Does a smart kid have a better shot at a top college in magnet or non-magnet high shcool?

[Anonymous]

My kids are little and I'm just curious. I could see the benefit of distinguishing yourself a bit more in a non-magnet.

[Anonymous]

Probably non-magnet. If your end goal is ONLY getting into a top school magnet is probably not the best place unless you are the absolute top of the top signed an "average" magnet parent.

For us magnet is about peer group and the ability for my DD to push herself.

[Anonymous]

If you know as a parent what needs to be done at a non-magnet school, to catapult your student to a top college, then you have a better chance then kids at a magnet school.

Unfortunately, most parents have no idea of what needs to be done, what kind of curriculum, what tests, what EC and the timeline needed to do all of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you know as a parent what needs to be done at a non-magnet school, to catapult your student to a top college, then you have a better chance then kids at a magnet school.

Unfortunately, most parents have no idea of what needs to be done, what kind of curriculum, what tests, what EC and the timeline needed to do all of that.

This. Our neighbor has 4 very smart kids and they all went to magnets in middle school. For high school she sent them to the regular school because she thinks it gives them a better shot at college picks. One of her kids is at UCLA (his first choice) and the other one recently graduated from Stanford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably non-magnet. If your end goal is ONLY getting into a top school magnet is probably not the best place unless you are the absolute top of the top signed an "average" magnet parent.

For us magnet is about peer group and the ability for my DD to push herself.

Agreed
A friend'S kid drop out of magnet HS and got in Harvard

[Anonymous]

They could also just spend their school years enjoying the enrichment and peer group in the magnet and then get into perfectly fine colleges and do just as well. Also an option.

[Anonymous]

Non magnet for sure.

The kids in schools with magnet programs that aren’t in magnet. They get royally screwed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you know as a parent what needs to be done at a non-magnet school, to catapult your student to a top college, then you have a better chance then kids at a magnet school.

Unfortunately, most parents have no idea of what needs to be done, what kind of curriculum, what tests, what EC and the timeline needed to do all of that.

This. Our neighbor has 4 very smart kids and they all went to magnets in middle school. For high school she sent them to the regular school because she thinks it gives them a better shot at college picks. One of her kids is at UCLA (his first choice) and the other one recently graduated from Stanford.

What was the "regular school" they went to? Was it a W school, a DCC school, or other?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you know as a parent what needs to be done at a non-magnet school, to catapult your student to a top college, then you have a better chance then kids at a magnet school.

Unfortunately, most parents have no idea of what needs to be done, what kind of curriculum, what tests, what EC and the timeline needed to do all of that.

This. Our neighbor has 4 very smart kids and they all went to magnets in middle school. For high school she sent them to the regular school because she thinks it gives them a better shot at college picks. One of her kids is at UCLA (his first choice) and the other one recently graduated from Stanford.

What was the "regular school" they went to? Was it a W school, a DCC school, or other?

Magruder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Non magnet for sure.

The kids in schools with magnet programs that aren’t in magnet. They get royally screwed.

I wonder if that’s true! Makes sense I guess.

Agree that your kid is probably better off being at the non-Magnet and doing really well.

[Anonymous]

Top colleges are even more selective than a magnet so if you can't get into the later you have no chance at the former.

[Anonymous]

College matriculation data for Blair and Poolesville would suggest a magnet school, assuming the kid does well. Those schools have better matriculation data than non-magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College matriculation data for Blair and Poolesville would suggest a magnet school, assuming the kid does well. Those schools have better matriculation data than non-magnets.

For having the tippy top kids out of 50,000 students, their matriculation rates are not that impressive. I much rather my kid have a normal high school life with local friends, appropriate amounts of HW, a part time job, and maybe a sport or two. Magnet kids literally are traveling on a bus or studying their entire 4 years of high school. All trying to outdo each other for top spots in colleges that have high suicide rates due to pressure and stress. I am not sure why parents are so competitive and college-crazy these days. If the end goal is an Ivy for you to feel like you were a good parent, go for it. I just want a healthy happy and mentally stable child who doesn’t feel extreme anxiety and pressure to think about a PhD at the age of 12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Top colleges are even more selective than a magnet so if you can't get into the later you have no chance at the former.

But the MCPS data says otherwise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Top colleges are even more selective than a magnet so if you can't get into the later you have no chance at the former.

But the MCPS data says otherwise

Silly, you're looking at the wrong data. It clearly does.