I don't know whether the open houses are all virtual again this year, but if so, make sure your student attends both the program-specific and the general school orientation for the ones they're interested in.

My 9th grader was able to get a pretty good feel for the schools from their presentations, and was impressed with the breakout groups and actual live Q & A sessions for the school they ultimately ended up attending.

The presentation for the school they ended up attending did a good job of showing my kid why they would probably feel comfortable there, and be able to find classes and activities they were interested in. That, on top of the program-specific open house, sealed the deal. It would have been a lot harder to decide between the programs they got into without attending the school open houses as well.

As the parent of a 9th grader who recently went through the DCC choice process here are a couple of tips:

Make sure you contact the DCC consortium office and register for the choice program if your child is currently in private school. I don't think it's that hard to register but you need to take proactive steps to participate.

Blair and Einstein are the hardest to get into through the choice/lottery program. I don't know of anybody in our neighborhood (Northwood home school) that got in to either of those schools except through a magnet program or having an older sibling in a magnet program. So don't count on attending either of those schools are they are not your home school.

Wheaton is getting more popular as a choice, particularly for kids with an interest in STEM or technology. It's a pretty long bus ride from our neighborhood but quite a few 9th graders we know are going there and are happy so far.

Northwood will be located at the new Woodward HS location (North Bethesda) for the 23-24 and 24-25 school years. The good news is that the kids will be in brand new school those two years and also when Northwood reopens.

We don't know anybody going to Kennedy but it is the furthest away DCC school from our neighborhood so nobody really considers picking Kennedy. That may change as the IB program grows.

It's really easy to apply to multiple magnet programs at the same time - it's a common application so sign up for as many programs as your child would consider. For example, you can apply for Blair's two magnets, Wheaton's DCC-only STEM magnets, Einstein's visual arts magnet, Northwood's MC2 program at the same time.

We know parents whose kids have had good experiences at Blair, Northwood, Einstein, and Wheaton. For example, kids at Northwood enjoy the smaller school environment and the fact that they get a chance to make the team for various sports (even if they don't win very much).

Anonymous wrote:Kennedy's IB program is the same as RM, it is smaller and it being application-based is new. Have been really happy with Kennedy. The teachers have all been really responsive and involved and the work is challenging.

Einstein kids can also do IB at Einstsin starting in 11th grade, it's just not cohorted like RM or Kennedy. But if you're zoned for it already... Definitely the DCC selection can not be one: we took the spot at Kennedy, but Einstein was our lottery choice (that's separate than magnet applications) and we didn't get it. Have heard good things about the MC2 program, especially for Stem.

And is less competitive to get into since it is not open to the whole county.

Anonymous wrote:Okay, that explains things a little more. There just seem to be so many options. As for safety, let's put away the bias for the W schools right now. How are the DCC schools individually? Is there gang activity at them?

Lol — search the archives. There was a possible gang fight at one of the W schools on first day of school. Let’s not start all this AGAIN

And thank you to everyone else who has been helpful in this thread. I just wish DCUM wasn't so full of judgmental people.

Oh my god, you are truly a person that makes everyone dislike DCUM. Am I real? Am I clueless? Sorry to ask for some help with this process. And if you're so bothered by it, get off the thread.

And, it's not your f-ing business why we're switching to public school. "charged with language"? I asked a simple question that is not unheard of for dealing with some of the DCC schools. And if you're in denial that there is criminal activity in this area, then you're living in a dream world.

So take your attitude and find something else to do than bother people with your nonsense. Bye bye!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, that explains things a little more. There just seem to be so many options. As for safety, let's put away the bias for the W schools right now. How are the DCC schools individually? Is there gang activity at them?

Going to get my popcorn.

OP is either a troll or very clueless. Is there gang activity in your neighborhood? In the neighborhood near yours?

OP, if you are even real. Why are you switching to public? What are your kid's interests and favorite subjects. Are they "advanced" in their private school? Even though MCPS has a crappy MS curriculum, I think it is best to switch kids in MS rather than in HS. I'd meet with a counselor at the HS your student is zoned for to figure out what their schedule might look like, or you could create a new thread that isn't as charged with language about gangs, etc. and ask here.

I think this guidebook is a helpful intro to the academies, particularly the school-based profiles starting on page 9:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/downcounty/homepage/0443.21ct_Milestones_2021-23.pdf