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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Interesting. You sound like a parent who never got off the BASIS wait list for a math oriented student. Thanks for all the detail.

How do you cope with the lack of challenge and homework and the fact that the kid hates DCI (if I got that right). You supplement in core subjects? Language?

So you don't plan to stay for high school?  You're shooting for...Walls? Privates? Planning to move from DC?  We're in a DCI feeder, wondering if we should jump to BASIS or one of the Latins if we have the chance this year.

[/quote]
Yup, I am that parent. :) Cope: Hope for the best. I'm not certain my kid wouldn't have hated any other middle school, because middle school. Though she may have been stressed out by work instead of being bored. We supplement in foreign language and spend a lot of time on her sport. Would prefer not to stay for high school, but not sure we'll have other options. Still considering moving or private (though unlikely). Looking into all the application high schools of course, [b]but they are mostly all humanities oriented. [/b][/quote]

We left DCI for Walls for our science oriented eldest. Not many kids go from DCI to Walls but there are some. Walls has been OK for AP Chemistry and surprisingly good for Physics (1,2 and C taught) and Calc, both AB and BC. Walls isn't good for AP Bio, not even taught every year. It's not that hard to find science HS internships and volunteer gigs in DC, particularly at NASA, NAS and the Smithsonian museums.

A couple of my kid's Walls friends volunteer at the Air and Space Museum throuuh their HS internhip program. If you're looking for more advanced language than Walls teaches, you can find it at GW.[/quote]

Thank you, this is super helpful. Do you know why so few kids do? Is it that they don't apply, aren't admitted, or choose not to take a spot? [/quote]

Don't mean to cause offense, but from our perspective, most UMC DCI parents care more about diversity and the the globalism/world citizenry of IBD than we do. We just want to the best academics we can find in a DC public high schools without living in-boundary for JR pyramid.

We were prepared to leave DCI for more challenging academics, a higher performing peer group and more experienced teachers than you get at DCI overall. Few DCI families of top performers seem to think in those terms. We only know one other former DCI family at Walls.

As you may have heard, Walls admissions has become a real crap shoot recently. But not difficult to see that they favor STEM stars who apply.

If your kid clears the Walls application GPA cut-off (easily done from DCI) and is strong in STEM, you want to emphasize math skills on hte application and in the interview.  If you stuck with DPCS through 5th grade, make sure Walls knows that when you apply. They seem to prefer kids who came up through the system, at least part way.

I wouldn't stop at DCI MS core academics if you're shooting for Walls. Make sure your kid reads more, writes better, does harder math than DCI requires. If you want to shoot for GW language classes, do more there.

Good luck! [/quote]

Your description of the Walls application process is way off.  Walls doesn't favor STEM stars, there is no way to emphasize math skills in the application, and the interview is a joke.[/quote]

Disagree that they don't favor STEM stars.  Many BASIS 8th graders crack Walls.[/quote]

Sure, a few BASIS kids go there but many of those do so for less STEM.  BASIS requires a lot more STEM than Walls.

The point is that this isn't private school, [b]and the application process isn't geared on selecting people based on particular strengths. [/b]

You are confusing cause and effect.[/quote]
Right, so tell us what it's geared at?  [/quote]

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