High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Carl Bishop2 said:Have you actually looked at the questions they’re putting on the entrance exams lately? Do you really think those aren't doing a decent job of filtering people out?

To be honest, I haven't seen them myself—but someone else on the forums was mentioning earlier that the questions aren't even all that impressive. I guess if the material is just average, then the selection process is only going to pick up average students, rather than those with a real edge in STEM.

I honestly feel like all they need to do is weed out the kids who walk in boasting about an A in math but then freeze up when faced with even the most basic problems. If they can just filter those types out, they’re already halfway to being superstars 🤣

mellowskipper said:To be honest, I haven't seen them myself—but someone else on the forums was mentioning earlier that the questions aren't even all that impressive. I guess if the material is just average, then the selection process is only going to pick up average students, rather than those with a real edge in STEM.

Aside from making subjective guesses about how hard or easy things are, it’s probably best not to comment on stuff you haven't actually seen yet.

mioc

first

titus

Well, look at how difficult they turned out to be 🤷
and should they really be identical for every high school in the country?

So, I gave it a look.
My personal take—if you could even call it that—is that Conor McGregor has the hardest road ahead of him, while Titus definitely has it the easiest.
Maybe they should just put everything out there right from the start.

Sarah Hall53 said:Honestly, I think you’d be pretty surprised. I have this whole group of girlfriends who were total linguistics nerds in high school and then somehow ended up pivoting straight into STEM fields. And then there's the flip side—I know plenty of math whizzes who spent their teen years obsessing over literature and languages. It’s strange, really... it's like at some point, something just clicks in your brain and you head off in a completely different direction.

God forbid that actually happens. I was just thinking—if she doesn't get into that school in Washington, D.C., maybe there’s a chance with the one in Annapolis? Is a transfer even a possibility there? And honestly... what kind of half-baked argument could we possibly use to convince them to actually listen?

Man, the commute around here is just such a nightmare lately—seriously, the connectivity is absolute garbage. It feels like the public transit lines were designed by someone who’s never actually tried to get anywhere in real life. You pick a route, thinking it’ll get you from point A to point B, and then—bam—you're stuck waiting on a bus that's already twenty minutes late, or you realize the transfer takes forever because the schedules don't even remotely line up. It’s honestly exhausting. Just one constant struggle to move from one place to another without losing your mind.

So, let me pick your brain on this...
What do you think (or better yet, what do language specialists think) about those dual-language programs where most classes are taught in English, even though they are technically humanities tracks?
Some subjects are taught in English, while others stay in American English.
In some advanced tracks, you'll even see things taught in Spanish or French.

To me, it sounds amazing (I’ve had great experiences with immersion programs for kids, and it’s definitely more affordable than private prep schools 😬), but how does it work in reality?
What do the linguists say about non-specialists teaching their core subjects in a foreign language?

Looking at various combinations at major universities, it seems like you could pair Philosophy, Political Science, or Art History with a specific language. In those cases, an actual expert ends up teaching their subject in a second language. I'm not sure how it works for Biology or Chemistry, though since English is the standard for scientific papers, I assume those folks have a great enough grasp of the language to teach it. From what I see on their websites, though, it mostly seems to involve Liberal Arts subjects.

mellowskipper said:So, I gave it a look.
My personal take—if you could even call it that—is that Conor McGregor has the hardest road ahead of him, while Titus definitely has it the easiest.
Maybe they should just put everything out there right from the start.

Personally, I think it’s actually better if things stay exactly as they are.
Especially if Milo is already happy with how the selection turned out.
🤷

Susan James said:Personally, I think it’s actually better if things stay exactly as they are.
Especially if Milo is already happy with how the selection turned out.
🤷

If we're talking about having just one single try at this—one shot—then I guess that first option looks like a decent middle ground. But then again, that's just my own take, which isn't necessarily the truth.

Susan James said:So, let me pick your brain on this...
What do you think (or better yet, what do language specialists think) about those dual-language programs where most classes are taught in English, even though they are technically humanities tracks?
Some subjects are taught in English, while others stay in American English.
In some advanced tracks, you'll even see things taught in Spanish or French.

