+100!

The school doesn't matter nearly as much as the family and the kid in question. The UMC seniors/families with a good shot of being admitted to colleges admitting in the single digits have been go getters for many years. The kids invariably pursue serious academics (tutoring, maybe college classes, summer AP courses, language immersion abroad etc.) and extra curriculars outside of DCPS and DCPCS. These families seek out opportunities for the kids, do the legwork, pay the dough. The small number of kids taking Cambridge Exams on top of AP and/or IB Diploma tend to be among the most successful in college admissions, along with the families who double up on IB Diploma and AP exams from Banneker and DCI (though admins at these schools don't advise doing this). These kids generally read widely outside their school's curriculum. They also tend to apply Early Decision or Early Action. Some even take gap years and apply to college in the fall of gap years (great strategy for those aiming high).

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure what the point of this exchange is. Granular data does not exist on SAT scores and AP achievements for the tiny subset of DC public school seniors reaching for the stars in college admissions. In my work as an independent college counselor, I've dealt with clients from JR, Walls, DCI, Latin and BASIS etc. who applied to institutions admitting in the single digits (there are two dozen such colleges). The majority strikes out although, on paper at least, they seemed to have had a good shot of being admitted. The successful applicants take at least half a dozen APs, or a combination of IB Diploma exams and APs, and score mostly 5s. They also score 700s or 800 on both sections of the SAT. None has been a recruited athlete. Most started taking APs in 9th grade. If they aren't at BASIS, they generally sign up to take an AP or two at a private or suburban school along the way. A small minority also takes Cambridge exams. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/lowest-acceptance-rate

How would you compare the kids you have seen from JR, Walls, DCI, Latin, BASIS, etc. and the results they obtained?

That sounds about right.

I'm not sure what the point of this exchange is. Granular data does not exist on SAT scores and AP achievements for the tiny subset of DC public school seniors reaching for the stars in college admissions. In my work as an independent college counselor, I've dealt with clients from JR, Walls, DCI, Latin and BASIS etc. who applied to institutions admitting in the single digits (there are two dozen such colleges). The majority strikes out although, on paper at least, they seemed to have had a good shot of being admitted. The successful applicants take at least half a dozen APs, or a combination of IB Diploma exams and APs, and score mostly 5s. They also score 700s or 800 on both sections of the SAT. None has been a recruited athlete. Most started taking APs in 9th grade. If they aren't at BASIS, they generally sign up to take an AP or two at a private or suburban school along the way. A small minority also takes Cambridge exams. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/lowest-acceptance-rate

I suspect you and I have different definitions of “highly selective.”

Colleges admitting in the low single digits, e.g. HPY, Stanford, get many applications from kids who took 8 or 9 APs and scored all 5s. That was almost never the case in the previous century. Like it or not, times have changed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that no 9th grader is permitted to take a single AP class isn’t a great sign when public and private schools nearby allow this. We know BASIS 8th graders who scored 5s on AP World History after taking the class in school. They then took a couple APs in 9th grade.

If the point of AP classes is to expose students to college-level content (and potentially allow them to test out of college level classes), why is it important that 9th graders take AP classes? Why is it good that 8th graders are taking AP classes?

Partly because AP exams are only given in May, which is ridiculous. What also sucks is that if your UMC white of Asian kid applies to a highly competitive college without at least 4 or 5 AP scores of 4 or 5, their application may not even be read in full. So it's not a bad idea to spread AP testing out, one or two exams in the spring of 9th grade, several more in 10th, several more in 11, before college applications go in.

One big reason that Cambridge International exam are slowly but surely gaining traction in this country with applicants to highly competitive colleges is because Cambridge tests in both May and November. They also test on several levels, GSCE (traditionally 10th grade), AS-Level (half an A-level), and A-Level (at least a year past AP). Elite colleges are accustomed to seeing Cambridge exam results from foreign students.

We're going with with 6 AP exam scores of 4 or 5 and several Cambridge scores for our eldest as of right now.

There's no evidence of this. None. People on here will say anything to justify their crazy competitive delusions.

You doubt that? Have you applied to college lately?!

Do I doubt that white and Asian kids who don’t submit at least 4-5 AP scores of 4 or 5 won’t have their applications read at highly selective colleges? Yes. I doubt it because it’s disproven by actual admissions of actual kids this year.

I suspect you and I have different definitions of “highly selective.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that no 9th grader is permitted to take a single AP class isn’t a great sign when public and private schools nearby allow this. We know BASIS 8th graders who scored 5s on AP World History after taking the class in school. They then took a couple APs in 9th grade.

