Wouldn't it be easier for your child to stand out in an average/low rated school vs a high rated?

[Anonymous]

Yes, you are right. It would help with college admissions and GPA. But the down side is that the school may under prepare them for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a hard fact to swallow when we all pay so much more to cluster around a few schools. Your umc, high achieving, ambitious, competitive kid; would also be all of those things at ... Annandale, Stuart, TC, Wakefield, Lee...
They aren’t going to join a gang. They will still have the opportunity to be on debate team, or sing in choir. I always assume posters disparaging the lower rated schools, are from elsewhere and just don’t understand that NOVA isn’t Newark.

Those highschools look like El Salvador and most students can't speak English. The majority are below high school grade level.

[Anonymous]

Great students come from lots of schools and colleges are looking to admit students from a broader range of schools. As a parallel, in Montgomery County, my Ivy alma mater accepted only 1 student per high school in this year's early round when it probably could have found the same number of equally strong candidates at just one magnet program. NoVa is remarkably similar. Lots more applicants will get in RD, but the college is clearly choosing to go broad across high schools for its first picks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great students come from lots of schools and colleges are looking to admit students from a broader range of schools. As a parallel, in Montgomery County, my Ivy alma mater accepted only 1 student per high school in this year's early round when it probably could have found the same number of equally strong candidates at just one magnet program. NoVa is remarkably similar. Lots more applicants will get in RD, but the college is clearly choosing to go broad across high schools for its first picks.

Not all Ivies are alike, and it's unlikely that your alma mater admitted students from every MCPS high school, or took the same approach where TJHSST was concerned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great students come from lots of schools and colleges are looking to admit students from a broader range of schools. As a parallel, in Montgomery County, my Ivy alma mater accepted only 1 student per high school in this year's early round when it probably could have found the same number of equally strong candidates at just one magnet program. NoVa is remarkably similar. Lots more applicants will get in RD, but the college is clearly choosing to go broad across high schools for its first picks.

I also wonder whether you really have a pulse on your Ivy's admissions policies if you that "lots more applicants will get in RD." The RD admission rate at some Ivies is incredibly, incredibly low.

[Anonymous]

To get into college, yes, but many of them do not make it the full 4 years.

Extraordinary students at low/average schools stand out and what is offered at the school is taken into account. However, I know from my time in admissions, many of those Big Fish from Small Ponds types can't hack it. They don't have the fundamentals that other mediocre students have.

Example, I worked in admissions at a TX University. Many applicants came from High Schools in which the entire school population was <50 kids and their graduating class was ~15. The teacher who taught 9th grade Earth Science was also the teacher responsible for teaching 10th grade Biology, 11th grade Chemistry, and 12th grade Physics. They did not get the same education that their mediocre peers at larger schools got. Not having the same fundamentals meant they started their college careers at a disadvantage that put them too far behind to really catch up. I saw many of the Big Fish in Small Ponds kids have to leave and go back to a Jr. College or Community College before trying again at a 4-year place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that the cut-off score for NMSF is much higher in Virginia than in most states.

And completely inconsequential to future success in life.

I wasn't a NMSF, went to an average HS, went to an average state college, but stil managed to go to a great law school. I now make over $550K a year and am an equity partner (if you call that success). I think I'll be fine. NMSF and where you went to high school and, heck, even college isn't the end all be all. You just need to know what is needed for the field you want to enter. I knew for me I needed a great law school. I didn't even graduate top of my class but getting in and using the name is all I needed to land a great job (and passing the bar). Folks worry about really inconsequential things. I know my kids will be fine wherever they go. We're zoned for . . . GASP . . . Edison. Not worried. My oldest daughter is doing great in IB and should graudate with the full IB diploma this year, unless something crazy happens. My younger 3 are all in AAP like she was and doing well at Twain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that the cut-off score for NMSF is much higher in Virginia than in most states.

And completely inconsequential to future success in life.

