College admissions really does start in middle school

[Anonymous]

It sucks, but you can take Geo & Alg 2 concurrently. Typically that can mean forgoing an elective but your kid’s future is not screwed by not taking Algebra 1 in middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand what the OP is saying. My oldest is smart in math but I did not push him. He scored advanced on every elementary and middle school standardized test and got As in math. I assumed the school was placing him correctly. It wasn’t until the spring of 8th grade with HS course placement that I realized my mistake – since he did not take Algebra I in MS, it limited his options.
Now – this did not hurt his college applications because he wasn’t applying to T20 schools. His major is Computer Science at a well-known state flagship. He is taking Calc 1 this semester.
My youngest, we talked to the school to place him appropriately so he would complete Alg I in 8th grade. He’s in 10th now, in Alg II

I was so clueless about this I tried to get my DS out of the advanced math track at the start of 9th grade.
He didn’t agree so he stayed in and got A’s and 5’s in Calc AB and BC.
I definitely think it mattered to his college outcome. A lot of parents at our private school were definitely surprised to find out how much it mattered for admissions for their kids who were interested not just in Engineering but Econ as well as it being nearly required for all of the private T20’s regardless of major

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best thing is to have parents who aren't obsessive stress cases. Which seems to be 90% of the parents on DCUM.

What are you talking about? A lot of kids genuinely get mad if they can’t pass tryouts in high school or can’t get into their dream colleges

The above makes me think how giving out kids tools to cope with life is probably one of the most important things one can do as a parent. Especially given things are going to get messier. Maybe focus on that OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sty most kids done with all APs in 10th. Most only take those on a full schedule across all classes then it is off to IB. They steal all your Cornell slots. NYU slots. U Chi spots. Williams spots. Columbia slots. Wake up! You lost the game not being born in the right city.

The kids from the DMV public magnets do pretty well too. Thomas Jefferson has been one of the top 10 feeder HSs for Harvard over the last 15 years.

This is verifiable b.s. TJ sent 6 out of 500 students to Harvard in 2024, barely 1% and hardly impressive when the Harvard admission rate is 4%. All the NYC top privates send at least 10% to Harvard every year. polarislist.com

You do realize that 4% doesn’t mean 4% from every school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my kids was not put in the highest math track in middle school (our highest is Algebra 1 in 8th...so its only one year advanced). It definitely has had repercussions now that he is in HS. I wish I had known more in order to advocate, honestly I just trusted the school.

This was my situation with my oldest. However, don’t lose faith. My son was accepted to several state flagship schools with a major in CS. And he did not take calculus at all in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The biggest thing is math placement. If you don’t get into an advanced track early on, you probably won’t be able to take AP calculus in high school, which is a problem if you want to major in STEM.

It also matters when it comes to extracurriculars like sports, music, or STEM competitions. It’s extremely hard to do well in those activities if you don’t start early well before high school

My DD is a recruited athlete for cross country and she started running for the first time in her life in grade 9.

cross country is one sport that's possible to not pick up until high school and do very well. Many of my DD's friends have. It's an endurance sport. I think poster was talking about sports like basketball, lacrosse etc that require a lot of different skills that a lot of kids train, develop and pick up on and do travel sports at a much younger age.

I think you can pick up lacrosse later if you are a legit athlete.

Also, there are plenty of kids that start playing football in high school.

Didn't mention football. I guess I was more referring to Basketball. My kid played in Traveling and AAU since 6th grade for development.

[Anonymous]

My worst nightmare is to come back in my next life as a kid being pushed by some DCUM crazy to get into a good college by (1) excelling in STEM or (2) playing travel sports.

Signed,
Alum of what DCUM generally regards as the best private school in DC

[Anonymous]

Good thing none of my kids had any desire to major in STEM - or be athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really doesn't, OP.

If you let your kid be kid, do their best, stay psychologiclaly healthy, they will search and choose a college they love that is a good fit for them and go on to succeed and live a happy life.

This. My ex was a bum so I raised our son alone as a single mom. I made little money as a new teacher and he got free meals, free preschool, etc. He just graduated from college with a communications degree and got a good job. He’s will pay off his student loans by this time next year with his side gigs. He has great friends and still likes spending time with me. He shouldn’t be where he is now but he has been successful in school despite ADHD and challenges in math. He is a good writer so he found a university we could afford and majored something he did well in.

