Anonymous
01/30/2025 00:16
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s shocking that your kid didn’t get in with 290. I can’t imagine why not.
She said it was over 290. How many kids at TPMS have that score?!
There are multiple we know over that score especially those who were travelling to HS for their Maths.
For good or bad, kids now a days are highly competitive.
Anonymous
01/30/2025 00:06
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:It’s shocking that your kid didn’t get in with 290. I can’t imagine why not.
She said it was over 290. How many kids at TPMS have that score?!
Anonymous
01/30/2025 00:06
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:It’s shocking that your kid didn’t get in with 290. I can’t imagine why not.
+1
Anonymous
01/29/2025 23:49
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
It’s shocking that your kid didn’t get in with 290. I can’t imagine why not.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 21:21
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
A few more notes….
If your kid is trying to pack more in their GE schedule a few recommendations.
First take health A/B over the summer through Central Office online. My son did this. The Health Classes are just common sense/ busy work and better to get them over in 6 weeks than a full school year. Actually, I’d recommend taking them over the summer and filling their time with anything else. I’ve never met a kid who enjoyed their Health classes and my kids both found them boring. I think students can take them before 9th grade but double check as when they can take them has varied from year to year. Check the Central Office bulletin to see when you can register. You’ll have to register as soon as the portal opens to have the best shot. My son didn’t have to pay for the classes due to COVID money but just be aware that there is a cost now that COVID money is gone. I can’t remember what it costs (since we didn’t have to pay) but I remember thinking it’s not too much.
Secondly there are opportunities to take Art class too over the summer. Mine didn’t do that but a friend at RMIB did. I’m not sure if they are offered through Central Office or just through schools. If not offered through Central Office, try RMIB or some of the other larger local school. Generally the local schools will prioritize their own students but if you are organized enough you can probably get in.
I would recommend taking the Health etc classes as early as possible summer before 9th and 10th as when they get older, there are more things to available to them including studying for the SAT, college prep programs, internships, driving school etc.
One other note, do NOT take PE as a freshman. The counselors will recommend it but freshman year is the easiest. I’d advise either junior or senior year when they could use a break in their schedule. They’d hate me for writing this but PE is the only required class that’s not weighted so if you wait till senior year, your child could potentially apply to college with a 5.0 GPA for EA (which would be reduced senior year because PE is unweighted). My older one took PE as a senior.
In terms of required “easy” classes, my kid took Art as a sophomore, PE as a junior and none as a freshman/ senior.
Finally, it’s good to write out a tentative 4 year plan. If the rigor is too much, you’ll know and the school will work with you to adjust during the change period. For my son, we found that with the “SMCs CS class” after AP CS A. If your kid is rocking everything, there are always more opportunities for additional rigor in future years. There are so many smart kids at PHS, they’ll be challenged no matter how smart they are.
Good luck again!
If your kid is trying to pack more in their GE schedule a few recommendations.
First take health A/B over the summer through Central Office online. My son did this. The Health Classes are just common sense/ busy work and better to get them over in 6 weeks than a full school year. Actually, I’d recommend taking them over the summer and filling their time with anything else. I’ve never met a kid who enjoyed their Health classes and my kids both found them boring. I think students can take them before 9th grade but double check as when they can take them has varied from year to year. Check the Central Office bulletin to see when you can register. You’ll have to register as soon as the portal opens to have the best shot. My son didn’t have to pay for the classes due to COVID money but just be aware that there is a cost now that COVID money is gone. I can’t remember what it costs (since we didn’t have to pay) but I remember thinking it’s not too much.
Secondly there are opportunities to take Art class too over the summer. Mine didn’t do that but a friend at RMIB did. I’m not sure if they are offered through Central Office or just through schools. If not offered through Central Office, try RMIB or some of the other larger local school. Generally the local schools will prioritize their own students but if you are organized enough you can probably get in.
I would recommend taking the Health etc classes as early as possible summer before 9th and 10th as when they get older, there are more things to available to them including studying for the SAT, college prep programs, internships, driving school etc.