If the point of AP classes is to expose students to college-level content (and potentially allow them to test out of college level classes), why is it important that 9th graders take AP classes? Why is it good that 8th graders are taking AP classes?

Partly because AP exams are only given in May, which is ridiculous. What also sucks is that if your UMC white of Asian kid applies to a highly competitive college without at least 4 or 5 AP scores of 4 or 5, their application may not even be read in full. So it's not a bad idea to spread AP testing out, one or two exams in the spring of 9th grade, several more in 10th, several more in 11, before college applications go in.

One big reason that Cambridge International exam are slowly but surely gaining traction in this country with applicants to highly competitive colleges is because Cambridge tests in both May and November. They also test on several levels, GSCE (traditionally 10th grade), AS-Level (half an A-level), and A-Level (at least a year past AP). Elite colleges are accustomed to seeing Cambridge exam results from foreign students.

We're going with with 6 AP exam scores of 4 or 5 and several Cambridge scores for our eldest as of right now.

There's no evidence of this. None. People on here will say anything to justify their crazy competitive delusions.

You doubt that? Have you applied to college lately?!

Do I doubt that white and Asian kids who don’t submit at least 4-5 AP scores of 4 or 5 won’t have their applications read at highly selective colleges? Yes. I doubt it because it’s disproven by actual admissions of actual kids this year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that no 9th grader is permitted to take a single AP class isn’t a great sign when public and private schools nearby allow this. We know BASIS 8th graders who scored 5s on AP World History after taking the class in school. They then took a couple APs in 9th grade.

If the point of AP classes is to expose students to college-level content (and potentially allow them to test out of college level classes), why is it important that 9th graders take AP classes? Why is it good that 8th graders are taking AP classes?

Partly because AP exams are only given in May, which is ridiculous. What also sucks is that if your UMC white of Asian kid applies to a highly competitive college without at least 4 or 5 AP scores of 4 or 5, their application may not even be read in full. So it's not a bad idea to spread AP testing out, one or two exams in the spring of 9th grade, several more in 10th, several more in 11, before college applications go in.

One big reason that Cambridge International exam are slowly but surely gaining traction in this country with applicants to highly competitive colleges is because Cambridge tests in both May and November. They also test on several levels, GSCE (traditionally 10th grade), AS-Level (half an A-level), and A-Level (at least a year past AP). Elite colleges are accustomed to seeing Cambridge exam results from foreign students.

We're going with with 6 AP exam scores of 4 or 5 and several Cambridge scores for our eldest as of right now.

There's no evidence of this. None. People on here will say anything to justify their crazy competitive delusions.

You doubt that? Have you applied to college lately?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that no 9th grader is permitted to take a single AP class isn’t a great sign when public and private schools nearby allow this. We know BASIS 8th graders who scored 5s on AP World History after taking the class in school. They then took a couple APs in 9th grade.

If the point of AP classes is to expose students to college-level content (and potentially allow them to test out of college level classes), why is it important that 9th graders take AP classes? Why is it good that 8th graders are taking AP classes?

Partly because AP exams are only given in May, which is ridiculous. What also sucks is that if your UMC white of Asian kid applies to a highly competitive college without at least 4 or 5 AP scores of 4 or 5, their application may not even be read in full. So it's not a bad idea to spread AP testing out, one or two exams in the spring of 9th grade, several more in 10th, several more in 11, before college applications go in.

One big reason that Cambridge International exam are slowly but surely gaining traction in this country with applicants to highly competitive colleges is because Cambridge tests in both May and November. They also test on several levels, GSCE (traditionally 10th grade), AS-Level (half an A-level), and A-Level (at least a year past AP). Elite colleges are accustomed to seeing Cambridge exam results from foreign students.

We're going with with 6 AP exam scores of 4 or 5 and several Cambridge scores for our eldest as of right now.

There's no evidence of this. None. People on here will say anything to justify their crazy competitive delusions.

Yup. I've posted on the DCPS forum before that my smart but lazy DC failed several AP tests, but managed to get a near perfect score on SAT because that one "counted." Didn't obvs submit those and now is at a T25 school. But, maybe that's not what pp considers "competitive." But, didn't apply to higher schools b/c wanted this specific one, so don't know if it would have been an issue for T10.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that no 9th grader is permitted to take a single AP class isn’t a great sign when public and private schools nearby allow this. We know BASIS 8th graders who scored 5s on AP World History after taking the class in school. They then took a couple APs in 9th grade.

If the point of AP classes is to expose students to college-level content (and potentially allow them to test out of college level classes), why is it important that 9th graders take AP classes? Why is it good that 8th graders are taking AP classes?

