Reply to Are magnets worth it for college admission?

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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][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes.  I think for our children magnets were absolutely worth it for college admissions.

The pathway for both of my kids -&gt; PHS SMCS -&gt; UMD.   We are Asian-American first gen immigrants. Our kids chose STEM careers. Both had perfect stats in GPA and SAT, NMS, ECs, Internships and research papers etc.  We knew that they would not get into top private schools based on the fact that many of their peers in PHS look and achieve like them.

Apart from that, they also did not apply extensively.  They applied to 6 schools in all. Since UMD was in-state and great for CS, Physics and Math (both did double majors, both had Math in common), that was their lowest bar in terms of where they wanted to apply.  This did not leave very many colleges for them that were ranked higher for these majors. This is not a drawback but a boon.  Imagine having a college like UMD as your safety. To be honest, UMD was very much their dream school, target and safety all rolled in one.

Having done STEM research internships during PHS (It is a SMCS requirement) and having written a paper based on that - they also found it easy to get future internships @ UMD right from the get go.  Having been through the rigor, pace, and curriculum of SMCS and having so many AP and post-AP credits  transfer, allowed them to juggle two hard majors, internships, and socializing in college with ease. They watched many of their college classmates - either do very poorly in hard courses or study very hard to stay afloat or do well but without any outside interests.  In other words, the training and exposure they got at PHS made college seem easy.

The kind of professional training that the SMCS teaches these students in terms of advocating for oneself, building a network of peers, acquiring skill sets, acquiring credentials, creating and seeking opportunities, time management and organization  is invaluable for college and professional life.  They also were hugely networked at UMD with other area students from DMV because they had either competed with them in other arenas or had crossed paths with them.

Last, but not the least - since they are already in-state in a public university and the cost is already low.  Therefore, even a small merit aid usually covers a significant amount of tuition if not all. This merit $$$ was like a payday for the work that they did in magnet HS.

For us, magnet STEM schools was worth it for succeeding in college and professional life. It made the college admission process easy too.

Of course, I don't mean to be glib and say that it was all easy.  To be in the magnet track meant that my kids were performing academically  at very high levels from ES.  They were acing all kinds of tests that was being administered by MCPS- Raven, TerraNova, MAPS - and tests like JHU-CTY outside of school.

They were consistent from K-12, and also worked hard to have a well rounded resume - ECs, volunteer work, competitions, honor societies, internships, research papers,  no discipline issues, consistent performance, no absenteeism, juggling leadership responsibilities, self advocating etc.[/quote]

This is my child's experience as well.   Finishing up SMACs now with a UMd presidential scholarship and direct admit to CS.  Will now be paying very low tuition for a top-ranked CS school.

I'd say the magnet helped a lot with UMd admissions.   I am not sure helped elsewhere but will never know.  I am sure my child does not stand out as much as they would at home HS.  [b]Also I do not think the school profile that gets sent to colleges does the magnet students any favors[/b]. [/quote]

If you don’t mind, Could you elaborate on this further?[/quote]
Sure.  Still in the middle of college admissions since I have a current senior.   I assume you are wondering about the shool profile comment.  My understanding is that without a school ranking, some colleges will try to guess based on the GPA bands.   For Poolesville, the top bands are 78% for unweighted GPA and 58% for weighted.  So after 4 years of hard work and taking all the hardest math classes (functions etc), my 4.0 UW 4.7W GPA kid only appears to be in the top 58% of their class.   UMd will understand this, but other schools may not.   [/quote]

Different poster. This might as well have been in a different language. What do you mean by “GPA bands”? Can you explain to me like I’m an idiot?[/quote]

+1  Isn't it true that most T20 colleges tear apart the GPA calculation anyways, and re-calculate based on their own scale.  But, I don't know what they might do with the SMCS's specialty classes like, Analysis 2, Quantum Physics, Organic Chemistry, etc.??  Do those get weighted more in the re-calculation??  [/quote]
I don't think they do.  Also, some of the SMACs classes are not even listed properly on the transcripts.  [/quote]

They were on ours at least when we got a copy of it last year.[/quote]
Well i thought so too at first.  Example of this would be the SMACS 9th grade computer class listed on transcript as "Foundations of Computer Science".  Unless someone is familiar with SMACS they would not not know that this is actually also AP Computer Science.  [/quote]

Magnet CS 9 is noted as Advanced Level class and part of a Special Program. Although there are a few honors classes that get this designation, it's mostly reserved for APs.

https://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/CourseDetails/Index/ITC2013A[/quote]

It sounds like Algebra 2.

MAT2036A/MAT2036B Magnet Functions A

0.5 credit per semester
Functions begun in Algebra 1 are continued and expanded to include all forms of algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and circular functions. The study of each includes a precise definition, a consideration of graphs and applications, an analysis of distinguishing and interesting features, and an identification of related tangents and slopes. Students study trigonometry, approached from circular functions, conics, limits, and derivatives.

Prerequisite: Magnet or Honors Geometry
Grade Level:  9 - 10 - 11 - 12
No repeats for credit [/quote]

It’s algebra 2 and precalculus in a very condensed fast paced schedule.[/quote]

That sounds like a bad idea.  Better just to start algebra in 6th.  [/quote]

That's only happens if you in boundary of a wealthy Potomac ES.[/quote]

Strange you say that as that’s not true and we are the opposite of Potomac.  [/quote]

I know at Frost any 6th grader with a map score over 250 is allowed to take Algebra in 6th but it's in Potomac.

At TPMS they require students to have completed AIM before taking Algebra so only the Potomac kids whose ES offers AIM in 5th have this option.[/quote]
The inconsistency is crazy.  My kid had a 250 in the spring of 3rd grade but was never allowed this.   At Blair and Poolesville, the kids all end up in the same class anyway.  I know many HS have advanced math courses but what is available at Blair and Poolesville is top-notch.  Can't speak to teachers at Blair, but Poolesville was great. [/quote]

Poolesville is a shit show! Some of the teachers, I don’t even know how they were hired and stayed for so long. They don’t teach and expect the kids to learn all on their own. It can only be due to an incompetent administration![/quote]

People just write any old shit that they want to. My kid loved His entire PHS SMCS experience. Teachers were awesome, especially Math teachers. But, the expectation is really that you are extremely comfortable with higher level Math already.  My kid loved the pace and most of his friends were in the same shoes as him.

The cons of a magnet program  are twofold. First, most students are brilliant and phs lulls them into thinking that it is reflective of the cohort they will find in college or their career. Second, the top schools are only able to take one or two students.

The pros - the cohort is super supportive and they learn so much from each other. The teachers are effective guides who encourage these students and let the magic happen. Unlike Blair where parents, influence, and educational foundation makes the path smoother for students, phs students flourish organically. Phs culture does not tolerate arrogance and bullying, so when this cohort lands up in UMD, they already have a huge network in place.

I have been a staunch critic of MCPS but there is very little to criticize phs school culture and the teachers.  There are currently problems in school. Especially with the way they are constructing the building etc, and who knows if the administrators won’t start playing dirty tricks like MCPS teaches them to, but that is another issue altogether. [/quote]

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