<p>i have an 8th grader and we are looking at high school choices.
the county has started a magnet STEM program (science , technology,engineering,math)
at a low performing county high school (36 % go to college, 50% of 9th graders have D average).
my question is : will colleges (like lehigh,lafayette etc) not look at kids coming out of this program as hard as kids who graduate from ,say, the local ordinary private day school, or better performing high schools in wealthier areas of the county??
we do not live in the higher performing school district and would have to pay $100,000 for the 4 years of high school.
he is able to work at a higher level at the public middle school that he now attends than his private school peers (he is finished with algebra I and II and geometry and they don't start algebra I ttil 9th grade) and i sure would like to put that $100,000 towards college but don't want him overlooked either.
not that it makes much difference since he is a middle schooler but he is a national finalist in the middle school national science fair competition and is hopkins cty eligible in SAT and ACT scores</p>
<p>There's no easy answer here, in large part because the new magnet program has no track record. Much will depend on what happens in the school in the next four years. It is not necessarily a bad thing to be the top student at a mediocre school as a middling student at a top school. And I too have had the experience that sometimes a public school will atually allow more flexibility with course choices and acceleraton than the local privates.</p>
<p>I too would have major issues paying $25K/yr for a private school that doesn't offer algebra until 9th grade! </p>
<p>All you can do is look at each school closely. I volunteer with a group that supports schools like the magnet you describe. Sometimes you have a fabulous group of teachers, parents and students and the new school is great from day one. More often they have growing pains and being first to attend is often not the best position to be in. Private and parochial schools can also be great or awful.</p>
<p>I think that ultimately where you go to high school matters very little in the long run. You get out of your education what you put into it. My dad who went to a very low income high school in Chicago worked hard and "demanded" his education. He ended up getting a full ride to Notre Dame.</p>
<p>On the flip side I went to a very very easy high school and underachieved massively. I was pidgeon holed into taking classes that I had already taken in middle school, much like your son. So i think ultimately it all depends on how self motivated your son is. In my experience high school is what you make of it.</p>
<p>My niece & nephew went to a magnet IB program at a very low ranking HS; they had all the advantages of the IB group, plus the benefits of sports & other offerings as ECs, plus they were very well ranked in their HS population; it worked out quite well for them heading to LACs, not sure about Ivys, though I know they had some friends who went to Ivys & Berkeley. If the program is well designed, save your money</p>
<p>thanks! i really appreciate all your advice and experience. he will have lacrosse and student gov't at the high school as well as 100 other motivated stem kids ... i was just concerned about not getting a second look from colleges after hearing my friends (whose kids go to private schools) tell me that the reason they spend the money is that colleges recognize their school and look at their kids and accept their kids in higher numbers than high performing public school kids.
he is not heading for the ivy league, but i hope a nice engineering school is in his future...</p>
<p>the magnet might be good for engineering, but check to see what the four years of coursework would be there and compare it to the private school. For example, the private school my kids attend would not be the best choice for someone focused on engineering. Although some kids go to very good engineering schools, it is weak in advanced courses in some areas notably physics. With the math track at the private you mention I wonder what they suggest for accelerated kids. Even if the normal timing is Alg I in 9th see what their answer would be for your son's situation.</p>
<p>Also, would you be eligible for financial aid at the private school? That could knock the 100k down somewhat. </p>
<p>I agree that on first glance the magnet is probably better. The college counselling/attention from the private school is a plus, but you could hire a private counselor for less than 100k.</p>
<p>Someone wisely told us seven years ago when my (then 5th grader) was considering attending brand new specialized middle school program to not let my kid be one of the guinea pigs. And that is what your son would be if he were to join a program in the first year(s) of its existence. Beware. There can be lots of kinks in a new program. Lots. </p>
<p>P.S. It's $25,000/year to go to school in another district? Wow. The charge here is about 1/5 that!</p>
<p>While colleges do know school reputations, honestly, large portions of students at the most elite schools (or at least the one I went to) come from mediocre or poor high schools. That by itself is not going to keep the student out. School reputation is really only used as an "understanding the applicant's context" factor in undergrad admissions. The usual problem with such schools is that the students don't end up with a very good education, but the magnet program will alleviate that.</p>
<p>Colleges don't expect parents to have shelled out 100K just for their kid to go to high school in order for the kid to be worthy of consideration. I think he'll be fine on that. My biggest concern would be possible bugs in the program, since it's still in very early stages.</p>
<p>kayakmom - I think you've received some good advice from prior posters. As mathmom said, there's no easy answer for your situation. But if your S's targets are schools like Lehigh and Lafayette, I think the STEM magnet school makes the most sense. IMO the most troublesome aspect is the lack of academic rigor in many public (and some private) high schools. My D's private school was upfront about the workload; five hours of homework a night was expected. She was well prepared for college. But for many kids it's difficult to know how well the A earned in public HS translates into the college environment. I'd go with the magnet program, but I'd also do some outside testing to be sure of how well your S is being educated. By the time the first low AP test score comes in, it's too late to make changes. And it should go without saying that anything less than top grades in a mediocre HS should be a major red flag. Good luck with your S. Having a supportive Mom is a huge plus for any young man.</p>
<p>my impression is that programs are often begun at lower performing high schools to attract students and teachers who are more interested in academics to the school.
