High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Raymond Jones8 said:So, we’re sitting here playing the parent role, trying to figure out which high school makes the most sense.
It feels like my kid barely hits the books, yet somehow he’s pulling a 4.0 GPA.
He actually admits he stays focused during class—he isn't just staring at the clock waiting for the bell to ring or anything. He’s got a mountain of top marks for participation because he’s actually engaged in the lessons.
This week, he’s heading to the regional competition for one subject, and he already qualified for the national level in another. Last year, he placed pretty high in the national competition for that same subject too.
In our area, there are only two specialized math academies, and honestly, given what he wants to major in later, that seems like the smartest move.
I guess I'm not really worried about how heavy the workload is; I care more about whether the teachers actually give a damn.
For example, this year they had a chemistry teacher who seemed like he didn't even want to be alive, let alone bother explaining anything to the kids.

I'm not sure if you caught my post a few pages back where I was venting about how we only have two real options here in the US—and usually, the one that’s easier to get into ends up winning out. 😢 I honestly wish we had—or maybe I just don't know—at least one solid technical high school that actually prepares kids for a STEM degree.

Regarding tutoring... it really comes down to the teachers. My kid had two different math professors who were great—everything was crystal clear, no extra work needed at home. Now they have a third sub, and suddenly everything needs to be re-explained or re-learned at home (or via a tutor if you can't find anyone else to explain it). I'm hearing the same thing from kids in other grades—even the ones who are naturally gifted at math. So... I completely get why parents are paying for tutors. It's not about padding a grade; it's about filling the gaps left by the classroom.

northerntiger9 said:I'm not sure if you caught my post a few pages back where I was venting about how we only have two real options here in the US—and usually, the one that’s easier to get into ends up winning out. 😢 I honestly wish we had—or maybe I just don't know—at least one solid technical high school that actually prepares kids for a STEM degree.

Regarding tutoring... it really comes down to the teachers. My kid had two different math professors who were great—everything was crystal clear, no extra work needed at home. Now they have a third sub, and suddenly everything needs to be re-explained or re-learned at home (or via a tutor if you can't find anyone else to explain it). I'm hearing the same thing from kids in other grades—even the ones who are naturally gifted at math. So... I completely get why parents are paying for tutors. It's not about padding a grade; it's about filling the gaps left by the classroom.

From the local tech academies and Tesla, I know a ton of kids who went on to join the FBI or USC, graduated successfully, are working in their field, and are making a very good living. It's certainly a better combo than going the general liberal arts route followed by a sociology degree at a state college.

northerntiger9 is talking about Seattle.

Kenneth Garcia9 said:northerntiger9 is talking about Seattle.

I assumed she was just speaking in general terms.
If that's the case—if there really isn't anything available in Seattle, but the kid is determined—then maybe a dorm in New York City is an option. It's certainly a possibility.

Why would I stick to generalities? 😬 I’m talking about the situation in Seattle—it feels like, unlike in New York City, there aren't many great options if you're looking for a solid school that isn't a prep school. So, I'm asking for the third time: does anyone actually know if that's still the case, or has something changed?

northerntiger9 said:Why would I stick to generalities? 😬 I’m talking about the situation in Seattle—it feels like, unlike in New York City, there aren't many great options if you're looking for a solid school that isn't a prep school. So, I'm asking for the third time: does anyone actually know if that's still the case, or has something changed?

I honestly haven't a clue; there's usually just this ingrained bias against vocational schools and this constant glorification of prep schools. I suppose I misunderstood your point—my bad.
As for Seattle, from what I can gather, there are a few technical schools, but I have no idea what their actual reputation is or what kind of students end up enrolling there.
I should also add—it seems somewhat odd for a city like Seattle not to have more variety, considering it is, well, a bit more progressive than most...

rowdypanther12 said:Okay, let me give you an example using my daughter. Are you saying she isn't "prep school material" just because she couldn't maintain an A in German without extra help?
Keep in mind, neither my husband nor I know a single word of German, so we can't help her at all. She was one of the few kids in her class actually taking the language, with absolutely no support at home.
So, how is it that she’s suddenly able to pull an A without any tutoring now? She's totally caught up, and she's doing it all solely through her schoolwork.

