Magnet not "cool" enough?

[Anonymous]

We had exactly the same experience. Dd was admitted to RM but wanted to stay at home school with friends and we allowed it. I would say that by taking APs since freshman year (on top of a year-round sport), she has had plenty of work to do. I personally like the philosophy/education of IB and would probably be happier if she were in that curriculum. But if I were to go back, I'd do the same thing. She's still more socially focused and I'm not sure she would have made the most of the RM curriculum. And she would have been constantly resentful if we'd made her leave her friend group.

[Anonymous]

I'd have the child do a shadow day to see if its really "cool enough". Chances are that she will find people just like her, there is no reason to allow your teen to have the complete final say in the decision for high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Long story short, DD and I spoke and she said she'd be willing to apply now and worry later -- if she happens to get in.

I didn't mention two things:
1. This is only our second year in MCPS, so she is not eager to start over socially all over again
2. She is "2e" (I kind of hate that jargon,) but she is "gifted" and also has ADHD and some other learning issues. So she is the type to earn A's in challenging classes and struggle in the "easy" ones. (Those of you who spend time on the Special Ed board know what I'm talking about.)

FWIW, I don't think she's worried about getting in, I think she's preoccupied with *fitting in*, which strikes me as developmentally appropriate but just possibly shortsighted. She doesn't want to be "nerdy," different, or exceptional in any way if at all possible. I'm sure some of your kids are like this...? She wants to be just like everyone else -- and at the same time, she's trying to figure out who she is.

Anyway, thanks to those that provided some insight and shared your experience. Lots of possible good paths forward. Thanks!

Glad that she is willing to apply! Couple of points:

1. If she has not struggled so far in MCPS MS (in MCPS - generally speaking - academically advanced students are less likely to have their needs met in ES/MS compared to HS), she should be fine in home HS if she ends up going there.

2. Have her look into RMIB magnet - may be she will be more open to that because it might seem less "nerdy" to her

Forgot to add:

3. Ignore the posts on MAP scores; I am sure there are students in TPMS with scores of 300+. But definitely there are others who are not in that same league. DC went through TPMS magnet and did very well without a 300+ score in MAP and then got into Blair. It is not just the MAP score that determines admission. It is just one of many factors.

+1 Some PPs don't know what they are talking about. A 279 is a very high MAP score for 8th and it would make her a very competitive candidate for Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Long story short, DD and I spoke and she said she'd be willing to apply now and worry later -- if she happens to get in.

I didn't mention two things:
1. This is only our second year in MCPS, so she is not eager to start over socially all over again
2. She is "2e" (I kind of hate that jargon,) but she is "gifted" and also has ADHD and some other learning issues. So she is the type to earn A's in challenging classes and struggle in the "easy" ones. (Those of you who spend time on the Special Ed board know what I'm talking about.)

FWIW, I don't think she's worried about getting in, I think she's preoccupied with *fitting in*, which strikes me as developmentally appropriate but just possibly shortsighted. She doesn't want to be "nerdy," different, or exceptional in any way if at all possible. I'm sure some of your kids are like this...? She wants to be just like everyone else -- and at the same time, she's trying to figure out who she is.

Anyway, thanks to those that provided some insight and shared your experience. Lots of possible good paths forward. Thanks!

Glad that she is willing to apply! Couple of points:

1. If she has not struggled so far in MCPS MS (in MCPS - generally speaking - academically advanced students are less likely to have their needs met in ES/MS compared to HS), she should be fine in home HS if she ends up going there.

2. Have her look into RMIB magnet - may be she will be more open to that because it might seem less "nerdy" to her

Forgot to add:

3. Ignore the posts on MAP scores; I am sure there are students in TPMS with scores of 300+. But definitely there are others who are not in that same league. DC went through TPMS magnet and did very well without a 300+ score in MAP and then got into Blair. It is not just the MAP score that determines admission. It is just one of many factors.

+1 Some PPs don't know what they are talking about. A 279 is a very high MAP score for 8th and it would make her a very competitive candidate for Blair.

Sure, If it makes you feel better, just trying to provide factual first hand info
279 is good, but not very competitive for Blair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Majority of magnet MS students stay in the program. Not only survive but thrive because they have supportive parents. No tigers can force them wake up early morning to take long bus ride to the school, no helicopters can transport them to varies after school activities such as competitive swimming, tennis and other sports.

These are committed and disciplined kids.

A typical TPMS parent

I have seen Tigers and Helicopters force kids in every high school, magnets or not. Private or public.

A typical teacher

Dear woman who responded to this by calling the teacher a troll,

You are, again, a typical tpms parent. Now telling a teacher they know nothing. Wait for it! In another second you will explain that you, not the teacher, really knows the magnet children and the teacher has obviously never worked with the gifted children who have extremely special special needs.

