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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Honestly, SJC and a lot of private schools seem to be reality checks for parents who think their kids are exceptional but are really not.

The school isn’t holding anyone back, they’re placing them where they need to be. They’re blocked from classes bc they’re not good enough.

Go to public school where you can harangue the school and get your kids into the classes u want them to get into.  Did families really think their kid could get into any class they want in private school bc they pay tuition and their kid is a “hard worker”?
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My kid can't move their GPA b/c they are required to take scripture and they are not a Scholar.
So Scripture is not an honors class year and pulls down weighted GPA each year - even though every year gets an "A" in the course[/quote]

I don’t think the scripture requirement was a secret. If u wanted ur kid to get scholar treatment, why would you put them in a school where they are not a scholar?

Move them to a school where it will be easier to get good a high GPA.

I don’t think private schools are marketing themselves as places where it easy easy to get high GPAs.[/quote]

The point is that is isn’t easy to get a high GPA not because you don’t have the chops but because you are blocked. APs are APs no matter where you take them…public or private. They are the great equalizer which is why colleges value them over honors chases. It is an apples to apples comparison no matter where you go to school. But if you are blocked from taking the number of APs you need the way you are at SJC, you will not stand out among public or private schools despite your hard work. My son got 5’s on both of the national AP exams that SJC allowed him to take. He’s got what it takes to succeed in the right circumstances.  [/quote]

Your kid was not blocked, he didn’t do well enough to get into the AP classes regardless of whether he did well in the AP classes that he did earn his way on to.

As a PP says, [b]self study for the ones he didn’t get into and take the test anyway. [/b]

Are parents really telling their kids that the school is blocking them from certain classes? Instead of, tough, next time get the grades you need.[/quote]

AP tests are not like the SAT.  The school has to allow you to register for the test in like September.  Will SJC allow anyone to register to take the AP exam?

Also, taking the actual class means more for college admissions than the score on the test.  You will have to explain to a college why you didn't take the AP class at SJC, but then took the test.

Now, it will of course make SJC look foolish if you score a 5 on the AP test for a class they determined you were not qualified to take.

BTW...what is the AP pass rate at SJC?[/quote]

So…no need to explain why you did not take as many APs as a kid in MCPS, where they start APs freshman year. This is because SJC has a well staffed office of college counseling which works closely with colleges to inform them about SJC and its students. There is also a College Profile sheet for SJC, just as there should be one for your school. Despite the “AP gate keeping,” graduates are getting into some fantastic schools. [/quote]

Why does SJC have so few NMSFs and only 1 presidential scholar?[/quote]

For one thing, compared to other schools my kids attended, SJC does not emphasize test prep. They are more focused on the whole person, being of service to others, athletics and the arts. If you are a Type A DC striver who is always trying to one up everyone else, this is not the place for you. Yes, SJC emphasizes success, but more so community.[/quote]

Not in our experience. One of the things SJC could definitely improve on it’s community.  The school is big and the students barely have any time to socialize or get to know kids in their class due to the way the lunches break out. Unless you are involved in a sport or you already have a set friend group going in which gives you a ready made social group. A lot of kids struggle to find their place at the school.

The school couldn’t be bothered to even host parents physically at the school at Back to school night. It was virtual. The one night a year parents are supposed to get to see their kids classrooms meet the teachers and it was held virtually with teachers on Zoom. Four years after Covid.  Even public schools have been pulling off great Back to school nights for the parents. No excuse. Truly awful. [/quote]

Yes, it’s a big school. Like at every big school, kids have to take it on themselves to get involved in extracurriculars. There are plenty to join, including clubs that meet during homeroom.

Like you, I would prefer in-person back to school night but I am aware more parents can attend virtual back to school. It’s a trade-off.

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