One other note, do NOT take PE as a freshman. The counselors will recommend it but freshman year is the easiest. I’d advise either junior or senior year when they could use a break in their schedule. They’d hate me for writing this but PE is the only required class that’s not weighted so if you wait till senior year, your child could potentially apply to college with a 5.0 GPA for EA (which would be reduced senior year because PE is unweighted). My older one took PE as a senior.
In terms of required “easy” classes, my kid took Art as a sophomore, PE as a junior and none as a freshman/ senior.
Finally, it’s good to write out a tentative 4 year plan. If the rigor is too much, you’ll know and the school will work with you to adjust during the change period. For my son, we found that with the “SMCs CS class” after AP CS A. If your kid is rocking everything, there are always more opportunities for additional rigor in future years. There are so many smart kids at PHS, they’ll be challenged no matter how smart they are.
Good luck again!
Anonymous
01/29/2025 19:19
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP- My kid was in Global and it’s a great program but how far is the commute for you?
We live not too far from Shady Grove Metro Station. Both Blair and Poolesville are really far, and since the school bus stop is at the very end of the route, the ride takes forever. My kid takes the school bus to TPMS, and because it's the last stop, he doesn’t get home until 4:40 PM. Blair shares the same bus route as TPMS, so if he goes to Blair, he’d still be getting home at 4:40.
Since he gets home so late, it’s really hard for him to do any after-school activities. That’s actually one of the reasons I kind of regret sending him to TPMS.
I know Poolesville is the #1 high school in Maryland, but I’ve never met anyone who goes there, so it feels pretty unfamiliar. Honestly, I think Poolesville would be a better fit for my kid than Blair. He has a high MAP-M score (>290), but he’s not really into math, engineering, or computer science. He’s way more interested in animals, insects, and the environment.
If this is OP why is your child so upset? You're much closer to Poolesville and the program is more in line with his interests. A lot of the TPMS kids are really obsessed with Blair and if your child's friends are heading there it can feel terrible even though this is probably the right outcome for your child. Blair STEM is a really difficult program where it's hard to let your guard down and if you are more into animals, insects and the environment rather than math or cs it's going to be a slog and stressful. No reason to put him through that. Stop listening to the people who say that's the "best" program with the smartest kids. The "best" program is the one that is the best for your kid.
You're totally right. I honestly don’t get why my kid is so fixated on Blair either. Isn’t Blair SMACS for the kids who are all about math, robotics, and just naturally love numbers? Like the ones who say, "Math is the easiest thing ever!"
I really hope he finds like-minded friends at Poolesville—kids who share his interests, study together, and just click. That would make such a difference for him.
Your kid is obviously very, very good at math so it makes sense he wanted to go to Blair. Good luck to you and your kid, who sounds like a really great kid. I wish he got his #1 wish, but he is going to do great at GE.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 19:12
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP- My kid was in Global and it’s a great program but how far is the commute for you?
We live not too far from Shady Grove Metro Station. Both Blair and Poolesville are really far, and since the school bus stop is at the very end of the route, the ride takes forever. My kid takes the school bus to TPMS, and because it's the last stop, he doesn’t get home until 4:40 PM. Blair shares the same bus route as TPMS, so if he goes to Blair, he’d still be getting home at 4:40.
Since he gets home so late, it’s really hard for him to do any after-school activities. That’s actually one of the reasons I kind of regret sending him to TPMS.
I know Poolesville is the #1 high school in Maryland, but I’ve never met anyone who goes there, so it feels pretty unfamiliar. Honestly, I think Poolesville would be a better fit for my kid than Blair. He has a high MAP-M score (>290), but he’s not really into math, engineering, or computer science. He’s way more interested in animals, insects, and the environment.
