My child came from a private school and did not have the MCPS math rigor on middle school. She did not do functions but has handled all the course load well and pretty easily. We are not seeing hours of homework in our house. Two hours average is pretty regular, but that means just an hour many nights and before tests, maybe 3. No late hours studying.

Socially it's totally fine. My kid has friends, but like most kids in high school, sometimes she finds them very fun and sometimes not. Overall has been a very good experience.

Anonymous wrote:OP mentioned DD so my perspective here is specific to that because I have a DD in this program presently. Blair SMCS is more boys than girls and that does introduce some dynamics to be aware off. Just as in the real world, girls have to put in more effort to have their voice heard especially in STEM and it can be exhausting. The kids are all smart but the environment is very cliquey. Those in the clique will find it fun and social, those outside will not. Simple as that. Workload is intense but managable. You may have to sacrifice free time to "keep up with the Joneses" but that is par for the course for any program that has a lot of motivated, hard working kids. My DD has commented several times that if she could go back in time, she may have chosen RMIB over SMCS for a better social experience based on the feedback from her friends who ended up there. Grass is always greener on the other side but there might be some truth to this ; specifically for girls.

I have a boy who has had a similar experience socially. He actually thinks the girls are more tight than the boys tbh.

OP mentioned DD so my perspective here is specific to that because I have a DD in this program presently. Blair SMCS is more boys than girls and that does introduce some dynamics to be aware off. Just as in the real world, girls have to put in more effort to have their voice heard especially in STEM and it can be exhausting. The kids are all smart but the environment is very cliquey. Those in the clique will find it fun and social, those outside will not. Simple as that. Workload is intense but managable. You may have to sacrifice free time to "keep up with the Joneses" but that is par for the course for any program that has a lot of motivated, hard working kids. My DD has commented several times that if she could go back in time, she may have chosen RMIB over SMCS for a better social experience based on the feedback from her friends who ended up there. Grass is always greener on the other side but there might be some truth to this ; specifically for girls.

Anonymous wrote:People perception of Blair is a bit much. Its a great peer group but it isn't the end all-be all people make it out to be. Hell the avg honors dorm at just about any state university will easily exceed it for concentration of great students.

Hell no. Can you easily nail an international STEM competition medalist in an average state university dorm for honor program? Blair has at least one camper every grade in the past 10 years or so, with a few more of comparable statistics.

But PP is correct that it isn't the end if you don't choose Blair or not get into Blair, especially if your home school is strong. The camper/medalist can reach that level not because of Blair but because of themselves. They could just leverage the fame of this program to get a better college offer, statistically speaking (there are always outlier cases). For the majority of the students that stay in the middle or bottom of the program, choosing your home school might give you similar or even better college admission results. This program can prepare your kids better at building a solid foundation for pursuing a STEM career though.

People perception of Blair is a bit much. Its a great peer group but it isn't the end all-be all people make it out to be. Hell the avg honors dorm at just about any state university will easily exceed it for concentration of great students.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

Ask your gifted child to read the thread and explain the magnet program to you, slowly.

How about you read it again, slowly. I am extremely familiar with the program and also know what electives are and that if they are honors/advanced/AP (like all magnet classes and many other elective options) they count toward weighted GPA. Perhaps you should ask your kid what an elective is, given that you’re having trouble understanding.

DP. I think you both can be right. MCPS/Blair reports them as weighted. College admissions offices (at least some of them), in an effort to counter differential treatment of GPA across jurisdictions so as better to conduct apples-to-apples comparisons for admission, walk back certain of these GPA bonuses, applying them only to courses which meet a curricular standard. Such a standard might be having the course seen as core rather than elective.

However, some of those admissions offices might also go a little deeper, seeing electives within certain subjects/at certain presumed levels as worthy of maintaining the GPA bonus weight. Many admissions offices, especially at privates, would keep the particulars to themselves, though state schools such as UMD might disclose them.

No college in the country with any familiarity with Blair’s program would count their advanced electives (which are post-AP and typically equate to sophomore or Junior COLLEGE classes) as unweighted. They are also in core subjects like math or science.

