Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My RMIB kid did not prep either. He's always been a 99 percentile test taker.

Mine did! They started in 3rd grade 2 hours a day 5 days a week, but no way they would've been admitted without it.

And that's fine too. I don't see why people try to make prep-families feel guilty about helping their kids get in. We did and, looking at how it helped our kids in HS, college, and after college, we would do it again! Yes, they are older.

Prep is perfectly fine but shouldn't be required to access enriched opportunities from publicly funded programs. When the majority of those being accepted were enrolled in outside prep, it's time to rethink our admission process so that all students have a shot at these opportunities, not just those families that can spend the $$$ to purchase a seat.

Game seems always unfair when you can't win. What a cynical view.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A coworker told me that no one gets in without prep. Well my kid did. From his circle of Blair friends, there was one child who was prepped. While there are families who prep, I also think people use that idea to justify why their kid did not get in. In reality it is like very competitive colleges. Lots of very talented kids just don't get in.

I don't think it is appropriate to use the cohort method for HS students since in HS there are many levels of classes available. In middle school there is much less differentiation (or none).

Maybe 25%-30% manage without prep but the majority are in classes from early on.

Several Asian cultures (Chinese, Indian) are heavily focused on education, particularly STEM. Kids have tutors and are often working 2-3 years ahead in math. Of course that's reflected in the test scores. Not necessarily a bad thing. Those families devote lots of resources to education and sometimes music lessons from a young age, and those kids do very well as a result. Why is it their problem so many white families put their resources toward athletics instead? Support starts at home.

What about families that can’t afford prep classes? Do you just assume their kids lack ability?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A coworker told me that no one gets in without prep. Well my kid did. From his circle of Blair friends, there was one child who was prepped. While there are families who prep, I also think people use that idea to justify why their kid did not get in. In reality it is like very competitive colleges. Lots of very talented kids just don't get in.

I don't think it is appropriate to use the cohort method for HS students since in HS there are many levels of classes available. In middle school there is much less differentiation (or none).

Agree 1000 percent. If your kid did not get in don’t use it as an excuse. It’s so much easier to blame others.. Do things and try to have your kid challenge themselves wherever they are.

Disagree 10,000%. Why should wealthy areas that invest in prep be given an edge over everyone else? Level the playing field and give all kids a fair chance at this opportunity not just those who attend the best schools and take outside enrichment.

How would you level it? Every household supplied with the same number of books and toys when a child is born. Each child may only participate in the same activities. There parents may only speak the same number of words a day. The same food must be served. Impossible goal.

To what degree can we say a kid is prepped? -- This is the common ground for any meaningful discussion. Without it , it is just venting.

1. open your book shelf
2. buy supplementary books (e.g., AoPS intro series)
3. casual discussion of hard problems with kids
4. enroll in online classes (e.g., RSM, Magnesium, AoPS)
5. systematic instruction of concepts and problems to kids
6. join learning pods
7. attend in-person classes
8. hire tutors
9. attend admission-focused classes (e.g., Curie in NoVA)

I have done up to #4 for my kid, which I don't feel "guilty" for.

Can we ban #9?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My RMIB kid did not prep either. He's always been a 99 percentile test taker.

Mine did! They started in 3rd grade 2 hours a day 5 days a week, but no way they would've been admitted without it.

Is this sincere? If you really believe your child needed that much assistance to get in, are t you worried about how they will do at school? My kid does mention that some kids are really tanking some tests, and I was wondering how it can be that the kids that get into this very competitive program are struggling that much with the work.

Anonymous wrote:I really don't know why they would implement a cohort system for HS. All MoCo high schools have advanced curriculum options through AP and IB classes.

Well, many parents disagree. They even spend hundreds of thousands more for a home that they believe is one of the high-performing school boundaries. The irony is they are often the same ones that complain about cohorts.

I really don't know why they would implement a cohort system for HS. All MoCo high schools have advanced curriculum options through AP and IB classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My RMIB kid did not prep either. He's always been a 99 percentile test taker.