If this is OP why is your child so upset? You're much closer to Poolesville and the program is more in line with his interests. A lot of the TPMS kids are really obsessed with Blair and if your child's friends are heading there it can feel terrible even though this is probably the right outcome for your child. Blair STEM is a really difficult program where it's hard to let your guard down and if you are more into animals, insects and the environment rather than math or cs it's going to be a slog and stressful. No reason to put him through that. Stop listening to the people who say that's the "best" program with the smartest kids. The "best" program is the one that is the best for your kid.
You're totally right. I honestly don’t get why my kid is so fixated on Blair either. Isn’t Blair SMACS for the kids who are all about math, robotics, and just naturally love numbers? Like the ones who say, "Math is the easiest thing ever!"
I really hope he finds like-minded friends at Poolesville—kids who share his interests, study together, and just click. That would make such a difference for him.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 19:07
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:PP with kid accepted to Global/WL at Blair. Make sure you attend the accepted Open House at Poolesville. While the disappointment is understandable with such a high MAP score, hopefully your child comes around and realizes that GE is really the best program.
When we went to accepted student night, they definitely tried to “sell” GE as an alternative to SMCs on accepted student night. It’s not just spin either. One thing, I just remembered is the first week of school kids in Honors Algebra 2 could take a test to see if they qualify for SMCs math. They took a few Global/Humanities kids. I think your child would be in a good place to have a great shot at taking one of those spots given their high MAP score and coming from Takoma Park. I would call Allison Wilder and ask what their current policy is and likelihood of SMCs math. Maybe ask how many students they took last year etc. We found her to be honest and direct.
My senior is fairly quiet and doesn’t even know which house many of the other kids are in. It’s not like Hogwarts where they wear different color robes. I only know that MV and AP Physics have many SMCs kids in them because of things mentioned by the teachers at Back to School Night.
One of the things that might help is to lay the PHS SMCs program requirements against the GE ones to see how what electives to take, if he really wants to mirror the SMCs program as much as possible. I would compare PHS SMCs against GE since Blair’s program is probably a bit different. You may find that the programs aren’t as different as you might think. I had a friend last year whose kid wanted GE and ended up in Humanities. Mom was concerned and I lined the classes up with her and showed her that it’s really only a few required classes that are different, which eased her anxiety. I’m sure one of the counselors can also help with suggestions to make his schedule more SMCs like if that’s his preference.
If your child takes CS A as an elective freshman year, they’ll definitely be in SMCS CS as a sophomore- I know because my son was in it for a couple of weeks before switching to STAT. If they take SMCs math, they’ll have at least 2 SMCs level classes as a sophomore.
Perhaps his disappointment is somewhat based on friends who are going to Blair than anything else, which is understandable. Good Luck.
The field trips are really awesome though and give a lot of material to help with college essay writing.
Writing on this forum is a good distraction for us as we are waiting for important college decisions. UMD is Friday.
Thanks for sharing all that info about the Poolesville GE program! I think it’ll be really helpful for other students considering GE too. I’m definitely gonna come back and reread your post a few times.
I’ve heard UMD is getting harder to get into these days, so I really hope your kid gets into the school he wants! Fingers crossed.
+1
Very useful information especially for kids like mine. Thank you so much. I'm saving this thread
Anonymous
01/29/2025 19:04
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:PP with kid accepted to Global/WL at Blair. Make sure you attend the accepted Open House at Poolesville. While the disappointment is understandable with such a high MAP score, hopefully your child comes around and realizes that GE is really the best program
When we went to accepted student night, they definitely tried to “sell” GE as an alternative to SMCs on accepted student night. It’s not just spin either. One thing, I just remembered is the first week of school kids in Honors Algebra 2 could take a test to see if they qualify for SMCs math. They took a few Global/Humanities kids. I think your child would be in a good place to have a great shot at taking one of those spots given their high MAP score and coming from Takoma Park. I would call Allison Wilder and ask what their current policy is and likelihood of SMCs math. Maybe ask how many students they took last year etc. We found her to be honest and direct.