Look, I get it. I went to a magnet school in another state that winnowed us down to 30 for grades 10-12. Out of the thirty, ten of us went to the ivy league. Another ten to schools the hyper tpms parent who's putting down teachers couldn't get into--Smith, Duke, Haverford, Stanford, Williams, etc. The last ten... Honors programs at state schools and Hbc's. I'm not saying this to brag--truthfully, having lived through it, our experience was hothoused and overrated--but if I don't use that kind of language with you people, you don't listen. I was hanging out with my friend who went to Bronx Science the other day, (another school most of you wouldn't get into), and we laughed about the absurdity of it all. It's a race to what?

There are very bright children in the magnets. There are very bright children out of the magnets. Some of us just want our kids to be happy and to love learning and not be subjected to the kind of joyless bullying that so many of you do to other patents--and your own offspring.

The most successful kids from my high school hothouse were actually the ones who went to state schools and HBC's. The most successful people I know didn't go to hothoused high schools at all. I get it, again, your children are different! And now you'll work in how 279 isn't great and 300 plus is the goal. (Pretty sure the test doesn't go above 300, but what do I know? And do I care? No.)

[Anonymous]

I went through RMIB some years ago. I really don't think the HS magnets are a good fit if your kid is not 100% buying in. They are a LOT of work and can be very stressful and time-consuming. For 4 years, which is eternity to a teenager. Have her apply, but if she's accepted, the final decision needs to be up to her. Because if she doesn't own it, that way lies resentment and subpar performance.

[Anonymous]

OP glad to hear dd is willing to apply. Here is what I have observed at Blair
A tight knit group of students that don’t compete with each other but instead support each other
A teaching staff that does expect academic excellence but does not stress grades or test scores
A teaching staff (and this is especially true of the 9th grade team) that prioritizes emotional health over all else. The teachers are wonderfully supportive and have your child’s wellbeing in mind at all times
The academic program is wonderful and their Math program (curriculum and teachers) are incredible. DS is not a Math kid but he has loved every Math teacher he’s had
A rigorous, stimulating and FUN learning environment
1/3 of Magnet kids are varsity athletes
Lots of Magnet kids on the school newspaper, in the drama club and in band/orchestra
Nearly every child I know has at least a couple of serious extracurricular activities. Very manageable and an important way to socialize.
They should have the time for school, social life and extracurricular activities. The toughest periods are first semester of 9th grade and 11th grade
Kids date
These kids are highly social. I can’t stress this enough
There are all kinds of children in the program including a few fashion plates.
If your child is accepted she will be contacted by a current female magnet student. Encourage her to ask lots of questions. She will also get an opportunity to shadow a student if she is accepted.
Unlike middle school, parents are not heavily involved in the school so you and your child are unlikely to run into any of the less than kind posters who have responded to your questions
Good luck to your dd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Perhaps this is not the real reason? The magnet high schools are incredibly selective, and your daughter might not want to apply if she's afraid of rejection. What MAP scores does she have?

The math person at her MS told me highest in the school. Math was 279 I think?

TPMS has plenty of MAP-M over 300 - .

My kid has over 400!!! Oh what the top score is what now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Perhaps this is not the real reason? The magnet high schools are incredibly selective, and your daughter might not want to apply if she's afraid of rejection. What MAP scores does she have?

The math person at her MS told me highest in the school. Math was 279 I think?

TPMS has plenty of MAP-M over 300 - .

My kid has over 400!!! Oh what the top score is what now?

I believe your kid is over 400 because you scored exactly 250 -

[Anonymous]

There is no maximum or "perfect" score on a MAP Growth test. A student's score on any MAP Growth test is a function of both the proportion of questions answered correctly and the difficulty of the questions asked. The valid range for scores is between 100 and 350, but that does not mean that student scores "go to 350" or that a student may ever even receive the highest RIT item available on a test. The assessment adapts between RIT difficulties to generate a valid inferenced score.

We recommend using RIT norm data in conjunction with the MAP Reports and to think in terms of the skills found in the higher RIT ranges. For example, if it were your goal to help a student in 8th grade reach the top 95-99 percentile for their grade during winter testing, you would see that a student in 8th grade who is scoring a 231-236 is in the upper 5% of the achievement percentiles. You may also refer to Appendix C of the 2015 Norms Study which show the percentiles of each score for each subject and term. Although these are by no means the maximum scores possible, it does give you an idea of the upper levels of RIT scores.

From

https://community.nwea.org/docs/DOC-1651

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 8th grader is resisting applying to Magnet programs -- the Blair program, in particular -- because she perceives it as insufficiently "cool."

She's always loved math and her MAP scores are the highest in her MS. She admits that her classes now aren't really challenging. But at this moment in her life, she's most interested in her social life and her after-school activities, so she wants to go to her home HS (where her friends are going.)

My thought is she should apply now and decide later -- who knows, right? -- but I was curious if anyone with experience could speak to the social dynamics at Blair, and whether it might be a good fit for a teen who is much more interested in using her free time to shop than study.

Doesn't sound like she will be a good fit there. Why bother?

What makes you say it doesn't sound like she would be a good fit there? Do you have experience with the program?

The reason to "bother" is that she's genuinely gifted in math and science. I worry that she's going to struggle academically -- especially in math and science -- for the next four years unless she finds her academic peers.

