High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Sarah Hall53 said:Honestly, if she wants to get into simultaneous interpreting, she’s going to need an incredibly broad knowledge base—it really just depends on whatever topic or field she happens to stumble into—plus this crazy ability to rapidly memorize massive amounts of data and facts (not to mention the vocabulary) when you're trying to prep for those high-pressure gigs.
I mean, an interpreter basically has to master the fundamentals of a subject and a mountain of technical jargon in both languages, all within a tiny window of time.
In a way, her time in high school was actually great training for the kind of professional skills she'll eventually need for a job like that.

I'm aware of all that, but I'm just not so sure about her yet. 😁 That's why I mentioned there's no such thing as useless knowledge. But with this kind of pressure combined with all that random stuff they're cramming into their heads, they're probably just going to forget half of it anyway.

Personally, I feel bad that they aren't encouraged to read much. It feels like the required reading lists are chosen specifically to kill any desire to pick up a book—exceptions are the rule at this point. It’s like, between the internet, social media, YouTube, and TikTok, they just need one more nudge to lose interest in the written word entirely. 🤦 But you can learn so much from books, even if it's just light fiction. When you stumble onto something interesting, most of that knowledge tends to stick with you.

She recently surprised me by saying she wants to read the Bible. Not necessarily as a religious text, but just as a literary work. Call me silly or naive, but the Bible is still a staple, while school textbooks seem to be getting swapped out for Instagram and TikTok. 😬

shtefy, I hope she’s bilingual or at least spent some significant time living in the country whose language she intends to translate... it will be difficult without that immersion. If not, she should plan on spending at least a year abroad before, during, or after college
Back in my day, there were a few girls in a similar major who worked in the target country prior to university, and it served them incredibly well

As for my kids—I have a son in seventh grade—they aren't exactly academic types... they grasp logic and languages easily enough, but the actual studying part is a struggle. They kill their GPA with history, geography, and science 😵

They recently complained about only having art class once every two weeks, so I found a summer drawing and painting program for them to attend ☕
I just hope they find something to be interested in besides their phones 😉
They both possess quite a bit of talent when it comes to sketching

Can someone help me figure out this enrollment mess?

So, I’ve got some questions about these dual-track programs.

Basically, my kid is trying to apply for the general track along with the parallel arts program.
The catch is, if he applies to them as parallel tracks, he HAS to actually get accepted into both schools to secure his spot; if he doesn't make the cut for one, he loses out on both.

Now here’s the thing: the application portal gives us six total slots to choose from.

He needs to list his top choice—his primary Elementary School + High School combo. Then his second choice, then his third.
To play it safe and ensure he at least gets into the Elementary School if he fails the High School entrance exam for any reason, the official Enrollment brochure actually recommends applying to those same schools again, but just for the standard track without the parallel arts program. That way, instead of wasting slots 4, 5, and 6 on random other schools, he can just repeat his first three choices without the extra arts component. That’s exactly how they show the example in the guide.

But the system won't let him click it! As soon as he tries to select the same school again, the system just gives him the option to delete it from the list entirely.

Honestly, we are losing our minds here. We've been dealing with nothing but headaches since the very first click on this site.
First, he couldn't even log in with his account. Then on Saturday, the whole thing just froze up—he couldn't even change the priority order, probably because every kid in the country was trying to log in at once, which I guess makes sense, but still. And now this.

We tried calling technical support, but it's useless; the line just rings and rings for half an hour before cutting you off with a message saying to just send an email. So, we sent the email.
The deadline for these arts programs is tomorrow at noon.

Does anyone know if we're doing something wrong? Is there some specific trick to being able to list the same school twice—once with the parallel program and once without?

Maybe try reaching out to someone in your class who’s actually signing up for the same—or at least a similar—program...

I'm not helping here.😵

Thanks, he actually got it sorted. He managed to stay on the line with support long enough to get the right fix, which was apparently just opening Chrome in incognito mode—and wouldn't you know it, that did the trick perfectly. I guess those damn cookies were just messing with the whole system somehow.

https://www.nytimes.com/section/education
Interesting.
It seems kids aren't exactly rushing to get to their entrance exams...

mellowskipper said:https://www.nytimes.com/section/education
Interesting.
It seems kids aren't exactly rushing to get to their entrance exams...

I wouldn't go so far as to say students in Washington, D.C. are avoiding the specialized prep schools. 🤔
It’s just a matter of numbers.
These specific programs don't require an entrance exam, and since they're often listed as second or third choices for many families, the application numbers naturally look higher.

It’s a shame they didn't include how many people applied to the schools that actually require testing.

mellowskipper said:https://www.nytimes.com/section/education
Interesting.
It seems kids aren't exactly rushing to get to their entrance exams...