I wasn't a NMSF, went to an average HS, went to an average state college, but stil managed to go to a great law school. I now make over $550K a year and am an equity partner (if you call that success). I think I'll be fine. NMSF and where you went to high school and, heck, even college isn't the end all be all. You just need to know what is needed for the field you want to enter. I knew for me I needed a great law school. I didn't even graduate top of my class but getting in and using the name is all I needed to land a great job (and passing the bar). Folks worry about really inconsequential things. I know my kids will be fine wherever they go. We're zoned for . . . GASP . . . Edison. Not worried. My oldest daughter is doing great in IB and should graudate with the full IB diploma this year, unless something crazy happens. My younger 3 are all in AAP like she was and doing well at Twain.

Most don't want to gamble on the "great law school" that you admit helped land you a good job. Might as well start attending better schools sooner rather than later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great students come from lots of schools and colleges are looking to admit students from a broader range of schools. As a parallel, in Montgomery County, my Ivy alma mater accepted only 1 student per high school in this year's early round when it probably could have found the same number of equally strong candidates at just one magnet program. NoVa is remarkably similar. Lots more applicants will get in RD, but the college is clearly choosing to go broad across high schools for its first picks.

I also wonder whether you really have a pulse on your Ivy's admissions policies if you that "lots more applicants will get in RD." The RD admission rate at some Ivies is incredibly, incredibly low.

Numbers, not percentages. Only one-third of the admits come through early. Most admit decisions are given during RD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great students come from lots of schools and colleges are looking to admit students from a broader range of schools. As a parallel, in Montgomery County, my Ivy alma mater accepted only 1 student per high school in this year's early round when it probably could have found the same number of equally strong candidates at just one magnet program. NoVa is remarkably similar. Lots more applicants will get in RD, but the college is clearly choosing to go broad across high schools for its first picks.

Not all Ivies are alike, and it's unlikely that your alma mater admitted students from every MCPS high school, or took the same approach where TJHSST was concerned.

I didn't say they admitted one student from every high school. They only took one student from the high schools that had any admits. In other words, they did not take more than one applicant from any high school in the early round.

[Anonymous]

Look. I've been there. Thought that. It's just not true due to what comes within the school. Don't go there OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To get into college, yes, but many of them do not make it the full 4 years.

Extraordinary students at low/average schools stand out and what is offered at the school is taken into account. However, I know from my time in admissions, many of those Big Fish from Small Ponds types can't hack it. They don't have the fundamentals that other mediocre students have.

Example, I worked in admissions at a TX University. Many applicants came from High Schools in which the entire school population was <50 kids and their graduating class was ~15. The teacher who taught 9th grade Earth Science was also the teacher responsible for teaching 10th grade Biology, 11th grade Chemistry, and 12th grade Physics. They did not get the same education that their mediocre peers at larger schools got. Not having the same fundamentals meant they started their college careers at a disadvantage that put them too far behind to really catch up. I saw many of the Big Fish in Small Ponds kids have to leave and go back to a Jr. College or Community College before trying again at a 4-year place.

Wow. What an interesting insight you have into something totally irrelevant to this discussion. Bravo!

[Anonymous]

I was a standout student in a mediocre country bumpkin high school. I thought I was incredibly smart until I got to college then DC and realized that I'm smart but far short of genius. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, just that I need to remember than if my kid doesn't stand out like I did, it's likely because the competition in much stiffer at her Fairfax County school than it was at my country bumpkis school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a standout student in a mediocre country bumpkin high school. I thought I was incredibly smart until I got to college then DC and realized that I'm smart but far short of genius. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, just that I need to remember than if my kid doesn't stand out like I did, it's likely because the competition in much stiffer at her Fairfax County school than it was at my country bumpkis school.

Seems like you never became literate. Sad!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great students come from lots of schools and colleges are looking to admit students from a broader range of schools. As a parallel, in Montgomery County, my Ivy alma mater accepted only 1 student per high school in this year's early round when it probably could have found the same number of equally strong candidates at just one magnet program. NoVa is remarkably similar. Lots more applicants will get in RD, but the college is clearly choosing to go broad across high schools for its first picks.

Not all Ivies are alike, and it's unlikely that your alma mater admitted students from every MCPS high school, or took the same approach where TJHSST was concerned.

I didn't say they admitted one student from every high school. They only took one student from the high schools that had any admits. In other words, they did not take more than one applicant from any high school in the early round.

That wasn't clear in your prior post, but seems more likely - for MCPS. It would be a foolish policy to apply to a magnet like TJHSST and I tend to doubt it happened.