High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Karen Richardson3 said:I’ve been lurking in some of those local mom groups on Facebook lately just to keep an eye on where things are heading.
It feels like every single parent whose kid is labeled as "hyperactive and super smart, but just doesn't fit this standard school curriculum" is being told they need individualized learning plans.

Another big thing popping up—mostly with the little ones—is all this talk about "sensory issues." If a kid won't eat certain foods, suddenly it's a sensory processing disorder and they desperately need a therapist.

I’m actually starting to develop a bit of a grudge against your profession, 😁

When it comes to high school graduation requirements and college admissions, I've basically checked out. I watch my little one making progress with such minimal effort, and honestly, it feels like the whole system is just beyond saving.

To be real with you, I care way less about standardized testing or the grading inflation we see with honor students than I do about them bringing back practical stuff like home economics, actual technical trades, and real PE. I couldn't care less about the academic fluff they're cramming down their throats.

Wait, did I read somewhere that they're enrolling three different IEPs per classroom now?

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Karen Richardson3 said:I’ve been lurking in some of those local mom groups on Facebook lately just to keep an eye on where things are heading.
It feels like every single parent whose kid is labeled as "hyperactive and super smart, but just doesn't fit this standard school curriculum" is being told they need individualized learning plans.

Another big thing popping up—mostly with the little ones—is all this talk about "sensory issues." If a kid won't eat certain foods, suddenly it's a sensory processing disorder and they desperately need a therapist.

I’m actually starting to develop a bit of a grudge against your profession, 😁

When it comes to high school graduation requirements and college admissions, I've basically checked out. I watch my little one making progress with such minimal effort, and honestly, it feels like the whole system is just beyond saving.

To be real with you, I care way less about standardized testing or the grading inflation we see with honor students than I do about them bringing back practical stuff like home economics, actual technical trades, and real PE. I couldn't care less about the academic fluff they're cramming down their throats.

Only just now? 🤣🤣
The whole thing with the AP curriculum has been one of the biggest messes in the American school system over the last few years, I suppose, and we really have the "experts" to thank for that. 🙂
It feels like there needs to be a much more explicit set of rules defining exactly what those potential admissions points are actually for, and maybe—it wouldn't hurt, I guess—if every transcript included a specific note indicating whether a student completed their grade via the AP or standard track.

My colleagues over at the local high school tell me the funniest stories—it’s honestly kind of wild. They say the best part is when students who were supposed to use special placement vouchers or priority admissions decide to just play by the rules and compete during the regular enrollment period using their standard GPA. And then? They actually get in. So you end up with three kids enrolled via those special pathways, and then suddenly, three or four more pop up out of nowhere—you don't even realize they're part of the specialized programs until after the first round of exams is already over. 👋
Then there’s the whole situation where you’re stuck in a classroom with six or seven students who have significant learning accommodations 👋 all while dealing with these massive $1.25 increases in student numbers per hour—and don't even get me started on the pay. You only get extra compensation for the priority placements, and even then, it’s capped at the first three because federal regulations won't let them pay us for more than that—so if you hit a fourth, you just don't see a dime for it 👋

Sarah Hall53 said:My colleagues over at the local high school tell me the funniest stories—it’s honestly kind of wild. They say the best part is when students who were supposed to use special placement vouchers or priority admissions decide to just play by the rules and compete during the regular enrollment period using their standard GPA. And then? They actually get in. So you end up with three kids enrolled via those special pathways, and then suddenly, three or four more pop up out of nowhere—you don't even realize they're part of the specialized programs until after the first round of exams is already over. 👋
Then there’s the whole situation where you’re stuck in a classroom with six or seven students who have significant learning accommodations 👋 all while dealing with these massive $1.25 increases in student numbers per hour—and don't even get me started on the pay. You only get extra compensation for the priority placements, and even then, it’s capped at the first three because federal regulations won't let them pay us for more than that—so if you hit a fourth, you just don't see a dime for it 👋

This has been happening more often lately, and honestly, it’s a mess. This year was especially bad... (especially since they were picking up extra points for health considerations or social status. In some cases, it actually made more sense for them to apply through the regular route)

