DCI college acceptances

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great! Goodbye and good riddance!!!

Good-bye, good riddance? No way. Speak for yourself. I want this kind of parent to come to DCI and to stay to the bitter end.

This type of parent would put pressure on lazy ass admins to aim for high diploma subject exam scores for my tax dollars. As far as I can tell, this isn't happening. The current parents are way too laid back.

This spring, when I asked admins if juniors and seniors were prepping using diploma past exams for HL languages, Chem, Math Bio etc. they informed me that this "wasn't necessary." Come on, prepping off past exams is common practice in diploma programs. When I asked if students used Pearson and Oxford HL IBD study exam guides to prep for exams, again, "just not necessary."

Pretty clearly, DCI admins don't give a darn if students can score 6s and 7s on exams or build toward point totals in the 30s or 40s.

We care and we're not alone.

They’ve been pretty clear that their goal is exposure to the IB curriculum and not actual passing and getting the diploma. I think this is just a way to make excuses for poor performance and as a way to provide cover for their “IB for all” method.

I agree, PP. As long as a handful of DCI grads crack Ivies each year, e.g. two to Yale in 2021, and DCI's waiting list grows, which ed leaders and politicians will pressure DCI to work toward building a first-rate International Baccalaureate Diploma program?

The skeptic in me says none. Families chasing pass points totals comprised of 6s and 7s will still have to look to the burbs and privates.

[Anonymous]

Again, goodbye and good riddance

[Anonymous]

Congrats to the DCI Class of 2021!

However, it may be a bit premature to jump to conclusions. College admissions for the DCI Class of 2020 (DCI's first graduating class) weren't nearly impressive as 2021. Zero admissions to Ivies/Stanford/MIT or even Georgetown. It looks like the top college for admission last year was probably GW.

There is nothing wrong with GW or the rest of the colleges to which the Class of 2020 was admitted, but it is good to temper expectations going forward.

Let's see if 2021 was an outlier year or a harbinger of future success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again, goodbye and good riddance

You're no credit to the DCI community if you don't give a darn if their Diploma candidates can score 6s and 7s on IBD exams.

I scored to 6s and 7s as a teen because I was pushed hard academically at my high school, and prepped to know IBD exam formats. I attended an Ivy on a full Pell Grant. Our IBD program had a pass rate of at least 75%, even though half the Diploma candidates were poor minorities on free lunch. The school was in NY, but it wasn't a test-in program like in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to the DCI Class of 2021!

However, it may be a bit premature to jump to conclusions. College admissions for the DCI Class of 2020 (DCI's first graduating class) weren't nearly impressive as 2021. Zero admissions to Ivies/Stanford/MIT or even Georgetown. It looks like the top college for admission last year was probably GW.

There is nothing wrong with GW or the rest of the colleges to which the Class of 2020 was admitted, but it is good to temper expectations going forward.

Let's see if 2021 was an outlier year or a harbinger of future success.

If you want to see better college admissions results, ask admins to ensure that teachers of HL classes prep students for IBD exams. Most of the teachers don't really know IBD exams - their backgrounds are in AP prep.

The kids generally go into the exams blind, unfamiliar with exam formats. They haven't seen past exams or been advised on subject exam-specific study strategies (particularly useful for HL Chem, Biology and Physics).

Also push admins to permit 2 exams to be taken at the SL junior year, which Geneva IBD HQ allows. It's useful to have IBD exam results to submit with college applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, goodbye and good riddance

You're no credit to the DCI community if you don't give a darn if their Diploma candidates can score 6s and 7s on IBD exams.

I scored to 6s and 7s as a teen because I was pushed hard academically at my high school, and prepped to know IBD exam formats. I attended an Ivy on a full Pell Grant. Our IBD program had a pass rate of at least 75%, even though half the Diploma candidates were poor minorities on free lunch. The school was in NY, but it wasn't a test-in program like in NYC.

Ok why don’t you tell us the name of your school then and how long it has been established.

You are tiring as the one repeatedly on here wanting all the kids to score 6s or 7s when the school is new and just graduated their 1st class last year. Your standards are totally unrealistic.

In fact 75% of the schools that offer the IB diploma are private schools, the remaining 25% are public of which a number are test in. With this data the averages IB diploma score is still just under 30.

So lots of private schools don’t even have kids scoring 6’s and 7’s. Why don’t you get back to us after you pay 30-40k a year to send your kid to private school and IF your kid score 6 or 7’s. The majority of kids at privates don’t. BTW, DCI has the best IB diploma kid in the whole mid-Atlantic this year so I’m sure this student scored high.

I may not have gotten the IB diploma and did AP in school instead, but I grew up poor and got a full 4 year academic scholarship. I’m willing to give DCI a few years to see the trend and and how the program improves.

