Anonymous wrote:I have two kids who went through publics but took rigorous courses. No TJ here, but 8+ APs, etc. I have been surprised how well their coursework prepared them for the tests. Each took a practice test, then sat for the test. Both scored 99th percentile scores. More generally, it’s been our observation that kids who took the most rigorous curriculum were well-positioned to score well without hours of prep. Of course, if you’re trying to get a 1600, you’ll probably need to prep.

This! Looking at DSs friends, the kids who scored well were the ones who were taking the most rigorous classes throughout high school

I have two kids who went through publics but took rigorous courses. No TJ here, but 8+ APs, etc. I have been surprised how well their coursework prepared them for the tests. Each took a practice test, then sat for the test. Both scored 99th percentile scores. More generally, it’s been our observation that kids who took the most rigorous curriculum were well-positioned to score well without hours of prep. Of course, if you’re trying to get a 1600, you’ll probably need to prep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you wonder how college app will be like for your grandchildren?

What’s the point of standardized testing when you can spend money on prep courses and increase your scores? There is no correlation between test scores and doing well at college. The only correlation with test scores is how much money your parent have.

$0 (5 practice tests)=1520

Ha, same. Only it was a 1580. Very-middle class family, never did any Kumon, RSM, and the like. FU to that PP and their sweeping generalizations.

Your anecdotes are not data, especially if you hit HS after the 90s. Test prep is a huge industry. But prep aside, the more private school you can afford, or the better a school district, the better you tend to score, and that's where money really helps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you wonder how college app will be like for your grandchildren?

What’s the point of standardized testing when you can spend money on prep courses and increase your scores? There is no correlation between test scores and doing well at college. The only correlation with test scores is how much money your parent have.

$0 (5 practice tests)=1520

Ha, same. Only it was a 1580. Very-middle class family, never did any Kumon, RSM, and the like. FU to that PP and their sweeping generalizations.

When my kid was in AAP, basically if kids had a 120 and their parents were pushy, they could get in. It was an insane pressure cooker environment. You had to get selected for things like Science Olympiad and there weren’t enough slots. Kids would prep the material over the summer they they already knew it during the school year.

Many, many of the kids were pushed and pushed.

There were a few super bright kids who really “needed” it and why they needed was more than AAP gave. The rest could have just used some acceleration. They did nothing that they could not do in Gen Ed with additional resources and more focus like AAP had, except maybe the math acceleration (although my Gen Ed kid seems to enjoy math more than my AAP kid so maybe if she had been accelerated the same way she would be in the same place).

I think it is divisive and caused unnecessary pressure and competition in grade school. Waste of resources and unnecessary drama.

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I think they should go with the IQ test type that measure fundamental intelligence kind of like admission to AAP

FCPS AAP admission was a joke with my two. Child 1, offered a slot and was essentially asked to leave the program after one semester due to poor performance. Child 2 NOT offered a spot. HS GPA of 4.4, 1500+ SAT and NMSF.

+1
It's been interesting (to say the least) to see where kids who were never in AAP are now going to college. Cornell, UVA, UCLA, UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and more.

My kid was in AAP and left after 6th when we moved. She hates AAP with a passion and credits it for her anxiety and low self esteem.

I credit AAP with giving my GenEd child (who had to attend a center school) anxiety and low self esteem. Horrible place.

AAP parent. Have to say, I agree with you (I had a Gen Ed kid, too). The AAP thing is so out of control and needs to be fixed. All of those kids are not “gifted.” What a mess!

They should raise the bar little higher.
Some kids clearly don't belong there, but in general kids were about the right places.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should go with the IQ test type that measure fundamental intelligence kind of like admission to AAP

FCPS AAP admission was a joke with my two. Child 1, offered a slot and was essentially asked to leave the program after one semester due to poor performance. Child 2 NOT offered a spot. HS GPA of 4.4, 1500+ SAT and NMSF.

+1
It's been interesting (to say the least) to see where kids who were never in AAP are now going to college. Cornell, UVA, UCLA, UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and more.

My kid was in AAP and left after 6th when we moved. She hates AAP with a passion and credits it for her anxiety and low self esteem.

I credit AAP with giving my GenEd child (who had to attend a center school) anxiety and low self esteem. Horrible place.

AAP parent. Have to say, I agree with you (I had a Gen Ed kid, too). The AAP thing is so out of control and needs to be fixed. All of those kids are not “gifted.” What a mess!

+100

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should go with the IQ test type that measure fundamental intelligence kind of like admission to AAP

FCPS AAP admission was a joke with my two. Child 1, offered a slot and was essentially asked to leave the program after one semester due to poor performance. Child 2 NOT offered a spot. HS GPA of 4.4, 1500+ SAT and NMSF.

+1
It's been interesting (to say the least) to see where kids who were never in AAP are now going to college. Cornell, UVA, UCLA, UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and more.

My kid was in AAP and left after 6th when we moved. She hates AAP with a passion and credits it for her anxiety and low self esteem.

I credit AAP with giving my GenEd child (who had to attend a center school) anxiety and low self esteem. Horrible place.

AAP parent. Have to say, I agree with you (I had a Gen Ed kid, too). The AAP thing is so out of control and needs to be fixed. All of those kids are not “gifted.” What a mess!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should go with the IQ test type that measure fundamental intelligence kind of like admission to AAP

FCPS AAP admission was a joke with my two. Child 1, offered a slot and was essentially asked to leave the program after one semester due to poor performance. Child 2 NOT offered a spot. HS GPA of 4.4, 1500+ SAT and NMSF.

+1
It's been interesting (to say the least) to see where kids who were never in AAP are now going to college. Cornell, UVA, UCLA, UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and more.

My kid was in AAP and left after 6th when we moved. She hates AAP with a passion and credits it for her anxiety and low self esteem.

I credit AAP with giving my GenEd child (who had to attend a center school) anxiety and low self esteem. Horrible place.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should go with the IQ test type that measure fundamental intelligence kind of like admission to AAP

FCPS AAP admission was a joke with my two. Child 1, offered a slot and was essentially asked to leave the program after one semester due to poor performance. Child 2 NOT offered a spot. HS GPA of 4.4, 1500+ SAT and NMSF.

+1
It's been interesting (to say the least) to see where kids who were never in AAP are now going to college. Cornell, UVA, UCLA, UChicago, Yale, Princeton, and more.

My kid was in AAP and left after 6th when we moved. She hates AAP with a passion and credits it for her anxiety and low self esteem.