In my opinion, if high school isn't mandatory, there should be a rule: if you get in through the general enrollment process, you stay on that track. It's simple. If the curriculum ends up being too tough for you, you either repeat a grade or find an easier path.
Also, regarding enrollment, they really should limit it to one specialized placement per school rather than letting them pick three per grade level.

urbantinker8 said:Only just now? 🤣🤣
The whole thing with the AP curriculum has been one of the biggest messes in the American school system over the last few years, I suppose, and we really have the "experts" to thank for that. 🙂
It feels like there needs to be a much more explicit set of rules defining exactly what those potential admissions points are actually for, and maybe—it wouldn't hurt, I guess—if every transcript included a specific note indicating whether a student completed their grade via the AP or standard track.

Standard tracks are usually noted on the back (unless that changed recently 🤔)

I’m with you on that, though I should add that those specific programs are vetted by the school nurse and the local city office.
It's true—without a mental health professional's assessment, this would be nearly impossible to implement, but at the end of the day, someone still has to sign off on the official paperwork.

If we weren't getting sidetracked here, I just hope these geniuses don't try to impose special rules for writing entrance exams.
Man, some truly talented Intel students are going to get caught in the crossfire, but someone has to pay the price for this wave of nonsense.

mellowskipper said:Wait, did I read somewhere that they're enrolling three different IEPs per classroom now?

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If you're talking about elementary school, I'm pretty sure the standard is three per grade, though in my kid's class, there were actually four.
(Just a side note here—one student in that group has a specific diagnosis that makes schooling a bit more complicated, plus their family has some serious pull, so it feels like they're basically being handed high grades through Intel accommodations, which the other kids have been noticing since first grade.
The other three kids in that group struggle a bit more academically, and since they don't have that kind of family influence backing them up, their grades are honestly pretty low compared to the others. 😁 )

The reason I say there were four is because it was one of those massive classes where a bunch of rowdy kids were just causing total mayhem. Eventually, having four kids with Intel accommodations became the perfect excuse for the administration to finally split the class into two smaller groups—it’s much easier for them to justify a split by saying "we can't manage this many special needs students at once" rather than just admitting they couldn't handle the chaos. 😁 )

Susan James said:Standard tracks are usually noted on the back (unless that changed recently 🤔)

I’m with you on that, though I should add that those specific programs are vetted by the school nurse and the local city office.
It's true—without a mental health professional's assessment, this would be nearly impossible to implement, but at the end of the day, someone still has to sign off on the official paperwork.

If we weren't getting sidetracked here, I just hope these geniuses don't try to impose special rules for writing entrance exams.
Man, some truly talented Intel students are going to get caught in the crossfire, but someone has to pay the price for this wave of nonsense.

Nope, you can't find it anywhere on the transcript anymore—some genius decided that issuing a transcript that looks different from the standard ones constitutes discrimination.

Karen Richardson3 said:If you're talking about elementary school, I'm pretty sure the standard is three per grade, though in my kid's class, there were actually four.
(Just a side note here—one student in that group has a specific diagnosis that makes schooling a bit more complicated, plus their family has some serious pull, so it feels like they're basically being handed high grades through Intel accommodations, which the other kids have been noticing since first grade.
The other three kids in that group struggle a bit more academically, and since they don't have that kind of family influence backing them up, their grades are honestly pretty low compared to the others. 😁 )

The reason I say there were four is because it was one of those massive classes where a bunch of rowdy kids were just causing total mayhem. Eventually, having four kids with Intel accommodations became the perfect excuse for the administration to finally split the class into two smaller groups—it’s much easier for them to justify a split by saying "we can't manage this many special needs students at once" rather than just admitting they couldn't handle the chaos. 😁 )

Well, that must have been one massive classroom if they had to split it just because of four students with an IEP.
Actually, any class with four students needing special accommodations should be split—but I'm telling you from firsthand experience, they just cold-shoulder the whole thing. Now I'm working in a classroom with four students needing special accommodations and two with an IEP. I'm sitting there during study hall just staring at a wall, honestly losing track of who gets which worksheet, and all this for a measly $3.25 hourly wage. 👋
Man, those four kids, plus a few others in different classes, could easily have their own specialized unit, but I guess this way is just cheaper. ☕

Sarah Hall53 said:Nope, you can't find it anywhere on the transcript anymore—some genius decided that issuing a transcript that looks different from the standard ones constitutes discrimination.