I’m not bitter like you because the school wasn’t rigorous enough for your kid from the start when they were developing not only a high school but also a middle school too.

But I do know that there there are very strong students like my DC at my Spanish immersion school coming up thru the feeders and many parents like us who are willing to give the school a try and chance.

You chose not to and can’t move on and are still bitter.

The other PP is right. Good riddance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to the DCI Class of 2021!

However, it may be a bit premature to jump to conclusions. College admissions for the DCI Class of 2020 (DCI's first graduating class) weren't nearly impressive as 2021. Zero admissions to Ivies/Stanford/MIT or even Georgetown. It looks like the top college for admission last year was probably GW.

There is nothing wrong with GW or the rest of the colleges to which the Class of 2020 was admitted, but it is good to temper expectations going forward.

Let's see if 2021 was an outlier year or a harbinger of future success.

If you want to see better college admissions results, ask admins to ensure that teachers of HL classes prep students for IBD exams. Most of the teachers don't really know IBD exams - their backgrounds are in AP prep.

The kids generally go into the exams blind, unfamiliar with exam formats. They haven't seen past exams or been advised on subject exam-specific study strategies (particularly useful for HL Chem, Biology and Physics).

Also push admins to permit 2 exams to be taken at the SL junior year, which Geneva IBD HQ allows. It's useful to have IBD exam results to submit with college applications.

Great advice PP!! Thanks for some constructive suggestions. For parents at DCI currently reading this, advocate admin for the above.

If you PP, or anyone on here, has other useful suggestion from your past experiences, I’m sure parents would love to hear them and potentially can make suggestions to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best IB diploma program in the region? What are you smoking? There are multiple IBD programs in the mid-Atlantic region where most of the students are low SES AND actually earn the diploma.

I think you need reading comprehension help. The 2021 award to the best IB diploma student in the midAtlantic this year went to a student at DCI.

Are you sure that was this year? There are lots of great seniors but I haven't heard about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best IB diploma program in the region? What are you smoking? There are multiple IBD programs in the mid-Atlantic region where most of the students are low SES AND actually earn the diploma.

I think you need reading comprehension help. The 2021 award to the best IB diploma student in the midAtlantic this year went to a student at DCI.

Are you sure that was this year? There are lots of great seniors but I haven't heard about this.

Yes, its on their FB page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, goodbye and good riddance

You're no credit to the DCI community if you don't give a darn if their Diploma candidates can score 6s and 7s on IBD exams.

I scored to 6s and 7s as a teen because I was pushed hard academically at my high school, and prepped to know IBD exam formats. I attended an Ivy on a full Pell Grant. Our IBD program had a pass rate of at least 75%, even though half the Diploma candidates were poor minorities on free lunch. The school was in NY, but it wasn't a test-in program like in NYC.

Ok why don’t you tell us the name of your school then and how long it has been established.

You are tiring as the one repeatedly on here wanting all the kids to score 6s or 7s when the school is new and just graduated their 1st class last year. Your standards are totally unrealistic.

In fact 75% of the schools that offer the IB diploma are private schools, the remaining 25% are public of which a number are test in. With this data the averages IB diploma score is still just under 30.

So lots of private schools don’t even have kids scoring 6’s and 7’s. Why don’t you get back to us after you pay 30-40k a year to send your kid to private school and IF your kid score 6 or 7’s. The majority of kids at privates don’t. BTW, DCI has the best IB diploma kid in the whole mid-Atlantic this year so I’m sure this student scored high.

I may not have gotten the IB diploma and did AP in school instead, but I grew up poor and got a full 4 year academic scholarship. I’m willing to give DCI a few years to see the trend and and how the program improves.

I’m not bitter like you because the school wasn’t rigorous enough for your kid from the start when they were developing not only a high school but also a middle school too.

But I do know that there there are very strong students like my DC at my Spanish immersion school coming up thru the feeders and many parents like us who are willing to give the school a try and chance.

You chose not to and can’t move on and are still bitter.

The other PP is right. Good riddance.

I am not the PP you're responding to but you speak for yourself when you say good riddance. I'm hearing the typical response of a parent who did AP work from you. Trust me, Diploma studies are a very different kettle of fish.

I'm not hearing bitter, I'm hearing IB Diploma experienced and unimpressed, listen-up folks (exit interview style).

Give DCI a try by all means but don't drown out calls to push admins to take the actual curriculum being followed more seriously (concur with PP above).

When you're nasty to PPs who know what they're talking about, you're the one who comes off as ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best IB diploma program in the region? What are you smoking? There are multiple IBD programs in the mid-Atlantic region where most of the students are low SES AND actually earn the diploma.

I think you need reading comprehension help. The 2021 award to the best IB diploma student in the midAtlantic this year went to a student at DCI.