[Anonymous]

I’m a latecomer to this thread and am jumping right in. Accelerated math. I knew many kids at private and public schools (early 90’s) who took the traditional, standard track- algebra in 9th grade, geometry in 10th, and trig in 11th. And many of them are now successful doctors and engineers. The kids who made it to Calc BC were rare. I wonder if too much acceleration too soon can backfire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sty most kids done with all APs in 10th. Most only take those on a full schedule across all classes then it is off to IB. They steal all your Cornell slots. NYU slots. U Chi spots. Williams spots. Columbia slots. Wake up! You lost the game not being born in the right city.

The kids from the DMV public magnets do pretty well too. Thomas Jefferson has been one of the top 10 feeder HSs for Harvard over the last 15 years.

This is verifiable b.s. TJ sent 6 out of 500 students to Harvard in 2024, barely 1% and hardly impressive when the Harvard admission rate is 4%. All the NYC top privates send at least 10% to Harvard every year. polarislist.com

You do realize that 4% doesn’t mean 4% from every school?

The PP doesn’t understand the definition of feeder school and is confusing numbers and percentages. TJ is the only DMV area feeder that’s in the top 20 sending students to Harvard per the Crimson article linked above, analyzing data from 2009-2024.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The key is not to push your kid in any way when they are that young. If that's going to be their path, let them accomplish those things because they have a passion for it at a very young age not because they were pushed. My DS, in public schools, exceled in math took Algebra 1 in 5th grade and in middle school took Trig by eighth grade. No extra push by his parents to advance like that but he just loved it. He also had a love for basketball and played traveling ball starting in 5th grade. He is currently a freshman Engineering major at a top engineering school.
Point is to let you kid be who they are going to because it's their passion not because a parent pushed them at such a young age.

What public school system offers algebra in 5th grade as an advertised option for students? The kids I've seen who have taken it in 6th grade have had to have parents who showed extra testing that demonstrated they could take algebra in 6th grade, or have had off the charts standardized tests due to exposure to higher level math outside of school. (i.e. they are not getting to Algebra in 5th without a parent having pushed them at a young age).

Sorry this blows your mind but my kid's school. Wasn't advertised. We didn't push a lick. Also, he was going to our high school while in middle school for the higher math. We didn't push him. He has a passion for it. Also, played traveling basketball in middle school and varsity basketball all 4 years of high school. Sorry, but this is a true story. He's still happy at a Top 4 Engineering School and doing well.

DP - but the point is very very few kids get these opportunities. Algebra 1 in 6th is rare; it's exceedingly rare in 5th. I believe you that you didn't "push" your kid, but someone at his school identified his potential and offered him a very advanced pathway. The vast majority of students don't get that, or don't have transportation to their high school to take the advanced classes. It's still impressive what he accomplished, and a kid WITHOUT that aptitude and drive isn't going to get there just by parental pushing, but it's not like "passion" alone allows any kid who wants it to access that kind of education in high school.

+1. This. And since the PP won’t name the school she said offered her kid Algebra in 5th grade unsolicited, there is no way to confirm how that pathway was offered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sty most kids done with all APs in 10th. Most only take those on a full schedule across all classes then it is off to IB. They steal all your Cornell slots. NYU slots. U Chi spots. Williams spots. Columbia slots. Wake up! You lost the game not being born in the right city.

The kids from the DMV public magnets do pretty well too. Thomas Jefferson has been one of the top 10 feeder HSs for Harvard over the last 15 years.

This is verifiable b.s. TJ sent 6 out of 500 students to Harvard in 2024, barely 1% and hardly impressive when the Harvard admission rate is 4%. All the NYC top privates send at least 10% to Harvard every year. polarislist.com

In two sentences you made a dozen errors in statistics, basic understanding of private schools and college admissions. LOL

+1. And rude enough to call someone’s easily verified public data BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a latecomer to this thread and am jumping right in. Accelerated math. I knew many kids at private and public schools (early 90’s) who took the traditional, standard track- algebra in 9th grade, geometry in 10th, and trig in 11th. And many of them are now successful doctors and engineers. The kids who made it to Calc BC were rare. I wonder if too much acceleration too soon can backfire.

Absolutely. One of my child's teachers told us this. They said too many kids were being pushed into accelerated math and then struggling in the higher level classes because they never received a solid grounding in the basics. My kids also were on the traditional track you describe and had no issues with college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sty most kids done with all APs in 10th. Most only take those on a full schedule across all classes then it is off to IB. They steal all your Cornell slots. NYU slots. U Chi spots. Williams spots. Columbia slots. Wake up! You lost the game not being born in the right city.

The kids from the DMV public magnets do pretty well too. Thomas Jefferson has been one of the top 10 feeder HSs for Harvard over the last 15 years.

You're funny ... comparing TJ to Stuy ... https://polarislist.com/