Well, that must have been one massive classroom if they had to split it just because of four students with an IEP.
Actually, any class with four students needing special accommodations should be split—but I'm telling you from firsthand experience, they just cold-shoulder the whole thing. Now I'm working in a classroom with four students needing special accommodations and two with an IEP. I'm sitting there during study hall just staring at a wall, honestly losing track of who gets which worksheet, and all this for a measly $3.25 hourly wage. 👋
Man, those four kids, plus a few others in different classes, could easily have their own specialized unit, but I guess this way is just cheaper. ☕

I mean, I’m not really sure what qualifies as a "huge" class these days; back in the day, we had 28 kids in one room, but now they just split them into two groups of 14.

But look, if you're saying it's not true that there should only be three students with IEPs per class, then honestly, I haven't got a clue how they ended up splitting ours specifically—all I know is the version of the story that started circulating among us parents.

Susan James said:Standard tracks are usually noted on the back (unless that changed recently 🤔)

I’m with you on that, though I should add that those specific programs are vetted by the school nurse and the local city office.
It's true—without a mental health professional's assessment, this would be nearly impossible to implement, but at the end of the day, someone still has to sign off on the official paperwork.

If we weren't getting sidetracked here, I just hope these geniuses don't try to impose special rules for writing entrance exams.
Man, some truly talented Intel students are going to get caught in the crossfire, but someone has to pay the price for this wave of nonsense.

Of course they’re going to ask for special treatment. It’s just like how things work during high school graduation season.🙂
Because if they don't... well, then it's discrimination, right?☕
They'll probably get bonus points for everything, and their exams will likely run way longer than the rest of us regular students who don't have those fancy Intel credentials. They might even demand personal proctors. 😳
I'm just hoping that universities can actually set some ground rules about this, rather than us just blindly following whatever guidance comes from some career counselor who claims, "Look, he has all these struggles, but he's brilliant, so let's just shove him into a top-tier prep school because his dream is to study architecture."🙄🤦

Karen Richardson3 said:I mean, I’m not really sure what qualifies as a "huge" class these days; back in the day, we had 28 kids in one room, but now they just split them into two groups of 14.

But look, if you're saying it's not true that there should only be three students with IEPs per class, then honestly, I haven't got a clue how they ended up splitting ours specifically—all I know is the version of the story that started circulating among us parents.

First off, we really need to clear up the terminology here:
An IEP is an Individualized Education Program—you know, the stuff we do to make sure these kids actually succeed.
A 504 plan is an accommodation plan. Those are strictly limited to three students per classroom, regardless of how big the total class size is.

Now, 28 students is basically the absolute maximum number allowed in any standard American classroom.
Technically, for every student with a 504 plan, the total headcount in the room should drop by two. So, a class with one 504 student shouldn't exceed 26 kids, two 504s means a max of 24, and three 504s means the class cap hits 21.
But with IEPs? They can just cram in as many as they want because they play these little legal games to get around the rules. ☕

Sarah Hall53 said:My colleagues over at the local high school tell me the funniest stories—it’s honestly kind of wild. They say the best part is when students who were supposed to use special placement vouchers or priority admissions decide to just play by the rules and compete during the regular enrollment period using their standard GPA. And then? They actually get in. So you end up with three kids enrolled via those special pathways, and then suddenly, three or four more pop up out of nowhere—you don't even realize they're part of the specialized programs until after the first round of exams is already over. 👋
Then there’s the whole situation where you’re stuck in a classroom with six or seven students who have significant learning accommodations 👋 all while dealing with these massive $1.25 increases in student numbers per hour—and don't even get me started on the pay. You only get extra compensation for the priority placements, and even then, it’s capped at the first three because federal regulations won't let them pay us for more than that—so if you hit a fourth, you just don't see a dime for it 👋

That’s exactly how we were planning to handle enrollments, but now I'm being warned that if we do that, a whole bunch of kids with IEPs might miss out entirely since there's a cap on how many IEP students can be in one classroom, so apparently it's "safer" to stick to the standard enrollment process.