Are you sure that was this year? There are lots of great seniors but I haven't heard about this.

Didn't a senior get into Brown this spring, from the Chinese track?

[Anonymous]

DCI parents don't have to sit around waiting for admins and teachers to take the lead on exam prep.

You can get hold of Pearson and Oxford Higher Level companion exam study guides. The guides are very helpful in familiarizing students with exam formats.

https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Analysis-Approaches-International-Baccalaureate/dp/0435193422/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Pearson+HL+study+guides+International+Baccalaureate+Study+Guides&qid=1622644469&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/IB-Biology-Study-Guide-Diploma/dp/0198393512/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=oxford+ib+diploma+study+guide&qid=1622644506&sr=8-1

You can also do research on-line to hunt down recent IB subject exam papers and tips on prep strategy. Try Quora and CollegeConfidential.

I also recommend seeking out middle and high school immersion summer camps emphasizing speaking (vs. "cultural experiences") if you can afford them. You want to go for camps with a good cohort of students from dual language households where the target language is spoken. Your kid may feel thrown into the deep end at a camp, not having a great time, but the experience will pay off if you're shooting for a decent score on a HL IBD language exam.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great! Goodbye and good riddance!!!

Good-bye, good riddance? No way. Speak for yourself. I want this kind of parent to come to DCI and to stay to the bitter end.

This type of parent would put pressure on lazy ass admins to aim for high diploma subject exam scores for my tax dollars. As far as I can tell, this isn't happening. The current parents are way too laid back.

This spring, when I asked admins if juniors and seniors were prepping using diploma past exams for HL languages, Chem, Math Bio etc. they informed me that this "wasn't necessary." Come on, prepping off past exams is common practice in diploma programs. When I asked if students used Pearson and Oxford HL IBD study exam guides to prep for exams, again, "just not necessary."

Pretty clearly, DCI admins don't give a darn if students can score 6s and 7s on exams or build toward point totals in the 30s or 40s.

We care and we're not alone.

They’ve been pretty clear that their goal is exposure to the IB curriculum and not actual passing and getting the diploma. I think this is just a way to make excuses for poor performance and as a way to provide cover for their “IB for all” method.

Wait their goal is exposure not passing? That seems like setting really low expectations for students. I wouldn’t send my kid to a school who said that about IB or AP classes. The message to me is ‘we aren’t actually going to teach the curriculum we are supposed to’. How absurd!

[Anonymous]

OK, where is the "Diploma exposure" approach impression coming from? Experience with the program? In writing somewhere? The fact that 3/4 of the students who tried to earn the diploma last year failed or what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great! Goodbye and good riddance!!!

Good-bye, good riddance? No way. Speak for yourself. I want this kind of parent to come to DCI and to stay to the bitter end.

This type of parent would put pressure on lazy ass admins to aim for high diploma subject exam scores for my tax dollars. As far as I can tell, this isn't happening. The current parents are way too laid back.

This spring, when I asked admins if juniors and seniors were prepping using diploma past exams for HL languages, Chem, Math Bio etc. they informed me that this "wasn't necessary." Come on, prepping off past exams is common practice in diploma programs. When I asked if students used Pearson and Oxford HL IBD study exam guides to prep for exams, again, "just not necessary."

Pretty clearly, DCI admins don't give a darn if students can score 6s and 7s on exams or build toward point totals in the 30s or 40s.

We care and we're not alone.

They’ve been pretty clear that their goal is exposure to the IB curriculum and not actual passing and getting the diploma. I think this is just a way to make excuses for poor performance and as a way to provide cover for their “IB for all” method.

Wait their goal is exposure not passing? That seems like setting really low expectations for students. I wouldn’t send my kid to a school who said that about IB or AP classes. The message to me is ‘we aren’t actually going to teach the curriculum we are supposed to’. How absurd!

No, DCI has never said that its goal is merely exposure. Obviously the best DCI students are going to have scores that rival/surpass any fancy private school (whether they've been encouraged to "prep" according to PP's model or not). The average student will likely pass with an average score. The lowest performing students (who wouldn't have access to IB program at most schools) should do well enough to earn a DC diploma but not necessarily and IB diploma. However, for those students, DCI believes that the IB education will still be beneficial as it prepares them better for college and career options than the non-IB route offered such students in other schools. Whoever keeps harping on DCI's goals and results seems to be willfully mischaracterizing DCI and the limited IB results to date (one tiny inaugural class). Please listen to what the school itself and current parents have to say about the diploma program, and look for the results for the class of 2021 and beyond, rather than listening to the people who bailed in 6th grade and now not only want to justify their own decisions but convince others to follow them. Of course, that's just how it appears to me, a happy DCI HS parent.