Which schools in the DMV are really “highest rigor?”
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Anonymous
This isn’t rigorous thinking. The student body at Sidwell or Exeter is incredibly different from “an average public school.” Same for a Title 1 school versus TJ. Assigning the difference in percentages going to elite colleges to the rigor of the high schools without adjusting for these other differences across high schools is faulty reasoning. |
Anonymous
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Have had two go through local independent schools. One went to what I'd say is an average rigor school (akin to a non-magnet public in a wealthy suburb). Kids took 5 to 6 APs at most. Classes were more lecture based. Kid did fine. Second went to a high rigor school. No humanities APs offered but top track kids took at least 5 or 6 APs. All classes throughout were taught like college seminars. Kid also did fine.
In each case, AOs judged the applicant's rigor against their peers. Not against other schools. First kid's schedule would have been considered lower rigor if taken at second kid's school (but, to be fair, first kid's schedule would have been more like second kid's if they went tot he same school). Second kid's schedule would have been the highest rigor (if it were attainable, which I don't think would have been the case, especially with regard to math. |
Anonymous
I have been teaching AP calc there for 8 years so all of the top kids come through my class. I've had the opportunity to run into them during their summers home or younger siblings who are now at the school. All are doing well. These kids have a work ethic and dedication to learning that I didn't see at my previous school. Also, getting into the college is the hard part A school like Yale has every support possible in order to make sure a kid is successful. |
Anonymous
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I would imagine places like TJ and Blair have really high rigor.
Amongst the privates -- Sidwell is at the top among the DC publics -- BASIS is at the top for rigor (former DC private school teacher, DCPS and DCPCS parent) |
Anonymous
DP The scope of magnet courses at Blair is not as broad as the course selection available at TJ. Post AP calc and pos AP Physics classes are more robust at TJ with better lab and research facilities. This is probably a marginal difference but there is a difference. |
Anonymous
No dog in this fight but… how do you know? You attended both schools at the same time? |
Anonymous
Not true at all if you are in private school. |
Anonymous
| DC's school is so rigorous. The most rigor. More than all the others, people can't even believe it. They say to me "we've never seen anything like this", the amount of rigor this school has. I call it "rigor more", because 'tis... "rigor more 'tis". |
Anonymous
It sounds like you think I was criticizing and oversimplifying. I actually completely agree with you. I was just responding to the PP who said the rigor of the school doesn't matter when it absolutely does. And yes, so does the fact that there is vetting process to get into the school. And so do many other factors. But the school itself and it's rigor and the institution's history, of course they matter. |
Anonymous
The question was: What schools in the DMV would be in the top echelon of highest rigor, assuming a kid takes the hardest classes there? |
Anonymous
I think even average rigor schools have more than 6 APs offered. I would say I went to an average rigor, semi-rural school that never sent anyone to HYPSM, nowhere near as competitive as the DMV are. I took 12 APs and I think there were at least 4 more APs I considered that I couldn’t fit into my schedule. And that was 25 yrs ago. My kids go to a small private school in DC that doesn’t offer APs. I know the college counselor says all the students take “highest rigor” because there’s only one class offered per grade, but I rarely see any top college outcomes out of our school. I think there’s big a difference between underprivileged/rural kids whose school doesn’t offer rigorous classes, and small privates in an elite area. And regardless of rigor of classes offered, colleges still have to see evidence that the student would thrive in college level classes and are prepared. |
Anonymous
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TJ.
End of thread. |
Anonymous
Do you mean Basis DC, the charter school? As opposed to the private Basis International McLean (BIM), which is often referenced as just Basis? |
Anonymous
No I look at the curriculum and Blair has fewer post Calc BC classes and fewer post AP physics CEM classes They just don't have enough kids to offer as much variety as TJ. |
Anonymous
High school is the time to build a strong foundation in the core subjects, especially language and math. There’s plenty to explore in college. |