MCPS v FCPS?

[Anonymous]

First - all the caveats. Non-scientific, last year's news, Washingtonian, etc. But I was curious if it is widely accepted that MCPS send more kids to elite colleges than FCPS? And, if so, why? Other than TJ, more MCPS public high schools make this list of schools with most 3 of kids sent to Harvard, Princeton, MIT. I grew up in MCPS (at one of the schools that made the list) but my kids are in FCPS.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/10/10/which-local-schools-have-the-most-graduates-go-on-to-the-ivy-league/

Is it demographics? Is it that there are more good VA state colleges that attract the top kids?

I promise I am purely curious - no dog in this fight - as I was happy with my PS experience and with that of my kids. Just interested in people's theories.

[Anonymous]

This article is fking stupid. The reason the public schools are at the top is because they're looking at sheer numbers, not percentage of the class. Public schools are bigger than private schools, with almost no exception.

[Anonymous]

Ok, but then why do more large public MCPS make the list than large FCPS schools? That was my question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, but then why do more large public MCPS make the list than large FCPS schools? That was my question.

And if you add in the kids from private schools, then the numbers would be higher.

Also, MCPS is smaller than FCPS and has a higher FARMs rate.

So, OP's question is quite interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, but then why do more large public MCPS make the list than large FCPS schools? That was my question.

Because many of the top kids based at FCPS high schools go to TJ?

[Anonymous]

MCPS overall has more caring teachers

[Anonymous]

Look at the overall distribution not which schools are on top, including TJ they are pretty similar. TJ just skims the top (at least in STEM) from primarily FCPS schools. If there's any remaining differences it's likely because VA has UVA, W&M and VT (for engineering) as really attractive public in-state options whereas UM-CP while a great school is a bit close for many MCPS kids. Any possibly that there's a bit more of the "old money" types in some areas of MCPS that have ivy legacy than in FCPS. Just my hunches though. In my kid's school there was a kid who won a major national award, tons of other awards, was a NMF, top grades including taking beyond AP Calc etc. and he didn't apply to any Ivy's and is going to UVA.

[Anonymous]

TJ is a larger and stronger magnet than any school in MCPS; there are more Ivy legacies in MoCo than Fairfax; and the state schools in VA are stronger (while they are not HYPC-level, it’s common for FCPS kids to turn down schools like Brown or Cornell for UVA or W&M).

Adjust for those factors and you’ll be close to an answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, but then why do more large public MCPS make the list than large FCPS schools? That was my question.

Because many of the top kids based at FCPS high schools go to TJ?

I feel like this is the biggest point OP is missing. In FCPS instead of having say a dozen HS listed for a few kids each, many of these kids ended up at TJ instead. Looking at the # of schools, as OP is comparing, is a meaningless metric.

[Anonymous]

If you add the totals from the MCPS schools the article lists, it’s 77. TJ was 79. Seems pretty close to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you add the totals from the MCPS schools the article lists, it’s 77. TJ was 79. Seems pretty close to me.

Except FCPS has a larger student body than MCPS, and a smaller FARMs rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ is a larger and stronger magnet than any school in MCPS; there are more Ivy legacies in MoCo than Fairfax; and the state schools in VA are stronger (while they are not HYPC-level, it’s common for FCPS kids to turn down schools like Brown or Cornell for UVA or W&M).

Adjust for those factors and you’ll be close to an answer.

That is because MCPS does not have any full school magnets. The magnets are very strong but get mixed in with non magnet stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ is a larger and stronger magnet than any school in MCPS; there are more Ivy legacies in MoCo than Fairfax; and the state schools in VA are stronger (while they are not HYPC-level, it’s common for FCPS kids to turn down schools like Brown or Cornell for UVA or W&M).

Adjust for those factors and you’ll be close to an answer.

That is because MCPS does not have any full school magnets. The magnets are very strong but get mixed in with non magnet stats.

I think the replies from the above two responses are the answer to the OP. MCPS and FCPS are comparable, but if I were choosing a place to settle just for the kids' school, I would choose FCPS. You get same public school education like MCPS, same chance to go for elite colleges, but if you don't reach the top you have more and better state colleges to fall back on than if you were in Maryland. Much better deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, but then why do more large public MCPS make the list than large FCPS schools? That was my question.

#1) TJ. The majority of FCPS kids who go to HYPS end up at TJ. So the concentration of upper SEC goes there. Essentially, TJ is like the combination of the top 3 schools combined.
#2) Even though it appears that MCPS has more schools with higher HYPS acceptance, FCPS actually sends more kids: 106 vs. 94 (based on public only, top 8 schools in each county). That is 12.7% difference, means that there is a higher overall rate..
#3) The list doesn't address the number of kids that end up going to HYPS- so you are seeing the number of schools vs. number of kids. But as TJ draws from all of the schools in the area, it's almost impossible to really guage where these kids would go and how it would effect HYPS acceptance.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks, All! I appreciate the thoughts.