The deflated grading is just exhausting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the good news, after 4 years, your kid will be incredibly well prepared for college and likely find college to be easy.

-parent of big3 kids who are in college

I am not sure how that is "good" news. Also, are you claiming Big3 kids are somehow able to just waltz through college senior-level STEM classes because of their Big3 training?

My class of '22 big 3 grad is killing it currently at their T15 school. They are not waltzing, no, but they work fairly hard and get results that are superior to most of their T15 peers, so far.

Their professors repeatedly tell them what an excellent writer and thinker they are, actually. One prof, who many DC parents would know, called my kid a 'standout.' I attribute a LOT of this to kid's HS experience, which was indeed rigorous. And excellent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the good news, after 4 years, your kid will be incredibly well prepared for college and likely find college to be easy.

-parent of big3 kids who are in college

Who cares if they find college easy?
The high school years are key developmental years and should not be shrugged off so lightly. I think you have it backwards. My niece and nephew went to DCPS and are both at middle ivys. They are doing well. They are not flunking out. Yes, they work very hard in college but clearly they learned plenty in DCPS. NCS, Sidwell, etc., are overkill and it is high time that they got rid of grade deflation

Cool story -- which sports do your niece and nephew play at their respective Ivies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the good news, after 4 years, your kid will be incredibly well prepared for college and likely find college to be easy.

-parent of big3 kids who are in college

I am not sure how that is "good" news. Also, are you claiming Big3 kids are somehow able to just waltz through college senior-level STEM classes because of their Big3 training?

My class of '22 big 3 grad is killing it currently at their T15 school. They are not waltzing, no, but they work fairly hard and get results that are superior to most of their T15 peers, so far.

Their professors repeatedly tell them what an excellent writer and thinker they are, actually. One prof, who many DC parents would know, called my kid a 'standout.' I attribute a LOT of this to kid's HS experience, which was indeed rigorous. And excellent.

So…not STEM major?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The point of going to a top 3 school is to get a demanding, rigorous education.

If you’re not happy with it, switch to public or Maret or field or someplace like that.

Was your child admitted early, like in kindergarten or elementary? Maybe it’s not the right fit.

Bs are one thing by getting multiple scores like 75 or 65 could be a sign your kid shouldn’t be of the school.

I tire The people who get their kids into super progress schools and then complain that they are too rigorous.

Oh please, not the OP but you are full of it. And, your reading comprehension is lacking. OP said what class averages were really low. Her child is doing much better than the lower average. The OP takes issue with the excessively unnecessary grind combined with the harsh and demoralizing grading. I agree with OP, as someone who has three kids at a big three, that the grade deflation is ridiculous and unnecessary. The kids should be graded fairly. A work deserves an A. Stupid to force a curve or grade distribution, doesn't add anything to the rigor or what the kids are learning. Before you say well go to another school, options are bleak. It shouldn't be all or nothing but it is. If you want your child to get a certain kind of education that there are tradeoffs. Doesn't mean we as parents have to be happy with the bad.

Here's a crazy question- why did you choose to send your kid to a school notorious for the grind and grade deflation? There are dozens of privates in the area that offer comparable educations minus the misery, but big 3 families somehow see it as a badge of pride. None of these schools make any secret of their culture, but somehow it shifts from a great thing when families apply to a terrible thing when they realize they have a 3 GPA

The bolded just isn't true. You cannot name 4 schools -- let alone "dozens" -- that provide a high school school education on par with Sidwell. Hint: it's not St. Andrews. Or Bullis or Field or Madeira or Potomac or St. Anselms

How can you make this claim? Are Sidwell kids winning prestigious academic awards? What objective basis are you using to argue that these other privates are not on par?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the good news, after 4 years, your kid will be incredibly well prepared for college and likely find college to be easy.

-parent of big3 kids who are in college

I am not sure how that is "good" news. Also, are you claiming Big3 kids are somehow able to just waltz through college senior-level STEM classes because of their Big3 training?

My class of '22 big 3 grad is killing it currently at their T15 school. They are not waltzing, no, but they work fairly hard and get results that are superior to most of their T15 peers, so far.

Their professors repeatedly tell them what an excellent writer and thinker they are, actually. One prof, who many DC parents would know, called my kid a 'standout.' I attribute a LOT of this to kid's HS experience, which was indeed rigorous. And excellent.

Are you now claiming your Big3 grad is superior to the boarding school and LA/NYC private school kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced the point is: to learn to handle pressure. Intense pressure because this is how, this echelon of students, will advance in the adult world of work. Making hard choices, working at maximum efficiency, managing stress at the highest professional levels. I don't believe it's generally about the mastery of subject matter.

This. It's training for Wall Street, Medical Residency, the big Law firm, etc where the they basically work the crap out of you 24/7 when you are just out of school. Those that were trained to handle the crushing load and high stress in high school will have an advantage. Is it worth it in the end? That's a personal/family decision.