To me, it sounds amazing (I’ve had great experiences with immersion programs for kids, and it’s definitely more affordable than private prep schools 😬), but how does it work in reality?
What do the linguists say about non-specialists teaching their core subjects in a foreign language?

Looking at various combinations at major universities, it seems like you could pair Philosophy, Political Science, or Art History with a specific language. In those cases, an actual expert ends up teaching their subject in a second language. I'm not sure how it works for Biology or Chemistry, though since English is the standard for scientific papers, I assume those folks have a great enough grasp of the language to teach it. From what I see on their websites, though, it mostly seems to involve Liberal Arts subjects.

The Department of the Treasury has its studies over at EJ, which is mostly just the diaspora looking for cheaper tuition options. Everyone picks up American English, and there are some Indians and Africans there too. The professors, naturally, teach at EJ; some are brilliant, while others—well, god help us—but they show up and teach regularly. I believe the tuition is around 7 or 8k dollars a year.

mellowskipper said:The Department of the Treasury has its studies over at EJ, which is mostly just the diaspora looking for cheaper tuition options. Everyone picks up American English, and there are some Indians and Africans there too. The professors, naturally, teach at EJ; some are brilliant, while others—well, god help us—but they show up and teach regularly. I believe the tuition is around 7 or 8k dollars a year.

I wasn't actually asking about college, though; I was asking about high schools and how they manage things on campus...

I'm not quite sure what you were trying to get at there, but we're definitely talking about two different things🍿

To be honest, I don't even have any firsthand experience with stuff like that—though I do know someone who teaches a bilingual curriculum. But then again, he actually spent some time teaching in the USA, so his grasp of both the language and the subject matter is pretty much flawless.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the CLIL method, personally; if you execute it right, it makes learning a language feel so much more purposeful.
As for English professors, we had this guest lecturer at our university one year who was an absolute powerhouse when it came to her specific niche of literature—but man, oh man... her English.
We were fourth-year students by then, so anyone who was going to struggle with the language had already washed out ages ago. You basically had to bite your tongue just to keep from laughing at the blunders she’d make. And it wasn't even about the accent (which was honestly passable enough), it was the grammar and the vocabulary... just a total mess!
Luckily, we didn't pick up any bad habits because, being seniors, our language skills were already pretty much set in stone, but I really think a teacher like that could do some serious damage to students at a lower level.

I just finished my administrative studies. My specialty is admin work, and I use both English and German professionally. 🙂
I totally get why you teenagers starting high school feel this way; the pressure is intense. It’s genuinely stressful. 🤮
When I was 18, I actually wanted to quit my program because everyone seems to pick administration. I was taking German and math, and honestly, I struggled with both—got Cs in both. I’m really grateful my parents pushed me to stick it out. They’re the best. 🙂

Susan James said:Personally, I think it’s actually better if things stay exactly as they are.
Especially if Milo is already happy with how the selection turned out.
🤷

I never would have graduated if it weren't for Microsoft. 🤣

@bluejackal — this is a parenting forum, specifically for folks with kids in school 😉

Yesterday, there were open house events going on at the high school. It actually happened right 🙏 when that blue balloon walk was being organized too.

Did any other high schools in the area have their open houses yesterday?

So, here is some news, I suppose.

Really great article, for instance

The high school in Memphis has been approved to enroll 60 students across three different vocational tracks in three separate classrooms, which is exactly what the school had hoped for. According to the initial proposal from the Department of Education, they were only slated to take in 40 students divided into two classes and two specific programs. For context, last year that same school only enrolled 13 students spread out over three different tracks.

So, basically, last year they barely had enough kids to fill half a classroom, and instead of the government just capping it at one class, the community pushed back and somehow ended up with three. Though, if I’m being honest, I suspect we might only see about ten kids actually show up this year.

