That was actually two years ago, and it wasn't even an entrance exam—it was just based on their GPA. Her son had a 4.8 GPA, which sounds decent on paper, but he ended up getting rejected from all six high schools he applied to. It’s funny, really; at fourteen, you don't exactly realize that a 4.8 isn't quite cutting it when you're aiming for those specific competitive academies.
It’s just more proof that we shouldn't leave these kinds of life-altering decisions entirely up to a child.
The whole system is fundamentally broken.
I think we all know exactly what I’m talking about here. If you have just two B's on your transcript during seventh and eighth grade, you won't even get a foot in the door for an entrance interview at most of the top-tier prep schools.
redridge13 said:Honestly, she’s right—a 72 average is closer to a 3.5 than a 4.0.
I totally agree that this whole setup is broken. We should go back to the old way they used to handle admissions across all school districts—just make it 40% GPA and 60% entrance exam scores. Seriously, what was wrong with the old system? It actually made sense.
I wouldn't go that far... you could easily have a 4.7 GPA and still land below 72 points. Between those 12 mandatory credits and all the electives... scoring 72 points basically means one C and two Bs in a class where everyone else pulls an A. But honestly, we're just looking at what the announcement says, which really just confirms what we've known for years—the entire system and its expectations are just fundamentally broken.
Those figures actually date back to the year before they implemented the new admissions process. They haven't released an updated notice featuring last year's deficits yet. As mentioned above, the details look like this.
Sarah Hall53 said:He’d probably want some fancy math academy—or honestly, his mom would probably push him toward one—and I mean strictly those elite ones that have those grueling entrance exams, you know? The kind that are all high-end and trendy and just... prestigious. The problem is, any school he could actually get into is like an hour's drive away, which is such a nightmare! It doesn't even matter that his elementary school was halfway across town, because that place was super upscale and exclusive, so getting there wasn't even an issue back then. 😉
You’re spreading misinformation here. There aren't multiple "specialized academies," there's really just the one. And if Brooklyn is "halfway across town" from Krasnov, then Central High School isn't just on the other side of the city—it's practically in a different galaxy.
mellowskipper said:St. Jude’s Academy and the CIA aren't private. There's no tuition involved.
Well, technically, it’s a private school if the founding body is the Archdiocese rather than the federal government. Tuition is a completely different conversation, though. At its core, the school is private and sets its own internal policies.
I honestly can't say why she chose to enroll her kid there—there could be a million different reasons. Back in my day, a girl in my class actually switched schools just because she was training gymnastics and it was way more convenient since the sessions were held at the local YMCA. But if she’s coming from Brooklyn, then technically that doesn't quite fit the district requirements. It also seems like there are a few other fourth graders involved, plus someone is taking a third-year language course that they don't even want to stick with anymore.
Kate Jackson4 said:There is zero chance with a score of 72, unless they aim for an elite prep school with an intensive French track☕
They could try applying to schools in the Bronx (which is practically on the other side of the city) or maybe a standard classical high school. The bilingual French programs might be within reach score-wise, but it doesn't sound like that's what they want. Generally speaking, yes, those points aren't enough to get into almost any public high school, if you look at last year's rankings.
And those various private Catholic schools... they're still private institutions.
I know a few families over in Brooklyn who send their kids off to that school in Small Town, USA—specifically that area near the local sports complex just east or northeast of the playground (they usually take the bus). No one actually drives them there; all the kids just head out on their own. It makes me wonder why they chose that specific school instead of staying local at King Tomislav Elementary, where they actually live. I could go on about this for a bit longer 😁
Regarding the whole situation, I think it’s a perfect example of why we shouldn't leave these critical milestones up to chance. As parents, we really need to be proactive—digging into what those grades actually mean for getting into a specific high school and making sure we stay ahead of the curve by hiring a tutor for French if needed. Or, honestly, just looking into a different school altogether. Is it "fair"? Sure, in a way, but it’s really just a reflection of how the system is set up...
Susan James As stated by... So, everyone from your elementary school is heading straight to college... I suppose that makes high school GPA and SAT scores quite a pressing matter... 🤔
Not a single student in my kid's class is opting for the three-year track. So, I suppose everyone is just assuming they'll head straight for graduation...
Well, if it turns out not everyone follows that path, I suppose those who are moving ahead should probably keep their heads down and avoid giving unsolicited advice. You wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of the kids who aren't planning on it.😉
I honestly find these theories quite amusing—it’s not really something parents are meant to grapple with. This is all about the system itself; there isn't much for a parent to grasp or conclude from this data, let alone use to make any actual decisions. We’re essentially just looking at a "veneer of statistics." 😂 Any real interpretation is left solely to those geniuses within the administration who supposedly understand these numbers and can "see beyond the data" (are they clairvoyant or something?). Meanwhile, us poor souls are left feeling completely lost when things go sideways, expected to just "empower" or "encourage" our kids—or whatever other corporate buzzwords they use to deal with the bureaucracy—even when we have the cold, hard facts right in front of us proving that neither the child nor the parent is imagining the problem.