Partly because AP exams are only given in May, which is ridiculous. What also sucks is that if your UMC white of Asian kid applies to a highly competitive college without at least 4 or 5 AP scores of 4 or 5, their application may not even be read in full. So it's not a bad idea to spread AP testing out, one or two exams in the spring of 9th grade, several more in 10th, several more in 11, before college applications go in.

One big reason that Cambridge International exam are slowly but surely gaining traction in this country with applicants to highly competitive colleges is because Cambridge tests in both May and November. They also test on several levels, GSCE (traditionally 10th grade), AS-Level (half an A-level), and A-Level (at least a year past AP). Elite colleges are accustomed to seeing Cambridge exam results from foreign students.

We're going with with 6 AP exam scores of 4 or 5 and several Cambridge scores for our eldest as of right now.

There's no evidence of this. None. People on here will say anything to justify their crazy competitive delusions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that no 9th grader is permitted to take a single AP class isn’t a great sign when public and private schools nearby allow this. We know BASIS 8th graders who scored 5s on AP World History after taking the class in school. They then took a couple APs in 9th grade.

If the point of AP classes is to expose students to college-level content (and potentially allow them to test out of college level classes), why is it important that 9th graders take AP classes? Why is it good that 8th graders are taking AP classes?

Partly because AP exams are only given in May, which is ridiculous. What also sucks is that if your UMC white of Asian kid applies to a highly competitive college without at least 4 or 5 AP scores of 4 or 5, their application may not even be read in full. So it's not a bad idea to spread AP testing out, one or two exams in the spring of 9th grade, several more in 10th, several more in 11, before college applications go in.

One big reason that Cambridge International exam are slowly but surely gaining traction in this country with applicants to highly competitive colleges is because Cambridge tests in both May and November. They also test on several levels, GSCE (traditionally 10th grade), AS-Level (half an A-level), and A-Level (at least a year past AP). Elite colleges are accustomed to seeing Cambridge exam results from foreign students.

We're going with with 6 AP exam scores of 4 or 5 and several Cambridge scores for our eldest as of right now.

Americans of top public school students hardly ever think like this about HS standardized tests.

They'd much rather complain that Ivies etc. are almost impossible to crack.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't need data to tell me that go-getter high-achieving UMC kids at JR can keep up with the cream of the MoCo crop if they can draw on substantial family support/resources and get help from adults in the know on planning. You simply have to pay for outside prep, every year of HS. You need to be resourceful about seeking out challenge, starting in MS. When JR counselors tell you that your kid can't get into X AP class (common refrain), you don't take no for an answer. You find the prep/content as a family.

Relying on JR or any other DCPS HS for most inputs won't work at highly competitive colleges.

How do you prep a high school kid on Spanish, advanced English, Math ... at a certain point, there's no "supplementing" that can feasibly take the place of an actually solid school. Someone that deadset on highly competitive college should move if at all possible.

Yet, there are JR kids who get into Ivies every year. Same with Walls, BASIS and Latin. JR has some great teachers. If your kid is bright and motivated enough and you can pay for tutors and enrichment camps, you can swing it.

yeah, but in recent years the only JR Ivy admits are the crew kids and URMs (which is not to discredit them--they certainly deserve it). But kids are really not getting into the Ivies from JR based on being the top academic kids or being "bright, motivated kids with tutors and enrichment".

That’s just not true. Even this week, Cornell and Harvard admits are not.

And Brown

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that no 9th grader is permitted to take a single AP class isn’t a great sign when public and private schools nearby allow this. We know BASIS 8th graders who scored 5s on AP World History after taking the class in school. They then took a couple APs in 9th grade.

If the point of AP classes is to expose students to college-level content (and potentially allow them to test out of college level classes), why is it important that 9th graders take AP classes? Why is it good that 8th graders are taking AP classes?

Partly because AP exams are only given in May, which is ridiculous. What also sucks is that if your UMC white of Asian kid applies to a highly competitive college without at least 4 or 5 AP scores of 4 or 5, their application may not even be read in full. So it's not a bad idea to spread AP testing out, one or two exams in the spring of 9th grade, several more in 10th, several more in 11, before college applications go in.

One big reason that Cambridge International exam are slowly but surely gaining traction in this country with applicants to highly competitive colleges is because Cambridge tests in both May and November. They also test on several levels, GSCE (traditionally 10th grade), AS-Level (half an A-level), and A-Level (at least a year past AP). Elite colleges are accustomed to seeing Cambridge exam results from foreign students.

We're going with with 6 AP exam scores of 4 or 5 and several Cambridge scores for our eldest as of right now.