Anonymous
Post 05/29/2024 10:12     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.

Wrong

CAP kids are wonderful and the program is wonderful. The only bad part about it is the insecure Takoma Park parents.


Such a weird comment. I'm in TP and have had kids in various magnets. The insecure parents come from all over!

Mine chose magnet over CAP, but had friends in CAP. I think magnet is more rigorous overall, but a CAP fosters more creativity, and a kid can invest more in CAP activities with video production, Silver Chips, etc (of course mag kid could also do Silver Chips). Both great programs. Magnet has more requirements, so CAP would allow for more flexibility. Mine really wanted the math track of magnet. The 9 period day does allow for more electives, but it is also tiring. But, Blair magnet and the AP humanities classes set my kid up well for college. I think CAP kids were also well prepared. And, I know regular Blair kids who are doing great too! My advice is to seek out great teachers in whatever program. Blair has some fantastic teachers and some not so great in all areas. Teachers make the difference.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2024 13:21     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:CAP families seem to suggest they are comparable. It doesn’t seem likely to me based on what I know of the programs.



Cap is fine but it's not the same as the stem magnet.


Indeed, it is not STEM.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2024 08:52     Subject: Re:Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids were in SMCS and it was extremely rigorous and intense. I agree with PP that college was relatively easy in comparison. Basically, they’re taking about 8 college level classes at a time, versus a typical college student where 15 credit hours (about 5 classes) would be considered full-time.

I know very little about CAP, but the general policy for all Blair students used to be (and I assume still is) that any Blair student could take magnet electives (not the core classes), as long as there was room in the class and they had completed any prerequisites.


Nonsense. SMACS classes aren't college semester classes each semester.


A lot of them are; nevertheless, SMCS only accounts for 4 of 8 courses that students take. The remaining 4 may include APs but it's up to the students.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2024 07:06     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:CAP families seem to suggest they are comparable. It doesn’t seem likely to me based on what I know of the programs.



Cap is fine but it's not the same as the stem magnet.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2024 00:07     Subject: Re:Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kids were in SMCS and it was extremely rigorous and intense. I agree with PP that college was relatively easy in comparison. Basically, they’re taking about 8 college level classes at a time, versus a typical college student where 15 credit hours (about 5 classes) would be considered full-time.

I know very little about CAP, but the general policy for all Blair students used to be (and I assume still is) that any Blair student could take magnet electives (not the core classes), as long as there was room in the class and they had completed any prerequisites.


Nonsense. SMACS classes aren't college semester classes each semester.


Given that you have the name of the program wrong I’m going to guess that you’re not very familiar with it and therefore your statement doesn’t have a factual basis.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 22:07     Subject: Re:Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:My kids were in SMCS and it was extremely rigorous and intense. I agree with PP that college was relatively easy in comparison. Basically, they’re taking about 8 college level classes at a time, versus a typical college student where 15 credit hours (about 5 classes) would be considered full-time.

I know very little about CAP, but the general policy for all Blair students used to be (and I assume still is) that any Blair student could take magnet electives (not the core classes), as long as there was room in the class and they had completed any prerequisites.


Nonsense. SMACS classes aren't college semester classes each semester.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 21:55     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.

Wrong

CAP kids are wonderful and the program is wonderful. The only bad part about it is the insecure Takoma Park parents.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 21:14     Subject: Re:Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
My kids were in SMCS and it was extremely rigorous and intense. I agree with PP that college was relatively easy in comparison. Basically, they’re taking about 8 college level classes at a time, versus a typical college student where 15 credit hours (about 5 classes) would be considered full-time.

I know very little about CAP, but the general policy for all Blair students used to be (and I assume still is) that any Blair student could take magnet electives (not the core classes), as long as there was room in the class and they had completed any prerequisites.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 21:01     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.


That also makes it much easier to get in to.


Who…. actually cares?
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 20:37     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.


That also makes it much easier to get in to.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 19:50     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.


That would make sense, since it’s only open to DCC kids (and kids who go to middle schools in the DCC.)
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 19:11     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.

Wrong
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 19:11     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.[/quote]
Wrong
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 19:05     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Prestige depends on where you live and your friend circle. In the DCC CAP is considered pretty prestigious but outside that area most people haven't heard of it.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2024 19:04     Subject: Which is more rigorous, competitive, intense, CAP or SMCS at Blair?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:CAP pulls from a smaller pool of candidates, so in that sense is less competitive to get into. But its students have won countless national awards and have excellent college outcomes, so it’s fairly comparable there. Simply being accepted into the CAP program won’t be considered as impressive, but it provides just as many opportunities for high-achieving students.

The STEM snobs will always insist that humanities classes can never be as difficult as math classes, but CAP students work plenty hard. It’s just a different type of work. Instead of grinding away at problem sets, they’re researching, writing, editing, conducting interviews, digging for stories to tell.


What about volume of homework in freshman year?


It's not bad. There will be longer term homework if you don't get work done in class but it is nowhere near the amount of work DC's friends get in the STEM magnet. Both programs have 9th period for 9th grade although some friends said they are able to drop 9th period in 10th grade for CAP.