Mine did! They started in 3rd grade 2 hours a day 5 days a week, but no way they would've been admitted without it.

And that's fine too. I don't see why people try to make prep-families feel guilty about helping their kids get in. We did and, looking at how it helped our kids in HS, college, and after college, we would do it again! Yes, they are older.

Prep is perfectly fine but shouldn't be required to access enriched opportunities from publicly funded programs. When the majority of those being accepted were enrolled in outside prep, it's time to rethink our admission process so that all students have a shot at these opportunities, not just those families that can spend the $$$ to purchase a seat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My RMIB kid did not prep either. He's always been a 99 percentile test taker.

Mine did! They started in 3rd grade 2 hours a day 5 days a week, but no way they would've been admitted without it.

And that's fine too. I don't see why people try to make prep-families feel guilty about helping their kids get in. We did and, looking at how it helped our kids in HS, college, and after college, we would do it again! Yes, they are older.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A coworker told me that no one gets in without prep. Well my kid did. From his circle of Blair friends, there was one child who was prepped. While there are families who prep, I also think people use that idea to justify why their kid did not get in. In reality it is like very competitive colleges. Lots of very talented kids just don't get in.

I don't think it is appropriate to use the cohort method for HS students since in HS there are many levels of classes available. In middle school there is much less differentiation (or none).

Maybe 25%-30% manage without prep but the majority are in classes from early on.

Several Asian cultures (Chinese, Indian) are heavily focused on education, particularly STEM. Kids have tutors and are often working 2-3 years ahead in math. Of course that's reflected in the test scores. Not necessarily a bad thing. Those families devote lots of resources to education and sometimes music lessons from a young age, and those kids do very well as a result. Why is it their problem so many white families put their resources toward athletics instead? Support starts at home.

Anonymous wrote:A coworker told me that no one gets in without prep. Well my kid did. From his circle of Blair friends, there was one child who was prepped. While there are families who prep, I also think people use that idea to justify why their kid did not get in. In reality it is like very competitive colleges. Lots of very talented kids just don't get in.

I don't think it is appropriate to use the cohort method for HS students since in HS there are many levels of classes available. In middle school there is much less differentiation (or none).

Maybe 25%-30% manage without prep but the majority are in classes from early on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A coworker told me that no one gets in without prep. Well my kid did. From his circle of Blair friends, there was one child who was prepped. While there are families who prep, I also think people use that idea to justify why their kid did not get in. In reality it is like very competitive colleges. Lots of very talented kids just don't get in.

I don't think it is appropriate to use the cohort method for HS students since in HS there are many levels of classes available. In middle school there is much less differentiation (or none).

Agree 1000 percent. If your kid did not get in don’t use it as an excuse. It’s so much easier to blame others.. Do things and try to have your kid challenge themselves wherever they are.

Disagree 10,000%. Why should wealthy areas that invest in prep be given an edge over everyone else? Level the playing field and give all kids a fair chance at this opportunity not just those who attend the best schools and take outside enrichment.

Anonymous wrote:My RMIB kid did not prep either. He's always been a 99 percentile test taker.

Mine did! They started in 3rd grade 2 hours a day 5 days a week, but no way they would've been admitted without it.

Anonymous wrote:A coworker told me that no one gets in without prep. Well my kid did. From his circle of Blair friends, there was one child who was prepped. While there are families who prep, I also think people use that idea to justify why their kid did not get in. In reality it is like very competitive colleges. Lots of very talented kids just don't get in.

I don't think it is appropriate to use the cohort method for HS students since in HS there are many levels of classes available. In middle school there is much less differentiation (or none).

Agree 1000 percent. If your kid did not get in don’t use it as an excuse. It’s so much easier to blame others.. Do things and try to have your kid challenge themselves wherever they are.

My RMIB kid did not prep either. He's always been a 99 percentile test taker.