I guess it might be that this professor is actually being pretty lenient right now—you know, easygoing, not asking for much, and handing out high grades like candy—but maybe you just can't really tell if that's the case because you haven't quite wrapped your head around the subject matter yet.🤷
I’m not saying that’s definitely how it is, but then again, you were the one pointing out that there's a bit of everything going on, so I suppose it isn't all just black and white.
I suppose it’s worth noting that having tutoring sessions isn't necessarily a sign that the professor is failing at their job, nor does landing an A without any extra help automatically mean the instructor is a genius or that the student has somehow achieved total mastery over the material. It’s probably more complicated than that, I guess.

northerntiger9 said:I'm not sure if you caught my post a few pages back where I was venting about how we only have two real options here in the US—and usually, the one that’s easier to get into ends up winning out. 😢 I honestly wish we had—or maybe I just don't know—at least one solid technical high school that actually prepares kids for a STEM degree.

Regarding tutoring... it really comes down to the teachers. My kid had two different math professors who were great—everything was crystal clear, no extra work needed at home. Now they have a third sub, and suddenly everything needs to be re-explained or re-learned at home (or via a tutor if you can't find anyone else to explain it). I'm hearing the same thing from kids in other grades—even the ones who are naturally gifted at math. So... I completely get why parents are paying for tutors. It's not about padding a grade; it's about filling the gaps left by the classroom.

From what I can gather, there really isn't a solid non-prep high school in Seattle that actually prepares kids to get into those kinds of colleges without a massive struggle.
My husband and I were actually just talking about this last night... it’s crazy how easy it is to end up in a prep school bubble where you're just surrounded by the same group of kids you've known since middle school competitions and everyone already knows everyone.

northerntiger9 said:See, this is exactly why I wanted to hear from moms in Chicago—to see if things have actually changed here or if it's still the same old story. Because honestly? There isn’t much of a real STEM choice in our school system. You either go the math and science magnet route, or you pick one of those vocational schools that looks great on paper but was a nightmare in my day. Back then, those places were filled with unruly kids, almost exclusively male, with zero extracurriculars to speak of. Most teachers avoided them because the behavior was so bad you could barely get through the bare minimum. So, unless there's been some massive overhaul lately, there really isn't an option for a bright STEM kid who doesn't want the traditional prep school vibe. 🤷 Please, tell me it's better now. 😬

Yeah, from what I know, that bolded part is a pretty accurate description of the situation.

If you're looking into college admissions, you can dig through the SAT scores on the federal database over the last few years to get a general sense of things. Though, even that doesn't tell the whole story. A lot of specialized students barely even bother with the SATs since they aren't strictly required for their specific tracks...

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrI...FkNCIsImMiOjh9

urbantinker8 said:I guess it might be that this professor is actually being pretty lenient right now—you know, easygoing, not asking for much, and handing out high grades like candy—but maybe you just can't really tell if that's the case because you haven't quite wrapped your head around the subject matter yet.🤷
I’m not saying that’s definitely how it is, but then again, you were the one pointing out that there's a bit of everything going on, so I suppose it isn't all just black and white.
I suppose it’s worth noting that having tutoring sessions isn't necessarily a sign that the professor is failing at their job, nor does landing an A without any extra help automatically mean the instructor is a genius or that the student has somehow achieved total mastery over the material. It’s probably more complicated than that, I guess.

I certainly can't judge; I don't know a word of German. Other parents, especially those who actually lived in Germany, would have a better perspective.
Of course, there are professors out there who hand out A's like candy. That isn't the case here, though; she clearly works hard and knows her stuff.

northerntiger9 said:I'm not sure if you caught my post a few pages back where I was venting about how we only have two real options here in the US—and usually, the one that’s easier to get into ends up winning out. 😢 I honestly wish we had—or maybe I just don't know—at least one solid technical high school that actually prepares kids for a STEM degree.

