Agree RMIB not cutthroat, but it does get very tense during college apps and as decisions are coming out.

Really tough workload too. I had more work in RMIB than I did in college (went to a HYP college). We used to sleep 2am-6am regularly in order to finish the workload. Normal to take all the IB exams and at least 10 APs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only difference is that the RM program is more established and attracts the top scoring kids as a result.

So what does that mean? Better teachers? Better administration?

No, teachers and curriculum are the same as the administration, after all, it's still MCPS. The difference is in the students.

Just be aware that if you live significantly closer to one of the regionals you are more likely to get offered seats at that regionals. MCPS won't continue maintaining a county-wide program forever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only difference is that the RM program is more established and attracts the top scoring kids as a result.

So what does that mean? Better teachers? Better administration?

No, teachers and curriculum are the same as the administration, after all, it's still MCPS. The difference is in the students.

Thank you for this information!

Do students in both of these programs have an advisor with whom they can check in frequently to get support in building study/organizational skills?

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

My kid is in the magnet at Kennedy. There are multiple math tracks. I thought more than two, actually. They also have Italian and I think Latin as options for World Language. The "elective" IB offerings do vary, and RM probably has more of them. Kennedy offers Dance, Theater, and Art at the IB level HL and SL. Anthropology was an option this year as an SL. Also Environmental Science. You can see the offerings as well as selected tracks to follow the IB program on the Kennedy website.

What I consider a bonus about the program are things you may not: it's not cutthroat. The kids who are there are self-motivated and serious, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of internal competition. Classes are all small. I've been really impressed with the teachers and the administration, and the school in general.

My DC at RMIB doesn't think it's a cutthroat atmosphere. The kids are actually supportive (commiserate) of each other. It's a lot of work.

My kid is also at RMIB and has not found it to be cutthroat at all. Kids have been helpful and supportive.

That's lovely to hear. Not the impression I get from the posters in this board.

? Maybe they meant that the entrance is cutthroat? IDK, but my kid doesn't feel that's cutthroat. Maybe others feel differently. IMO, it's cutthroat if you make it feel that way. DC and friends have helped each other out with HW and exams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

My kid is in the magnet at Kennedy. There are multiple math tracks. I thought more than two, actually. They also have Italian and I think Latin as options for World Language. The "elective" IB offerings do vary, and RM probably has more of them. Kennedy offers Dance, Theater, and Art at the IB level HL and SL. Anthropology was an option this year as an SL. Also Environmental Science. You can see the offerings as well as selected tracks to follow the IB program on the Kennedy website.

What I consider a bonus about the program are things you may not: it's not cutthroat. The kids who are there are self-motivated and serious, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of internal competition. Classes are all small. I've been really impressed with the teachers and the administration, and the school in general.

My DC at RMIB doesn't think it's a cutthroat atmosphere. The kids are actually supportive (commiserate) of each other. It's a lot of work.

My kid is also at RMIB and has not found it to be cutthroat at all. Kids have been helpful and supportive.

That's lovely to hear. Not the impression I get from the posters in this board.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

My kid is in the magnet at Kennedy. There are multiple math tracks. I thought more than two, actually. They also have Italian and I think Latin as options for World Language. The "elective" IB offerings do vary, and RM probably has more of them. Kennedy offers Dance, Theater, and Art at the IB level HL and SL. Anthropology was an option this year as an SL. Also Environmental Science. You can see the offerings as well as selected tracks to follow the IB program on the Kennedy website.

What I consider a bonus about the program are things you may not: it's not cutthroat. The kids who are there are self-motivated and serious, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of internal competition. Classes are all small. I've been really impressed with the teachers and the administration, and the school in general.

My DC at RMIB doesn't think it's a cutthroat atmosphere. The kids are actually supportive (commiserate) of each other. It's a lot of work.

My kid is also at RMIB and has not found it to be cutthroat at all. Kids have been helpful and supportive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

My kid is in the magnet at Kennedy. There are multiple math tracks. I thought more than two, actually. They also have Italian and I think Latin as options for World Language. The "elective" IB offerings do vary, and RM probably has more of them. Kennedy offers Dance, Theater, and Art at the IB level HL and SL. Anthropology was an option this year as an SL. Also Environmental Science. You can see the offerings as well as selected tracks to follow the IB program on the Kennedy website.