My senior is fairly quiet and doesn’t even know which house many of the other kids are in. It’s not like Hogwarts where they wear different color robes. I only know that MV and AP Physics have many SMCs kids in them because of things mentioned by the teachers at Back to School Night.
One of the things that might help is to lay the PHS SMCs program requirements against the GE ones to see how what electives to take, if he really wants to mirror the SMCs program as much as possible. I would compare PHS SMCs against GE since Blair’s program is probably a bit different. You may find that the programs aren’t as different as you might think. I had a friend last year whose kid wanted GE and ended up in Humanities. Mom was concerned and I lined the classes up with her and showed her that it’s really only a few required classes that are different, which eased her anxiety. I’m sure one of the counselors can also help with suggestions to make his schedule more SMCs like if that’s his preference.
If your child takes CS A as an elective freshman year, they’ll definitely be in SMCS CS as a sophomore- I know because my son was in it for a couple of weeks before switching to STAT. If they take SMCs math, they’ll have at least 2 SMCs level classes as a sophomore.
Perhaps his disappointment is somewhat based on friends who are going to Blair than anything else, which is understandable. Good Luck.
The field trips are really awesome though and give a lot of material to help with college essay writing.
Writing on this forum is a good distraction for us as we are waiting for important college decisions. UMD is Friday.
Thanks for sharing all that info about the Poolesville GE program! I think it’ll be really helpful for other students considering GE too. I’m definitely gonna come back and reread your post a few times.
I’ve heard UMD is getting harder to get into these days, so I really hope your kid gets into the school he wants! Fingers crossed.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 16:09
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
+1 Global is full of quirky kids who are into things like insects.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 15:55
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP- My kid was in Global and it’s a great program but how far is the commute for you?
We live not too far from Shady Grove Metro Station. Both Blair and Poolesville are really far, and since the school bus stop is at the very end of the route, the ride takes forever. My kid takes the school bus to TPMS, and because it's the last stop, he doesn’t get home until 4:40 PM. Blair shares the same bus route as TPMS, so if he goes to Blair, he’d still be getting home at 4:40.
Since he gets home so late, it’s really hard for him to do any after-school activities. That’s actually one of the reasons I kind of regret sending him to TPMS.
I know Poolesville is the #1 high school in Maryland, but I’ve never met anyone who goes there, so it feels pretty unfamiliar. Honestly, I think Poolesville would be a better fit for my kid than Blair. He has a high MAP-M score (>290), but he’s not really into math, engineering, or computer science. He’s way more interested in animals, insects, and the environment.
If this is OP why is your child so upset? You're much closer to Poolesville and the program is more in line with his interests. A lot of the TPMS kids are really obsessed with Blair and if your child's friends are heading there it can feel terrible even though this is probably the right outcome for your child. Blair STEM is a really difficult program where it's hard to let your guard down and if you are more into animals, insects and the environment rather than math or cs it's going to be a slog and stressful. No reason to put him through that. Stop listening to the people who say that's the "best" program with the smartest kids. The "best" program is the one that is the best for your kid.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 15:20
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
PP with kid accepted to Global/WL at Blair. Make sure you attend the accepted Open House at Poolesville. While the disappointment is understandable with such a high MAP score, hopefully your child comes around and realizes that GE is really the best program .
When we went to accepted student night, they definitely tried to “sell” GE as an alternative to SMCs on accepted student night. It’s not just spin either. One thing, I just remembered is the first week of school kids in Honors Algebra 2 could take a test to see if they qualify for SMCs math. They took a few Global/Humanities kids. I think your child would be in a good place to have a great shot at taking one of those spots given their high MAP score and coming from Takoma Park. I would call Allison Wilder and ask what their current policy is and likelihood of SMCs math. Maybe ask how many students they took last year etc. We found her to be honest and direct.
My senior is fairly quiet and doesn’t even know which house many of the other kids are in. It’s not like Hogwarts where they wear different color robes. I only know that MV and AP Physics have many SMCs kids in them because of things mentioned by the teachers at Back to School Night.