It must be quite a lifestyle choice to be a teacher when you're staring down three different classes with only four students each. It makes me wonder—do they schedule everyone's math block at the exact same time so the teacher can just knock out all three groups at once? And then, what does the instructor do with the remaining hours of the day? Probably just heads out to the garden to plant some potatoes or something.☕

I completely agree. Honestly, this whole system of splitting schools based on ethnic lines—it's just madness, and it certainly doesn't help anyone integrate. I suppose things might be different in California, maybe there are specific language programs there, but you can't compare a place like that to Memphis... It’s just sad.
Why on earth do eighth graders have to go to Memphis and listen lectures about the war or stare at that slaughterhouse? Why wouldn't they take them to San Francisco or Yellowstone instead?
And what about the kids actually living in Memphis?
Susan James, sorry for bringing this up off-topic.
On-topic: I really hope they bring back those high school fairs next year where the schools actually present themselves to students. I thought those were great.
Do high schools have a specific coordinator for admissions that you can actually call?

I honestly don't get how they can be so disconnected from reality regarding birth rates and how many kids will actually be enrolling that year.
🤔

Sure, cities like Cleveland and parts of California have everything from preschools to high schools offering Italian-language instruction

mellowskipper said:I completely agree. Honestly, this whole system of splitting schools based on ethnic lines—it's just madness, and it certainly doesn't help anyone integrate. I suppose things might be different in California, maybe there are specific language programs there, but you can't compare a place like that to Memphis... It’s just sad.
Why on earth do eighth graders have to go to Memphis and listen lectures about the war or stare at that slaughterhouse? Why wouldn't they take them to San Francisco or Yellowstone instead?
And what about the kids actually living in Memphis?
Susan James, sorry for bringing this up off-topic.
On-topic: I really hope they bring back those high school fairs next year where the schools actually present themselves to students. I thought those were great.
Do high schools have a specific coordinator for admissions that you can actually call?

A ton of high schools are holding open houses this month and next.
They actually started about two weeks ago.

For example, Lincoln High has theirs today, and Central High is hosting one this Saturday, June 4th.

Personally, I think walking through the halls is way more helpful than standing at a booth handing out flyers in 110-degree heat surrounded by crowds. 🤷
(Plus, the flyers usually just contain info you could easily find on the school website anyway.)

To be fair, I recently went to open houses at both a local public elementary school and a private academy, and it was pretty much the same deal: a swarm of smiling teachers and energetic kids. I didn't pick up anything new that I hadn't already seen online or heard from parents of older students, but hey, at least I got to stretch my legs and walk the halls.😬 🙂

That said, since high schools offer so many different specialized programs, it makes sense to go. You can ask a teacher questions that aren't answered on the site, especially since things tend to change from year to year.

I was just sitting here thinking about how quickly the season seems to be slipping through our fingers. It feels like only yesterday we were discussing spring plans, and now suddenly we’re staring down the heat of July. I find myself caught in this strange loop of wanting to soak up every last bit of sunshine while simultaneously craving the relief of an air-conditioned room! It reminds me of that conversation Michelle Nelson4 was having earlier regarding the local weather patterns. She made such an interesting point about how unpredictable the humidity can be this time of year. I completely agree; one minute you're enjoying a lovely breeze, and the next, it feels like you're walking through a warm sponge. Anyway, I hope everyone is staying cool and finding some way to enjoy these long evenings. Does anyone have any good recommendations for light summer reading? I feel like my brain is turning to mush from the heat, so nothing too heavy, please! kaže:
I honestly have to wonder—do they just have no idea how many babies were born recently, or are they completely ignoring the data on how many kids will actually be enrolling this year? It feels like such a massive oversight.
🤔

They certainly know what's going on... but it’s the teaching staff that really tells the story here. It feels like there's just no real appetite to get things organized properly. I've mentioned this before—it isn't necessarily that we're running short on teachers (well, maybe if you count math and physics), but rather that there is a total lack of will to consolidate schools and actually distribute the faculty where they're needed most. Since these are schools focused on minority language programs, I suspect the whole situation is a bit too politically sensitive for anyone to want to touch it.