Personally, I don't think this data tells us much. A lot of students just select "General Studies" as a fallback option—it covers them whether they end up in a language academy or a specialized prep school. Plus, there's always a huge group of kids who genuinely want the general track, which naturally inflates those numbers.
As for the specialized prep schools, having these entrance exams might have discouraged some interested applicants. But honestly, looking back, the old way was even more chaotic. Having schedules scattered all over town on different days meant kids were constantly racing against the clock. If you didn't have a parent who could take a day off work to drive them from one side of the city to the other, you were basically stuck. This is exactly why I argued that we should move toward a "one exam per school" model rather than this universal testing system that feels like a mini-SAT marathon.

Michelle Nelson4 said:Personally, I don't think this data tells us much. A lot of students just select "General Studies" as a fallback option—it covers them whether they end up in a language academy or a specialized prep school. Plus, there's always a huge group of kids who genuinely want the general track, which naturally inflates those numbers.
As for the specialized prep schools, having these entrance exams might have discouraged some interested applicants. But honestly, looking back, the old way was even more chaotic. Having schedules scattered all over town on different days meant kids were constantly racing against the clock. If you didn't have a parent who could take a day off work to drive them from one side of the city to the other, you were basically stuck. This is exactly why I argued that we should move toward a "one exam per school" model rather than this universal testing system that feels like a mini-SAT marathon.

What running around for days? 😕
I think you're exaggerating a bit.
Yesterday, the tests were at the 15th Street location.
Today is the 10th Street spot.
Tomorrow is the 1st and 5th.
If someone really, really wants to try every single math assessment available, sure, then fine—but that's only three days.
It's the same deal with them testing for printing, English programs, and pretty much everything else...

And it sucks that they're dealing with this heatwave, though I assume most of these schools have AC.🙂

I’ve sent this over to the PMs, and once the rest of them follow suit along with a few general updates, things should get pretty exciting...

Wednesday, June 29th

9 AM – Lincoln High School (Math)

12 PM – Lucijan Vranjanin High School (Math)

Thursday, June 30th

9 AM – Harvard University (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)

9 AM – Lincoln High School (IB Program)

12 PM – Tenth Grade Prep (Math for STEM track and STEM track with English immersion)

Friday, July 1st

9 AM – Fifth Grade Academy (Math)

12 PM – First Grade Academy (Math)

Monday, July 4th

9 AM – Boston High School (English and Math)

12 PM – Tenth Grade Prep (English for General Track and STEM track with English immersion)

Well, that’s what I wrote—the entrance exams have a three-day window 🤷

I know some kids end up taking two tests on the same day, but honestly, it doesn't seem impossible to me. These are top-tier students who are incredibly driven to get into a prestigious prep school... they can handle two tests in one day or five in a week if they have to.
The stress is mostly for the parents.

As for those testing tomorrow, they've already had plenty of practice with these types of problems. 🤣

Looking at the scores, there aren't many hitting above an 8. If you're looking for a perfect 10, you'll basically be hunting for a needle in a haystack. 🤷
But seeing so many scoring in the 5 to 7 range actually looks pretty good to me. It should help balance out a B in a less critical subject or maybe make up for extra credit earned through swimming or table tennis competitions.
Actually, just like they mentioned, if two students end up with the exact same score, the tiebreaker goes to whoever performed better on the entrance exam itself. 🤔

The number of applicants really comes down to the minimum score threshold set by the school itself. It’s pretty straightforward: the lower they set that cutoff, the more students are going to jump at the chance to apply.

hiddendriver34 said:The number of applicants really comes down to the minimum score threshold set by the school itself. It’s pretty straightforward: the lower they set that cutoff, the more students are going to jump at the chance to apply.

So, what’s the cutoff looking like for the 7th or 2nd year?
Is it under 75?
In my experience, when schools make their decisions, they don't just look at that baseline threshold. They usually weigh things like last year's final admitted student scores, SAT results, how close you live to campus, and stuff like that.

I have a feeling that students who didn't pick the advanced math track this year might actually do pretty well in the STEM programs if they have the drive and the talent. They might edge out those who did, and then everyone else will likely flow into the general studies tracks.
On the flip side, if someone isn't interested in heavy math or wants to focus more on languages—and maybe missed out on some extra credit points—they might find themselves having to stick to the advanced track just to stay competitive for the general programs, assuming they don't implement entrance exams.

Susan James said:Well, that’s what I wrote—the entrance exams have a three-day window 🤷

I know some kids end up taking two tests on the same day, but honestly, it doesn't seem impossible to me. These are top-tier students who are incredibly driven to get into a prestigious prep school... they can handle two tests in one day or five in a week if they have to.
The stress is mostly for the parents.