One of the things that might help is to lay the PHS SMCs program requirements against the GE ones to see how what electives to take, if he really wants to mirror the SMCs program as much as possible. I would compare PHS SMCs against GE since Blair’s program is probably a bit different. You may find that the programs aren’t as different as you might think. I had a friend last year whose kid wanted GE and ended up in Humanities. Mom was concerned and I lined the classes up with her and showed her that it’s really only a few required classes that are different, which eased her anxiety. I’m sure one of the counselors can also help with suggestions to make his schedule more SMCs like if that’s his preference.
If your child takes CS A as an elective freshman year, they’ll definitely be in SMCS CS as a sophomore- I know because my son was in it for a couple of weeks before switching to STAT. If they take SMCs math, they’ll have at least 2 SMCs level classes as a sophomore.
Perhaps his disappointment is somewhat based on friends who are going to Blair than anything else, which is understandable. Good Luck.
The field trips are really awesome though and give a lot of material to help with college essay writing.
Writing on this forum is a good distraction for us as we are waiting for important college decisions. UMD is Friday.
.
When we went to accepted student night, they definitely tried to “sell” GE as an alternative to SMCs on accepted student night. It’s not just spin either. One thing, I just remembered is the first week of school kids in Honors Algebra 2 could take a test to see if they qualify for SMCs math. They took a few Global/Humanities kids. I think your child would be in a good place to have a great shot at taking one of those spots given their high MAP score and coming from Takoma Park. I would call Allison Wilder and ask what their current policy is and likelihood of SMCs math. Maybe ask how many students they took last year etc. We found her to be honest and direct.
My senior is fairly quiet and doesn’t even know which house many of the other kids are in. It’s not like Hogwarts where they wear different color robes. I only know that MV and AP Physics have many SMCs kids in them because of things mentioned by the teachers at Back to School Night.
One of the things that might help is to lay the PHS SMCs program requirements against the GE ones to see how what electives to take, if he really wants to mirror the SMCs program as much as possible. I would compare PHS SMCs against GE since Blair’s program is probably a bit different. You may find that the programs aren’t as different as you might think. I had a friend last year whose kid wanted GE and ended up in Humanities. Mom was concerned and I lined the classes up with her and showed her that it’s really only a few required classes that are different, which eased her anxiety. I’m sure one of the counselors can also help with suggestions to make his schedule more SMCs like if that’s his preference.
If your child takes CS A as an elective freshman year, they’ll definitely be in SMCS CS as a sophomore- I know because my son was in it for a couple of weeks before switching to STAT. If they take SMCs math, they’ll have at least 2 SMCs level classes as a sophomore.
Perhaps his disappointment is somewhat based on friends who are going to Blair than anything else, which is understandable. Good Luck.
The field trips are really awesome though and give a lot of material to help with college essay writing.
Writing on this forum is a good distraction for us as we are waiting for important college decisions. UMD is Friday.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 14:53
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m very surprised at the high MAP M scores posted without being offered a place on SMCS. Is it possible that your essays showed that ecology was a better fit/didn’t show a strong preference for STEM?
I would like to think so. DD certainly did not show strong preference for SMCS in her essay, but neither showed a strong preference for Global. She has excellent ECS.
That makes us feel like it was purely score based and certainly essay or ecs did not play a role in the SMCS decision (like they originally mentioned), unless someone less than her score (278) got invited for SMCS.
OP here. Last year, the Blair admissions officer said the median MAP-M score for accepted students was 273. That means 50 out of 100 students got in with a score below 273. So, I think things like the essay and extracurriculars also play a big role in admissions.
My kid’s MAP-M score is over 290. His essay is all about his love for insects and animals, and for extracurriculars, he wrote about how he’s been really involved with the nature center.😂
i think median is going to go at least 10 points up this year.
Why do you say this? Btw, the median was reported as 281 when my child was applying two years ago.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 14:04
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I’m very surprised at the high MAP M scores posted without being offered a place on SMCS. Is it possible that your essays showed that ecology was a better fit/didn’t show a strong preference for STEM?