This has been * very * successful in our district.
For instance the inner city high school where my daughter attended, has similar numbers of NMS as the private prep school where Bill Gates and Paul Allen attended, after a magnet program was introduced.</p>
<p>Colleges look for a couple things- that you took the most rigorous program available to you * at your school*.
They are not going to fault you for not taking any AP courses- if none were available- still if it is quite a rigorous university- they may be concerned you are not prepared.</p>
<p>While D's high school did entertain admission reps from competitive schools every year & some students always go on to virtually all the Ivies out of every class, colleges also are on the lookout for schools in other areas.
As long as the counselor & teachers are able to communicate the type of programs offered and as long as the student is able to show academic interest, a student in a newish school program- shouldn't be at a disadvantage- but perhaps the opposite.</p>
<p>i really appreciate your help and advice... i have him take the act and sat every year to see where he is (i don't think the state high school assessment tests mean much). thanks again!</p>
<p>Check around to see where the rest of the bright kids in your area are going to high school.</p>
<p>lots go to the ib program which is just not for my kid (8 years of required music in his over priced private elementary school cured him of any love for music) and the writing component, rigorous and beloved as it may be, would make him crazy..
there are a lot more parents than we walking in circles , muttering to themselves, wondering which high school path is good/better/best so thanks for your input!</p>
<p>kayakmom - you could be describing the environment at the magnet my son attended, a school where half of the students assigned by the boundary were ineligible for afterschool activities and sports because of GPA. The difference between your school and mine is that mine had a well established program. Just how new is your program?</p>
<p>One thing not already mentioned is look at the curriculum with respect to your son's talents. My son was able to take things like multivariable calculus, computer modeling, optics, thermodynamics, and so on. These were certainly not available at the strongest public in the county and not available at the privates. You want your son to be challenged, not bored.</p>
<p>Did you check out the high school your son would go to if not in the magnet one? Since his public middle school feeds into that high school there should be equally good opportunities there for him. Also, not coming from your part of the country, I still feel as though you should not limit your college thinking to those you mentioned. Do take advantage of your CTY opportunities- that will improve your son's resume and give you many more ideas for college planning. I would not want to be the guinea pig at a new magnet school housed in a poor school- there is always that learning curve and mistakes will be made. Make use of resources through the gifted and talented testing your son has done well at. We went through the Midwest Talent Search and used WCATY programs, funding can be available for summer programs for those who otherwise can't afford them. A last thought- if the magnet school is being established at the school he would already attend- great, no need to switch schools.</p>
<p>Kayakmom - I also have an 8th grader and today he is picking up his middle school transcript and applying to a magnet program for HS. My son is going with an IB program. The writing componenet is probably as appealing to my son as it is a turn of for yours :)</p>
<p>I would go with a magnet program you are describing. Especially if you suspect that it is going to bring some smart kids to the school. I do not know the private school you are also considering, but in our case the best private school in the area just does not bring in the smartest kids. Most od the kids there are mediocare, with parents who are really pushing hard. Good luck to you :)</p>
<p>S didn't like writing either (up to 8th grade he did well in the standardized tests but it was a struggle with mostly formulaic essays a la Florida FCAT). He went through the IB program and turned into a superb writer and he's finding himself well prepared to handle a top 10 school. He attended a well established IB program with about 500 students in the IB and around 3000 altogether. Academically big is good because you have a lot more choices.</p>
<p>i didn't think of that ( that IB would actually help him become a better writer) i thought he'd just be so much canon fodder for better writers..high school is more scary for me because in elementary school/middle school i could always say to myself well colleges won't see these grades or school choices... now there is no 'do over' (i am so lucky /happy that our choice to leave the expensive 20K/yr private elementary/middle turned out so well...nationally ranked science fair.cty qualifier(i know who cares but his parents but at least it's a benchmark for us that he is on the right track) so i think i'm more willing to take a risk on the new magnet .
thanks again!</p>
<p>thanks everyone for your advice and support! my son went to two STEM program "get to know us' events and has fallen in love with the hands on nature of the program, its' problem based learning mode and opportunities for research and higher math classes . so thanks for being my sounding board!</p>