National Merit list?

[Anonymous]

Also factor in pressure. Many magnet families are first generation and want their kids to succeed. Look at all the TJ test prep threads. I know families that start preparing in K for TJ. (Can't speak to the MD magnets, but it's probably similar.) Private school kids seem to know that it will work out for them which is due to wealth and status. Its not the end of the world to them if they end up at Dickinson. They will always have their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also factor in pressure. Many magnet families are first generation and want their kids to succeed. Look at all the TJ test prep threads. I know families that start preparing in K for TJ. (Can't speak to the MD magnets, but it's probably similar.) Private school kids seem to know that it will work out for them which is due to wealth and status. Its not the end of the world to them if they end up at Dickinson. They will always have their parents.

Not nearly as crazy in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also factor in pressure. Many magnet families are first generation and want their kids to succeed. Look at all the TJ test prep threads. I know families that start preparing in K for TJ. (Can't speak to the MD magnets, but it's probably similar.) Private school kids seem to know that it will work out for them which is due to wealth and status. Its not the end of the world to them if they end up at Dickinson. They will always have their parents.

Not nearly as crazy in MD.

Interesting? Why not given results of MD's magnets? Also MCPS has really interesting programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also factor in pressure. Many magnet families are first generation and want their kids to succeed. Look at all the TJ test prep threads. I know families that start preparing in K for TJ. (Can't speak to the MD magnets, but it's probably similar.) Private school kids seem to know that it will work out for them which is due to wealth and status. Its not the end of the world to them if they end up at Dickinson. They will always have their parents.

Not nearly as crazy in MD.

Interesting? Why not given results of MD's magnets? Also MCPS has really interesting programs.

You know, I am really not sure why. At least here in MoCo, families are generally aware of the programs and families DO want to put their kids in the magnets, but, IMHO, it's not as crazy as VA's TJ admission fever. As you probably know MoCo uses different magnet model than VA's TJ model (i.e., magnet kids are placed with non magnet kids). Yes, some kids do prep classes/self-study for the test but it's not widely practiced. It feels people are less obsessed than VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a link to the chart of NMSF semifinalists -- good because it has absolute numbers and percentages: http://goo.gl/GgQvR

It shows a number of private schools that over a 15 year period have an average of 10-13% of their graduating class qualify as NMSF semifinalist. Although nothing close to the amazing percentage of TJ (over 30% -- really amazing!), that over 10% figure is both consistent and excellent in local and national terms.

By way of comparison, Walt Whitman HS is about 4% over the same time period; Churchill and BCC 2%. Not apples to apples, of course -- those schools don't select for admission.

But the top local independents also have a higher percentage than nationally known private schools such as Andover and Exeter, for example, which both have under 10%, as well as many other well known day schools around the country (e.g, Dalton, Chapin, Spence in NYC; Noble & Greenough in Boston). There are some private day schools in the USA with higher percentages (e.g. Collegiate in NYC) but not many.

Try 40% for MoCo magnets.

It's not 40%. This figure has been established as misinformation on another thread.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/495002.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a link to the chart of NMSF semifinalists -- good because it has absolute numbers and percentages: http://goo.gl/GgQvR

It shows a number of private schools that over a 15 year period have an average of 10-13% of their graduating class qualify as NMSF semifinalist. Although nothing close to the amazing percentage of TJ (over 30% -- really amazing!), that over 10% figure is both consistent and excellent in local and national terms.

By way of comparison, Walt Whitman HS is about 4% over the same time period; Churchill and BCC 2%. Not apples to apples, of course -- those schools don't select for admission.

But the top local independents also have a higher percentage than nationally known private schools such as Andover and Exeter, for example, which both have under 10%, as well as many other well known day schools around the country (e.g, Dalton, Chapin, Spence in NYC; Noble & Greenough in Boston). There are some private day schools in the USA with higher percentages (e.g. Collegiate in NYC) but not many.

Try 40% for MoCo magnets.

