Kids are ore well rounded here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some kids are smarter/have faster processing and better executive function and planning capabilities than others. Some kids are fine with less down time or open socialization after school. Some schools are more demanding in terms of homework—e.g., block scheduling helps students with ECs manage workloads, some equate volume with rigor, some have strict policies about late assignments etc.

DCs did school sports two of three seasons for most of HS and were fine juggling a demanding course schedule with athletics. Home by 6/6:30pm. They were not, however, able to maintain club + HS teams in one season because that meant HS practice then right into club practice and getting home at 9:30pm several nights a week plus weekend games and tournaments.

All true. Agree with you, and it’s been our personal experience with DS @ TJ, who maintains top grades / test scores while also being competitive on a team which, until recently, dominated that sport among the area public HS.

The keys are the student’s drive, speed of learning, and their time-management skill.

Not every teen is created equal, nor was it ever meant to be so. Just celebrate your teen for their own unique personal ability and support their strengths.

Also, there is discipline and mental toughness. Like when's the last time some of these academics made their kids do "super girls" because they weren't paying attention to the coach? When do they ever teach them how to push past uncomfortable lactic acid build up that makes them want to quit mentally to get the best performance. How would you even do that by studying?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s okay in 9th and 10th grade but things get very hard in 11th, with studying for the SAT plus most APs and then senior year working on the college apps takes a ton of time. Not to mention that your student needs more than just a sport for ECs. Unless they are a recruited athlete with an offer in hand.

We had a recruited athlete. They never had to study for the SAT. They filled out one application. They knew what university they would attend in the spring of their junior year.

My DD is about to begin the college recruiting process for her sport. For certain high academic institutions, it has been recommended that an SAT score be available by September 1 of her junior year, which is the date when schools are permitted to initiate direct contact with athletes. So, alongside playing a sport next spring and keeping her grades up, she will need to allocate time for SAT preparation AS A SOPHOMORE!

Wow amazing !

I also grew up in California and this is simply not true for my high school. I took 15+ APs, did multiple sports, played an instrument in the local youth orchestra, did the school musical every year, and student government. As did MANY of my classmates. We all got into UCs and Ivies, though of course college admissions is much harder these days.

But it's crazy to say that no one did this. I feel like it was more the norm for people to take APs AND do sports - almost everyone I knew from my sports teams also took at least some APs.

I smoke like a chimney

Anonymous wrote:Some kids are smarter/have faster processing and better executive function and planning capabilities than others. Some kids are fine with less down time or open socialization after school. Some schools are more demanding in terms of homework—e.g., block scheduling helps students with ECs manage workloads, some equate volume with rigor, some have strict policies about late assignments etc.

DCs did school sports two of three seasons for most of HS and were fine juggling a demanding course schedule with athletics. Home by 6/6:30pm. They were not, however, able to maintain club + HS teams in one season because that meant HS practice then right into club practice and getting home at 9:30pm several nights a week plus weekend games and tournaments.

All true. Agree with you, and it’s been our personal experience with DS @ TJ, who maintains top grades / test scores while also being competitive on a team which, until recently, dominated that sport among the area public HS.

The keys are the student’s drive, speed of learning, and their time-management skill.

Not every teen is created equal, nor was it ever meant to be so. Just celebrate your teen for their own unique personal ability and support their strengths.

No one "needs" to get straight As add take 15 APs. That's a choice.

The top kids balance it. It’s a weeding out process. If you can’t do both you get into a lesser school. It’s always been this way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 hours a day? I've never studied that much even one day. I was top 10% in a public high school in early 2000s and was a mediocre athlete. I had a job and did other clubs. In college i cant even remember needing 5 hours to study. That is not normal and I wouldn't not allow my child to do that.

Then you went to a high school with grade inflation. In the Bay Area, even students who can easily get a 1600 on the SAT need to spend several hours studying per day for class

I'm not just talking about school grades, which obviously will vary from school district and may be inflated. I'm talking about ACT, SAT, AP tests. Those aren't inflated. I took the prep tests and paid attention in class. I did a little homework and studying. But needing 5 hours a day to process that is highly unusual. I would worry about a person not being successful in life if they need to spend that much time on academics.

It's the zip code people that think neighborhood means good school and good SATs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s okay in 9th and 10th grade but things get very hard in 11th, with studying for the SAT plus most APs and then senior year working on the college apps takes a ton of time. Not to mention that your student needs more than just a sport for ECs. Unless they are a recruited athlete with an offer in hand.

We had a recruited athlete. They never had to study for the SAT. They filled out one application. They knew what university they would attend in the spring of their junior year.

My DD is about to begin the college recruiting process for her sport. For certain high academic institutions, it has been recommended that an SAT score be available by September 1 of her junior year, which is the date when schools are permitted to initiate direct contact with athletes. So, alongside playing a sport next spring and keeping her grades up, she will need to allocate time for SAT preparation AS A SOPHOMORE!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 hours a day? I've never studied that much even one day. I was top 10% in a public high school in early 2000s and was a mediocre athlete. I had a job and did other clubs. In college i cant even remember needing 5 hours to study. That is not normal and I wouldn't not allow my child to do that.

Then you went to a high school with grade inflation. In the Bay Area, even students who can easily get a 1600 on the SAT need to spend several hours studying per day for class

I'm not just talking about school grades, which obviously will vary from school district and may be inflated. I'm talking about ACT, SAT, AP tests. Those aren't inflated. I took the prep tests and paid attention in class. I did a little homework and studying. But needing 5 hours a day to process that is highly unusual. I would worry about a person not being successful in life if they need to spend that much time on academics.

All the elite private schools that have tons of homework have lots of kids playing sports.

BTW...it makes no sense that OP claims back when she was in HS that UC schools were impossible admits. Overall acceptance at UCB was 25% back in 2000 with CA acceptance at 40%. UCLA was 29% with CA around 45%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5 hours a day? I've never studied that much even one day. I was top 10% in a public high school in early 2000s and was a mediocre athlete. I had a job and did other clubs. In college i cant even remember needing 5 hours to study. That is not normal and I wouldn't not allow my child to do that.

Then you went to a high school with grade inflation. In the Bay Area, even students who can easily get a 1600 on the SAT need to spend several hours studying per day for class

I never did a lick of homework. I took the AP tests passed the tests, got college credit already. This the whole point of standardized tests. What more do you want? The only inflation these days is busy work.

That being said I kind of get that if your talent is academics not something else like sports or the arts and you live in an urban setting maybe you have a stigma about having your kid work at an ice cream shop you kind of have to fill the time with something, so study away. Props too you. Though, I will say these other activities even work are great experiences that add value to adolescents' education, which is why schools give preference. My 4th grader is starting to get good at running a GPS and reading maps for example. How can you study to be a doctor without learning a little physical education?

Clown question bro

Some kids are smarter/have faster processing and better executive function and planning capabilities than others. Some kids are fine with less down time or open socialization after school. Some schools are more demanding in terms of homework—e.g., block scheduling helps students with ECs manage workloads, some equate volume with rigor, some have strict policies about late assignments etc.

DCs did school sports two of three seasons for most of HS and were fine juggling a demanding course schedule with athletics. Home by 6/6:30pm. They were not, however, able to maintain club + HS teams in one season because that meant HS practice then right into club practice and getting home at 9:30pm several nights a week plus weekend games and tournaments.