Anonymous
01/19/2025 21:03
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Read Atlantic's APs are a scam article
College Board = $$$ making
They're not a scam, they are the only nationally-normed tool in the US to compare students across states. And as such, extremely useful, and used by all selective colleges as one of the criteria to compare candidates. It's not students or colleges' fault that there are no federally organized exams for high schoolers, like in other countries. The College Board is a commercial enterprise that simply fills the void, like many such in American life, where government fails to provide.
If you want this to change, it will be a tough road because the US is plagued by states' rights, vs federal rights, in most domains, including education.
As for magnets in MCPS: they have their own curriculum, which goes more in-depth and for which teachers have more leeway and creativity. Many magnet students self-study for certain APs and take the exams on their own, to assure colleges that they are capable of high-level work and that their MCPS magnet is, in fact a real magnet. Only local universities are aware of the quality of MCPS magnets. If kids want to apply to universities further out, some external proof of competency is desirable, since any school can call themselves a magnet.
National Universities know the magnets. They see the array of national awards that magnet students put on their applications.
And yet... most kids in the magnet program self-study for APs on top of their classes. It may be just an arms race at the top, but there's also a lack of confidence in that knowledge national universities are supposed to have, PP. I wouldn't count on it.
Anonymous
01/19/2025 20:57
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
At our school, 1-2 freshman year, 2-3 sophomore year (depending on whether the kid is ready for calc yet). And 5-6 junior and senior year.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 22:33
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Read Atlantic's APs are a scam article
College Board = $$$ making
They're not a scam, they are the only nationally-normed tool in the US to compare students across states. And as such, extremely useful, and used by all selective colleges as one of the criteria to compare candidates. It's not students or colleges' fault that there are no federally organized exams for high schoolers, like in other countries. The College Board is a commercial enterprise that simply fills the void, like many such in American life, where government fails to provide.
If you want this to change, it will be a tough road because the US is plagued by states' rights, vs federal rights, in most domains, including education.
As for magnets in MCPS: they have their own curriculum, which goes more in-depth and for which teachers have more leeway and creativity. Many magnet students self-study for certain APs and take the exams on their own, to assure colleges that they are capable of high-level work and that their MCPS magnet is, in fact a real magnet. Only local universities are aware of the quality of MCPS magnets. If kids want to apply to universities further out, some external proof of competency is desirable, since any school can call themselves a magnet.
National Universities know the magnets. They see the array of national awards that magnet students put on their applications.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 22:27
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Are magnet classes weighted? Silly question.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 21:37
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Anonymous wrote:Read Atlantic's APs are a scam article
College Board = $$$ making
They're not a scam, they are the only nationally-normed tool in the US to compare students across states. And as such, extremely useful, and used by all selective colleges as one of the criteria to compare candidates. It's not students or colleges' fault that there are no federally organized exams for high schoolers, like in other countries. The College Board is a commercial enterprise that simply fills the void, like many such in American life, where government fails to provide.
If you want this to change, it will be a tough road because the US is plagued by states' rights, vs federal rights, in most domains, including education.
As for magnets in MCPS: they have their own curriculum, which goes more in-depth and for which teachers have more leeway and creativity. Many magnet students self-study for certain APs and take the exams on their own, to assure colleges that they are capable of high-level work and that their MCPS magnet is, in fact a real magnet. Only local universities are aware of the quality of MCPS magnets. If kids want to apply to universities further out, some external proof of competency is desirable, since any school can call themselves a magnet.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 21:31
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Who is top 20% in mcps do you know? Are they all from school like Blair HS.for example?
Blair magnet discourages APs
So they just take in-house "on level" (gasp!) courses?
No, they take magnet courses.
Which are labeled as “advanced” On the transcript and are in fact much more advanced than APs.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 21:26
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Who is top 20% in mcps do you know? Are they all from school like Blair HS.for example?
Blair magnet discourages APs
So they just take in-house "on level" (gasp!) courses?
No, they take magnet courses.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 20:10
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Read Atlantic's APs are a scam article
College Board = $$$ making
College Board = $$$ making
Anonymous
01/16/2025 20:08
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Who is top 20% in mcps do you know? Are they all from school like Blair HS.for example?
Blair magnet discourages APs
So they just take in-house "on level" (gasp!) courses?
Anonymous
01/16/2025 20:03
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Anonymous wrote:Who is top 20% in mcps do you know? Are they all from school like Blair HS.for example?
Blair magnet discourages APs
Anonymous
01/16/2025 19:57
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Who is top 20% in mcps do you know? Are they all from school like Blair HS.for example?
Anonymous
01/16/2025 12:43
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Some AP courses are much more difficult than others, OP. Selective colleges will consider whether the exam was taken and what the score was, and much hinges on how the student explains their aspirations in their essays.
My oldest took 12 AP classes, but only half of the exams, in which most of his scores were 5. He deliberately skipped the hardest math and language exams, because the course work was a little too challenging for him. He got all 5s on the history APs, and since he picked an International Affairs major and wrote essays explaining why he loved history, I don't think skipping the math AP exams hurt him too much. His targets were ~T50 colleges, not Ivies! He also got into UMD Honors but went to GWU, which is highly ranked for International Affairs specifically.
My oldest took 12 AP classes, but only half of the exams, in which most of his scores were 5. He deliberately skipped the hardest math and language exams, because the course work was a little too challenging for him. He got all 5s on the history APs, and since he picked an International Affairs major and wrote essays explaining why he loved history, I don't think skipping the math AP exams hurt him too much. His targets were ~T50 colleges, not Ivies! He also got into UMD Honors but went to GWU, which is highly ranked for International Affairs specifically.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 12:39
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
The average at WJ in the APEX program, which very roughly and imperfectly might represent top 25% of class, is 10-11 APs. I don’t think that counts post-APs like MV. I don’t know whether they count as Econ as one or two.
Anonymous
01/16/2025 12:30
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
Isn't it normally around 10-14?
Anonymous
01/16/2025 11:38
Subject: Number of AP classes for top 20% of MCPS HS grads?
DC is just starting and already APs? How many APs do most students graduate with if applying to competitive colleges?