Recommend your public HS in Montgomery or Howard County - Looking for solid academics AND diversity

[Anonymous]

Hi,

AA mom with 3 children here. We are planning to move to Maryland next year. I am open to any County but those have been recommended as having good school districts and a diverse student body. I really need HS, MS and ES recommendations but I want to start looking at HSs. Thank you for any suggestions!

[Anonymous]

This will depend on where you are commuting to, but we’ve been happy at Reservoir in Howard County. It’s diverse and the academics are good.

[Anonymous]

Quince Orchard HS and Northwest HS in Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Blair HS in MontCo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blair HS in MontCo

+1, and look at the areas feeding to Takoma Park Middle School in particular. Living there will give you a greater chance of entry into magnet/enriched programs in the future. And they're also just great, diverse schools.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to PPs for the Blair HS recommendation! I would not have known as the Greater School rating is a 5 out of 10
I like the racial distribution a lot but this school is big, no?

[Anonymous]

Quince Orchard HS Montgomery County, MD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to PPs for the Blair HS recommendation! I would not have known as the Greater School rating is a 5 out of 10
I like the racial distribution a lot but this school is big, no?

I'm not the PP, but Blair is enormous and the size can mask a lot of good things happening there. I don't have kids at Blair, but I am in-bounds. All of the Blair kids I know (and it's all of the high school aged kids in the neighborhood over the last decade) are successful, well-adjusted, socially conscious and engaged, and go on to great colleges and universities.

If the GS score scares you, I get it, but I would put it on your list of schools to get to know a bit better and go beyond the score. Click around the website, look at student government and other initiatives and note the critical mass of high-performing kids of color. It's a pretty special place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to PPs for the Blair HS recommendation! I would not have known as the Greater School rating is a 5 out of 10
I like the racial distribution a lot but this school is big, no?

I'm not the PP, but Blair is enormous and the size can mask a lot of good things happening there. I don't have kids at Blair, but I am in-bounds. All of the Blair kids I know (and it's all of the high school aged kids in the neighborhood over the last decade) are successful, well-adjusted, socially conscious and engaged, and go on to great colleges and universities.

If the GS score scares you, I get it, but I would put it on your list of schools to get to know a bit better and go beyond the score. Click around the website, look at student government and other initiatives and note the critical mass of high-performing kids of color. It's a pretty special place.

It sounds like any HS in MCPS which has the diversity the OP needs, would work fine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to PPs for the Blair HS recommendation! I would not have known as the Greater School rating is a 5 out of 10
I like the racial distribution a lot but this school is big, no?

I'm not the PP, but Blair is enormous and the size can mask a lot of good things happening there. I don't have kids at Blair, but I am in-bounds. All of the Blair kids I know (and it's all of the high school aged kids in the neighborhood over the last decade) are successful, well-adjusted, socially conscious and engaged, and go on to great colleges and universities.

If the GS score scares you, I get it, but I would put it on your list of schools to get to know a bit better and go beyond the score. Click around the website, look at student government and other initiatives and note the critical mass of high-performing kids of color. It's a pretty special place.

It sounds like any HS in MCPS which has the diversity the OP needs, would work fine?

I agree. I don't know much about HoCo schools but MoCo has lots of diversity. Where are you working and what is your rough budget OP?

[Anonymous]

OP, I might also look at Walter Johnson in addition to Blair--these two would be my choices (AA family in NW DC).

[Anonymous]

What kind of “diversity” do you mean? Honest question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to PPs for the Blair HS recommendation! I would not have known as the Greater School rating is a 5 out of 10
I like the racial distribution a lot but this school is big, no?

I'm not the PP, but Blair is enormous and the size can mask a lot of good things happening there. I don't have kids at Blair, but I am in-bounds. All of the Blair kids I know (and it's all of the high school aged kids in the neighborhood over the last decade) are successful, well-adjusted, socially conscious and engaged, and go on to great colleges and universities.

If the GS score scares you, I get it, but I would put it on your list of schools to get to know a bit better and go beyond the score. Click around the website, look at student government and other initiatives and note the critical mass of high-performing kids of color. It's a pretty special place.

It sounds like any HS in MCPS which has the diversity the OP needs, would work fine?

+1 The highest "ranked" schools are all going to lack the diversity OP is looking for. Of the highly ranked schools, B-CC is the most diverse. If commute isn't a problem (and maybe it isn't based on OP looking in either HCPS or MCPS), then Quince Orchard is a great suggestion. But if she doesn't have $1m+ for B-CC and needs a decent commute to DC, TPMS to Blair is a strong option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I might also look at Walter Johnson in addition to Blair--these two would be my choices (AA family in NW DC).

PP again. Depending on budget and commute, would add in B-CC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of “diversity” do you mean? Honest question.

For example: 1/4 white, 1/4 black, 1/4 Hispanic, 1/4 other

And I would love majority middle class with some working class.