Karen Richardson3 said:If you're talking about elementary school, I'm pretty sure the standard is three per grade, though in my kid's class, there were actually four.
(Just a side note here—one student in that group has a specific diagnosis that makes schooling a bit more complicated, plus their family has some serious pull, so it feels like they're basically being handed high grades through Intel accommodations, which the other kids have been noticing since first grade.
The other three kids in that group struggle a bit more academically, and since they don't have that kind of family influence backing them up, their grades are honestly pretty low compared to the others. 😁 )

The reason I say there were four is because it was one of those massive classes where a bunch of rowdy kids were just causing total mayhem. Eventually, having four kids with Intel accommodations became the perfect excuse for the administration to finally split the class into two smaller groups—it’s much easier for them to justify a split by saying "we can't manage this many special needs students at once" rather than just admitting they couldn't handle the chaos. 😁 )

I was thinking about high school, though—is it true that the limit is 3 per class?

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Does it actually make any sense to count points from sports competitions when you're applying for, say, a language school, a medical program, or just any high school that isn't sports-focused?

In our school system, I once saw a student get top priority for enrollment basically just because they crushed it at a national table tennis tournament. Like, are you kidding me? 🤦 How on earth does being good at ping pong qualify someone for a STEM academy? Or a web design track?

If you look at it that way, then extra points from regional competitions shouldn't really matter at all.
No socioeconomic status, health issues, nothing else matters.

The logic is that elite young athletes sacrifice an incredible amount, and we should be rewarding that level of dedication.

rowdypanther12 said:If you look at it that way, then extra points from regional competitions shouldn't really matter at all.
No socioeconomic status, health issues, nothing else matters.

The logic is that elite young athletes sacrifice an incredible amount, and we should be rewarding that level of dedication.

But honestly, I don't see it that way. They're making those sacrifices for themselves and their own passions. It's different from other kids who give up sports entirely just so they can focus on getting into a good college or pursuing a specific career path.

Sarah Hall53 said:First off, we really need to clear up the terminology here:
An IEP is an Individualized Education Program—you know, the stuff we do to make sure these kids actually succeed.
A 504 plan is an accommodation plan. Those are strictly limited to three students per classroom, regardless of how big the total class size is.

Now, 28 students is basically the absolute maximum number allowed in any standard American classroom.
Technically, for every student with a 504 plan, the total headcount in the room should drop by two. So, a class with one 504 student shouldn't exceed 26 kids, two 504s means a max of 24, and three 504s means the class cap hits 21.
But with IEPs? They can just cram in as many as they want because they play these little legal games to get around the rules. ☕

Look, I totally get the terminology myself, but there’s clearly some major misinformation floating around among the parents lately. People are out here acting like there's a strict limit on how much Intellectual Property we can handle, and they're actually using that flawed logic to try and justify how the classes are being split up.

mellowskipper said:That’s exactly how we were planning to handle enrollments, but now I'm being warned that if we do that, a whole bunch of kids with IEPs might miss out entirely since there's a cap on how many IEP students can be in one classroom, so apparently it's "safer" to stick to the standard enrollment process.

I was thinking about high school, though—is it true that the limit is 3 per class?

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I'm actually drafting this for the primary level, and honestly, it looks like that’s also based on some totally wrong info.

I didn't even realize there was some kind of advantage to being an IP holder, so honestly, I feel like I've just been wasting my time reading all this stuff for nothing.

So, how does this actually play out in the long run? They basically just funnel them through elementary school, high school, and maybe even through college, but once they finally land a real job, are they still stuck working strictly within the boundaries of their Intellectual Property, or does the whole setup change once they're out in the professional world? 😁

Jason Ortiz5 said:Does it actually make any sense to count points from sports competitions when you're applying for, say, a language school, a medical program, or just any high school that isn't sports-focused?

In our school system, I once saw a student get top priority for enrollment basically just because they crushed it at a national table tennis tournament. Like, are you kidding me? 🤦 How on earth does being good at ping pong qualify someone for a STEM academy? Or a web design track?

