Magnet High School versus Public

My daughter is a lifetime straight A student. As a 12 year old she scored 29 on the ACT. As a 13 year old she scored a 31 (36/24/36/26).
I gave her (the last December) ACT for practice, timed it, and she scored a 34. (8th grade) She has planned to score a 36 ACT and a 1600 SAT by her junior year. She attends a local public school here in Mississippi, one of this states best. However, it is still Mississippi.

Mississippi has a State Magnet School for Math and Science 3 hours away, a public boarding school. US NEWS has it unranked but Niche says it is #6 in the nation.
She had the goal to be Valedictorian but now is considering this school for her Jr/Sr year. (they don’t rank)
Apparently this school is rigorous and all courses are Honors or AP or above.
I believe she will be a National Merit scholar at either, which is important for us, for the College Scholarships that Scholars receive.
Her older brother was an NMF Scholar from the local public school and she is far ahead of he.
Only 4 students received straight A’s at this stem school last year although they had 14 NMF’s. They sent a few to the Ivy’s.
Will colleges look at this Stem schools GPA differently?
Is it better to risk a possible lower GPA at this rigorous school rather than a higher GPA at the Public?
There is definitely a better education waiting at the STEM school.
Neither of us is concerned with the Valedictorian angle.
We are currently planning to go the route of Florida Benacquisto scholarships but if this school opened up a pathway to a top ten elite school she would have to consider it.
Magnet Stem or local Public?

Vistajay (If you are out there) Would you take the tried and true route?

sounds like you have a smartie on your hands! well done so far!

I don’t have any answers for you; but since you’re asking for thoughts, I have some questions for you - like where would your daughter live? would you move there? try to find an apartment? is there a boarding aspect to the school? do you have other kids at home still?

It is a state sponsored public boarding on and at a Women’s University. It has separate dorms. It costs $500 a semester for basically a $23,000 yearly education. It has been around since 1987 or so. Niche says it has the #1 faculty in the USA. I have a 13 year old who may wish to go also. He is a lifetime A student also as is my first two. We all three went to the meeting this week and they both loved it. They do know others that have attended.

If she is thriving here, no point in making life complicated. If she wants to add rigor, take couple of online classes or self study for few AP courses. If she is doing good extracurriculars, she’ll stand out better at current school. She’ll leave for college in two years anyways, why now? I don’t see any huge advantage.

That’s my may concern, “if it ain’t broke?”. It is only for Jr’s and Sr’s. It is designed to get the states best students at one boarding school.

This is what a former student to texted to me:
“When I was a senior, I started working in a lab at MSU through a cooperation btw MSMS and MSU to get MSMS students in MSU research labs. I decided to stay in-state @ MSU for undergrad to continue working in that lab. I got paid all four years of undergrad, and published four first authored publications. I got a full scholarship and stipend to get my M. Phil at University of Cambridge, another life changing experience, and now I’m getting my PhD @ UC Berkeley in molecular and cellular biology. I consider myself an RNA biologists and bioinformatician. It’s been an amazing ride, and it’s all thanks to MSMS.”

First, check in to your local public school’s placement office. Bring the US News list of Top 20 National Universities. Ask how many the public school placed into the Top 20 in 2019, 2018, 2017.

  1. You are likely to be surprised to see 2 or 3+ kids accepted into the Top 20 in any given year. Your kid sounds elite. If you think she can excel for 4 years, then your local public might be the way to go.
  2. On the other hand, if they placed zero in three years, then yes, you probably ought to consider a different high school for your daughter. It is easier to walk through a door that kids before her built and opened in the brick wall than to be the kid to break the first hole in the brick wall.

If 1. above, and your daughter takes the most rigorous courses at your local Mississippi public school and is valedictorian, scores a 34+ on her ACT, writes good essays, starts a club and is its president, and ticks a couple of other boxes, then applies to any 10 of the Top 20 US News National Universities, she will likely be accepted to at least one.

Top universities are always looking for an excellent prospect from a typical public school in Mississippi, Wyoming, Alaska, etc…

Your daughter will be 16yo by the time she would go there, or close to it. Why not let her make the decision? She might be aching to go to such a school, where she wouldn’t stick out. She also might want to stay home with you, and would miss you desperately if she went away.

I wouldn’t worry about college too much right now. Just make sure you have a happy, well adjusted kid.

Actually, she went to the meeting last night at 14 y.o.a. and is excited about it. I told her its her decision. I’d just like to guide her. My first child would have been a National Hispanic Scholar had we filled out the form. We didn’t know the game. My second was a NM Scholar because we did. Now there is this Magnet School thing and again I don’t know the game.
Believe it or not, I learn the most from parents on CC.
She is quite mature. Before the middle school ACT, she said “well I can 36 the English and Reading, but I haven’t had the Math and Science yet”. And then she did. If she goes we need to knock of a couple of required classes first.
There is a possibility of 9 AP’s at her Public school, and no IB’s.
Although its Mississippi Public, my son after attending the local HS, walked into the SAT and said it was easy. Then scored a 1550 first try. I tend to believe a lot of it is how one applies oneself to learn. Of course he wasn’t even considered by an Ivy and that’s fine.
This daughter though is so far advanced intellectually than he was at that age.