I am not sure you understand Wall Street training. The actual work as an IBanking analyst literally does not require more than an 8th grade education…but you need to know how to handle lots of verbal abuse, having your weekends canceled on Friday at 6pm, etc. In my experience, where you went to HS might be helpful in getting a job, but there is no correlation in terms of the kids that stick it out and the ones that quit after a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the good news, after 4 years, your kid will be incredibly well prepared for college and likely find college to be easy.

-parent of big3 kids who are in college

Who cares if they find college easy?
The high school years are key developmental years and should not be shrugged off so lightly. I think you have it backwards. My niece and nephew went to DCPS and are both at middle ivys. They are doing well. They are not flunking out. Yes, they work very hard in college but clearly they learned plenty in DCPS. NCS, Sidwell, etc., are overkill and it is high time that they got rid of grade deflation

Cool story -- which sports do your niece and nephew play at their respective Ivies?

They both played high school sports but no sports in college. They were not good enough to be recruited

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real question is "why is grade inflation so rampant at most schools?"

My kid goes to a similar (boarding) school with no inflation and "real" grades. The grading here in the schools is a joke--just read all the parents posting about 10 APs and GPAs of 4.5 or whatever. Some schools have more than 50% of their kids with As. The bell curve is dead.

You read on the college forum here about public school kids with 10 APs and 4.5 GPAs but the kids have a low SAT or ACT. However, they insist there is no grade inflation at their public school, their kids are “bad test takers” and the SAT/ACT aren’t relevant, are racist, etc. How did they get a 4.5 if they are not good at tests? Retakes? In contrast, my Big3 kids had 3.2 and 3.4 GPAs and ACT of 33 and 34.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced the point is: to learn to handle pressure. Intense pressure because this is how, this echelon of students, will advance in the adult world of work. Making hard choices, working at maximum efficiency, managing stress at the highest professional levels. I don't believe it's generally about the mastery of subject matter.

This. It's training for Wall Street, Medical Residency, the big Law firm, etc where the they basically work the crap out of you 24/7 when you are just out of school. Those that were trained to handle the crushing load and high stress in high school will have an advantage. Is it worth it in the end? That's a personal/family decision.

I am not sure you understand Wall Street training. The actual work as an IBanking analyst literally does not require more than an 8th grade education…but you need to know how to handle lots of verbal abuse, having your weekends canceled on Friday at 6pm, etc. In my experience, where you went to HS might be helpful in getting a job, but there is no correlation in terms of the kids that stick it out and the ones that quit after a year.

This is true. I don’t agree with the 8th grade education comment though. You need to be smart and have basic college level skills. But the work is mundane and boring. And it is a toxic culture. And your health suffers from the stress and constant sleep deprivation. And emotional abuse is not uncommon. I don’t want that for my kid, do you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real question is "why is grade inflation so rampant at most schools?"

My kid goes to a similar (boarding) school with no inflation and "real" grades. The grading here in the schools is a joke--just read all the parents posting about 10 APs and GPAs of 4.5 or whatever. Some schools have more than 50% of their kids with As. The bell curve is dead.

You read on the college forum here about public school kids with 10 APs and 4.5 GPAs but the kids have a low SAT or ACT. However, they insist there is no grade inflation at their public school, their kids are “bad test takers” and the SAT/ACT aren’t relevant, are racist, etc. How did they get a 4.5 if they are not good at tests? Retakes? In contrast, my Big3 kids had 3.2 and 3.4 GPAs and ACT of 33 and 34.

Actually…the forum is heavily populated with what you say above and a 1590 SAT on the first try…and my poor baby was rejected everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced the point is: to learn to handle pressure. Intense pressure because this is how, this echelon of students, will advance in the adult world of work. Making hard choices, working at maximum efficiency, managing stress at the highest professional levels. I don't believe it's generally about the mastery of subject matter.

This. It's training for Wall Street, Medical Residency, the big Law firm, etc where the they basically work the crap out of you 24/7 when you are just out of school. Those that were trained to handle the crushing load and high stress in high school will have an advantage. Is it worth it in the end? That's a personal/family decision.

I am not sure you understand Wall Street training. The actual work as an IBanking analyst literally does not require more than an 8th grade education…but you need to know how to handle lots of verbal abuse, having your weekends canceled on Friday at 6pm, etc. In my experience, where you went to HS might be helpful in getting a job, but there is no correlation in terms of the kids that stick it out and the ones that quit after a year.

You missed the point (OP here but I wasn't the poster you're replying to). It's not the academics that the poster is saying prepares these kids for these careers. It's the grind. They know how to live with no time margin, little sleep, no mistakes, no retakes, no late work ever, etc.
It's the crappy part of these high schools that prepares them well for careers that also demand one's whole life.

