Please talk to families who have children at the centers to form your opinion rather than those who do not.

HGC isn't worth it if you are in a W cluster, from what I have been told. My DD is in kindergarten, and other families have told us that the W school ES's are so good anyway, there is no need to apply to a HGC. We just moved here from NY so we are learning.

Anonymous wrote:Another factor in our decision to send her to HGC is the fact that she would have had to take compact math at the middle school during first period of middle school, making a much longer school day overall and giving a free period during home school math with no teaching. HGC has been a great experience for her.

That's how my daughter would have spent 4th grade and she was excited about it - to take a bus to the middle school sounded neat to her. But she did got to the HGC and loves it.

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that if you turn it down and the other bright kids take spots, your child will have less of a peer group than they do now. The dynamic will change. That said, if your child is well challenged where they are, it might not be worth changing schools longer bus ride..

Yes, one consideration might be which other kids get in, and whether they are planning to attend. At our home school, one child wasn't interested in applying but was then disappointed when three close peers all left.

Garrett Park doesn't have enough kids for its own compacted math? I'm surprised.

At least one kid from our home school (Garrett Park) turned down a slot -- my daughter got her slot. I don't know if my daughter was just next on the wait list, or whether there was any causal link between them both being from the same school.

I really liked my daughter's third grade teacher, and I like the school overall, but my daughter was bored in third grade. Another factor in our decision to send her to HGC is the fact that she would have had to take compact math at the middle school during first period of middle school, making a much longer school day overall and giving a free period during home school math with no teaching. HGC has been a great experience for her.

What about kids at North Chevy Chase that get into Chevy Chase? Do they usually switch?

Keep in mind that if you turn it down and the other bright kids take spots, your child will have less of a peer group than they do now. The dynamic will change. That said, if your child is well challenged where they are, it might not be worth changing schools longer bus ride..

OP,

Most parents are highly flattered their child got in. Some children resist going, if their friends did not get in, and as a result a few parents allow their child to stay at their home school. It's very rarely a transportation problem, because HGCs are not that far away from the home school (middle school magnets can be more than an hour's bus ride away from home, one way).

The immense majority of accepted students end up going. This is borne out by the fact that very few students get in off the waitlist.

Anonymous wrote:Most of the kids in my DD's class at Beverly Farms have declined because BFES is so good.

It's so funny that you think people will actually believe you.

Anonymous wrote:Most of the kids in my DD's class at Beverly Farms have declined because BFES is so good.

I am from Beverly farms and I don't know anyone that actually turned it down. We were thinking to turn it down but am so glad that we didn't. DC loves it at cold spring. Beverly farms wasn't bad just not enough of challenge.

Anonymous wrote:Most of the kids in my DD's class at Beverly Farms have declined because BFES is so good.

LOL.. the BFES troll strikes again.

Most of the kids in my DD's class at Beverly Farms have declined because BFES is so good.

from our neighborhood school, a bunch of kids decided not to go to the HGC because of the commute and it being onliy 2 years anyway

We will consider applying to a highly gifted center in an MCPS school next year, when our kid is in 3rd grade, so my question is really just one of idle curiosity at this point. My child is really bright, possibly gifted, and her teachers do everything they can to keep the work challenging for her. All of us are happy with the neighborhood school, which is "bad" on paper but actually has great teachers, great leadership, diversity, and a strong sense of community. So, I'm wondering, has anyone declined a spot for their child at an HGC, and in the long run do you feel you made the right decision? Did anyone love their neighborhood school but opt for an HGC? Thanks!