Anonymous
02/04/2025 12:33
Subject: your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
Anonymous wrote:Only you know your kid this well, but failure at an audition could be a good experience if it helps them learn to healthily approach this kind of thing.
Anonymous wrote:Would you let your kid audition if they were unlikely to succeed?
They started their instrument late in sixth grade, and while they're improving a lot and really into it, I don't think they're objectively that good yet. They have friends auditioning, which is also a main driver behind their recent interest.
In the one hand, it could be a good experience just to go through the process. On the other, they tend to be very self critical when they don't succeed at something (sports, academics). First race that went poorly, they wanted to quit track and there was so much hand wringing and moaning about what a "failure" they are at everything.
On the remote chance that they actually get in, we parents wouldn't be thrilled with the idea, both for commute and losing out on a more well rounded high school experience.
Not every kid who auditions and gets in is particularly great. I'd argue that the attitude about failure is more a factor than playing skills. Kid who do well at Duke Ellington understand rejection and failure as part of the process of getting good at something.
Anonymous
02/04/2025 09:28
Subject: your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
Only you know your kid this well, but failure at an audition could be a good experience if it helps them learn to healthily approach this kind of thing.
Anonymous wrote:Would you let your kid audition if they were unlikely to succeed?
They started their instrument late in sixth grade, and while they're improving a lot and really into it, I don't think they're objectively that good yet. They have friends auditioning, which is also a main driver behind their recent interest.
In the one hand, it could be a good experience just to go through the process. On the other, they tend to be very self critical when they don't succeed at something (sports, academics). First race that went poorly, they wanted to quit track and there was so much hand wringing and moaning about what a "failure" they are at everything.
On the remote chance that they actually get in, we parents wouldn't be thrilled with the idea, both for commute and losing out on a more well rounded high school experience.
Anonymous
02/04/2025 08:05
Subject: your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
Anonymous wrote:How do the kids who do Cinematic Arts end up in terms of writing skills? My DS is interested but given that he’s definitely going to need to learn to write WELL in order to succeed, I need the writing instruction to be solid.
You don't go into the writing department to learn how to write. The writing has to be solid to get in. Once there, you learn what to do with the writing and the discipline to write across many platforms. In other words, you get better because you are pushed to do the work. But high functioning writing skills? That's the test to get in.
Anonymous
12/26/2024 07:39
Subject: your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
Would you let your kid audition if they were unlikely to succeed?
They started their instrument late in sixth grade, and while they're improving a lot and really into it, I don't think they're objectively that good yet. They have friends auditioning, which is also a main driver behind their recent interest.
In the one hand, it could be a good experience just to go through the process. On the other, they tend to be very self critical when they don't succeed at something (sports, academics). First race that went poorly, they wanted to quit track and there was so much hand wringing and moaning about what a "failure" they are at everything.
On the remote chance that they actually get in, we parents wouldn't be thrilled with the idea, both for commute and losing out on a more well rounded high school experience.
They started their instrument late in sixth grade, and while they're improving a lot and really into it, I don't think they're objectively that good yet. They have friends auditioning, which is also a main driver behind their recent interest.
In the one hand, it could be a good experience just to go through the process. On the other, they tend to be very self critical when they don't succeed at something (sports, academics). First race that went poorly, they wanted to quit track and there was so much hand wringing and moaning about what a "failure" they are at everything.
On the remote chance that they actually get in, we parents wouldn't be thrilled with the idea, both for commute and losing out on a more well rounded high school experience.
Anonymous
12/23/2024 20:12
Subject: Re:your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
This article lists some of the colleges recent grads were planning to attend. I think it's likely the most impressive ones were included. I am linking it because it includes concrete information. https://www.washingtoninformer.com/duke-ellingtons-class-of-2024-graduates-in-style-and-with-purpose/
Anonymous
12/23/2024 10:58
Subject: your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
How do the kids who do Cinematic Arts end up in terms of writing skills? My DS is interested but given that he’s definitely going to need to learn to write WELL in order to succeed, I need the writing instruction to be solid.
Anonymous
12/20/2024 17:20
Subject: your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
My 20 something graduated from Duke had an overall good experience. Didn’t go for the academics. Went for the arts and the ability to be herself. Went to a small liberal arts college. Got scholarships. Did very well. Now works in the non profit world and is a happy self-sufficient and productive citizen and still loves and produces art. I recommend it for kids who aren’t academic stars and need other outlets and love their art.
Anonymous
11/07/2024 11:13
Subject: your kids' and your Duke Ellington experiences
Anonymous wrote:To the poster asking about the social scene: my 11th grader has a fantastic group of friends from different departments. They are all hardworking and ambitious. The atmo is supportive and not cut-throat. It doesn't seem particularly cliquish. By definition, there are no jocks lol! DD loves the social scene (she is occasionally frustrated by the academics)
Fully agree. From 10th grade there are APs on offer, these have been popular with my child and his friends and they are all getting high scores on those. The language instruction is not mandatory all the way through to 12th, which is a shame because there was only 2 years of language instruction.