Are magnets worth it for college admission?

[Anonymous]

It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

[Anonymous]

I agree one should choose magnet based primarily on interest. The other aspects (peers, curriculum, teachers, …) are largely hyped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

I don’t think I’d agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

When 30-50 IB graduates from RMIB all apply to the same Ivies with the same high stats and ECs. All are qualified but there is no way Yale is going to take all of them but reject a similar cohort from another IB school in Deleware or Michigan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

When 30-50 IB graduates from RMIB all apply to the same Ivies with the same high stats and ECs. All are qualified but there is no way Yale is going to take all of them but reject a similar cohort from another IB school in Deleware or Michigan

yes, this is part of the problem, and why I started the thread. They're all applying to the same top colleges, but those colleges don't want more than one or two from the same cohort. But, they are also super high achieving kids. So, it's disappointing for the ones that don't win the lottery. Yes, there are plenty of great schools to go around, but when you are in a tight knit cohort, it still is a very disappointing for those kids.

But, I do think that they will all go on to do well as they are all high achievers and used to rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

When 30-50 IB graduates from RMIB all apply to the same Ivies with the same high stats and ECs. All are qualified but there is no way Yale is going to take all of them but reject a similar cohort from another IB school in Deleware or Michigan

yes, this is part of the problem, and why I started the thread. They're all applying to the same top colleges, but those colleges don't want more than one or two from the same cohort. But, they are also super high achieving kids. So, it's disappointing for the ones that don't win the lottery. Yes, there are plenty of great schools to go around, but when you are in a tight knit cohort, it still is a very disappointing for those kids.

But, I do think that they will all go on to do well as they are all high achievers and used to rigor.

It's a matter of statistics, right? Even if you have 30-50 very similar top performing kids, they can only accept *one* college. So everyone should apply to many (10-20), to the level you can afford. You will likely get admission into 1 if you are truly "as good" as the other 30-50 in your class (but this is rarely the case - no matter what DCUM likes to say about their kids. you don't actually have 30 1600s from the same school; 30 people with 5s in 15 exams). The similarity (IME) is only on GPA since we love to inflate grades nowadays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

When 30-50 IB graduates from RMIB all apply to the same Ivies with the same high stats and ECs. All are qualified but there is no way Yale is going to take all of them but reject a similar cohort from another IB school in Deleware or Michigan

PP here and I suppose that if your goal is admission to elite universities, then yes, it may be that your kid would have fared better at their home school. That wasn't our goal, so your "worse position" analysis doesn't apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

When 30-50 IB graduates from RMIB all apply to the same Ivies with the same high stats and ECs. All are qualified but there is no way Yale is going to take all of them but reject a similar cohort from another IB school in Deleware or Michigan

yes, this is part of the problem, and why I started the thread. They're all applying to the same top colleges, but those colleges don't want more than one or two from the same cohort. But, they are also super high achieving kids. So, it's disappointing for the ones that don't win the lottery. Yes, there are plenty of great schools to go around, but when you are in a tight knit cohort, it still is a very disappointing for those kids.

But, I do think that they will all go on to do well as they are all high achievers and used to rigor.

rejection is hard on any kid - magnet or no magnet. but your last statement is true. my kids are older (i.e., they done with phd/post college education). they still get together with HS friends. all ended up different places in society (law school, medical school, phd, working at FAANG, working as consultants...etc. but they all have done well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

I have a kid at RMIB and I disagree with you completely. The ‘cohort’ of kids has been a huge positive for my kid.

Sure, my kid would have been a great student at her home school. But she is turned into a fantastic student at IB. The peer group, the study skills she’s learning, the writing experience, all of it - has been wonderful.

And I don’t think she’s in a worse position. The work ethic and study skills she has developed at RMIB will take her far. Would she love to go to Princeton? Sure. Can we afford it? No. So, it doesn’t matter.

She’ll go wherever is a good fit for her and I have no doubt that her experience at RMIB will serve her well. At whatever college and in whatever major she chooses in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not about the college admissions.

for most people it is

Bottom line - if your kid is bright and if your home school is good. And if you want to optimize for college admissions, don’t do the magnets. Easier to shine in home school for sure.

This can be complicated. My kid isn't the type who will be motivated to shine unless they're surrounded by similar or realistically, higher achieving peers. They've been in a magnet since 4th grade so for HS we were really averse to a non-magnet experience. Luckily they matched with one that they are excited about (not their initial #1 but it's working out well).

Good home school will mean there are a fair number of high achieving kids. Some of these magnets can be overwhelming and actually make otherwise great kids question their own ability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

When 30-50 IB graduates from RMIB all apply to the same Ivies with the same high stats and ECs. All are qualified but there is no way Yale is going to take all of them but reject a similar cohort from another IB school in Deleware or Michigan

yes, this is part of the problem, and why I started the thread. They're all applying to the same top colleges, but those colleges don't want more than one or two from the same cohort. But, they are also super high achieving kids. So, it's disappointing for the ones that don't win the lottery. Yes, there are plenty of great schools to go around, but when you are in a tight knit cohort, it still is a very disappointing for those kids.

But, I do think that they will all go on to do well as they are all high achievers and used to rigor.

It's a matter of statistics, right? Even if you have 30-50 very similar top performing kids, they can only accept *one* college. So everyone should apply to many (10-20), to the level you can afford. You will likely get admission into 1 if you are truly "as good" as the other 30-50 in your class (but this is rarely the case - no matter what DCUM likes to say about their kids. you don't actually have 30 1600s from the same school; 30 people with 5s in 15 exams). The similarity (IME) is only on GPA since we love to inflate grades nowadays.

There are many kids who don't have 1600, or even 1580 getting accepted to those schools. IMO, after a certain threshold, like maybe 1520?.. it's a crapshoot. I know 1600 SAT kids with great ECs who got rejected to top schools.

[Anonymous]

If all the kids from a magnet school applied to the same college, I could see it being a problem. if they are applying to 15 different schools, then I don’t see a lot of concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

My kid’s neighborhood school IS the same school (Blair) - are you suggesting he forgo the magnet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is kind of ironic that this county's parents fight so hard to get into magnet high schools, have endless battles over admissions standards, which test to use or not, and then realize four years later that they've put themselves into a worse position than if they'd just let their kid be a great student at their home school.

Only do the magnet if it has something your kid can't get at the neighborhood school. Don't do it for "the cohort"

Not at all. My DC wanted and needed the Blair magnet classes, and excelled in them. It was a fantastic high school experience he would never have had anywhere else.

"Worse position"? In what way?

When 30-50 IB graduates from RMIB all apply to the same Ivies with the same high stats and ECs. All are qualified but there is no way Yale is going to take all of them but reject a similar cohort from another IB school in Deleware or Michigan

yes, this is part of the problem, and why I started the thread. They're all applying to the same top colleges, but those colleges don't want more than one or two from the same cohort. But, they are also super high achieving kids. So, it's disappointing for the ones that don't win the lottery. Yes, there are plenty of great schools to go around, but when you are in a tight knit cohort, it still is a very disappointing for those kids.

But, I do think that they will all go on to do well as they are all high achievers and used to rigor.

You know, no admissions officer has confirmed this urban myth, don’t you? Apparently parents have claimed this for decades but there isn’t much evidence to prove it.