Best school for highly gifted and talented, "quirky" kid?

[Anonymous]

These same kids dominate the AP exams (AP Scholars, Siemens AP award), National Merit Semi-Finalist and Finalists awards that few D.C. area private schools can challenge.

[Anonymous]

These same kids dominate the AP exams (AP Scholars, Siemens AP award), National Merit Semi-Finalist and Finalists awards that few D.C. area private schools can challenge.

Is TMPS ranking a function of the school or the kids that attend? What about the area D.C. privates?

Preexisting aptitude, really? Odd that STA nurtures so few National Merit Semifinalists. By the way, what's the the school's average SAT score since you for one are on top of your research? I agree with this, its ranking is probably based upon the rep of its legacies and money.

I agree with this assessment. Reputation, legacy and money explain the national standing, not academic ribbons (National Merit Semifinalists, Intel and Siemens winners, Morehead and Rhodes Scholars, Math, Physics, Science US Olympiad team members, National Mathcount Middle School winners, etc, etc, etc).

With regards the latter (money), a $30 ish million endowment (+ endowment/student ratio) seems paltry given toney reputation, legacy and endowments of other reputable and selective private schools across the nation.

With regards admission selectivity -- not so impressive as in early entry years this onus is largely biased by the Beauvoir filter-- the prime feeder (and Beauvoir pre-K, K and Grade 1 entry is based less on academic aptitude, accomplishment and achievement rather "fit", socio-economic status, legacy, sibship and money; and the latter entry years with near 40 percent acceptance rates).

Finally, as a single gender school, the exclusion of over half the potential adolescent brain power further compounds the already restricted pool of talent compared with other coeducational institutions.

Disclosures: None. I am neither an alumna nor mom of any child attending a D.C. area private school. But, keep this option open in future.

[Anonymous]

I taught "gifted" kids for seven years and probably only met 4 or 5 who were profoundly gifted in four or more domains of study. Everyone else is gifted in ONE subject matter, is bright in a couple of others (usually related) and works their tails off in the rest.

[Anonymous]

To throw out another little hand-grenade, note that the kids who dominate the programs tend to be of East and South Aasian descent. These kids tend to target the magnets as the place for an excellent free education. So does that make the TPMS domination (at the local level) of these contests a testament to the schools or to family background?

"So does that make the TPMS domination (at the local level) of these contests a testament to the schools or to family background?"


Family background, mentorship, support has much more to do with "domination" or success of children than the schools (private or public). Makes sense. Why all the fuss about "Big 3", "TT", Norwood vs Sidwell, public versus private?

[Anonymous]

These kids tend to target the magnets as the place for an excellent free education. So does that make the TPMS domination (at the local level) of these contests a testament to the schools or to family background?

Hmm! Domination without the educational consultants and paying $40,000/yr out of pocket. Who is ths smarter afterall?

[Anonymous]

Domination without the educational consultants and paying $40,000/yr out of pocket. Who is ths smarter afterall?
I have first hand experience with both Big 3 private and Mont. Co. magnet. I have observed that very few families go between the two (privates and magnets), and families tend to stay in the stream the kids started in. From what I've seen, each has strengths and weaknesses in terms of academics, politics, culture, hyper-competition, in-school problems with underachievers, etc. If I were to sum it up: magnets (MS and HS in Montg Co) have stronger math/science whereas privates don't have as much depth in these [meaning # of kids at top cohort] but are much broader. Still, the top kids are comparable.
Kids - even geniuses - may thrive in one and not the other. Some families, as in poster quoted, are very price conscious and so think it is always *best* to get a good deal if the quality if good. But while I understand financial constraints, the idea that the $40K is a waste is pretty narrow.

[Anonymous]

I have first hand experience with both Big 3 private and Mont. Co. magnet. I have observed that very few families go between the two (privates and magnets), and families tend to stay in the stream the kids started in. From what I've seen, each has strengths and weaknesses in terms of academics, politics, culture, hyper-competition, in-school problems with underachievers, etc. If I were to sum it up: magnets (MS and HS in Montg Co) have stronger math/science whereas privates don't have as much depth in these [meaning # of kids at top cohort] but are much broader. Still, the top kids are comparable.
Kids - even geniuses - may thrive in one and not the other. Some families, as in poster quoted, are very price conscious and so think it is always *best* to get a good deal if the quality if good. But while I understand financial constraints, the idea that the $40K is a waste is pretty narrow.

