Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand "13th grade"

Just saw this recently in one of the threads.

Why is it seen as a bad thing here at DCUM?

(I grew up overseas where this isn't a bad thing.. in fact, it was seen as a good thing)

It is exactly why most area kids do not want to attend state schools (UVA, VT, WM, UMD) - they want to feel they have lived someone else, and had varying experiences (other than say, spending summer vacations with their grandparents).

UMD is the only school you mentioned of which this could really be said.

I hated pretty much everyone in my high school so I avoided applying to schools that were popular in my HS. Ended up with one guy from my HS class but he was tolerable and we actually became fairly good friends after college when we both ended up in DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"13th grade/year" is an expression used by people who want to disparage state schools that are popular among students. They usually use that term because their kids didn't get in and they have a huge chip on their shoulder that they just can't shake. No matter that these schools are all large and there is next to zero chance of randomly running into someone from high school.

In other words, it's a form of face-saving. Disparaging the school(s) that didn't accept your kids. Very typical for DCUM.

Maybe this but it could also be a way to poke at those that seem to remain within the same bubble that they grew up in. All this talk about diversity but there is something to geographic diversity as well.

+1

35+ years ago, my HS class of 460 had about 75% going to college. I think there were ~5 of us that left the state. Everyone else stayed in state and still lives in state, most within 20 mins of their family home growing up. The 5 of us have lived all over the USA and just come back to visit

My HS class was slightly larger but the college going rate was much lower. The ones who did attend college attended two of the big state schools, the local regional, or one of the others around the state. Many, but not all, remained in state, even within the home town. While I didn't understand that as well at the time, I occasionally envy them for doing so even if they share similar feelings with me about wishing they had gone out and seen the world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"13th grade/year" is an expression used by people who want to disparage state schools that are popular among students. They usually use that term because their kids didn't get in and they have a huge chip on their shoulder that they just can't shake. No matter that these schools are all large and there is next to zero chance of randomly running into someone from high school.

In other words, it's a form of face-saving. Disparaging the school(s) that didn't accept your kids. Very typical for DCUM.

Maybe this but it could also be a way to poke at those that seem to remain within the same bubble that they grew up in. All this talk about diversity but there is something to geographic diversity as well.

Sure, but there is also geographic diversity (among other types) within the state universities. You could send your kid to Michigan, or UCLA, or what have you, and they'd still be among basically the same types of kids. And there's always grad school and/or jobs to experience living elsewhere. Where you go to college doesn't determine where you'll live for the rest of your life.

DCs attended an NYC private and 15 kids in their class are now at Michigan. Five of them are still fairly tight and have been since about K.

But the school is so big that it doesn't really seem like a big deal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"13th grade/year" is an expression used by people who want to disparage state schools that are popular among students. They usually use that term because their kids didn't get in and they have a huge chip on their shoulder that they just can't shake. No matter that these schools are all large and there is next to zero chance of randomly running into someone from high school.

In other words, it's a form of face-saving. Disparaging the school(s) that didn't accept your kids. Very typical for DCUM.

Maybe this but it could also be a way to poke at those that seem to remain within the same bubble that they grew up in. All this talk about diversity but there is something to geographic diversity as well.

+1

35+ years ago, my HS class of 460 had about 75% going to college. I think there were ~5 of us that left the state. Everyone else stayed in state and still lives in state, most within 20 mins of their family home growing up. The 5 of us have lived all over the USA and just come back to visit

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is choosing GMU primarily for its location and proximity to the huge DC job market. Yes, he could go away for college, but if he will likely end up in the DMV anyway for his chosen field, he figures why bother. He plans to live on campus.

government contractor drone?

Don’t knock it, it’s lucrative. - a STEM grad from an elite private school who never imagined I’d find a career in federal contracting

Right? What exactly is wrong with being a contractor? My husband has been doing it for 20+ years now and it was a logical next step after his time in the military. He takes pride in what he does - he feels he’s still serving his country.

And I work in nonprofit fundraising, which you probably also look down your nose at. But I enjoy doing good and giving back.

I think this effect only works if the school is pretty much in your hometown.

The 2 state schools my child might apply to are between 3-4 hours from home. I feel that is far enough away that it won’t be another year with HS buddies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand "13th grade"

Just saw this recently in one of the threads.

Why is it seen as a bad thing here at DCUM?

(I grew up overseas where this isn't a bad thing.. in fact, it was seen as a good thing)

It is exactly why most area kids do not want to attend state schools (UVA, VT, WM, UMD) - they want to feel they have lived someone else, and had varying experiences (other than say, spending summer vacations with their grandparents).

couldn't they do that by looking for a job out of the area?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is choosing GMU primarily for its location and proximity to the huge DC job market. Yes, he could go away for college, but if he will likely end up in the DMV anyway for his chosen field, he figures why bother. He plans to live on campus.

government contractor drone?

Don’t knock it, it’s lucrative. - a STEM grad from an elite private school who never imagined I’d find a career in federal contracting

Anonymous wrote:Help me understand "13th grade"

Just saw this recently in one of the threads.

Why is it seen as a bad thing here at DCUM?

(I grew up overseas where this isn't a bad thing.. in fact, it was seen as a good thing)

It is exactly why most area kids do not want to attend state schools (UVA, VT, WM, UMD) - they want to feel they have lived someone else, and had varying experiences (other than say, spending summer vacations with their grandparents).

I grew up in a college town, similar to College Park, MD, but in the Midwest. 2/3 of my graduating class went to college and of those 1/3 went to the local state school.

Lots of kids went to the state school because they needed or wanted to live at home. Lots of kids went there because their parents worked there and they got a tuition discount. Lots of kids went there because that’s where their parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, and friends went. And it’s a perfectly good school for lots of kids who aspire to be a teacher or a nurse - two very popular majors. There is nothing wrong with thinking you had a great childhood and being happy where you live and wanting to replicate that life in adulthood. Not everyone needs to strive to have a high powered job and an impressive resume. Some people, dare I say most people, just want to live in a modest house and raise their family.

I chose to not even apply to the local university that was 15 minutes from my house. 1/3 of my graduating class went there - we actually sent the most students there of any HS in our state. They heavily recruited me for the honors program, but I just couldn’t picture it being a full college experience being so close to home.

I wound up 8 hours from home but then would spend time with my HS friends in and around the university area while home on breaks.

Anonymous wrote:Pros and cons depends on situations and kids.

My kids are introverts, but still adventurous and and want to explorer.

VA schools went bottom of the list.

x1000000

All of my kids said an emphatic NO to Northern Virginia High School 2.0.

My kid will end up at our local “13th grade” school. In addition to it being highly regarded in their major, the kid wanted the diversity that you find in this area.

Pros and cons depends on situations and kids.

My kids are introverts, but still adventurous and and want to explorer.

VA schools went bottom of the list.