Dennis Alvarez2 said:Well, you should have said so right away! 🙂 I completely understand. 🙂
From what I've observed, the data mostly tracks the transition from elementary to high school and high school to college. Personally, I would find it fascinating to see how many children from "our" elementary school move on to universities versus those who stay at the high school level. However, I don't see a direct link—or perhaps I'm just missing it—connecting elementary school origins to specific college enrollments, though given the database they have, such a connection ought to exist. 🕺
It's called analysis and synthesis, for heaven's sake. Based on what data would you conclude whether a school is high-quality? From this Forum? From what other parents tell you? By tracking the experiences of your friends' children? How many kids from a certain school make it into a top state university? What do you consider relevant if you're just dismissing the Series with a wave of your hand? Evaluating school quality isn't exactly a simple metric.
In my view, the Series provides us with a wealth of invaluable information, offering very serious indicators regarding the caliber of a school. Of course, it doesn't mean the statistics tell you everything you need to know about a school, but these figures are certainly significant. This data speaks to the trajectory of a child's education, showing how much they've learned and what they've mastered, how prepared they are for high school, whether grades are being handed out easily or earned, whether the students are ambitious (as are their parents 😁), and the overall success rate of students within the educational system, among other things. If I had possessed this data when enrolling my own child in elementary school, I would have certainly chosen a school with ambitious and successful students, regardless of any criticism I might face. So, yes, it matters deeply to me.While I appreciate a positive and motivating classroom environment, I have always been rather uncomfortable with intense competition among students. Back when I was growing up, that kind of rivalry just wasn't part of the culture. Nowadays, it feels like kids are constantly walking a tightrope, blurring the line between healthy ambition and cutthroat competition.
I have a genuine fondness for statistics; while it isn't my professional field, I find myself passionately following and listening to statisticians as they parse through data to uncover patterns, anomalies, and trends. Despite the inherent flaws in data processing, these metrics provide us with incredibly valuable insights, serving as one of our most reliable indicators. Everything else tends to boil down to mere hearsay. That said, I would love for you to point me toward any other serious indicators of school performance—perhaps from the Series. Given how far behind we currently are, this database is truly top-tier.
We don't actually live in Washington, D.C., but you wouldn't believe how closely I follow the high schools there, and I've been lurking in this section of the Forum for quite some time now without posting. I am a firm believer in education, and anything related to it captures my interest.
This is exactly the kind of detail I enjoy. There is so much information to be read between the lines if one simply remains attentive and sensitive to the nuances.
Me too! 🙂 I have been following the Series since the fifth grade. I had no idea the Series dated back to the old days; it really is quite a legacy left behind by those former educators.
Actually, everything is available if you take a little time to dig through a few different reports. First, you look at how many kids finished elementary school in a given cohort (that's in Series 2), then you check how many of those students enrolled in high school (which might be a smaller number), and finally, you see how many graduated high school—not everyone who finishes school takes the SATs or goes straight to college—and how many eventually enroll in a university. For one middle school I looked at, out of 104 kids in an 8th-grade class, 69 of them had enrolled in a US college four years later. Some probably went abroad, too, but obviously, that wouldn't show up here. Maybe one day we'll get data on how many actually graduate from college, too! 😁 That would probably be Volume 4. It's just that our universities aren't exactly known for being transparent...
It’s not just about linguistic nuances, either. I mentioned this earlier—take a standard high school, for instance, where the GPA is absolutely devastating.
I always find it funny when people look at statistics and immediately try to dismiss them by saying, "Oh, that's just an average," or "Well, individuals vary, so it doesn't really mean anything." It’s such a common way to dodge the data! But, I don't want to go off on a tangent here and drift away from the main topic.
rowdypanther12 said:Alright, so I'm going to grab that list of fax numbers she wants to use and check which schools they're actually applying to. 👍 😬
Exactly, the fundamentals 😂
And honestly, if anyone thinks it doesn't matter whether a kid goes to a school where the average math SAT score is a 2.3—assuming they'll just "learn enough" in class if they try hard enough—well, that's certainly one way to look at it. They can always find out how that works in practice! Personally, I tend to believe that averages are actually quite reliable indicators of what's really happening, especially when you compare them against other metrics and baseline data. People usually jump in with arguments like, "Well, every kid is different," which is true, but it's like saying, "Not every batch of chili is the same." Sure, some batches are loaded with beef and others are mostly beans, but you still get a pretty good idea of what you're eating based on the recipe. There's a much higher chance the kid will end up being roughly in the same range as that specific "batch." 😁
Or, if a student is already certain they want to aim for the Department of Defense or MIT, it definitely wouldn't hurt to see where their odds are highest by the time they finish high school. This isn't just about one weird year where "luck was just out of reach"; there's years of data available, and certain trends regarding which colleges recruit from which schools remain remarkably consistent over time...