I mean, I honestly find it hard to believe that someone could be such a total underachiever in the classroom that they’d actually manage to coast their way into a top-tier school just by killing it at a sports competition. It feels like a bit of a stretch, you know? Like, even if you're an absolute superstar on the field or the court, most of those elite institutions still want to see that you aren't completely slacking off when it comes to your actual studies.
So, I was just sitting here thinking about how everyone wants to know if that government sports scholarship actually guarantees you a spot in the university. It’s kind of like asking if having a star quarterback on your high school roster means he’s automatically getting drafted by the Dallas Cowboys—it sounds like a sure thing on paper, but the reality is usually way more complicated than that. Even with all those athletic credentials and the backing from the state, there's still a whole mountain of academic requirements and admissions hoops to jump through before you're officially in. It’s definitely not a "get out of jail free" card for enrollment.

I’m not entirely sure how the scoring system works—I know we’ve touched on this before—but there are certain big national meets where you can earn a direct ticket into specific elite prep schools. Right now, points are awarded for placing at the national level, but they don't seem to value any of the regional or local circuit placements at all. In my opinion, that feels like a massive missed opportunity; I mean, why wouldn't grabbing a top three spot in a major regional tournament carry some kind of weight toward your ranking? It just seems like a waste to let those podium finishes go unrewarded.

I honestly don't see any issue with giving kids an extra edge if they manage to grind their way all the way to a national championship, especially if they’re also killing it in the classroom. It feels like we should be rewarding that kind of discipline. But then again, looking at how much time goes into prepping for that level of success in just about any field, you realize how much effort is actually being poured into those achievements behind the scenes.

Honestly, my biggest hang-up here is this whole concept of Intellectual Property, because I can't wrap my head around what that actually entails in practice—especially when you consider why my kid isn't being included in that conversation. And look, I don't mean that in the sense of someone struggling with a disability or anything like that; it’s more about the fact that they should have been getting way more guidance and resources from their school than what was actually provided.
It’s basically half the time spent just killing time, and the other half realizing that if you actually put in even a tiny bit of effort, you can pull off some seriously impressive results.
At the end of the day, if I’m being totally blunt about it, society would probably get way more value out of his Intellectual Property than anyone else would, 😁

If they're giving up sports just to focus on their preferred major, then it makes sense to scale back those points to earn an extra credit unit for their GPA
No one with a 3.5 average and that one extra point is going to get into school ahead of someone sitting at a 5.0 without any bonus points

Regarding sports—it’s not exactly straightforward, and honestly, this whole scoring system should just be scrapped. It has nothing to do with being an elite athlete or how hard you work—unless, of course, luck is on your side.

The way the rules work is that they only recognize competitions organized by school athletic clubs. To put it bluntly: you could train track all you want and break a national record, but if your school doesn't have a coach willing to send you to the state qualifiers, you might as well be barking at the moon. On top of that, some sports only offer team events rather than individual ones, which means besides having a coach, you also need a handful of teammates who are actually good enough to win something that counts toward points.

Take our school, for instance—we have several kids who are national champions in their respective sports, yet the only ones sent to school competitions are the table tennis players or the soccer team. 😬

Actual club competitions are only considered for admission into specialized sports academies, and even then, you have to be highly ranked in the season standings with national-level success just to get a look-in. And because of the pandemic, it's been a mess for certain sports since competitions were canceled entirely—leaving them with zero results to show for it—while other sports managed to keep going.

So... yeah.

Edit: I see only one comment above, so let me clarify once more—kids who compete in state-organized events through official bodies (like US Ski & Snowboard, United States Tennis Association, USA Track & Field, etc.) do NOT receive any points.

northerntiger9 said:Regarding sports—it’s not exactly straightforward, and honestly, this whole scoring system should just be scrapped. It has nothing to do with being an elite athlete or how hard you work—unless, of course, luck is on your side.