As for those testing tomorrow, they've already had plenty of practice with these types of problems. 🤣

Looking at the scores, there aren't many hitting above an 8. If you're looking for a perfect 10, you'll basically be hunting for a needle in a haystack. 🤷
But seeing so many scoring in the 5 to 7 range actually looks pretty good to me. It should help balance out a B in a less critical subject or maybe make up for extra credit earned through swimming or table tennis competitions.
Actually, just like they mentioned, if two students end up with the exact same score, the tiebreaker goes to whoever performed better on the entrance exam itself. 🤔

Actually, it’s four days, not three.
Beyond just the stress levels, you also have to deal with the logistics of showing up early—like, by 1:00 PM. You get in, finish your paperwork, head out, grab a quick bite to eat, and then you're scrambling to cross town to be somewhere else by 1:00 PM again. It’s tough. If you don't have parents helping you out with transportation, it can feel almost impossible, especially when you factor in how unpredictable traffic can be or if there's construction messing up the subway lines.

Comparing the high-stakes pressure of an admissions interview—which basically decides where you'll spend the next four years—to the stress of a single subject test that you can almost always retake or make up later? Honestly, it's not even a fair comparison.

Susan James said:So, what’s the cutoff looking like for the 7th or 2nd year?
Is it under 75?
In my experience, when schools make their decisions, they don't just look at that baseline threshold. They usually weigh things like last year's final admitted student scores, SAT results, how close you live to campus, and stuff like that.

I have a feeling that students who didn't pick the advanced math track this year might actually do pretty well in the STEM programs if they have the drive and the talent. They might edge out those who did, and then everyone else will likely flow into the general studies tracks.
On the flip side, if someone isn't interested in heavy math or wants to focus more on languages—and maybe missed out on some extra credit points—they might find themselves having to stick to the advanced track just to stay competitive for the general programs, assuming they don't implement entrance exams.

Yeah, applies to both.

Regarding that point about the STEM teacher shortage mentioned in the Telegram article concerning the 2021/22 Quote freshman enrollment numbers:

When you look at programs that saw only a single freshman enroll, we really need to take a closer look at the Physics and Computer Science tracks and the Physics and Chemistry track over at the University of Chicago. Even though those first two had capacities of 32 and 22 respectively, both ended up with just one student enrolled.

Has anyone here actually gone through the Goldman Sachs program at an elite prep school? Or maybe you know a kid or a parent who survived the whole thing? I’m looking for honest feedback—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here’s the situation: my son is currently navigating the high school application process, finishing up his final year of middle school, and he’s been fixated on nothing but this specific program. He’s convinced it’s his only path because he wants to study abroad, and honestly, he acts like any other local public high school wouldn't even be worth his time. He passed the entrance exams and made the cut, but now, suddenly, he’s having second thoughts.

The part that really sticks in my craw is one of the reasons he’s wavering. He mentioned that the kids in that program are all from these incredibly wealthy families—he saw a few of them during the registration and entrance process, and they were already talking about $300 sneakers and stuff like that. It just feels like a different world.

His other concern is more practical: apparently, you have to maintain a certain GPA by the end of sophomore year, and if you don't hit that mark, you're essentially kicked out of the program. That’s definitely enough to make anyone hesitate.
As for the school itself, I don't particularly care; I’ve been telling him all along that a solid, standard American high school might actually be the smarter move. I mostly said that to soften the blow in case he didn't get in, so he wouldn't view it as some life-altering tragedy, but the reality is you can still get into great universities from a regular school, and it’s a much more affordable option. Still, I don't want him to abandon his ambitions just because he's feeling intimidated or uncertain.

Maybe this is just one of those cases where what you think you want isn't actually what you need, and perhaps he doesn't truly need this specific program after all. There’s a massive gap between dreaming about something and actually living it. I’m not going to force his hand—he picked these schools himself and he’s setting his own priorities—but he has two days left to make a call, so I figured I should try to find some real-world examples of kids who actually completed the program.

So, if anyone has any actual wisdom to share, I'm all ears.

Michelle Nelson4 said:Regarding that point about the STEM teacher shortage mentioned in the Telegram article concerning the 2021/22 Quote freshman enrollment numbers:

When you look at programs that saw only a single freshman enroll, we really need to take a closer look at the Physics and Computer Science tracks and the Physics and Chemistry track over at the University of Chicago. Even though those first two had capacities of 32 and 22 respectively, both ended up with just one student enrolled.

I mean, seriously, what do they expect? Like, how is it a surprise that nobody wants to grind away for pennies, work more than a year straight, and settle for three weeks of vacation?😕
People are just strange, I guess.🤣

I mean, sure, three months off sounds like a dream, but let’s be honest—the pay just doesn't hold up when you compare it to what someone with actual tech skills can pull in on the US job market.

And honestly, this has been an issue for years. Moving to that integrated five-year degree program probably just made things worse. I’m not entirely sure what they were thinking, designing a curriculum that nobody wanted in the first place back when it was only four years. Now, trying to make teaching even less attractive than it already was by extending it? It just doesn't make sense...