What I consider a bonus about the program are things you may not: it's not cutthroat. The kids who are there are self-motivated and serious, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of internal competition. Classes are all small. I've been really impressed with the teachers and the administration, and the school in general.

My DC at RMIB doesn't think it's a cutthroat atmosphere. The kids are actually supportive (commiserate) of each other. It's a lot of work.

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

Um, the course offerings and pathways are listed right on the school website. Look at the links above.

And at Kennedy, as with RM, any 11th grader with the requisites can take IB classes.

BIo is offered as an HL. Chem and Physics and Environmental science are all SL. (There may be opportunities to take HL chem and HL Physics.

IB World History is HL, and fulfils the Moco modern history requirement.

I think there's English HL and Lit HL, but don't quote me on that. The offerings will, as the poster above mentioned, change with demand. The classes have all been challenging. 9th and 10th graders typically take AP and Honors classes, as well as doing a project their sophomore year.

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

My kid is in the magnet at Kennedy. There are multiple math tracks. I thought more than two, actually. They also have Italian and I think Latin as options for World Language. The "elective" IB offerings do vary, and RM probably has more of them. Kennedy offers Dance, Theater, and Art at the IB level HL and SL. Anthropology was an option this year as an SL. Also Environmental Science. You can see the offerings as well as selected tracks to follow the IB program on the Kennedy website.

What I consider a bonus about the program are things you may not: it's not cutthroat. The kids who are there are self-motivated and serious, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of internal competition. Classes are all small. I've been really impressed with the teachers and the administration, and the school in general.

Anonymous wrote:Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

It's the law of supply and demand. If there is very low demand for HL for certain courses, then the schools will get rid of that class/track.

DC at RMIB is doing HL for all STEM classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB at RM is incredibly hard.

DC is at RMIB. DC has met a few people who were in IB programs elsewhere, and they said that RMIB is much tougher than what they have experienced at their other school -- I don't recall if it was another MCPS school or not.

RMIB definitely has a reputation for being tough. Tons of work. Yes, the materials are probably very similar to other IB programs, but I don't know if the expectations and workload are similar.

I teach at RM. We get international students who transferred in to RM IB when they move here.

PP here.. now that you say this, I think this is what DC said, that those kids were in IB programs in private schools abroad. They are finding RMIB much tougher than what they experienced in their previous IB private school.

Careful with the presumption of equivalence in the programs. There are at least two IB math tracks, both of which are offered at RMIB. Some of the local IB programs only offered the less rigorous one, but that may have changed. Ask questions and get specifics. It's a shame that MCPS doesn't make these types of differences among schools/programs clear and easy to find.

Anonymous wrote:Looking for info on the differences between the Kennedy and Richard Montgomery programs.

RM is a countywide magnet and has a larger cohort of students - 100 out of area and ~25 local seats for the 9th and 10th grade magnet program. Then about ~150 in the 11th and 12th grade diploma program.
https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/r-w/rmhs/ib/2022-2023-ib-course-handbook.pdf

Kennedy has had IB for a while, but students joined the IB DP only in 11th and 12th grade, after Honors classes with the general school population. It became a a regional magnet 3 years ago with 25 local and 50 magnet students per grade level (I think) being co-horted together for 9th and 10th grade. They are using some of the Pre-IB curricula developed at RM to help better prepare the students for the diploma program (especially the writing demands).
https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/kennedyhs/programs/ib/

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/ib.aspx#tabs-4

RM is a bigger school in general - 2500 compared to 1500 at Kennedy - and has about twice as many students in the diploma program. It has a wider range of courses, especially in science and social studies. Students not in the diploma program are allowed to take the IB electives, so RM is able to offer more of them.

I would expect that as the regional IB magnets grow, the schools will have more demand for more IB courses. The courses that they offer have to meet IB standards, so they will be rigorous, but for now they have a limited amount of choices compared to RM.