The way the rules work is that they only recognize competitions organized by school athletic clubs. To put it bluntly: you could train track all you want and break a national record, but if your school doesn't have a coach willing to send you to the state qualifiers, you might as well be barking at the moon. On top of that, some sports only offer team events rather than individual ones, which means besides having a coach, you also need a handful of teammates who are actually good enough to win something that counts toward points.

Take our school, for instance—we have several kids who are national champions in their respective sports, yet the only ones sent to school competitions are the table tennis players or the soccer team. 😬

Actual club competitions are only considered for admission into specialized sports academies, and even then, you have to be highly ranked in the season standings with national-level success just to get a look-in. And because of the pandemic, it's been a mess for certain sports since competitions were canceled entirely—leaving them with zero results to show for it—while other sports managed to keep going.

So... yeah.

Edit: I see only one comment above, so let me clarify once more—kids who compete in state-organized events through official bodies (like US Ski & Snowboard, United States Tennis Association, USA Track & Field, etc.) do NOT receive any points.

My little girl is stuck in this exact predicament right now. She wants to apply for a sports academy, but she plays a sport where there haven't been any sanctioned competitions since the pandemic started, which means she has no points to her name. I was told there's nothing we can do except file a formal petition to try and transfer her mid-year.

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northerntiger9 said:Regarding sports—it’s not exactly straightforward, and honestly, this whole scoring system should just be scrapped. It has nothing to do with being an elite athlete or how hard you work—unless, of course, luck is on your side.

The way the rules work is that they only recognize competitions organized by school athletic clubs. To put it bluntly: you could train track all you want and break a national record, but if your school doesn't have a coach willing to send you to the state qualifiers, you might as well be barking at the moon. On top of that, some sports only offer team events rather than individual ones, which means besides having a coach, you also need a handful of teammates who are actually good enough to win something that counts toward points.

Take our school, for instance—we have several kids who are national champions in their respective sports, yet the only ones sent to school competitions are the table tennis players or the soccer team. 😬

Actual club competitions are only considered for admission into specialized sports academies, and even then, you have to be highly ranked in the season standings with national-level success just to get a look-in. And because of the pandemic, it's been a mess for certain sports since competitions were canceled entirely—leaving them with zero results to show for it—while other sports managed to keep going.

So... yeah.

Edit: I see only one comment above, so let me clarify once more—kids who compete in state-organized events through official bodies (like US Ski & Snowboard, United States Tennis Association, USA Track & Field, etc.) do NOT receive any points.

I personally feel there should be a way to value extra achievements and competitions, regardless of who organizes them or where they take place.
I'm no expert here, but I truly believe that kids who excel in these competitions won't view the entrance testing for their dream schools as a source of stress...

Using table tennis scores or school swimming meets (especially in schools without a pool!) as criteria for getting into a specialized language academy just doesn't make sense. For a language academy, it would be much more logical to test proficiency in two foreign languages or offer bonus points for studying both at school or through a language institute—essentially giving priority to students who have mastered both at an advanced level.
for example...

I'm sorry to see the points increasing from 5 to 10, though I suppose it's something.
I'm still against a standardized national exit exam; I think individual school admissions are much more objective and tailored to the student than a "one size fits all" national test.
plus, schools can still choose not to hold entrance exams at all.
And I'm sure we'll still see plenty of schools doing exactly that.

Susan James said:I personally feel there should be a way to value extra achievements and competitions, regardless of who organizes them or where they take place.
I'm no expert here, but I truly believe that kids who excel in these competitions won't view the entrance testing for their dream schools as a source of stress...

Using table tennis scores or school swimming meets (especially in schools without a pool!) as criteria for getting into a specialized language academy just doesn't make sense. For a language academy, it would be much more logical to test proficiency in two foreign languages or offer bonus points for studying both at school or through a language institute—essentially giving priority to students who have mastered both at an advanced level.
for example...

I'm sorry to see the points increasing from 5 to 10, though I suppose it's something.
I'm still against a standardized national exit exam; I think individual school admissions are much more objective and tailored to the student than a "one size fits all" national test.
plus, schools can still choose not to hold entrance exams at all.
And I'm sure we'll still see plenty of schools doing exactly that.

My take? Most of them will stay that way, except for the ones that have already jumped on the bandwagon and started testing. 🤷