Regarding tutoring... it really comes down to the teachers. My kid had two different math professors who were great—everything was crystal clear, no extra work needed at home. Now they have a third sub, and suddenly everything needs to be re-explained or re-learned at home (or via a tutor if you can't find anyone else to explain it). I'm hearing the same thing from kids in other grades—even the ones who are naturally gifted at math. So... I completely get why parents are paying for tutors. It's not about padding a grade; it's about filling the gaps left by the classroom.

northerntiger9, my daughter is in 8th grade now. She started 5th grade amidst strikes, then COVID, and then remote learning, so she’s currently on her 10th math teacher. I’m not sure whether to call it luck or just sheer ability, but she maintains an A without even trying, mostly because she has a father who is excellent at math and can walk her through it. But even so, you see massive numbers of kids heading to math tutors lately, and now I'm hearing the same thing about physics. I can't speak for the physics teacher, though, because my daughter understands everything they teach...

rustyowl7 said:northerntiger9, my daughter is in 8th grade now. She started 5th grade amidst strikes, then COVID, and then remote learning, so she’s currently on her 10th math teacher. I’m not sure whether to call it luck or just sheer ability, but she maintains an A without even trying, mostly because she has a father who is excellent at math and can walk her through it. But even so, you see massive numbers of kids heading to math tutors lately, and now I'm hearing the same thing about physics. I can't speak for the physics teacher, though, because my daughter understands everything they teach...

My 8th grader is seeing the same thing. They've cycled through seven different math teachers already. It's absolutely insane.
A huge number of kids are hitting up tutors—or whatever parents are doing to keep them afloat.
With mine, it's mostly math, or maybe a little STEM combo, and then languages.
Mine pretty much handles her own business, though I'll jump in here and there to explain things if she asks.

rowdypanther12 said:I certainly can't judge; I don't know a word of German. Other parents, especially those who actually lived in Germany, would have a better perspective.
Of course, there are professors out there who hand out A's like candy. That isn't the case here, though; she clearly works hard and knows her stuff.

I’m not entirely sure what the situation is like in Chicago, but in quite a few high schools, that second foreign language is often pretty much introductory. From what I understand about places like MIT, specifically those specialized math academies that offer multiple tracks—you know, the A, B, and C programs depending on how they allocate those two weekly hours for the second language—the "general" track with a second language usually involves more advanced coursework.

I mean, I suppose learning a second language at the beginner level is one thing, but the sheer pace of it all—it’s just incredibly fast. Personally, I actually found myself crying. It was... well, it was just really difficult for me.

Back at my school, when we were enrolling, they offered either beginner or advanced German, plus extra math and computer science courses. They used those choices to organize the classes. In the end, one class ended up with the advanced German track, while the beginners had to pick between math or CS because there just weren't enough students—only about three or four of them—so they just split them into different tracks based on what they picked.

I need some advice here:
My daughter is currently in 7th grade, maintaining a 4.6 GPA. To break it down—she’s pulling 4s in four of her core subjects and 5s in two others, while most of her electives are mostly 5s. She’s already decided she doesn't want to go the traditional high school route; she’d rather head to a vocational school and then jump straight into college.
She isn't particularly drawn to math, chemistry, or physics.
She’s definitely more of a creative soul—she does dance and all that sort of thing.

Which vocational track should we be looking at? Obviously, the final decision will depend on her actual points from those core classes.
She keeps asking me which direction she should start leaning toward just to give her some motivation for 8th grade, but honestly, I’m stumped on what to tell her.

I'm not entirely sure if something like business or economics would suit her.
Sometimes it feels like guys have way more options laid out for them than girls do.

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Some kind of design direction?

Nathan Garcia said:I need some advice here:
My daughter is currently in 7th grade, maintaining a 4.6 GPA. To break it down—she’s pulling 4s in four of her core subjects and 5s in two others, while most of her electives are mostly 5s. She’s already decided she doesn't want to go the traditional high school route; she’d rather head to a vocational school and then jump straight into college.
She isn't particularly drawn to math, chemistry, or physics.
She’s definitely more of a creative soul—she does dance and all that sort of thing.

Which vocational track should we be looking at? Obviously, the final decision will depend on her actual points from those core classes.
She keeps asking me which direction she should start leaning toward just to give her some motivation for 8th grade, but honestly, I’m stumped on what to tell her.

I'm not entirely sure if something like business or economics would suit her.
Sometimes it feels like guys have way more options laid out for them than girls do.

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What city are you located in?

Adam Diaz67 said:Back at my school, when we were enrolling, they offered either beginner or advanced German, plus extra math and computer science courses. They used those choices to organize the classes. In the end, one class ended up with the advanced German track, while the beginners had to pick between math or CS because there just weren't enough students—only about three or four of them—so they just split them into different tracks based on what they picked.

You probably attended some specialized STEM academy or a technical high school, which I guess explains why.
In my general high school, those options just didn't exist.