Reply to Blair SMCS Vs. GDS

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[quote=Anonymous]We faced this same decision a few years ago, DC now in college. DC chose Blair and never regretted it, now sailing in college, very prepared. Good fit for our DC.

YMMV but DC did NOT find Blair high stress, but maybe for a kid that had to really prep to make the cut or that has high anxiety. I'd guess it's kid-specific. DC got in when entrance test was still given, and rumors were that lots of kids prepped for that. Did self-study for APs and did fine because even if magnet courses are not AP, there is content overlap. DC found the Blair magnet teachers enthusiastic and engaged, and very qualified, e.g., some PhDs in field.

DC also liked having focused curriculum with strong cohort with like academic interests but also being part of a big, diverse school with lots of activities. So that will depend on kid. And not all sports cut, e.g., cross country, and there's Blair club teams with fluid membership too. DC was a bit worried that being part of small class at private would mean fewer ppl steeped in math/computers/science to bounce ideas off, though did like the GDS maker space.

But some of the other things I'd agree with from above poster, including ability to differentiate. Not sure if it's the same now, but 100-ish kids, 75%-ish with straight As (and extra points for honors/magnet gives that really high GPA on 4.0 scale), and half the magnet became National Merit Finalists--compared to 0-4 for a typical HS in our area. Unlike privates that try to parcel kids out to different colleges, a lot of Blair kids all competing for same spots at good math/compsci/bio schools, and no uni will take 100 kids, not to mention the other hundreds non-magnet at Blair. (Argue still better positioned that the TJ magnet kids, who are competing against 100s more peers in stem magnet.) But they still land well (couple disappointed kids, but ended up loving their schools from what I hear anecdotally, which I'd venture happens everywhere). The head of Blair made a point of saying to prospective parents that if your goal was getting kid into specific schools, it might not be the school for you. But the new MCPS grading policy will make for more grade differentiation than in DC's class--no more 50% baseline and B-A quarter grades landing at automatic semester A.

Again, DC would not change it for anything, but I'd argue it's kid-specific. And how much anxiety-tolerance or striver mentality parents have about getting kids into specific colleges. [/quote]

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