And just to make it abundantly clear, many of those classes end up earning college credit, meaning that Blair magnet graduates can technically be juniors in their first year at college (this is not unusual at UMD, for example).

That DP. I don't think you are particularly wrong, here, but the other poster also can be right. Not every college might know Blair's program well enough, and not every college might make the same weighting, credit or placement decisions.

I don’t think the other poster is arguing the opposite tbh. Their claim is farcical and I’m sure they know that if they have any familiarity with the program so I suspect they are just stirring sh*t for the sake of it

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

Ask your gifted child to read the thread and explain the magnet program to you, slowly.

How about you read it again, slowly. I am extremely familiar with the program and also know what electives are and that if they are honors/advanced/AP (like all magnet classes and many other elective options) they count toward weighted GPA. Perhaps you should ask your kid what an elective is, given that you’re having trouble understanding.

DP. I think you both can be right. MCPS/Blair reports them as weighted. College admissions offices (at least some of them), in an effort to counter differential treatment of GPA across jurisdictions so as better to conduct apples-to-apples comparisons for admission, walk back certain of these GPA bonuses, applying them only to courses which meet a curricular standard. Such a standard might be having the course seen as core rather than elective.

However, some of those admissions offices might also go a little deeper, seeing electives within certain subjects/at certain presumed levels as worthy of maintaining the GPA bonus weight. Many admissions offices, especially at privates, would keep the particulars to themselves, though state schools such as UMD might disclose them.

No college in the country with any familiarity with Blair’s program would count their advanced electives (which are post-AP and typically equate to sophomore or Junior COLLEGE classes) as unweighted. They are also in core subjects like math or science.

And just to make it abundantly clear, many of those classes end up earning college credit, meaning that Blair magnet graduates can technically be juniors in their first year at college (this is not unusual at UMD, for example).

That DP. I don't think you are particularly wrong, here, but the other poster also can be right. Not every college might know Blair's program well enough, and not every college might make the same weighting, credit or placement decisions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

Ask your gifted child to read the thread and explain the magnet program to you, slowly.

How about you read it again, slowly. I am extremely familiar with the program and also know what electives are and that if they are honors/advanced/AP (like all magnet classes and many other elective options) they count toward weighted GPA. Perhaps you should ask your kid what an elective is, given that you’re having trouble understanding.

DP. I think you both can be right. MCPS/Blair reports them as weighted. College admissions offices (at least some of them), in an effort to counter differential treatment of GPA across jurisdictions so as better to conduct apples-to-apples comparisons for admission, walk back certain of these GPA bonuses, applying them only to courses which meet a curricular standard. Such a standard might be having the course seen as core rather than elective.

However, some of those admissions offices might also go a little deeper, seeing electives within certain subjects/at certain presumed levels as worthy of maintaining the GPA bonus weight. Many admissions offices, especially at privates, would keep the particulars to themselves, though state schools such as UMD might disclose them.

No college in the country with any familiarity with Blair’s program would count their advanced electives (which are post-AP and typically equate to sophomore or Junior COLLEGE classes) as unweighted. They are also in core subjects like math or science.

And just to make it abundantly clear, many of those classes end up earning college credit, meaning that Blair magnet graduates can technically be juniors in their first year at college (this is not unusual at UMD, for example).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

Ask your gifted child to read the thread and explain the magnet program to you, slowly.

How about you read it again, slowly. I am extremely familiar with the program and also know what electives are and that if they are honors/advanced/AP (like all magnet classes and many other elective options) they count toward weighted GPA. Perhaps you should ask your kid what an elective is, given that you’re having trouble understanding.

DP. I think you both can be right. MCPS/Blair reports them as weighted. College admissions offices (at least some of them), in an effort to counter differential treatment of GPA across jurisdictions so as better to conduct apples-to-apples comparisons for admission, walk back certain of these GPA bonuses, applying them only to courses which meet a curricular standard. Such a standard might be having the course seen as core rather than elective.

