Questions about Richard Montgomery IB program

[Anonymous]

This is so irrelevant. Majority of kids in Poolesville magnet and RMIB will choose UMD for undergrad studies with full ride and top schools for graduate/professional courses.

But hey - there's this kid who is now in Harvard from RMIB. Would you consider him typical? I would not.

I believe that he was exceptional and outlier not because of what RMIB taught him - but because he was inherently exceptional. Similarly, I believe that Harvard is giving him opportunities that are not academic in nature, I don't feel he will find the academic part of Harvard a challenge. RMIB, Harvard etc. are just credentials and brand recognition, not because he could not do the same (academically) in any other school.

Straight A's, 2370 SAT, 20 APs, INTEL and SIEMENS semi-finalist, SMOB for 2 years....and a 1000 things beyond. Truly I wonder - did he need RMIB? Does he need Harvard?

It would be foolish to expect my child to have the same academic achievements as this person just because they are in RMIB. BTW - RMIB does not offer 20 AP courses. Majority of these this person self studied and got 5s on. He took 18 AP exams in one year.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/alanrxie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in the first class at RM. What I can tell you from 25 years ago is that it prepared me in a way for college that I don't think AP could have done. I ended up at an Ivy and it was a cake walk compared to HS.

With AP, you pick and choose your courses. So you have English, History, Chemistry and they are discrete topics. In the IB program, it's much more cohesive so it brings everything together. In English, you learn about the subtleties of Shakespeare literature while in history you are studying the political events that are occurring and are causing Shakespeare to write the literature. In science, you are recreating the experiments that people are being ostracized for in your history class.

The most valuable skill the program taught me was time management and advocating for myself. Everyone in my class got pretty good about speaking up with history, english, and math all wanted to test on the same day. 25 years I'm sure they have a better system in place. The time management skills though prepared me for college and the actual work force. An assignment was given one day and it may not be referred to again until the due date.

25 years ago, we were segmented into a hallway pretty much isolated from the other kids. It was fine but I will say my high school experience socially was much different from DHs who was in a regular MCPS HS program. With the amount of work to be done, there just was no time for drinking, finding dope, skipping class, etc. DH and I often laugh that we both have a diploma that says Montgomery County High School on it. We had vastly different academic and social experiences.

Thanks for this insight.

[Anonymous]

I am just wondering ... do we really want our kids to grind through a program that makes an Ivy League college education look like a "cakewalk"?

Not discounting PP's accomplishments, but can't we make something challenging and enriching without making it such an ordeal? I want my kids to have time -- not for drinking and finding dope, LOL -- but for extracurriculars that are also enriching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am just wondering ... do we really want our kids to grind through a program that makes an Ivy League college education look like a "cakewalk"?

Not discounting PP's accomplishments, but can't we make something challenging and enriching without making it such an ordeal? I want my kids to have time -- not for drinking and finding dope, LOL -- but for extracurriculars that are also enriching.

If you think some of the kids in IB programs aren't finding time for those activities too, you are kidding yourself. How do you think they relieve the stress they are under?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am just wondering ... do we really want our kids to grind through a program that makes an Ivy League college education look like a "cakewalk"?

Not discounting PP's accomplishments, but can't we make something challenging and enriching without making it such an ordeal? I want my kids to have time -- not for drinking and finding dope, LOL -- but for extracurriculars that are also enriching.

If you think some of the kids in IB programs aren't finding time for those activities too, you are kidding yourself. How do you think they relieve the stress they are under?

Lol. I have a strong hunch you are not talking from experience. DC is in the magnet IB program and for these kids to party or socialize outside of school - let's say, that it takes weeks of planning. You can be doping and drinking during the week after midnight (or 1 am, 2 am) , after you have finished all your studying...except you have to get up at 5:30 am for school.

I am not saying that these kids do not have the capacity to be irresponsible, its just that they do not have the time. At all. How many of these kids in the whole program have a boyfriend/girlfriend? In single digits. Yup, its that bad. Given a chance to socialize outside of the peer group, my DC prefers to catch up on sleep. They are participating in extra-curricular activities and internships and what have you. What they do not have time for is drinking and doping.

Unlike those who will take AP...they won't even have the luxury to party in their senior year either because they will be fulfilling the requirements for IB diploma.

I think one thing I should mention that has made a difference is the attitude of teachers and administration towards these students. They are treated as special and there is high expectations from them. There is no discipline problem and any time DC has been sick and unable to come to school - the response of the teachers have been tremendous in accomodating DC. The level and maturity of discussion that is taking place in these classes is of of the caliber of college classes. Just amazing.

It is a very hard program. There will be times that you will question your sanity in staying in the program, but the education they get, their communication, their thinking process - everything gets transformed. It is a baptism by fire.

And what the pp mentioned - about not making HS an ordeal - that is a very valid reason for not going into this program. It is an ordeal. It is jumping through extra hoops.