Still, it's fascinating to dive into this stuff, even if it's just to test out various theories you stumble upon online. It’s a good way to see if people are actually basing their arguments on hard facts or just making things up as they go. 😁
wanderingbadger77 said:I haven't heard anything about Snoop Dogg myself, just seeing it here now. It's good to have them on hand; if someone actually cares, they'll make use of it, and if they don't, then whatever. If he's weighing his options between a few different schools, this data should definitely make the decision easier.
That's exactly it. If you aren't interested, then don't look. Those who *are* interested can dig up all sorts of fascinating insights, and they might even draw some meaningful conclusions based on what they find. 😁
Personally, life has taught me a valuable lesson: never take someone's word at face value until I've had a chance to verify the facts myself whenever possible. So often, I've found that people who speak with absolute certainty—especially when they're acting from a position of authority, using that "trust me, I work here, I know how things run" tone—frequently have no clue ☕
I don't know... personally, I find the whole thing quite easy to follow, and there's just so much great information to dig into. Of course, we have that wicked old hag Divjak to thank for how accessible this data is—just more proof of how outdated our digital infrastructure and public information systems really are. Instead of having everything laid out clearly for the public, we're stuck relying on "experts" to interpret everything for us.☕
Yeah... back in my day, the whole process was much simpler—you just talked about which schools you could actually get into. Of course, that was during an era when entrance exams accounted for about 40% of your total score, if my memory serves me right... Nowadays, you’re stuck crunching averages and telling a kid, "Well, last year you were short by 0.05 points, and here you would have been just 0.1 above the cutoff..." then you just toss in a little, "but who knows how things will shake out this year?" ☕
If you check out the Series 3 materials, specifically page 4, you can see the success rates in the fourth screenshot and the graduation stats. Then on page 5, it lists which high schools they attended, and by page 17, you'll see where they ended up for college.
Just to give you an idea, I was looking back at the Series 2 data from last year. Out of the 104 students in my kid's middle school class, 85 graduated high school, and 69 of them successfully enrolled in college.
You can also dive into their grade averages and see the different levels of achievement they reached during graduation... there's really a lot of great info to dig through here.
northerntiger9 said:thanks. none of this is loading right for me—I'll have to try a different browser if I want to actually see the data for the Mississippi River😬
Wait, what do you mean it isn't working? Are you using Safari? It runs perfectly fine on Chrome for me.
In New York City, certain STEM-focused high schools offer specific tracks rather than just electives. You can choose either an additional foreign language or an intensive math track, or even a combination of advanced math and computer science. It’s not really an elective choice; it's a set curriculum. This mostly applies to the more rigorous upperclassman tracks like the 10th or 12th grades. Depending on the school, they might only have one such class per grade, or everyone follows the exact same path...
(I’m bringing this up because we were just discussing how all high schools are supposed to require two foreign languages—but those STEM academies often skip one if you opt for that heavy math and tech programming)
hiddendriver34 said:Proab, how many kids from that specific generation actually went for AP Calculus at each school? You can't really compare the data if one school only had three students in the pool while another had a hundred. Plus, just because someone opts for a lower level doesn't mean they're struggling with math—sometimes they just don't need it for their career path.
But looking at this average for the thirteenth grade— 😲 is it even realistic for a non-STEM focused high school to pull such a massive average on math finals? 🤣 They’re clearly falling into that category I mentioned before—they’re doing a huge disservice to both the students and themselves.
About half of them split ways (specifically at schools XIII, III, IX, and XII), while the vast majority head toward the advanced track (at II, I, X, Titus, Luciana, and even XI, most go for the advanced level)
So, my advice is this: if someone isn't aiming for MIT but wants to pursue something in that field—and prefers a traditional prep school over a technical vocational school—they should look for an academic high school where most students take advanced math and maintain strong grades through senior year.
In any case, it becomes quite obvious which academic schools provide a solid mathematical foundation and which ones don't. You can also look at their physics, chemistry, and biology programs... or simply follow where the graduates end up heading for college. That tells you everything you need to know about which schools have a strong STEM component and which ones lack it. Numbers are facts, after all; I'm just sharing what the data shows.