Frankly I think these high school experiences suck and so do these jobs (having experience with one myself and not wishing it on my kids) but they are remarkably similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced the point is: to learn to handle pressure. Intense pressure because this is how, this echelon of students, will advance in the adult world of work. Making hard choices, working at maximum efficiency, managing stress at the highest professional levels. I don't believe it's generally about the mastery of subject matter.

This. It's training for Wall Street, Medical Residency, the big Law firm, etc where the they basically work the crap out of you 24/7 when you are just out of school. Those that were trained to handle the crushing load and high stress in high school will have an advantage. Is it worth it in the end? That's a personal/family decision.

I am not sure you understand Wall Street training. The actual work as an IBanking analyst literally does not require more than an 8th grade education…but you need to know how to handle lots of verbal abuse, having your weekends canceled on Friday at 6pm, etc. In my experience, where you went to HS might be helpful in getting a job, but there is no correlation in terms of the kids that stick it out and the ones that quit after a year.

This is true. I don’t agree with the 8th grade education comment though. You need to be smart and have basic college level skills. But the work is mundane and boring. And it is a toxic culture. And your health suffers from the stress and constant sleep deprivation. And emotional abuse is not uncommon. I don’t want that for my kid, do you?

Why on 8th grade…I never used more than Algebra I math (and that’s probably a stretch). You need a mature level of thinking, but the actual skills used are fairly low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced the point is: to learn to handle pressure. Intense pressure because this is how, this echelon of students, will advance in the adult world of work. Making hard choices, working at maximum efficiency, managing stress at the highest professional levels. I don't believe it's generally about the mastery of subject matter.

This. It's training for Wall Street, Medical Residency, the big Law firm, etc where the they basically work the crap out of you 24/7 when you are just out of school. Those that were trained to handle the crushing load and high stress in high school will have an advantage. Is it worth it in the end? That's a personal/family decision.

I am not sure you understand Wall Street training. The actual work as an IBanking analyst literally does not require more than an 8th grade education…but you need to know how to handle lots of verbal abuse, having your weekends canceled on Friday at 6pm, etc. In my experience, where you went to HS might be helpful in getting a job, but there is no correlation in terms of the kids that stick it out and the ones that quit after a year.

You missed the point (OP here but I wasn't the poster you're replying to). It's not the academics that the poster is saying prepares these kids for these careers. It's the grind. They know how to live with no time margin, little sleep, no mistakes, no retakes, no late work ever, etc.
It's the crappy part of these high schools that prepares them well for careers that also demand one's whole life.

Frankly I think these high school experiences suck and so do these jobs (having experience with one myself and not wishing it on my kids) but they are remarkably similar.

I get the point exactly…but having worked on Wall Street I know that the private school kids are just as likely to say “f**k it” and quit after a year as anyone else. You must have witnessed it as well.

Imagine you put in all the hours and your work product is excellent but you used the wrong font. You wouldn’t believe how many analysts were ripped a new one for something like that. Do Big3 teachers curse at you when you make minor mistakes? Are you likely to get an F or expelled because you had to pull two all-nighters and passed out…but you missed the deadline for a meaningless company pitch (happened to one of my colleagues…out of the hospital, ok…well you’re fired).

Also, 4 years of college can do a lot to unlearn the habits you mention.

[Anonymous]

We sent our last kid to an “easier” high school after our experiences with the grading and pressure at Sidwell/Cathedral schools. It has been so eye opening. Happier kid, learning tons, more free time, more sleep and vastly higher grades!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced the point is: to learn to handle pressure. Intense pressure because this is how, this echelon of students, will advance in the adult world of work. Making hard choices, working at maximum efficiency, managing stress at the highest professional levels. I don't believe it's generally about the mastery of subject matter.

This. It's training for Wall Street, Medical Residency, the big Law firm, etc where the they basically work the crap out of you 24/7 when you are just out of school. Those that were trained to handle the crushing load and high stress in high school will have an advantage. Is it worth it in the end? That's a personal/family decision.

I am not sure you understand Wall Street training. The actual work as an IBanking analyst literally does not require more than an 8th grade education…but you need to know how to handle lots of verbal abuse, having your weekends canceled on Friday at 6pm, etc. In my experience, where you went to HS might be helpful in getting a job, but there is no correlation in terms of the kids that stick it out and the ones that quit after a year.

You missed the point (OP here but I wasn't the poster you're replying to). It's not the academics that the poster is saying prepares these kids for these careers. It's the grind. They know how to live with no time margin, little sleep, no mistakes, no retakes, no late work ever, etc.
It's the crappy part of these high schools that prepares them well for careers that also demand one's whole life.

Frankly I think these high school experiences suck and so do these jobs (having experience with one myself and not wishing it on my kids) but they are remarkably similar.

+1