[Anonymous]

What report card does the magnet program look at?
do they look at 7th grade or 8th grade?
Also what if you have one c on your report card do you think they will accept you to the ib magnet program at RM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB based on Humanities is a waster of time. STEM is the only direction worth heading in that is a guaranteed job.

If you are smart enough to excel in whatever you do, the last thing you need is a "guaranteed job." I took a humanities based curriculum in high school and college, and didn't focus for a second on career direction until graduate school. I now make $400k per year in the private sector.

If you study subjects that you find interesting (regardless of whether they fit with a particular career direction), you are much more likely to develop the critical thinking, writing and oral communications skills you need to succeed in the professional world. You should do STEM only if STEM is your passion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How well does the IB program serve students who are well-rounded but have a strong interest in science. Is the program strong in this area? We are zoned for Walter Johnson but our child is interested in the RM IB program. We are not sure whether she would be better off at RM. Any thoughts? She is an excellent student with a good work ethic so we do think she would do well in the IB program but wonder she should just go to WJ. Thanks.

I would never pull my kid into RM, IB or not and leave WJ. No way. The IB program might be rigorous but the student population overall is not impressive - hence why RM is the IB location (bump the scores up.)

The IB was created as a carrot to Wootton parents when they moved Ritchie Park over to RM in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How well does the IB program serve students who are well-rounded but have a strong interest in science. Is the program strong in this area? We are zoned for Walter Johnson but our child is interested in the RM IB program. We are not sure whether she would be better off at RM. Any thoughts? She is an excellent student with a good work ethic so we do think she would do well in the IB program but wonder she should just go to WJ. Thanks.

I would never pull my kid into RM, IB or not and leave WJ. No way. The IB program might be rigorous but the student population overall is not impressive - hence why RM is the IB location (bump the scores up.)

The IB was created as a carrot to Wootton parents when they moved Ritchie Park over to RM in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

No. All the magnet programs are I failing real estate neighborhoods and used to bring up the rank of the school so people will buy houses.

[Anonymous]

The magnet was created aprox 30 years ago..Rockville has changed a bit since then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How well does the IB program serve students who are well-rounded but have a strong interest in science. Is the program strong in this area? We are zoned for Walter Johnson but our child is interested in the RM IB program. We are not sure whether she would be better off at RM. Any thoughts? She is an excellent student with a good work ethic so we do think she would do well in the IB program but wonder she should just go to WJ. Thanks.

I would never pull my kid into RM, IB or not and leave WJ. No way. The IB program might be rigorous but the student population overall is not impressive - hence why RM is the IB location (bump the scores up.)

The IB was created as a carrot to Wootton parents when they moved Ritchie Park over to RM in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

No. All the magnet programs are I failing real estate neighborhoods and used to bring up the rank of the school so people will buy houses.

So it is a conspiracy between realtors and the school board? Oh, and maybe the mortgage lenders are in on it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How well does the IB program serve students who are well-rounded but have a strong interest in science. Is the program strong in this area? We are zoned for Walter Johnson but our child is interested in the RM IB program. We are not sure whether she would be better off at RM. Any thoughts? She is an excellent student with a good work ethic so we do think she would do well in the IB program but wonder she should just go to WJ. Thanks.

I would never pull my kid into RM, IB or not and leave WJ. No way. The IB program might be rigorous but the student population overall is not impressive - hence why RM is the IB location (bump the scores up.)

The IB was created as a carrot to Wootton parents when they moved Ritchie Park over to RM in the late 1980s/early 1990s.

No. All the magnet programs are I failing real estate neighborhoods and used to bring up the rank of the school so people will buy houses.

So it is a conspiracy between realtors and the school board? Oh, and maybe the mortgage lenders are in on it too.

Add bussing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What report card does the magnet program look at?
do they look at 7th grade or 8th grade?
Also what if you have one c on your report card do you think they will accept you to the ib magnet program at RM

They look at 7th grade. Apply -- who knows!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How well does the IB program serve students who are well-rounded but have a strong interest in science. Is the program strong in this area? We are zoned for Walter Johnson but our child is interested in the RM IB program. We are not sure whether she would be better off at RM. Any thoughts? She is an excellent student with a good work ethic so we do think she would do well in the IB program but wonder she should just go to WJ. Thanks.

I would never pull my kid into RM, IB or not and leave WJ. No way. The IB program might be rigorous but the student population overall is not impressive - hence why RM is the IB location (bump the scores up.)

Many years ago, I was zoned for WJ, but left for IB. Whether the overall RM student body were good students or not was totally irrelevant; the only class I ever took with them was PE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB based on Humanities is a waster of time. STEM is the only direction worth heading in that is a guaranteed job.

I am in STEM and IB was not a waste of time. I got the STEM throughout college and grad school (at MIT); I didn't need to devote high school to it too.

There are lots of people in STEM. There are a lot fewer who can write a coherent sentence.