And… I have a very happy well adjusted normal looking kid, so its a great problem to have.

The point to be taken from the former student isn’t about what doors the HS opened, it is that going not a not even top 200 (USNWR) school doesn’t close doors to top grad schools. The student matters way more than the school.

If you she was at an average or below average HS that didn’t offer rigorous courses I would say go. However, I see little to no benefit with your case. Moving a HS junior can be a high risk move. I just don’t see the benefit. I actually believe that the former students comments support staying at he current school.

Does she have an actual place, or is this just spit balling?

She wont apply until sophomore year. However, we know students who get in. They take about 100 of the 200 who apply. They graduate with an average of 31 ACT. I cant imagine her being turned down. This Is Mississippi not California.

I would be very concerned about sending her to a boarding school her junior year if she is thriving at her current HS. Kids need their parents more than you think and I would not want to pass that responsibility to strangers unless I was unable to raise them myself.

If she is as stellar a student as advertised, she will be Val/Sal and her teachers/college counselors LOR will say things like “in my twenty years teaching, this is the most accomplished students I have had, etc”.

I would also make sure that she had depth and breadth with her ECs for the top 25 colleges. She will have great options her senior year.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Even Mississippi will have enough bright kids to fill a desirable magnet school several times over. If everyone is excited, apply, there is no need for hand wringing until you are offered a spot. If only 200 kids apply, then maybe think why it isn’t especially desirable. Desirable magnet schools are hard to get into, why is this one not? Which school??

14 year olds do get excited about opps made to seem special. Dad is right to try to apply some reasoning.

But as eeyore wrote, aiming for a top or tippy top college is more than a different hs academic opportunity. I’d be checking the holistic strengths between the two. Are the stem classes that much more advanced, will she still get the balance in rigorous non-stem courses, AND in EC choices? Could she just as easily take DE classes at a local college?

Magnet schools vary in strengths. Some include a high percentage of not top kids, partly a policy to offer opportunity. At some, you’ll find a strong emphasis on pre-professional training and those clubs, versus a purer competitive college related direction. Just check the rest of the story. Eg, look also at electives or tracks. EMT or drafting may sound like alluring breadth, but it’s not what increases changes to a top college.

And graduating with an average 31 ACT Composite sounds a tad on the low side, for a stem academy. Maybe you can get the subscores (that’s what top adcoms look at.) Or other breakdown details. If there are different tracks, how do the kids aiming for top colleges rangein their scores?

Tough decision.

NIche doesn’t seem to be a reliable source IME. If it is good, why wouldn’t it be in US news?

Sybylla
It appears USNWR ranks Magnet schools based on how they perform for 4 years. This is a 2 year school. I don’t believe they qualify.
Mississippi ranks consistently 48-50th worst in the nation in education. The only way we can compare ourselves with the other 47 states is with the ACT/SAT and AP test scores. My daughters middle school scores were not only the highest in our state but a 36 in English and a 36 in reading in the ACT qualified for National Awards. (and cannot be beat)
There is only one public Magnet school in Mississippi and so it is the desirable one for those interested.
There are certain electives one has to get out of the way these first two years so one must plan accordingly, now.
I am not sure what hand wringing is.
I am not that big on padding HS resumes with clubs/societies/activities and other numerous accolades for the purpose of impressing top tier schools so the Ivy League is probably out anyway.
All her teachers have been advising me to send her to this school for years. They have sent plenty of others over the years. This school is only for Mississippi residents.
You are not correct that “even Mississippi will have enough bright kids to fill a desirable magnet school several times over”. Unless your idea of bright is different than mine.
For EC’s, she has won the National Championship 15K Under 14, either 2 or 3 years in a row, set approximately 8 World Age Records from ages 8-12 as a long distance runner. (15K- 10 Mile- Half Marathon-25K ) Not sure if it matters, passion?
I have talked to the recruiters but you are correct they may not want her. But not being accepted isn’t a very high concern.
The concern, is it the correct move? And, people on this CC site, are the best source for information. (I did not know what a Magnet school was a week ago)

@FSUdad93 “I am not that big on padding HS resumes with clubs/societies/activities and other numerous accolades for the purpose of impressing top tier schools so the Ivy League is probably out anyway.”

The impression isn’t quite like that. Top 20 colleges prefer excellence, dedication over several years, and leadership in two activities over just naming 10 clubs and activities.

Therefore,
“For EC’s, she has won the National Championship 15K Under 14, either 2 or 3 years in a row, set approximately 8 World Age Records from ages 8-12 as a long distance runner. (15K- 10 Mile- Half Marathon-25K ) Not sure if it matters, passion?”
is PERFECT if she wants to keep it up.

If there is any other thing she is passionate about that is great. Even something like starting a “fill in blank” e.g. an astrology club or consistent xyz entertainment at a senior home, running it for 3 years and introducing another local public school to the idea, if that’s what EXCITES her displays entrepreneurial spirit, dedication and leadership.

When I wrote about the local public school being a fine choice if doors to the Top 20 have already been opened by other students, I certainly didn’t intend to imply that she shouldn’t attend the magnet school. I just meant that the local public may be a great option in addition to the magnet school.