I would like to think so. DD certainly did not show strong preference for SMCS in her essay, but neither showed a strong preference for Global. She has excellent ECS.
That makes us feel like it was purely score based and certainly essay or ecs did not play a role in the SMCS decision (like they originally mentioned), unless someone less than her score (278) got invited for SMCS.
OP here. Last year, the Blair admissions officer said the median MAP-M score for accepted students was 273. That means 50 out of 100 students got in with a score below 273. So, I think things like the essay and extracurriculars also play a big role in admissions.
My kid’s MAP-M score is over 290. His essay is all about his love for insects and animals, and for extracurriculars, he wrote about how he’s been really involved with the nature center.😂
i think median is going to go at least 10 points up this year.
Anonymous
01/29/2025 13:45
Subject: Magnet HS results and the waitpool
Anonymous wrote:I posted above. I have a senior in Global and by attending Poolesville you can take many classes that are higher level math/science in junior/senior years.
My kid is taking MV and AP Physics C for example, which are options for Global students. He is also taking the required AP Research class and will likely graduate with the AP Capstone diploma. He is currently applying for summer research program and being able to his primary discuss research experience on his applications is definitely a plus.
The kids at Poolesville are friendly and while it is a competitive school, they are generally competitive with trying to do the best themselves, and don’t try to bring others down. Since the school is at least 50 percent test in magnet (210/current 360 freshman class) there are a lot of new kids that attend each year from different schools and the kids are accepting.
They’ve revamped the Global program in the last 4-8 years and it’s a more rigorous program than it was before with the inclusion of AP Research/AP Seminar.
I personally think it’s the most mentally healthy magnet program out there too. All the field trips provide good bonding experiences for the kids and it’s a great break from the grind. While your child may be a bit disappointed at getting WL at Blair, Global kids are known as the happiest kids in the school. The teachers at PHS are accepting/understanding of the field trips. The only exception to this is the lower level SMCs teachers who I’ve been told give Global kids a hard time and I think Poolesville even mentions that SMCs math is tough for Global students due to field trips. However that track is only available to kids who were accepted to SMACs/SMCs not who were WL anyway. My son was in the same boat accepted to Global and WL to SMCs.
The only teacher we struggled with in terms of being incredibly harsh with Global students and field trips was an AP Stats teacher who also teaches SMCs lower level math. She gave my son a couple of zeros on small assignments because she didn’t believe in the Global makeup policy. I’m sure we could have fought it but we moved on and it ultimately didn’t make a difference in my son’s semester grade. We have had no issues with AP Physics/MV or BC teachers for example.
I have no idea what the average SAT score is for students in Global is since it’s not published separately only the whole school numbers are but I’d guess it’s fairly high. My son earned slightly lower than the average Blair SMAC SAT score which is a 1530 at 1520 (780 math). He’ll graduate with 14 AP classes and a near perfect GPA. He earned one B second semester junior year and will earn 1 B has a first semester senior. Poolesville kids do very well in general on AP scores.
I have a feeling now that Poolesville has a new school that the incoming Global student class will be even more competitive.
Good luck and congratulations. If you have any other questions, I’ll try to look back and respond.
Thank you to pp who wrote the long post about the Global Ecology Program.
Right now, my kid is really down—even to the point of tears. I honestly didn’t realize just how much he cared about getting into Blair. Thinking about college admissions in the future, I’m starting to worry about his mental health. If high school admissions are this tough, college is going to be on a whole different level.
I think part of the reason he wants Blair so badly is that he’s scared of new environments. Since he takes the bus with Blair students, he’s gotten to know some of them and probably feels comfortable with that. But honestly, I think if he ended up going to Poolesville, he’d like it there too. He’s switched schools a few times already—three different elementary schools (once because we moved, once for CES) and now a middle school that’s pretty far from home. But through all of that, he’s never once said he hated school.