Stress and Magnet application for high school

[Anonymous]

My daughter is highly competitive and is applying to the magnet programs. Although she makes straight A and tests well, she does not handle stress well. She gets anxious and cries when she gets lower than an A or when she cannot complete a homework assignment due to having to much homework in another class. She cries when stressed. I have little doubt she will get into a magnet program for high school, but as a parent I don’t think it is in her best interest to go. Would you discourage her from taking the magnet test? She also wants to take a test prep class like at APlus testing service and I told her no based on….I don’t want her artificially prepared for something that she really may not be ready to do. Would you let her apply to these programs? I know she will be bored at her home high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is highly competitive and is applying to the magnet programs. Although she makes straight A and tests well, she does not handle stress well. She gets anxious and cries when she gets lower than an A or when she cannot complete a homework assignment due to having to much homework in another class. She cries when stressed. I have little doubt she will get into a magnet program for high school, but as a parent I don’t think it is in her best interest to go. Would you discourage her from taking the magnet test? She also wants to take a test prep class like at APlus testing service and I told her no based on….I don’t want her artificially prepared for something that she really may not be ready to do. Would you let her apply to these programs? I know she will be bored at her home high school.

No. Let her apply. Wait to make your decision until you find out whether or not she got in.

[Anonymous]

Which magnet is she considering?

[Anonymous]

I'd let her try. The best thing you can do is put her with like-minded peers in the magnet program.

[Anonymous]

Yup. Let her apply. And take the class so she can give this a fair try.

She won't forgive you for thinking she isnt good enough if you don't let her.

If she gets in, you can worry about what to do, and if you send her, she can always transfer back to her home school if it doesn't work out. Yes, people do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd let her try. The best thing you can do is put her with like-minded peers in the magnet program.

I agree. Let her try, and let her make the eventual decision about whether to go.

In the meantime, I strongly recommend that you get her some cognitive behavioral therapy. It worked very well for my son, who graduated from the Blair magnet a few years ago, and is doing very well now.

[Anonymous]

Ugh academics over mental health? No thank you.

I am clearly the outlier but no. I say not to this if she cannot handle. I'd rather academically bored than crying.

However, if she insists you could say only if in regular therapy or the like. Sounds like a recipe for a disaster.

--signed mom of straight A student with anxiety

[Anonymous]

I would let her take the magnet test, but only allow her to attend if she agrees to regular therapy for her anxiety.

I don't agree with your decision about not allowing the test prep class or your belief that that is artificially preparing her. At the end of the day, she is taking the test on her own. That's no different than using a tutor or taking an SAT prep class, none of which is cheating.