Anonymous
Post 01/27/2024 11:17     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:BCC lacks sufficient options for opportunity hoarding! Why do we pay so much taxes to be treated like this?


Thanks, I needed that AM laugh.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2024 11:14     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:BCC lacks sufficient options for opportunity hoarding! Why do we pay so much taxes to be treated like this?


Pretty much sums up DCUM.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2024 10:54     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
BCC lacks sufficient options for opportunity hoarding! Why do we pay so much taxes to be treated like this?
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2024 10:08     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Since today is notification day, I was looking up what we would apply to next year for my son who is in 7th now. We zone to BCC. Compared to all the other schools, it seems like BCC kids (and the other Western/Southern schools) don’t have any magnet/application based options outside of Blair SMCS, RMIB, and Poolesville Ecology. My kids is a Biomedical/Engineering kid. Those application based magnets look fantastic. Why don’t the kids in our area get that option?


The only one that's a true intellectual standout is the bolded. It's the TJ of Maryland. The other two are very nice, but not any better than W schools. The other "special programs" you are thinking of are not really selective. They're attractively-packaged to attract kids to traditionally under-served areas of the county, but the intellectual rigor, content quality and peer cohort just aren't there.

Eventually most parents realize this, and also take note of the ridiculous commute.

LOL. RMIB is way better than the W schools.


It's just the regional IB center. Most students aren't interested in IB (compared to their home AP courses) because the IB program is a lot less flexible, and not as advanced in STEM. Also, BCC has a full IB program, plus a ton of AP courses.

For OP's kid and her or his interests:
BCC has some engineering intro courses, with classes like introduction to engineering design, etc. But these are essentially fancy fillers. Make no mistake, OP. Colleges aren't dazzled by electives or unusual coursework. They want to see RIGOR and national standards. The best engineering colleges are very selective. Your kid needs to do well on his STEM APs. Since they have prerequisites for the most part (math and science courses before you can get to the AP), you have to be very strategic in your kid's high school trajectory planning, because there is only so much you can fit in a 7-period schedule, with all the graduation requirements from the state of MD and the county. Also, you probably don't want to end up with 6 AP classes in one year. You have to distribute the load.

Your kid's math track will determine what STEM courses they can take when. If they're in Algebra 2 by 8th grade, I know some kids who have bypassed the 9th grade Honors Bio suggestion, and done variations of:
9th: Honors Physics / Honors Precalc (or Honors Chem / Honors Precalc)
10th: AP Physics C / AP Calc BC / Honors Chem (or AP Chem / AP Calc BC / Honors Phys)
11th: AP Chem / Multivariable calculus (or AP Phys C / MVC)
12th: AP Bio / dual enrollment higher calculus at Montgomery College or UMD, or relax with AP Stats (the latter might be more useful for medicine, actually).

Along with some BCC engineering electives or computer science (AP Computer Science Principles is the tech requirement, then you can take AP Java).

Essentially, for anyone with a kid in middle school, the 9th grade course registration means coming up with a plan for all 4 years of high school.

TLDR: you only get to elite engineering universities with the most rigorous science classes, and those will either be at the Blair STEM magnet or any W school STEM AP schedule. No need to look further. Question is: is your kid hardcore enough?



As the parent of an 8th grader in Alg2, this is incredibly helpful.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2024 10:01     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Two things:

1. Your high schooler will be VERY busy if they want to build an attractive profile for college. A commute to another school during rush hour is NOT what you want.

2. Magnet kids all want top universities. Top universities all have quotas, they only take one (or a few) kids from each school. Guess where your kid will fare better in admissions?

- BTDT.


Number two is not correct.


For multiple reasons.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 21:37     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Since today is notification day, I was looking up what we would apply to next year for my son who is in 7th now. We zone to BCC. Compared to all the other schools, it seems like BCC kids (and the other Western/Southern schools) don’t have any magnet/application based options outside of Blair SMCS, RMIB, and Poolesville Ecology. My kids is a Biomedical/Engineering kid. Those application based magnets look fantastic. Why don’t the kids in our area get that option?


The only one that's a true intellectual standout is the bolded. It's the TJ of Maryland. The other two are very nice, but not any better than W schools. The other "special programs" you are thinking of are not really selective. They're attractively-packaged to attract kids to traditionally under-served areas of the county, but the intellectual rigor, content quality and peer cohort just aren't there.

Eventually most parents realize this, and also take note of the ridiculous commute.

LOL. RMIB is way better than the W schools.


It's just the regional IB center. Most students aren't interested in IB (compared to their home AP courses) because the IB program is a lot less flexible, and not as advanced in STEM. Also, BCC has a full IB program, plus a ton of AP courses.

For OP's kid and her or his interests:
BCC has some engineering intro courses, with classes like introduction to engineering design, etc. But these are essentially fancy fillers. Make no mistake, OP. Colleges aren't dazzled by electives or unusual coursework. They want to see RIGOR and national standards. The best engineering colleges are very selective. Your kid needs to do well on his STEM APs. Since they have prerequisites for the most part (math and science courses before you can get to the AP), you have to be very strategic in your kid's high school trajectory planning, because there is only so much you can fit in a 7-period schedule, with all the graduation requirements from the state of MD and the county. Also, you probably don't want to end up with 6 AP classes in one year. You have to distribute the load.

