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

[Anonymous]

How is the mental health of these Whitman students after being in such a cut throat environment?

[Anonymous]

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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.

You're making up numbers. Whitman is 60% white and 15% Asian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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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.

You clearly have no idea what this word actually means. Segregation is illegal in the United States. Look it up, moron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

You clearly have no idea what this word actually means. Segregation is illegal in the United States. Look it up, moron.

Don't call PP a moron. They know exactly what the word means and they're misusing it on purpose because they want to guilt people into supporting busing. They're a liar.

[Transplant_1]

Anonymous wrote: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.

What I meant was ..... I would think that your grade in an AP class wouldn't matter "as much" - since what would count more is your score on the AP exam. But, for non-AP classes, your grade would matter more since there is no "outside" exam to show how you did. But, now that I think about it, your grade in your AP class still contributes to your GPA, and colleges still look at overall GPA. So yes, now that I'm thinking it through better, I see that the "pressure" environment would be both for AP and non-AP classes.

[Transplant_1]

The topic is to inquire about what makes Whitman's reputation as a pressure cooker school. It is NOT about issues around equity, busing, housing, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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).

Swimming and xc are cut sports at Whitman? Sheesh! At most schools, these sports are no-cut. That level of competition sounds very stressful for kids

[Anonymous]

Transplant_1 wrote:The topic is to inquire about what makes Whitman's reputation as a pressure cooker school. It is NOT about issues around equity, busing, housing, etc.

Everyone knows that. But there are obsessives on these boards who like to cart out the same old same old.

[Anonymous]

Transplant_1 wrote:The topic is to inquire about what makes Whitman's reputation as a pressure cooker school. It is NOT about issues around equity, busing, housing, etc.

To many progressives, everything is about equity that can be solved by busing, housing, etc., especially when it comes to their most-hated school in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:The topic is to inquire about what makes Whitman's reputation as a pressure cooker school. It is NOT about issues around equity, busing, housing, etc.

To many progressives, everything is about equity that can be solved by busing, housing, etc., especially when it comes to their most-hated school in MCPS.

Housing. So awful! I hate housing. Don't you?

[Anonymous]

These threads always get off the track... OP, as one of the PP said upthread, it has a lot of high SES whites/Asian families/kids. That itself is all you need to create that environment. I mean are you really surprised?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Transplant_1 wrote:The topic is to inquire about what makes Whitman's reputation as a pressure cooker school. It is NOT about issues around equity, busing, housing, etc.

To many progressives, everything is about equity that can be solved by busing, housing, etc., especially when it comes to their most-hated school in MCPS.

Housing. So awful! I hate housing. Don't you?

Be honest. You hate SFH zoning. You want MoCo to look like Portland.

[Anonymous]

I wonder how kids do at the various schools after high school - like without the support systems and added aid or pressure, do Whitman students continue to excel generally in the college atmosphere, or do some flounder more or less than would be expected. … is there a marked difference between students at the various high school and their achievement levels after high school? Anyone know of any reports or research done as a follow up to high school achievement ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how kids do at the various schools after high school - like without the support systems and added aid or pressure, do Whitman students continue to excel generally in the college atmosphere, or do some flounder more or less than would be expected. … is there a marked difference between students at the various high school and their achievement levels after high school? Anyone know of any reports or research done as a follow up to high school achievement ?

Nope, because who would be tracking that, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The parents.

NP. Exactly.