It's not 40%.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell is much more academic than athletic but it had about the same number of athletes commit to college sports in 2015 as Landon - a school that is scene by many as a jock school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a link to the chart of NMSF semifinalists -- good because it has absolute numbers and percentages: http://goo.gl/GgQvR

It shows a number of private schools that over a 15 year period have an average of 10-13% of their graduating class qualify as NMSF semifinalist. Although nothing close to the amazing percentage of TJ (over 30% -- really amazing!), that over 10% figure is both consistent and excellent in local and national terms.

By way of comparison, Walt Whitman HS is about 4% over the same time period; Churchill and BCC 2%. Not apples to apples, of course -- those schools don't select for admission.

But the top local independents also have a higher percentage than nationally known private schools such as Andover and Exeter, for example, which both have under 10%, as well as many other well known day schools around the country (e.g, Dalton, Chapin, Spence in NYC; Noble & Greenough in Boston). There are some private day schools in the USA with higher percentages (e.g. Collegiate in NYC) but not many.

Try 40% for MoCo magnets.

It's 41 percent for Montgomery county magnets in the lower half of the county this year. Amazing

It's not 40%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a link to the chart of NMSF semifinalists -- good because it has absolute numbers and percentages: http://goo.gl/GgQvR

It shows a number of private schools that over a 15 year period have an average of 10-13% of their graduating class qualify as NMSF semifinalist. Although nothing close to the amazing percentage of TJ (over 30% -- really amazing!), that over 10% figure is both consistent and excellent in local and national terms.

By way of comparison, Walt Whitman HS is about 4% over the same time period; Churchill and BCC 2%. Not apples to apples, of course -- those schools don't select for admission.

But the top local independents also have a higher percentage than nationally known private schools such as Andover and Exeter, for example, which both have under 10%, as well as many other well known day schools around the country (e.g, Dalton, Chapin, Spence in NYC; Noble & Greenough in Boston). There are some private day schools in the USA with higher percentages (e.g. Collegiate in NYC) but not many.

Try 40% for MoCo magnets.

It's 41 percent for Montgomery county magnets in the lower half of the county this year. Amazing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a link to the chart of NMSF semifinalists -- good because it has absolute numbers and percentages: http://goo.gl/GgQvR

It shows a number of private schools that over a 15 year period have an average of 10-13% of their graduating class qualify as NMSF semifinalist. Although nothing close to the amazing percentage of TJ (over 30% -- really amazing!), that over 10% figure is both consistent and excellent in local and national terms.

By way of comparison, Walt Whitman HS is about 4% over the same time period; Churchill and BCC 2%. Not apples to apples, of course -- those schools don't select for admission.

But the top local independents also have a higher percentage than nationally known private schools such as Andover and Exeter, for example, which both have under 10%, as well as many other well known day schools around the country (e.g, Dalton, Chapin, Spence in NYC; Noble & Greenough in Boston). There are some private day schools in the USA with higher percentages (e.g. Collegiate in NYC) but not many.

Try 40% for MoCo magnets.

It's 41 percent for Montgomery county magnets in the lower half of the county this year. Amazing

It's not 40%.

Actually, it's more like 35%.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/135/495002.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly if I have a kid who is not TJ/Blair material and he gets into STA or Sidwell, he has a good shot at getting into a nationally ranked University or SLAC. Maybe I would cough up $40,000 to see if he could into UVA and W&M.

The typical TJ/Blair student probably wouldn't get in to STA or Sidwell (or GDS or Holton or Potomac or NCS) - there just isn't room for them. Most parents at the $40k private schools aren't as eager to drive their children into math/science as the typical middle-class family so the STEM magnets are just not very attractive to them. A lot of upper middle class parents in Washington have professions in law, politics, diplomacy, and policy so its not surprising that their children also disproportionately pursue those areas of study. To these parents, tuition buys small class sizes that foster better class discussions and much higher expectations for reading and writing than any of the publics can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a link to the chart of NMSF semifinalists -- good because it has absolute numbers and percentages: http://goo.gl/GgQvR

It shows a number of private schools that over a 15 year period have an average of 10-13% of their graduating class qualify as NMSF semifinalist. Although nothing close to the amazing percentage of TJ (over 30% -- really amazing!), that over 10% figure is both consistent and excellent in local and national terms.

