I've seen twins split up in 4th grade - one to a magnet, the other stayed. In middle school they are bad in the same track and classes. Obviously the magnet one hard a 45 minute bus route commute each way, and the other twin walked 5 mins to school....

I could see a good outcome either way.

My kids were challenged at the regular school. Kids, though, that are unusual, off the charts smart, would not be challenged at a regular school. Those kids truly need the highly gifted programs. I know one child who was like that and greatly benefited from the hgc. Most kids are not like that, though.

At our Whitman cluster elementary, there are a lot of very smart children many of whom stay at the school for 4th and 5th. In my experience, the stronger the elementary school, the less important the HGC is - b/c there will always be a strong cohort of smart students at the home school. Our school regularly sends a handful of kids to the center and there are plenty of smart kids left.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I am curious. If you had kids in different grades, rather than twins in the same grade, would you still be debating on whether to send Child 1 if Child 2 may not be accepted? Or even to allow Child 1 to apply b/c there was a chance Child 2 couldn't be admitted? Or if Child 1 is not accepted, then you wouldn't allow Child 2 to even apply? What if both twins are accepted, but 1 decides to stay at the home school and the other wants to attend the HGC?

Why can't the children make the decision on whether or not they want to attend the same school?

I am not OP. But this depends on what parents think it's right for their kids, their family, logistics, etc.

I would not recommend transferring the other kid (the one that is not accepted to HGC) to the same school with obvious reasons.

You can get a sibling transfer for the other twin to attend the regular program at CCES.

OP, I am curious. If you had kids in different grades, rather than twins in the same grade, would you still be debating on whether to send Child 1 if Child 2 may not be accepted? Or even to allow Child 1 to apply b/c there was a chance Child 2 couldn't be admitted? Or if Child 1 is not accepted, then you wouldn't allow Child 2 to even apply? What if both twins are accepted, but 1 decides to stay at the home school and the other wants to attend the HGC?

Why can't the children make the decision on whether or not they want to attend the same school?

It's possible that one of our twins may get in while the other will not and if that's the case we are strongly leaning towards keep them together in the neighborhood school. What would you do if you were in this situation??

We're assuming that there will be plenty of very smart kids who might have qualified but didn't apply or get in for one reason or another will still be going to the neighborhood school, which is an excellent school. For those of you who have kids at the top of the class and did not apply or did not get in to a HGC did you find that your child was still challenged at your neighborhood school??