Frost Middle or Carson?

[Anonymous]

We plan to buy a house either within Carson Middle AAP or Frost AAP. I like the fact that Carson is more rigorous and sends more kids to TJ, but it's 20 miles away from TJ high. Frost is a good school and much closer to TJ. I do think DS has a good chance to be admitted to TJ even being at Frost. However, my concern is that kids from Carson would have stronger foundation than those from Frost. Then, my DD is not as advanced. She might just go to the high school within the boundary. Woodson is great as well as Oakton, but I feel that Oakton is stronger academically. I am not too sure about Chantilly. Southlake seems quite far behind.

I would appreciate your insights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We plan to buy a house either within Carson Middle AAP or Frost AAP. I like the fact that Carson is more rigorous and sends more kids to TJ, but it's 20 miles away from TJ high. Frost is a good school and much closer to TJ. I do think DS has a good chance to be admitted to TJ even being at Frost. However, my concern is that kids from Carson would have stronger foundation than those from Frost. Then, my DD is not as advanced. She might just go to the high school within the boundary. Woodson is great as well as Oakton, but I feel that Oakton is stronger academically. I am not too sure about Chantilly. Southlake seems quite far behind.

I would appreciate your insights.

Carson has a huge number of students admitted to TJ each year, but that's mostly because they have by far the biggest applicant pool to TJ. Their admission rate is not appreciably better than Kilmer, Rocky Run, Luther Jackson, Frost, Longfellow, or Cooper.

The community is much better at Frost - Carson's is toxic and hyper-competitive, basically a mini-TJ both in terms of demographic and attitude. And if you don't happen to get into TJ, Woodson is a much better academic HS than any of the ones you'd have access to in Carson's AAP catchment.

[Anonymous]

Of the FCPS AAP centers that serve reasonably high SES populations, Carson is easily the least rigorous. One of the reasons so many kids get into TJ is that their academic classes are much easier than at the other AAP centers, so the kids have more time to do more extracurricular activities and do additional TJ prep, making their applications appear stronger while actually being less qualified. While of course there are Carson students who do quite well at TJ and students from other schools who struggle, on the whole they are the least academically prepared of the students coming from the major AAP centers.

-former FCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

I am a Carson parent and disagree with the previous two posts.

The community is much better at Frost - Carson's is toxic and hyper-competitive, basically a mini-TJ both in terms of demographic and attitude.

Nope, I have not found it so. Did you have kids at both, is that why you claim to know this?

No evidence that Carson is less rigorous. Do Carson kids fail to finish TJ at a higher rate because they are “less prepared”? I doubt it, but show me the evidence if so.

As for high schools, it’s really more about your kid than the school itself. Your DD could do just as well at Oakton as at Woodson or SL - if she does the work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a Carson parent and disagree with the previous two posts.

The community is much better at Frost - Carson's is toxic and hyper-competitive, basically a mini-TJ both in terms of demographic and attitude.

Nope, I have not found it so. Did you have kids at both, is that why you claim to know this?

No evidence that Carson is less rigorous. Do Carson kids fail to finish TJ at a higher rate because they are “less prepared”? I doubt it, but show me the evidence if so.

As for high schools, it’s really more about your kid than the school itself. Your DD could do just as well at Oakton as at Woodson or SL - if she does the work.

No, but I know hundreds of kids from Carson and dozens of kids from Frost (who all went to TJ) and I trust their assertions.

[Anonymous]

[img] Thank you very much for all your replies! I do believe there are other things just equally important as academic achievements. We would enjoy a community that is clean, people follow rules, polite, and care for your neighbors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of the FCPS AAP centers that serve reasonably high SES populations, Carson is easily the least rigorous. One of the reasons so many kids get into TJ is that their academic classes are much easier than at the other AAP centers, so the kids have more time to do more extracurricular activities and do additional TJ prep, making their applications appear stronger while actually being less qualified. While of course there are Carson students who do quite well at TJ and students from other schools who struggle, on the whole they are the least academically prepared of the students coming from the major AAP centers.

-former FCPS teacher

That's really good to learn and I believe this is probably true since you are a former teacher. I would think TJ knows about the gimmick, but how do you know who is heavily prepped and might struggle in TJ later on and who is real gold. I imagine the selection is less consideration than the Ivy colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the FCPS AAP centers that serve reasonably high SES populations, Carson is easily the least rigorous. One of the reasons so many kids get into TJ is that their academic classes are much easier than at the other AAP centers, so the kids have more time to do more extracurricular activities and do additional TJ prep, making their applications appear stronger while actually being less qualified. While of course there are Carson students who do quite well at TJ and students from other schools who struggle, on the whole they are the least academically prepared of the students coming from the major AAP centers.

-former FCPS teacher

That's really good to learn and I believe this is probably true since you are a former teacher. I would think TJ knows about the gimmick, but how do you know who is heavily prepped and might struggle in TJ later on and who is real gold. I imagine the selection is less consideration than the Ivy colleges.

Of course TJ knows who Carson kids are, and it is asinine to think they’d let those kids in if they were “unprepared”.