By way of comparison, Walt Whitman HS is about 4% over the same time period; Churchill and BCC 2%. Not apples to apples, of course -- those schools don't select for admission.

But the top local independents also have a higher percentage than nationally known private schools such as Andover and Exeter, for example, which both have under 10%, as well as many other well known day schools around the country (e.g, Dalton, Chapin, Spence in NYC; Noble & Greenough in Boston). There are some private day schools in the USA with higher percentages (e.g. Collegiate in NYC) but not many.

Try 40% for MoCo magnets.

It's 41 percent for Montgomery county magnets in the lower half of the county this year. Amazing

It's 35%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly if I have a kid who is not TJ/Blair material and he gets into STA or Sidwell, he has a good shot at getting into a nationally ranked University or SLAC. Maybe I would cough up $40,000 to see if he could into UVA and W&M.

The typical TJ/Blair student probably wouldn't get in to STA or Sidwell (or GDS or Holton or Potomac or NCS) - there just isn't room for them. Most parents at the $40k private schools aren't as eager to drive their children into math/science as the typical middle-class family so the STEM magnets are just not very attractive to them. A lot of upper middle class parents in Washington have professions in law, politics, diplomacy, and policy so its not surprising that their children also disproportionately pursue those areas of study. To these parents, tuition buys small class sizes that foster better class discussions and much higher expectations for reading and writing than any of the publics can afford.

???? Longtime private school teacher here. I can tell you from experience, students with great grades and test scores (like magnet school students) are very welcome in private school admissions. If they apply, they have an excellent chance to get in, and every year Sidwell/GDS/STA do have some admitted students choosing between them and magnets. The fact is, of course, that folks with terrific public school options will think twice about taking on a $40,000 tuition. That's even more the case in STEM subjects, where smaller class sizes may not be as significant a factor as in humanities classes.

[Anonymous]

The typical TJ/Blair student probably wouldn't get in to STA or Sidwell (or GDS or Holton or Potomac or NCS) - there just isn't room for them. Most parents at the $40k private schools aren't as eager to drive their children into math/science as the typical middle-class family so the STEM magnets are just not very attractive to them. A lot of upper middle class parents in Washington have professions in law, politics, diplomacy, and policy so its not surprising that their children also disproportionately pursue those areas of study. To these parents, tuition buys small class sizes that foster better class discussions and much higher expectations for reading and writing than any of the publics can afford.

If this is the case, given their uniformly > 98 percentile SSAT scores, then we can all agree it's not because of their scores, grades and brains, rather their lack of compatible pedigree and phenotype!!

Recall GW Bush and his automatic Phillips Andover admission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly if I have a kid who is not TJ/Blair material and he gets into STA or Sidwell, he has a good shot at getting into a nationally ranked University or SLAC. Maybe I would cough up $40,000 to see if he could into UVA and W&M.

The typical TJ/Blair student probably wouldn't get in to STA or Sidwell (or GDS or Holton or Potomac or NCS) - there just isn't room for them. Most parents at the $40k private schools aren't as eager to drive their children into math/science as the typical middle-class family so the STEM magnets are just not very attractive to them. A lot of upper middle class parents in Washington have professions in law, politics, diplomacy, and policy so its not surprising that their children also disproportionately pursue those areas of study. To these parents, tuition buys small class sizes that foster better class discussions and much higher expectations for reading and writing than any of the publics can afford.

What do you mean there isn't room for them?
What do you mean typical TJ/Blair student probably wouldn't get into STA or Sidwell (or GDS or Holton or Potomac or NCS)?