Fine words of wisdom. For the average American family with 2 children $35-40,000/year/child x 13 years (pre-K to 12) is a wallowing waste of money for no added value. For upper middle class and wealthy American families the pedigree, legacy and social network is the "value" of their purchase.

As tuition and fees for this private primary school education continue to wind and spiral upwards (like colleges and universities) more and more Americans will appreciate the diminishing returns. Many of these worthless institutions in the D.C. area will not survive (much like newspapers/journalism) relegated to carcasses of their former selves (or will be forced to merge with other schools) as they continue price themselves out of the educational market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Fine words of wisdom. For the average American family with 2 children $35-40,000/year/child x 13 years (pre-K to 12) is a wallowing waste of money for no added value. For upper middle class and wealthy American families the pedigree, legacy and social network is the "value" of their purchase.

As tuition and fees for this private primary school education continue to wind and spiral upwards (like colleges and universities) more and more Americans will appreciate the diminishing returns. Many of these worthless institutions in the D.C. area will not survive (much like newspapers/journalism) relegated to carcasses of their former selves (or will be forced to merge with other schools) as they continue price themselves out of the educational market.

Very poetic indeed. What fine public institutions of learning in DC are you comparing the worthless privates to? Or perhaps you are suggesting that everybody should go to magnets instead? Hmmm. On the one hand that is very equalitarian, which I appreciate. But wouldn't that make the magnets less special? Or maybe you're suggesting that if we close down privates the public schools will finally be allowed to fluorish. Please do elucidate.

[Anonymous]

I am not suggesting magnets, homeschooling, internet/online programs (university courseware), public education, education minus bricks and mortar, or other; however, as the ticket for pre-K hits $50K/child in the coming decade it's clear that only a select few worthy D.C. area privates will be left standing. Others will fold or be gobbled up (acquired).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fine words of wisdom. For the average American family with 2 children $35-40,000/year/child x 13 years (pre-K to 12) is a wallowing waste of money for no added value. For upper middle class and wealthy American families the pedigree, legacy and social network is the "value" of their purchase.

Depends on the school. I don't value any of those things and think our private school tuition $$ have been well-spent and that the value we have gotten is educational -- in LS/MS my DC reads, thinks about, and discusses texts and issues that most people don't see until college. She's a better writer, a more independent thinker, and has a wider-ranging intellect than she would have had in a MoCo magnet. And her math schools are probably not as good as they would have been had she gone that route.

As for science, it's an interesting question. For a very bright, highly motivated, and focussed kid, I think that there are two very different models -- one is teacher/cohort-oriented (e.g. TJ) and another is more DIY/professionally oriented (e.g. Sidwell plus NIH internships -- to take an example of a senior I interviewed for college last year). I see virtues in both models and which is best probably depends on the personality of the kid. I'd be curious to hear from college professors in the sciences what their take on this issue is.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of anyone thinking public was better than private. Interesting. Who are you people writing these positive posts about magnets and publics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of anyone thinking public was better than private. Interesting. Who are you people writing these positive posts about magnets and publics?

You're joking, right?

Some publics and magnets can offer a lot that privates can't or don't. Think about it.

[Anonymous]

As with public schools, there are a few private schools for which a student gets their academic money's worth, but many in the D.C. area are academically no better than their neighborhood public institutions. They are simply sanctuaries for those that can't get into the few top and academically challenging private schools, but refuse to rub elbows with the masses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of anyone thinking public was better than private. Interesting. Who are you people writing these positive posts about magnets and publics?

If my kid (who went through MOCO public for elementary had been clearly focused on math/science or English/communication, I would have happily sent him to TPMS or EMS magnets. But his interests and strengths are more varied, so we went with private. Just as I believe that you choose your private school on the basis of fit, I believe that the public magnets fit some kids well, and others not at all. It's not a question of better vs. worse.

[Anonymous]

As with public schools, there are a few private schools for which a student gets their academic money's worth, but many in the D.C. area are academically no better than their neighborhood public institutions. They are simply sanctuaries for those that can't get into the few top and academically challenging private schools, but refuse to rub elbows with the masses.

...besides not wanting to mingle with the ordinary masses some of these kids that can't get into the worthy private schools would not even be able to compete in public school and would get lost in the shuffle.