Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montgomery cluster-
Average income 120K, average house prices 650K, but single family are more like 800K to 1M.
Average education: Masters
Hmm.. and you are wondering why so many people from Bethesda and ChCh flee
there for bigger homes and more air and grass while having the same commute time?

These numbers seem highly inaccurate to me.

DP.. average sfh in RM cluster seems high, I agree. But, there are sections of RM cluster where the average cost is about $800K, like Fallsgrove area. I would say $650K average is about right, but there are two pretty distinct housing stock in this cluster. On one hand you have Fallsgrove and Horizon Hill which is pretty pricey. Then you have the smaller homes near Beall and older parts near Town Center where older homes go for around $550k. The newer or really big homes in that area can go upwards to $1mil. So, it's really spread out.

I am the PP who mentioned that the numbers seem inaccurate. I live in one of those $800k houses in RM district (not falls grove). I know the area very well. My home is above average price for RM district. Average may be $650k if you removed all the houses in Twinbrook. However, there are a LOT of homes there, and virtually all are in the $300k-$550k range. That really balances out the SFHs in pricier neighborhoods: Falls Grove, Horizon Hill, Rose Hill, Rose Hill Farms, Park Potomac, and larger tear downs in downtown. I would say the median SFH price is probably closer to $550k. And average house price overall is much more likely $450k or something, considering how many condos, townhouse, etc., there are.

Also, remember that an average household income of $120k doesn't support an average house price of $650k. The person who posted that is insane.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montgomery cluster-
Average income 120K, average house prices 650K, but single family are more like 800K to 1M.
Average education: Masters
Hmm.. and you are wondering why so many people from Bethesda and ChCh flee
there for bigger homes and more air and grass while having the same commute time?

These numbers seem highly inaccurate to me.

DP.. average sfh in RM cluster seems high, I agree. But, there are sections of RM cluster where the average cost is about $800K, like Fallsgrove area. I would say $650K average is about right, but there are two pretty distinct housing stock in this cluster. On one hand you have Fallsgrove and Horizon Hill which is pretty pricey. Then you have the smaller homes near Beall and older parts near Town Center where older homes go for around $550k. The newer or really big homes in that area can go upwards to $1mil. So, it's really spread out.

It is a county wide magnet but about 25 spots go to JW kids each year. Also once at RM, 11th graders can join the magnet if interested.

I thought the IB program at that school is county wide, and as such does not have 'feeder' schools. Kids from Julius West are zoned into that high school, but have to apply to get into the program like all county students

Anonymous wrote:Richard Montgomery cluster-
Average income 120K, average house prices 650K, but single family are more like 800K to 1M.
Average education: Masters
Hmm.. and you are wondering why so many people from Bethesda and ChCh flee
there for bigger homes and more air and grass while having the same commute time?

These numbers seem highly inaccurate to me.

Richard Montgomery cluster-
Average income 120K, average house prices 650K, but single family are more like 800K to 1M.
Average education: Masters
Hmm.. and you are wondering why so many people from Bethesda and ChCh flee
there for bigger homes and more air and grass while having the same commute time?

My husband and I both attended the Richard Montgomery IB program and graduated in the second year of the program. We both feel that we had excellent educations and also plenty of time for socializing. I ended up with a physics degree and he studied computer science. We both hope to see our daughter test in after eighth grade. Time management is definitely a necessary component of succeeding in the program. Personally, I danced continuously throughout high school for 4 to 6 days a week and still maintained a high grade point average. My husband does not recall being overwhelmed by the demands even though he did less well overall. As for the science component. I do agree there is more of an emphasis on history and humanities, but the science was engaging and sparked my interest. I certainly don't remember being segmented in a hallway, in fact, looking back I can't even remember which of my friends were in the program and which were not. I sang every semester and that was a mixed group. I did find college easy but I don't think that meant I was burdened in high school. I remember having time for everything I wanted to do.

The only time I got overwhelmed was at the end of senior year when I took both the AP exams and the IB exams at the same time. I remember walking in to take the AP European history exam just a week after taking the IB version and just walked out of the room. I couldn't take it anymore. But no one judged me for that, it was just too much for me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what do you mean by "the student population overall is not impressive"????
2 students I personally well know from RMIB: one has SAT 2360 graduated in 2011, another has SAT 2350 graduated in 2012.
It IS impressive

Not the IB students, the students from RM's feeder schools.

You simply have NO idea. The kids that attend RM, lost of them from highly demanding Julius West Middle
that has IB program for all attending students, that are from CGES that is also all IB students
so how do you think they do at the Richard Montgomery school, weather they get into the IB high school level
or not those are supers strong students from residential areas where people flock from Bethesda and ChCH
because homes are slightly less expensive and the commute is almost the same. Look at the income
and the education of the population that feeds into the RM, exactly the same as Bethesda.
So is the ethnic profile of the population. Some people do not realize how Montgomery County changed
within the last 20 years and they apply their racial profiling thinking that they know something.

Anonymous wrote:http://www.ibo.org/

diploma programme
http://www.ibo.org/diploma/

RM is the only test-in prograh in MCPS. Wherever you go - test in or not- the curriculum/standards are EXACTLY the same. So in open programs, kids who don't feel as though the program is for them will opt out themselves, as it's truly rigorous. In test-in programs, some will opt out, but most have been screened (for lack of a better term). So many high-fliers complete it.

hmmm .. how about Blair magnet program? totally test-in.

Anonymous wrote:My kid got into both RMIB and the Blair Math/Science/Comp Sci Magnet. The math/science kids at RM (on the night admitted kids tour the school) told my kid & their friends that Math/Science dept not great, they'd be better @ Poolesville/Blair. Just saying... My kid knows many at both schools. I hear both good.

They're different programs. IBDP is similar to a mini liberal arts program. The focus is balanced, unlike the focus at a math/science magnet. However, having said that, the kids who graduate with a DP diploma do very well in college b/c they've learned about time management. Furthermore, they do well in the math and sciences, too.

I think it's unfair to compare two different programs, especially when you haven't been trained in IB.

^ Thanks. It's helpful. Crazy kids.

IB At A Glance Link below.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/rmhs/ib/2013-14%20IB_Insert.pdf

Anonymous wrote:I also think you have to look at the schools outside of the IB/Magnet. Community, kids, school safety, PTA, support, tests scores overall. They all do interact.

I've looked at the At A Glance stats for RM and WJ. I think last year, WJ had more incidences of cops being called and arrests, FWIW. I don't think overall test scores would impact a kid in IB.

I also think you have to look at the schools outside of the IB/Magnet. Community, kids, school safety, PTA, support, tests scores overall. They all do interact.