yes, it is much harder for Asian-Americans to get in and so when my Asian-American kid gets into college, it will be because of his hard work and strength of his application and not because of being legacy/URM/athlete. He will have to be heads and shoulders above others and so he will have to raise to the challenge as always. He will be evaluated with a racist rubrics and he will have to do exponentially better than others. But so what? That's exactly what he has been doing all this while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For a Sidwell parent to suggest that their kids are at a disadvantage when it comes to college admissions is rich.

Every high school includes a school profile with a student's transcript that explains in detail its grading system, grade distribution, test scores and distribution, APs and honors classes offered, percent of students who go to college and where, etc. No college rejects a 3.8 student at Sidwell over a 4.7 student at a MCPS unless the 4.7 student is an overall better applicant. More to the point, no college is ever directly comparing the two at all. College admissions isn't like the NCAA basketball tournament, where Student A is pitted only against Student B and the winner advances. That's not how it works.

+1

Sidwell kid will be compared to other Sidwell kids. So a 3.8 at Sidwell does not look better than 4.0 at Sidwell, unless the kid is also legacy/donor/athlete/URM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a Sidwell parent to suggest that their kids are at a disadvantage when it comes to college admissions is rich.

Every high school includes a school profile with a student's transcript that explains in detail its grading system, grade distribution, test scores and distribution, APs and honors classes offered, percent of students who go to college and where, etc. No college rejects a 3.8 student at Sidwell over a 4.7 student at a MCPS unless the 4.7 student is an overall better applicant. More to the point, no college is ever directly comparing the two at all. College admissions isn't like the NCAA basketball tournament, where Student A is pitted only against Student B and the winner advances. That's not how it works.

+1

Sidwell kid will be compared to other Sidwell kids. So a 3.8 at Sidwell does not look better than 4.0 at Sidwell, unless the kid is also legacy/donor/athlete/URM.

It's not even that. All Sidwell kids will have an advantage. Sidwell kids will be compared with all the private/independent schools out there that are way less privileged. And they will be assumed to be at a more rigorous school than 99.9% of privates and publics regardless of whether it is true..

[Anonymous]

Yea and the assumption will not only be that they’re full pay but that they’re potentially big donors. They’ll win every time. That stupid Sidwell poster is ignorant of her own privilege.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Asian kids get to grow up in way better and safer environments than kids of other racial groups. It’s not even close.

Well, better yes. Safer? Not really. A case in point - two homes on the same street. Similar HHI and SES,, each home has a kid, both same age, both going to same school. Parents are equally educated in both cases. One kid is my Asian-American kid the other kid is not Asian-American. My kid is considered privileged because his parents are married whereas the other kids parents divorced a few years back. I get up at 5 am to cook for the day, the other mom orders in food. I clean my own house, the other mom is always sipping wine on her patio while a cleaning lady is cleaning her home. I take my kid for scholastic competitions and the other mom has BBQ and beer in the backyard. My kid does well in school and the other kid could not care less. My kid does not get everything he wants because we are saving for college, the other kid gets all the electronics and smart phone you can think of. My kid wears hand me downs from his cousins, the other kid only wears brand-name stuff. My kid excels in academics and ECs, the other kid is troubled and chooses not to attend classes. The other kid's home has CCTV, Ring, Alarm Service. It is more secure and safe than Fort Knox. So his environment is safer. Maybe he and his family think that their life is also better? Maybe they think that his future is brighter? I don't know. What I do know that it is insulting to call the sacrifices of the parents as a privilege. Everyone can make these sacrifices for their children as no one is stopping them from doing so. No one is also forcing them to have children if they are incapable of raising them. The parents can use their human brain instead of their animal brain and make the simple choice to put their kid first. We are not talking about kids in ghettos who are scrambling to survive.

But sure, it was a grand nefarious plan of Asian parents to create a healthy home life for their children. O, Shoot me, for giving a damn for my child. Sorry for knowing how to cook rice three different ways!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

oh please. Why not celebrate ALL hardworking successful students, even those who cannot afford the Sidewells or have no desire to be at a little selective private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Following. Kid is at Sidwell. I’d celebrate kid’s 3.8(uw) all day over a 4.54(w) from Moco or any local public except TJ to demonstrate the actual value-add of HS .... but this does not help at all when top schools over-value those 4.54s.

How does Michigan or UCLA not know that so many 4.7s are the product of unlimited test retakes, super scoring in HS, creatively averaged quarter grades to blur achievement gaps, etc?

I notice private school parents have all these myths about public school grading. At least in our FCPS schools, the quarter grades are percentages calculated like anything else, there aren't test re-takes unless you fail and you are then limited to a C on the retake even if you score 100 percent. The retake policy is to prevent kids from failing/dropping out of school, not to help those who are gunning for selective schools. Super-scoring is a word for SATs that is open to all private and public schools at the college that accept it. The weighting policy on APs is transparent, reported on school profiles and colleges rescore according to their preferences. Personally I think private schools started dropping APs when parents noticed their kids weren't getting higher exam scores than public school kids and started questioning the value. I went to private schools, I think they offer a great education, but you're really confused if you think public schools have some big advantage in
college admissions. Of course you're free to stop paying gazillionK a year and send your kid to one.

+1 Proud parent of an MCPS student with a 5 on the AP calc exam. (took all tests once, private school pp)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Asian kids get to grow up in way better and safer environments than kids of other racial groups. It’s not even close.

Well, better yes. Safer? Not really. A case in point - two homes on the same street. Similar HHI and SES,, each home has a kid, both same age, both going to same school. Parents are equally educated in both cases. One kid is my Asian-American kid the other kid is not Asian-American. My kid is considered privileged because his parents are married whereas the other kids parents divorced a few years back. I get up at 5 am to cook for the day, the other mom orders in food. I clean my own house, the other mom is always sipping wine on her patio while a cleaning lady is cleaning her home. I take my kid for scholastic competitions and the other mom has BBQ and beer in the backyard. My kid does well in school and the other kid could not care less. My kid does not get everything he wants because we are saving for college, the other kid gets all the electronics and smart phone you can think of. My kid wears hand me downs from his cousins, the other kid only wears brand-name stuff. My kid excels in academics and ECs, the other kid is troubled and chooses not to attend classes. The other kid's home has CCTV, Ring, Alarm Service. It is more secure and safe than Fort Knox. So his environment is safer. Maybe he and his family think that their life is also better? Maybe they think that his future is brighter? I don't know. What I do know that it is insulting to call the sacrifices of the parents as a privilege. Everyone can make these sacrifices for their children as no one is stopping them from doing so. No one is also forcing them to have children if they are incapable of raising them. The parents can use their human brain instead of their animal brain and make the simple choice to put their kid first. We are not talking about kids in ghettos who are scrambling to survive.

But sure, it was a grand nefarious plan of Asian parents to create a healthy home life for their children. O, Shoot me, for giving a damn for my child. Sorry for knowing how to cook rice three different ways!!

DP: I don't disagree with some of your points, but I question your stereotypical treatment of others and neglect of discussion of the more prevalent systemic factors involved in discrimination and racism. And, also, like it or not, at least one principle guiding policies in the US is to try to give each CHILD an equal opportunity, less dependent on what their parents do. Does this sometimes reward poor parental decisions? Yes. But it does act as a small counter to the idea that your parents' sacrifices/assets/choices/strengths determine your outcome.