However, some of those admissions offices might also go a little deeper, seeing electives within certain subjects/at certain presumed levels as worthy of maintaining the GPA bonus weight. Many admissions offices, especially at privates, would keep the particulars to themselves, though state schools such as UMD might disclose them.

No college in the country with any familiarity with Blair’s program would count their advanced electives (which are post-AP and typically equate to sophomore or Junior COLLEGE classes) as unweighted. They are also in core subjects like math or science.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

Ask your gifted child to read the thread and explain the magnet program to you, slowly.

How about you read it again, slowly. I am extremely familiar with the program and also know what electives are and that if they are honors/advanced/AP (like all magnet classes and many other elective options) they count toward weighted GPA. Perhaps you should ask your kid what an elective is, given that you’re having trouble understanding.

DP. I think you both can be right. MCPS/Blair reports them as weighted. College admissions offices (at least some of them), in an effort to counter differential treatment of GPA across jurisdictions so as better to conduct apples-to-apples comparisons for admission, walk back certain of these GPA bonuses, applying them only to courses which meet a curricular standard. Such a standard might be having the course seen as core rather than elective.

However, some of those admissions offices might also go a little deeper, seeing electives within certain subjects/at certain presumed levels as worthy of maintaining the GPA bonus weight. Many admissions offices, especially at privates, would keep the particulars to themselves, though state schools such as UMD might disclose them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

Ask your gifted child to read the thread and explain the magnet program to you, slowly.

How about you read it again, slowly. I am extremely familiar with the program and also know what electives are and that if they are honors/advanced/AP (like all magnet classes and many other elective options) they count toward weighted GPA. Perhaps you should ask your kid what an elective is, given that you’re having trouble understanding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

Ask your gifted child to read the thread and explain the magnet program to you, slowly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the "not social" thing. Whenever I visit the school for an event, the kids are very social.

It might be different for a girl, but my son felt the program was super social and not intense or terrible in terms of the homework. I don't understand the families who are here saying that. If it's a good fit, it's fun. The teaching is terrific. The peer group is great - they work together during off periods/slow periods in that long day. My son also played a sport and an instrument, but this idea that the homework load is onerous just wasn't his experience. (he did well, too - it's not like he didn't do HW and then got B's or whatever). For the right kid, this program is (chef's kiss) perfect.

Did your son play an instrument at Blair. How did it impact their ability to take electives?

He was in the band as a freshman, but not after that.. he took lessons after school. What was really neat is that he ended up taking classes like Guitar 1 and Piano 2 randomly- just using them as a space to practice his own instrument (with headphones)! He didn’t need the class, and was able to just use that period as a place to do his practicing for an hour and a half every other day. Occasionally the teacher would walk around and ask him to play a scale or something, but they left him alone for the most part. I really credit Ostrander for making this happen- though my kid did have to go and nicely ask etc. Things like this made Blair feel like a special place. Good luck to OP- and congrats!

This sounds an atypical arrangement. Won't you worry a little bit about impacting your DS' WGPA by inserting non-honored classes? All kids I know that practices instruments before at a competition level do test-in for an honor or AP level music class or band/orchestra.

Electives don't count for WGPA. College AOs aren't that stupid.

Oh, wow, I’d better tell my kid that his electives - organic chemistry, linear algebra, neuroscience and discrete math - “don’t count” for WGPA!

(For anyone who’s not an idiot, YES, OF COURSE THEY DO!)

My child is a freshman and really loves the program. One of the best parts is being surrounded by peers who share the same goals, and everyone contributes meaningfully to group projects. It’s been a very different experience from middle school.

My child has also made many friends. talented, amazing, and kind kids. The STEM Art Night last Friday was the complete opposite of the “nerdy” stereotype people sometimes associate with Blair students. The students performed incredible dances, music, and plays. If anyone thinks “socially awkward and nerdy,” go to STEM Art Night. it really shows how talented these students are beyond math, science, and computer science.

The teachers are also amazing. I would recommend giving the program a try first. If it’s not a good fit, students can always return to their home school. As far as I know, two students from freshman year chose to go back. one felt the academic pressure was too high, and another needed more dedicated time for sports.