[Anonymous]

No, but I know hundreds of kids from Carson and dozens of kids from Frost (who all went to TJ) and I trust their assertions

If this is your idea of “data” you really shouldn’t talk about admission to a rigorous science school.

“Some kids said...” Oy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No, but I know hundreds of kids from Carson and dozens of kids from Frost (who all went to TJ) and I trust their assertions

If this is your idea of “data” you really shouldn’t talk about admission to a rigorous science school.

“Some kids said...” Oy.

One learns about a community by talking to its members. That's not exactly controversial. Nor is the assertion that Carson's AAP environment is hyper-focused on TJ admissions. People know this to be a thing and it's borne out in the application numbers and the crowds at their TJ information sessions. If you want, you know, data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, but I know hundreds of kids from Carson and dozens of kids from Frost (who all went to TJ) and I trust their assertions

If this is your idea of “data” you really shouldn’t talk about admission to a rigorous science school.

“Some kids said...” Oy.

One learns about a community by talking to its members. That's not exactly controversial. Nor is the assertion that Carson's AAP environment is hyper-focused on TJ admissions. People know this to be a thing and it's borne out in the application numbers and the crowds at their TJ information sessions. If you want, you know, data.

Carson's kids are no more or less "prepared" than those from any other AAP school. There are just way the hell more of them because TJ is such an enormous part of the culture there and basically everyone applies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, but I know hundreds of kids from Carson and dozens of kids from Frost (who all went to TJ) and I trust their assertions

If this is your idea of “data” you really shouldn’t talk about admission to a rigorous science school.

“Some kids said...” Oy.

One learns about a community by talking to its members. That's not exactly controversial. Nor is the assertion that Carson's AAP environment is hyper-focused on TJ admissions. People know this to be a thing and it's borne out in the application numbers and the crowds at their TJ information sessions. If you want, you know, data.

Carson's kids are no more or less "prepared" than those from any other AAP school. There are just way the hell more of them because TJ is such an enormous part of the culture there and basically everyone applies.[/quoteI

I agree. Then I would assume my kids would be more motivated when their friends are working super hard to get in TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, but I know hundreds of kids from Carson and dozens of kids from Frost (who all went to TJ) and I trust their assertions

If this is your idea of “data” you really shouldn’t talk about admission to a rigorous science school.

“Some kids said...” Oy.

One learns about a community by talking to its members. That's not exactly controversial. Nor is the assertion that Carson's AAP environment is hyper-focused on TJ admissions. People know this to be a thing and it's borne out in the application numbers and the crowds at their TJ information sessions. If you want, you know, data.

Carson's kids are no more or less "prepared" than those from any other AAP school. There are just way the hell more of them because TJ is such an enormous part of the culture there and basically everyone applies.

It’s a bit odd that FCPS has some AAP centers that only serve a single pyramid, while Carson has AAP kids whose base schools include parts of Chantilly, Oakton, South Lakes and Westfield. Not surprisingly, it’s the biggest AAP MS in the county and has the most applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, but I know hundreds of kids from Carson and dozens of kids from Frost (who all went to TJ) and I trust their assertions

If this is your idea of “data” you really shouldn’t talk about admission to a rigorous science school.

“Some kids said...” Oy.

One learns about a community by talking to its members. That's not exactly controversial. Nor is the assertion that Carson's AAP environment is hyper-focused on TJ admissions. People know this to be a thing and it's borne out in the application numbers and the crowds at their TJ information sessions. If you want, you know, data.

Carson's kids are no more or less "prepared" than those from any other AAP school. There are just way the hell more of them because TJ is such an enormous part of the culture there and basically everyone applies.

It’s a bit odd that FCPS has some AAP centers that only serve a single pyramid, while Carson has AAP kids whose base schools include parts of Chantilly, Oakton, South Lakes and Westfield. Not surprisingly, it’s the biggest AAP MS in the county and has the most applicants.

I wonder about this as well! Oakton high school has more kids than most other FCPS high schools. Is Oakton physically larger than other high schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We plan to buy a house either within Carson Middle AAP or Frost AAP. I like the fact that Carson is more rigorous and sends more kids to TJ, but it's 20 miles away from TJ high. Frost is a good school and much closer to TJ. I do think DS has a good chance to be admitted to TJ even being at Frost. However, my concern is that kids from Carson would have stronger foundation than those from Frost. Then, my DD is not as advanced. She might just go to the high school within the boundary. Woodson is great as well as Oakton, but I feel that Oakton is stronger academically. I am not too sure about Chantilly. Southlake seems quite far behind.

I would appreciate your insights.

Carson has a huge number of students admitted to TJ each year, but that's mostly because they have by far the biggest applicant pool to TJ. Their admission rate is not appreciably better than Kilmer, Rocky Run, Luther Jackson, Frost, Longfellow, or Cooper.

The community is much better at Frost - Carson's is toxic and hyper-competitive, basically a mini-TJ both in terms of demographic and attitude. And if you don't happen to get into TJ, Woodson is a much better academic HS than any of the ones you'd have access to in Carson's AAP catchment.

I dont hink Carson is toxic and hyper competitive and not a mini TJ. All these descriptions apply only to Long Fellow.