Reply to Questions about Richard Montgomery IB program

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]IB based on Humanities is a waster of time.  STEM is the only direction worth heading in that is a guaranteed job.  [/quote]

Actually, our decision to send our DD in IB was because we wanted her to get a rigorous education in both STEM and Humanities in HS.  We did not want a lop-sided education for her. Having to choose one or the other stream in HS seemed to be very short-sighted to  us.  I have seen too many brilliant STEM kids who are socially awkward and lacking in communication skills, and too many creative Humanities type who are not equipped to take on the challenges and opportunities that technology and science is providing today.

Most of her classmates are going into STEM in college, but they are going there also armed with excellent communications and analytical skills - which will help them lead in later years and be able to solve problems holistically.

IB is hard work.  RMIB magnet program is HARDEST magnet program in MCPS. I think what you can be assured of that your student will be able to handle college easily after this program. They are more than equipped to take on any course in college and excel in it with average amount of work.

The IB exams that these kids have to take is so rigorous that most also take AP exams in the same subjects with little or no preparation.

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[b]What I have heard is that RMIB is the hardest program in terms of the amount of work.  Even for very smart kids, it's a huge grind. [/b] We thought long and hard about this -- DC is now at Eastern and makes good grades without doing a ton of work, but finds it pleasantly challenging. DC can also participate in extracurriculars that are very important to him.

Ultimately, he decided not to apply to RM and instead applied to CAP and a couple of other DCC programs.  He is very attracted to the multidisciplinary approach, the opportunity to do lots of media-oriented projects, and the chance to take higher level math with the STEM magnet kids.

I feel pretty good that this is the right decision for him.  I just wonder about burnout factor in programs like RM -- not to criticize those whose kids are there!  But I don't know that I want my DC to be working so hard that college seems easy.[/quote]

Yes, you are right. It's a huge amount of work and that it because the IB exam papers are not graded in the USA but in Europe. So these kids have to compete with students in other countries that have followed rigorous academic curriculum all their lives. So, none of these kids actually sweat the AP exams, but have to really work hard at the IB exams.  If their papers were being graded in USA...this program would not have been tough.  Majority of the kids do participate in a lot of extra-curricular activities.  As another poster said it is about the fit.

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