tons of kids from dc's HGC applied and only a couple prepped in any rigorous way. Most of the kids did try out for Eastern and Takoma and they did talk a lot about how much (or little) they were doing for their essays and so on and so I think prep classes would have come up in their conversations. I feel comfortable saying that all (but one) of the kids we know who got in did not take any kind of class. There were varying degrees of effort expended on the essays- some kids put a lot of effort into them while others did them at the last minute.
We did have dc look at the booklet a couple of days before the test so he knew about the format. Also tried to get him to bed early the night before. He tried out for both and got into both.

Kids are just like their adult parents. One can spot lies coming from a mile away!

...A Judge

I am amazed at how people get upset about when other people's kids prep.

My kids and nieces and nephews have gone to magnet schools, top colleges and graduate schools. They are lawyers, doctors, engineers, academicians. They have worked hard and at various times in their lives prepped as well. Maybe we are a family of not very sharp people and we need to prep. Maybe the kids who do not prep are much more intelligent than my kids and family members.

I don't care what works for other people's kids. I care what works for my kids. And if it means shelling big bucks for prep classes, so be it. It is entirely our cross to bear!

Anonymous wrote:The test is more of an IQ test I think so prepping only is minimally effective IMO

This is only true for the HGC. The ms magnets also hav a writing component and/or quantitative comparisons plus reading comprehension and raven.

tons of kids from dc's HGC applied and only a couple prepped in any rigorous way. Most of the kids did try out for Eastern and Takoma and they did talk a lot about how much (or little) they were doing for their essays and so on and so I think prep classes would have come up in their conversations. I feel comfortable saying that all (but one) of the kids we know who got in did not take any kind of class. There were varying degrees of effort expended on the essays- some kids put a lot of effort into them while others did them at the last minute.
We did have dc look at the booklet a couple of days before the test so he knew about the format. Also tried to get him to bed early the night before. He tried out for both and got into both.

The test is more of an IQ test I think so prepping only is minimally effective IMO

Anonymous wrote:Prep classes for adolescents certainly beats watching tv and video games all day long. Hands down. You can take that to the bank!

Why would tv and video games be the alternative? You seem dense.

Prep classes for adolescents certainly beats watching tv and video games all day long. Hands down. You can take that to the bank!

Anonymous wrote:Now I see how some average kids get in while the top of the class does not

Hmmm...so, you know for sure that the average kids who got in went to prep classes? And the "top of the class" kids who did not get in, did not go to the prep classes?

Consider this. If these kids could be prepped to get in and actually mastered the whole range of topics that they are tested on - maybe they are actually mislabeled as "average" by the parents of so-called "top of the class" kids.

If that is the case, they should be in a magnet program, because the non-magnet classroom is not letting them flourish and reach their potential. And the parents of "top of the class" kids, who think that they have a better understanding of who deserves to be in the program are jealous bullies and maybe they are also detrimental to the academic, social and emotional well being of the "average" kid.

Anonymous wrote:Now I see how some average kids get in while the top of the class does not

Maybe the "average Kid" is not so average? Maybe he/she WANTS it more than kids who are in the top of the class?

Now I see how some average kids get in while the top of the class does not

Wow. Is this real?

My kid took the test. He didn't get in. He ended up getting in compacted math...which is the only reason we really wanted him in the HGC.

I guess it's that serious for some. Not my house-not my problem.

Anonymous wrote:Any workbook recommendations to avoid taking a prep class? I am specifically interested in math for a rising 5th grader.

Bump

Any workbook recommendations to avoid taking a prep class? I am specifically interested in math for a rising 5th grader.

I imagine there will be an increase in the number of students taking the "A plus" type prep classes for TPMS middle school magnet to avoid MCPS standard math...especially after the Algebra exam fiasco...

I have one child in a magnet middle school. She did not take any class I did not know of them and would not likely have considered them.
I would be concerned that if she prepped for a take a test to get her into a program that she might not be prepared to do the work without ongoing support.