Your kid's math track will determine what STEM courses they can take when. If they're in Algebra 2 by 8th grade, I know some kids who have bypassed the 9th grade Honors Bio suggestion, and done variations of:
9th: Honors Physics / Honors Precalc (or Honors Chem / Honors Precalc)
10th: AP Physics C / AP Calc BC / Honors Chem (or AP Chem / AP Calc BC / Honors Phys)
11th: AP Chem / Multivariable calculus (or AP Phys C / MVC)
12th: AP Bio / dual enrollment higher calculus at Montgomery College or UMD, or relax with AP Stats (the latter might be more useful for medicine, actually).

Along with some BCC engineering electives or computer science (AP Computer Science Principles is the tech requirement, then you can take AP Java).

Essentially, for anyone with a kid in middle school, the 9th grade course registration means coming up with a plan for all 4 years of high school.

TLDR: you only get to elite engineering universities with the most rigorous science classes, and those will either be at the Blair STEM magnet or any W school STEM AP schedule. No need to look further. Question is: is your kid hardcore enough?

Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 21:10     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Since today is notification day, I was looking up what we would apply to next year for my son who is in 7th now. We zone to BCC. Compared to all the other schools, it seems like BCC kids (and the other Western/Southern schools) don’t have any magnet/application based options outside of Blair SMCS, RMIB, and Poolesville Ecology. My kids is a Biomedical/Engineering kid. Those application based magnets look fantastic. Why don’t the kids in our area get that option?


The only one that's a true intellectual standout is the bolded. It's the TJ of Maryland. The other two are very nice, but not any better than W schools. The other "special programs" you are thinking of are not really selective. They're attractively-packaged to attract kids to traditionally under-served areas of the county, but the intellectual rigor, content quality and peer cohort just aren't there.

Eventually most parents realize this, and also take note of the ridiculous commute.

LOL. RMIB is way better than the W schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 20:58     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Ever check the course catalogs? Ever notice that BCC offers more than many?
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 20:49     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:Since today is notification day, I was looking up what we would apply to next year for my son who is in 7th now. We zone to BCC. Compared to all the other schools, it seems like BCC kids (and the other Western/Southern schools) don’t have any magnet/application based options outside of Blair SMCS, RMIB, and Poolesville Ecology. My kids is a Biomedical/Engineering kid. Those application based magnets look fantastic. Why don’t the kids in our area get that option?


The only one that's a true intellectual standout is the bolded. It's the TJ of Maryland. The other two are very nice, but not any better than W schools. The other "special programs" you are thinking of are not really selective. They're attractively-packaged to attract kids to traditionally under-served areas of the county, but the intellectual rigor, content quality and peer cohort just aren't there.

Eventually most parents realize this, and also take note of the ridiculous commute.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 20:43     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
They put the speciality programs to attract families to go to the lower performing schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 19:57     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Anonymous wrote:
Two things:

1. Your high schooler will be VERY busy if they want to build an attractive profile for college. A commute to another school during rush hour is NOT what you want.

2. Magnet kids all want top universities. Top universities all have quotas, they only take one (or a few) kids from each school. Guess where your kid will fare better in admissions?

- BTDT.


Number two is not correct.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 19:53     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options

Two things:

1. Your high schooler will be VERY busy if they want to build an attractive profile for college. A commute to another school during rush hour is NOT what you want.

2. Magnet kids all want top universities. Top universities all have quotas, they only take one (or a few) kids from each school. Guess where your kid will fare better in admissions?

- BTDT.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 19:26     Subject: Re:Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
BCC-zoned kids can apply to these programs:

Healthcare Professions - Biosciences Academy at Wheaton/Edison HS (Lottery)
Hospitality and Tourism Management - Global Studies Academy at Wheaton/Edison HS (Lottery)
Information Technology & Cyber Security - Academy of Information Technology at Wheaton/Edison HS (Lottery)
Construction Management and Engineering - Academy of Engineering at Wheaton/Edison HS (Lottery)
Middle College @Montgomery College (MC2) Program at Northwood HS (Lottery)
Aviation and Aerospace at Magruder HS (Lottery)
Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education at Sherwood HS (CASE) (Lottery)
Leadership Academy for Social Justice at Walt Whitman HS (LASJ) (Lottery)
Virtual Middle College (Lottery)
Global Ecology at Poolesville HS (Criteria)
Regional International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Kennedy HS (Criteria)
Countywide International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Richard Montgomery HS (Criteria)
Science, Math, Computer Science Program at Blair HS (Criteria)
Visual Art Center at Albert Einstein HS (Criteria)
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 18:57     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Because BCC and the other downcounty schools are very high quality schools. If your MS student is interested in biomedical engineering, they will be very well prepared at BCC or one of the available magnets.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2024 18:53     Subject: Confused why BCC and other Western MOCO schools have so few high school options
Since today is notification day, I was looking up what we would apply to next year for my son who is in 7th now. We zone to BCC. Compared to all the other schools, it seems like BCC kids (and the other Western/Southern schools) don’t have any magnet/application based options outside of Blair SMCS, RMIB, and Poolesville Ecology. My kids is a Biomedical/Engineering kid. Those application based magnets look fantastic. Why don’t the kids in our area get that option?