Please help me understand: Potomac has only 1 to MIT in 6 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About 10-15 kids from TJ get into MIT every year, and almost all of them fall into one of 2 categories: athletes or female students who excel in traditionally male-dominated subjects like computer science and math. Don't get me wrong, they are top students with great credentials, but they still almost always need an extra hook to get in. My TJ grad had a 4.0UW/1590 SAT, and it was suggested that if they applied as a lightweight rower then they'd get in. But DC didnt want to row in college, so it didn't work out.

you're wrong. they send between 25-30 every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Potomac is not Harker by a long shot. I’ve interviewed seniors and Harker is more like a blend of TJ and big 3. Seniors are doing AI research at Stanford, debate champions, competitive skiing — and world champion robotics is like a distant additional activity. It’s a whole other level in the Bay Area

this. Harker is a beast, there's no comparison

Funnily enough they appear not to have gotten rid of APs.

[Anonymous]

I mean, is your kid actually gifted? They are not going to get into MIT just because they went to private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused why going to Potomac would enhance gaining admissions to MIT, or any other T10 for that matter. Rich kids with more homework doesn’t mean more capable students.

OP here. Because I read here that Potomac is very strong in STEM, and im trying to figure out what that means. i thought when people were saying the school is strong in STEM, they meant there would be more students from that school admitted to the most prestigious engineering/math/CS colleges, because of their passion and qualification. Like TJ here or Harker in the bay area.

But maybe I’m wrong.

Maybe it just means they are very strong in STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About 10-15 kids from TJ get into MIT every year, and almost all of them fall into one of 2 categories: athletes or female students who excel in traditionally male-dominated subjects like computer science and math. Don't get me wrong, they are top students with great credentials, but they still almost always need an extra hook to get in. My TJ grad had a 4.0UW/1590 SAT, and it was suggested that if they applied as a lightweight rower then they'd get in. But DC didnt want to row in college, so it didn't work out.

Interesting. Where did he end up going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree that MIT, as wonderful as it is, is just not an aspirational choice for many DC area private school students. The perception, though not entirely valid, seems to be that MIT’s offerings and opportunities will not be as broad based as those to which they’ve become accustomed.

Or maybe they just don’t want to do the fire curriculum, which includes 2x calculus, 2x physics, chemistry and biology for all students. It’s grueling.

If the STEM at Potomac is as good as people on here are claiming, then the students will be able to bypass almost all of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 10-15 kids from TJ get into MIT every year, and almost all of them fall into one of 2 categories: athletes or female students who excel in traditionally male-dominated subjects like computer science and math. Don't get me wrong, they are top students with great credentials, but they still almost always need an extra hook to get in. My TJ grad had a 4.0UW/1590 SAT, and it was suggested that if they applied as a lightweight rower then they'd get in. But DC didnt want to row in college, so it didn't work out.

you're wrong. they send between 25-30 every year.

Wrong. Not even close

[Anonymous]

MIT double degree here with a CalTech double degree sibling.

Kids who absolutely love math and science and do things on their own - outside of school - well will get in.

Don't think so much about what your kid does in school...what do they do outside of school?

Do they earn volunteer hours by having a side gig codding for a non-profit?
Are they taking apart every electronic in the house and putting it back together?
Have they started their own business?
Do they use their tech savvy abilities in some special way? For example - entering hack-a-thons for the public good? (and winning); winning an X-prize?


This is how kids get into MIT.

FWIW: My kids go to public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree that MIT, as wonderful as it is, is just not an aspirational choice for many DC area private school students. The perception, though not entirely valid, seems to be that MIT’s offerings and opportunities will not be as broad based as those to which they’ve become accustomed.

Or maybe they just don’t want to do the fire curriculum, which includes 2x calculus, 2x physics, chemistry and biology for all students. It’s grueling.

If the STEM at Potomac is as good as people on here are claiming, then the students will be able to bypass almost all of this.

Question confused admitted and attending - kids get in to MIT but may not choose it given other options. And that is not a knock on MIT, just a question of preference

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MIT double degree here with a CalTech double degree sibling.

Kids who absolutely love math and science and do things on their own - outside of school - well will get in.

Don't think so much about what your kid does in school...what do they do outside of school?

Do they earn volunteer hours by having a side gig codding for a non-profit?
Are they taking apart every electronic in the house and putting it back together?
Have they started their own business?
Do they use their tech savvy abilities in some special way? For example - entering hack-a-thons for the public good? (and winning); winning an X-prize?


This is how kids get into MIT.

FWIW: My kids go to public school.

Fwiw, my MIT alum sibling did none of these things. Managed to do well there and has done very well in life despite never disassembling the TV remote! They are more of a reader who happens to be great at math and physics. Point is, MIT takes many types of kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am confused why going to Potomac would enhance gaining admissions to MIT, or any other T10 for that matter. Rich kids with more homework doesn’t mean more capable students.

OP here. Because I read here that Potomac is very strong in STEM, and im trying to figure out what that means. i thought when people were saying the school is strong in STEM, they meant there would be more students from that school admitted to the most prestigious engineering/math/CS colleges, because of their passion and qualification. Like TJ here or Harker in the bay area.

But maybe I’m wrong.

OP, a lot of it may have to do with the fact that many DC area applicants hedge their bets by applying ED for an Ivy and therefore forgo applying to MIT

Applying to MIT means one cannot apply ED anywhere and most bright kids in the area will have one ED first choice and possibly a likely letter or a sports scholarship at that school. They'd have to be willing to turn all of that down just for an off chance of acceptance and MIT.

Hence, many don't apply

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public schools are where the truly high-performing math and science students are. Their parents work at NASA and NIH and can’t afford Potomac.

+1 this.

+2 (and I've got kids in private).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree that MIT, as wonderful as it is, is just not an aspirational choice for many DC area private school students. The perception, though not entirely valid, seems to be that MIT’s offerings and opportunities will not be as broad based as those to which they’ve become accustomed.

Or maybe they just don’t want to do the fire curriculum, which includes 2x calculus, 2x physics, chemistry and biology for all students. It’s grueling.

If the STEM at Potomac is as good as people on here are claiming, then the students will be able to bypass almost all of this.

Question confused admitted and attending - kids get in to MIT but may not choose it given other options. And that is not a knock on MIT, just a question of preference

There were a few students in this years graduating class that received multiple acceptances from Harvard Yale Princeton Stanford MIT in various combinations (not because of legacy or athletics). They had tough choices to make and they each made different choices. These schools respect Potomac and Potomac respects them.

[Anonymous]

Your kids are early elementary age and you’re worried about college stats?!

[Anonymous]

MIT grad here. None of my friends (late 30s) send their kids to private schools. Frankly, total waste of money and goes against what many of us were raised to believe - that public education is important. MIT was a public school for many years, hence the name. Not that our kids have any better chance of getting in, but just something to consider.