Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

I think this last point is especially key when you're comparing APS to the Bethesda schools someone else cited above. A top student at APS can go to UVa for a fraction of what it will cost to go to an Ivy, and the diploma still has a great reputation. If you're a top student at a Bethesda high school, you're probably not viewing University of Maryland the same way.

I wouldn’t say great. More like good to very good.

But it isn’t like your opinion is valid or anything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

I think this last point is especially key when you're comparing APS to the Bethesda schools someone else cited above. A top student at APS can go to UVa for a fraction of what it will cost to go to an Ivy, and the diploma still has a great reputation. If you're a top student at a Bethesda high school, you're probably not viewing University of Maryland the same way.

I wouldn’t say great. More like good to very good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

I think this last point is especially key when you're comparing APS to the Bethesda schools someone else cited above. A top student at APS can go to UVa for a fraction of what it will cost to go to an Ivy, and the diploma still has a great reputation. If you're a top student at a Bethesda high school, you're probably not viewing University of Maryland the same way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

Why is admission allegedly so much more difficult now?

I knew someone would ask that after I posted.
Here are a couple reasons. First, the common app, the decrease in colleges having supplemental essays in addition to the one on the common app, and the increasing number of colleges waiving the application fee makes it extraordinarily easy to apply to well over 10 colleges. My first year at UVa applied to 13. His brother at UVa applied to 12. His best friend applied to 15. My neighbor applied to 14. And we are talking top 30 colleges and universities, plus maybe one safety. The end result is more applications to many of the top colleges, with the colleges often having no clue how serious the student actually is about attending.
And the colleges actually like this increase in applications (hence why they waive the application fee and got rid of the supplemental essay) so that they can reject more students and look more selective.

Here's a second reason. There are many more international students applying to US colleges and universities and colleges like them because they generally pay full tuition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do folks buy very expansive houses in n Arlington with the hope that their kids can get into JMU, VA Tech, or George Mason?

The people I know in Arlington buy their expensive houses so that they don't spend their lives on I-66.

And yes, at least for UVA, W&M, and Tech Engineering...there are plenty who see the savings in sending their kids to those schools over Tufts.

Why not buy in DC then? Or might schools have something to do with it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

Why is admission allegedly so much more difficult now?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

Why is admission allegedly so much more difficult now?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

Why is admission allegedly so much more difficult now?

DP. Increased school-aged population combined with the increased push for everyone to go to college means more students are competing for the same top seats than when we applied to college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

Why is admission allegedly so much more difficult now?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

+1

I am an Arlington parent with 1 who just graduated from college and two currently at UVa. I have lived and breathed APS college admissions for the past 5 years.

Have any of you posters who are so critical of what colleges APS and FCPS students are accepted at and attend actually had or have a high school student at any of these high schools? I doubt it or you would not sound so ignorant.

Getting accepted is a very different landscape and much more difficult than when most of us applied to college 20+ years ago for a variety of reasons which you will find out soon enough when your kids are high school juniors.

And then there's the fact that a top college or university costs $65K or more per year for one child. Many parents in Arlington that I know don't even give their child the option of applying to schools that cost that much when their child can go to William & Mary or UVa for less than half of that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APS does a great job getting lots of kids into UVA, W&M, Tech, and JMU. They don't care about Harvard. Depending on your needs, this could be great or terrible.

Same is true for FCPS, aside from TJ. The college lists from both school systems are mediocre.

I doubt you'll find many public school systems that do much better. The kids from APS who deserve to go to top 10 USNWR schools get in. APS doesn't hold them back relative to other public systems.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/where-arlington-grads-applied-and-were-accepted-to-college/

The Arlington Magazine stats actually make the situation look BETTER than it really is. The reason is that they report acceptances and not matriculations. This means that, for a given school, the reported acceptances from Dartmouth, Duke, Denison and Davidson could all be attributed to the same student.

I think we're all aware of this. It doesn't answer the original question, though, of how APS compares to other public school systems. If this is simply the pattern for a solid public school system and not a sign that APS is failing compared to comparable school systems, then this data doesn't concern me. If APS is lagging behind peer systems, though, that's cause for concern and we need to identify why.

For at least the last 10 years, HB Woodlawn, Washington-Lee and Yorktown all lag behind McLean HS and Langley and well behind Walt Whitman, BCC and Churchill (in Montgomery Co, MD). Not sure why, but it is disturbing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here are the same list for APS for class of 2017: http://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/college-admissions-snapshot/

Anyone else find that unimpressive?