But socially she's a typical teen and is interested in dating and pop culture and all that stuff, and at the moment she's saying she chooses social fit over academic. I'm asking those with experience if that's a real choice or a false one.

There can be a few true genius in the Magnet program, but many are just kids who choose to work hard on various academic subjects they are interested in.

If she would like to choose social fit over academic, it is probably not the right program for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Long story short, DD and I spoke and she said she'd be willing to apply now and worry later -- if she happens to get in.

I didn't mention two things:
1. This is only our second year in MCPS, so she is not eager to start over socially all over again
2. She is "2e" (I kind of hate that jargon,) but she is "gifted" and also has ADHD and some other learning issues. So she is the type to earn A's in challenging classes and struggle in the "easy" ones. (Those of you who spend time on the Special Ed board know what I'm talking about.)

FWIW, I don't think she's worried about getting in, I think she's preoccupied with *fitting in*, which strikes me as developmentally appropriate but just possibly shortsighted. She doesn't want to be "nerdy," different, or exceptional in any way if at all possible. I'm sure some of your kids are like this...? She wants to be just like everyone else -- and at the same time, she's trying to figure out who she is.

Anyway, thanks to those that provided some insight and shared your experience. Lots of possible good paths forward. Thanks!

Glad that she is willing to apply! Couple of points:

1. If she has not struggled so far in MCPS MS (in MCPS - generally speaking - academically advanced students are less likely to have their needs met in ES/MS compared to HS), she should be fine in home HS if she ends up going there.

2. Have her look into RMIB magnet - may be she will be more open to that because it might seem less "nerdy" to her

Forgot to add:

3. Ignore the posts on MAP scores; I am sure there are students in TPMS with scores of 300+. But definitely there are others who are not in that same league. DC went through TPMS magnet and did very well without a 300+ score in MAP and then got into Blair. It is not just the MAP score that determines admission. It is just one of many factors.

+1 Some PPs don't know what they are talking about. A 279 is a very high MAP score for 8th and it would make her a very competitive candidate for Blair.

Sure, If it makes you feel better, just trying to provide factual first hand info
279 is good, but not very competitive for Blair

No - this is not "factual" info; this is your opinion.

Fact: Admissions are based on multiple factors.
Fact: An RIT score of 279 for 7th/8th grades will put that student in 99th percentile.
Fact: There are students in that RIT score range who have been admitted to Blair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Long story short, DD and I spoke and she said she'd be willing to apply now and worry later -- if she happens to get in.

I didn't mention two things:
1. This is only our second year in MCPS, so she is not eager to start over socially all over again
2. She is "2e" (I kind of hate that jargon,) but she is "gifted" and also has ADHD and some other learning issues. So she is the type to earn A's in challenging classes and struggle in the "easy" ones. (Those of you who spend time on the Special Ed board know what I'm talking about.)

FWIW, I don't think she's worried about getting in, I think she's preoccupied with *fitting in*, which strikes me as developmentally appropriate but just possibly shortsighted. She doesn't want to be "nerdy," different, or exceptional in any way if at all possible. I'm sure some of your kids are like this...? She wants to be just like everyone else -- and at the same time, she's trying to figure out who she is.

Anyway, thanks to those that provided some insight and shared your experience. Lots of possible good paths forward. Thanks!

Glad that she is willing to apply! Couple of points:

1. If she has not struggled so far in MCPS MS (in MCPS - generally speaking - academically advanced students are less likely to have their needs met in ES/MS compared to HS), she should be fine in home HS if she ends up going there.

2. Have her look into RMIB magnet - may be she will be more open to that because it might seem less "nerdy" to her

Forgot to add:

3. Ignore the posts on MAP scores; I am sure there are students in TPMS with scores of 300+. But definitely there are others who are not in that same league. DC went through TPMS magnet and did very well without a 300+ score in MAP and then got into Blair. It is not just the MAP score that determines admission. It is just one of many factors.

+1 Some PPs don't know what they are talking about. A 279 is a very high MAP score for 8th and it would make her a very competitive candidate for Blair.

Sure, If it makes you feel better, just trying to provide factual first hand info
279 is good, but not very competitive for Blair

No - this is not "factual" info; this is your opinion.

Fact: Admissions are based on multiple factors.
Fact: An RIT score of 279 for 7th/8th grades will put that student in 99th percentile.
Fact: There are students in that RIT score range who have been admitted to Blair.

The other thing people are missing in beating the *facts* to death, is that OP was told DC had the top score at the school. The significance isn't the score, it's that presumably the teacher thinks she is underserved where she is and needs encouragement. The score is an easy tangible the teacher could point to, but presumably DC stands out in more ways than that or the conversation wouldn't have happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went through RMIB some years ago. I really don't think the HS magnets are a good fit if your kid is not 100% buying in. They are a LOT of work and can be very stressful and time-consuming. For 4 years, which is eternity to a teenager. Have her apply, but if she's accepted, the final decision needs to be up to her. Because if she doesn't own it, that way lies resentment and subpar performance.

That's the old RMIB. I've heard the program is much easier now. Not necessarily a good thing for certain kids.

[Anonymous]

279 Map-M....... She won't get in.