Another thing to keep in mind is that all the National Merit Semifinalists are judged on is how well they did on the PSAT in October of their junior year.

It stands to reason that kids who score highly enough on standardized tests to get into these competitive high school programs are also going to score well on standardized tests less than 2.5 years into their high school careers.

I don't see the point of comparing these schools and trying to show one as better than the others. No one has a choice of all these different programs. Virginia kids can't go to Maryland schools, Maryland kids can't go to Virginia schools.

Let's just be glad that the DC metropolitan area has so many promising students.

Anonymous wrote:I should also add the application process is similar to TJ - application, testing, pre-requisite courses, 4-5 LOR, essays, transcript but no interview.

Admit rate is usually 1 in 8 to 1 in 10.

TJ was 1 out of 15 the year my child applied, but TJ kids only have that one option, not the choices among different programs to apply to that the MOCO kids have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question - why did TJ drop from 500 kids to 453? Did 47 kids return to their home school?

TJ's class is never 500. Typical entering class is approximately 480. Some kids decide to move back to base schools or move out of the area etc. so the class size is about 430 to 450 by junior or senior year.

TJ requires a 3.0 GPA to stay at the school.

I don't know anything about the Maryland magnet programs. Do the students have to maintain a particular GPA to stay in these programs? I keep hearing the 100 number: do the same 100 students start as freshmen and continue to graduate from these programs?

No GPA requirements but a few kids go back to home school due to stress/rigor of the program. 100 kids per grade. Start as freshmen together, graduate together. Kids build a long-lasting friendship as they go thru the program together.

That's nice, very similar to TJ. I'm close to a number of TJ kids going back to the 2000s. Those kids form such close friendships and keep on supporting each other way past graduation from high school and even college.

I should also add the application process is similar to TJ - application, testing, pre-requisite courses, 4-5 LOR, essays, transcript but no interview.

Admit rate is usually 1 in 8 to 1 in 10.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question - why did TJ drop from 500 kids to 453? Did 47 kids return to their home school?

TJ's class is never 500. Typical entering class is approximately 480. Some kids decide to move back to base schools or move out of the area etc. so the class size is about 430 to 450 by junior or senior year.

TJ requires a 3.0 GPA to stay at the school.

I don't know anything about the Maryland magnet programs. Do the students have to maintain a particular GPA to stay in these programs? I keep hearing the 100 number: do the same 100 students start as freshmen and continue to graduate from these programs?

No GPA requirements but a few kids go back to home school due to stress/rigor of the program. 100 kids per grade. Start as freshmen together, graduate together. Kids build a long-lasting friendship as they go thru the program together.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question - why did TJ drop from 500 kids to 453? Did 47 kids return to their home school?

TJ's class is never 500. Typical entering class is approximately 480. Some kids decide to move back to base schools or move out of the area etc. so the class size is about 430 to 450 by junior or senior year.

TJ requires a 3.0 GPA to stay at the school.

I don't know anything about the Maryland magnet programs. Do the students have to maintain a particular GPA to stay in these programs? I keep hearing the 100 number: do the same 100 students start as freshmen and continue to graduate from these programs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:163 out of 500 = 32.6%
41/100 = 41% at Blair
41/100 = 41% at RMIB

To me, that's the most impressive number! Almost 10% higher than so called #1 school in the country.

+100

HANDS DOWN!!

Sign of desperation. All caps.

you can do better than that. try again bud.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to your child at RM !!! The number one school ahead of TJ!!!

I honestly don't really care that much, but it's pure pretzel logic to ignore the fact that TJ is the number one school in the country and has roughly four times as many NMSF as RM.

All you have done is convince me that people in the magnet program at RM view themselves as totally separate from the rest of the school, which leads me to conclude they are likely despised by the other RM parents and students.

no worse than tj parents view themselves totally separate from other fcps schools.

Maybe, but TJ is actually ranked as number 1 high school in the country whereas RM IB is not.

What good is ranking if they are out performed by small "no name" programs? Beaten by RM AND Blair. I'd take substance over ranking any day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:163 out of 500 = 32.6%
41/100 = 41% at Blair
41/100 = 41% at RMIB

To me, that's the most impressive number! Almost 10% higher than so called #1 school in the country.

+100

HANDS DOWN!!

Sign of desperation. All caps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to your child at RM !!! The number one school ahead of TJ!!!

I honestly don't really care that much, but it's pure pretzel logic to ignore the fact that TJ is the number one school in the country and has roughly four times as many NMSF as RM.

All you have done is convince me that people in the magnet program at RM view themselves as totally separate from the rest of the school, which leads me to conclude they are likely despised by the other RM parents and students.

no worse than tj parents view themselves totally separate from other fcps schools.

Maybe, but TJ is actually ranked as number 1 high school in the country whereas RM IB is not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:163 out of 500 = 32.6%
41/100 = 41% at Blair
41/100 = 41% at RMIB

To me, that's the most impressive number! Almost 10% higher than so called #1 school in the country.

+100

HANDS DOWN!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to your child at RM !!! The number one school ahead of TJ!!!

I honestly don't really care that much, but it's pure pretzel logic to ignore the fact that TJ is the number one school in the country and has roughly four times as many NMSF as RM.

All you have done is convince me that people in the magnet program at RM view themselves as totally separate from the rest of the school, which leads me to conclude they are likely despised by the other RM parents and students.

no worse than tj parents view themselves totally separate from other fcps schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to your child at RM !!! The number one school ahead of TJ!!!

What is your basis?

see above

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to your child at RM !!! The number one school ahead of TJ!!!

I honestly don't really care that much, but it's pure pretzel logic to ignore the fact that TJ is the number one school in the country and has roughly four times as many NMSF as RM.

All you have done is convince me that people in the magnet program at RM view themselves as totally separate from the rest of the school, which leads me to conclude they are likely despised by the other RM parents and students.