High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

boldbadger1 said:We have a bit of a weird situation here in Cincinnati. The cutoff score for the IT and electrical engineering programs is sitting right at 72.30, which means my little one is cutting it incredibly close with their current points. It would actually be easier for them to get into a standard high school, though that isn't really the plan. For context, the score required for a web design track in Cincinnati is 74.96—it's actually the only program in the whole country requiring over 70 points...

That isn't about the scoring threshold... it's about how they handled admissions last year. We're talking about two different things...
The cutoff score is simply whenever the school decides they've had enough...

As for how many points they'll require for admission this year... it’s basically a lottery. We won't know until we take the shot... 😁
Perhaps the required score will be lower than last year... ☕

Jeffrey Edwards5 said:

I don't know what to tell you. It’s just one of those things. kaže:
You really have to vet every school individually for those three electives alongside the core subjects—English, math, and a foreign language. Not every high school counts the same credits toward the final score.

Take Luciana, for instance. She’s aiming for a pre-med track but her strengths are definitely in geography rather than biology.

Another interesting update—Stuyvesant High School is adding a new STEM track this year. No entrance exam required, either.

What's the cutoff for applying?

I can't find that info anywhere. Maybe they left it out because it’s just going to be the same as the general one?

Every school gets to set its own cutoff score for applications. They don't all follow the exact same standard.
Some schools prefer to keep things more flexible by offering a wider range, while others set much stricter cutoffs, basically banking on high demand. The downside there is they run the risk of not filling all their spots during the first round of enrollment.

But honestly, even setting a cutoff at 70 doesn't mean much if everyone applying shows up with a 76 or higher.

I suspect they set that threshold specifically to protect themselves regarding students with disabilities; it gives them plausible deniability if those students fail to meet the requirement.

Because honestly, a threshold is completely meaningless if you're setting it at 60 while everyone is actually enrolling with a 75.

Kate Jackson4 said:I suspect they set that threshold specifically to protect themselves regarding students with disabilities; it gives them plausible deniability if those students fail to meet the requirement.

Because honestly, a threshold is completely meaningless if you're setting it at 60 while everyone is actually enrolling with a 75.

Those kinds of cutoffs existed back in my day too, during the late 1900s. Back then, you’d see them printed in the local newspaper; nowadays, you just find them online.
It doesn't really have anything to do with students with disabilities, other than the fact that there were far fewer of them back then.

Setting a floor at 60 points actually makes sense because otherwise, a ton of high schools wouldn't fill their seats. If they can't fill their classes, they lose funding, and teachers could even lose their jobs.
And don't even get me started on the vocational schools.
The issue is that there are so many honors students that the spots fill up easily even with kids scoring 75... though maybe next year a 70 will be considered totally normal.
Plus, there's always an element of luck involved.
It feels like a bit of a lottery sometimes. On the flip side, you get to pick six schools, whereas we only got to choose two.

There are just fewer kids around these days... some families have moved away, birth rates are down... plus, there's been a huge surge in private prep schools, which definitely pulls students away from the public system.

Right now, things like web design or robotics and tech-focused academies are trending, so their entry scores are skyrocketing since they have limited spots, but even that could shift by next year...

Susan James said:Every school gets to set its own cutoff score for applications. They don't all follow the exact same standard.
Some schools prefer to keep things more flexible by offering a wider range, while others set much stricter cutoffs, basically banking on high demand. The downside there is they run the risk of not filling all their spots during the first round of enrollment.

But honestly, even setting a cutoff at 70 doesn't mean much if everyone applying shows up with a 76 or higher.

At least they can still apply and try their luck if they can bump up their scores a bit.

Kate Jackson4 said:That isn't about the scoring threshold... it's about how they handled admissions last year. We're talking about two different things...
The cutoff score is simply whenever the school decides they've had enough...

As for how many points they'll require for admission this year... it’s basically a lottery. We won't know until we take the shot... 😁
Perhaps the required score will be lower than last year... ☕

You're being absolutely right there; that "cutoff" was just the lowest score accepted last year. There isn't some official minimum threshold set by the district for enrollment👍

From what I've been hearing through the grapevine from a few professors, everyone is expecting a general dip in grades this academic year—especially when you consider how much those two years of remote learning during the pandemic skewed everything

Jeffrey Edwards5 said:At least they can still apply and try their luck if they can bump up their scores a bit.

True... assuming there's even an entrance exam to begin with.

Jeffrey Edwards5 said:At least they can still apply and try their luck if they can bump up their scores a bit.

boldbadger1 said:You're being absolutely right there; that "cutoff" was just the lowest score accepted last year. There isn't some official minimum threshold set by the district for enrollment👍

From what I've been hearing through the grapevine from a few professors, everyone is expecting a general dip in grades this academic year—especially when you consider how much those two years of remote learning during the pandemic skewed everything

Which schools are we even talking about here?

mellowskipper said:Which schools are we even talking about here?

Generally, all high schools.

Susan James said:Where did you actually read that if you didn't have perfect grades for four years, you aren't cut out for a prep school?
I never said that. My point is that there are plenty of kids who pass with high marks but still aren't suited for that kind of academic environment:

-Any kid who can't just sit down and study on their own during middle school isn't ready for a rigorous prep school.
-A child who finds it incredibly stressful to handle just a few tests a week isn't built for that lifestyle.
-A kid who skips hanging out with friends or traveling with their parents on long weekends just to maintain an A average isn't meant for that path.
-A child whose entire grade depends on one final exam—not just in one subject, but in most of them—probably isn't ready for that pressure.
-A child whose parent has to take vacation days just to help them finish projects and reading assignments likely won't thrive in a standard academic track; they might be better suited for vocational paths, maybe working at a Coca-Cola plant or training as a chef or pastry artist.

Kids with a 3.8 or 3.9 GPA typically enroll in these schools quite normally.
In Washington, D.C.
Sure, they might not get into those ultra-elite private academies, but honestly, who actually wants their kid studying relentlessly from dawn to dusk? This is the age when they should be falling in love, going to concerts, hanging out in the park, or just being teenagers.
There’s only a tiny percentage of kids who are truly mature enough to know at age 12 that they want to be surgeons and therefore need those top-tier schools.
But those kids are fine; they usually breeze through middle school. They might struggle a bit with gym or art, but even then, they often excel because they're so focused on everything else.

I totally agree with you there. I mean, just explain to me why someone who coasted through middle school with unearned participation points should get priority for high school admission over a kid who pulled a 4.5 GPA entirely on their own? That kind of system, especially with all those extra comments and fluff, is exactly what you seem to be rooting for.

Susan James said:Where did you actually read that if you didn't have perfect grades for four years, you aren't cut out for a prep school?
I never said that. My point is that there are plenty of kids who pass with high marks but still aren't suited for that kind of academic environment:

-Any kid who can't just sit down and study on their own during middle school isn't ready for a rigorous prep school.
-A child who finds it incredibly stressful to handle just a few tests a week isn't built for that lifestyle.
-A kid who skips hanging out with friends or traveling with their parents on long weekends just to maintain an A average isn't meant for that path.
-A child whose entire grade depends on one final exam—not just in one subject, but in most of them—probably isn't ready for that pressure.
-A child whose parent has to take vacation days just to help them finish projects and reading assignments likely won't thrive in a standard academic track; they might be better suited for vocational paths, maybe working at a Coca-Cola plant or training as a chef or pastry artist.

Kids with a 3.8 or 3.9 GPA typically enroll in these schools quite normally.
In Washington, D.C.
Sure, they might not get into those ultra-elite private academies, but honestly, who actually wants their kid studying relentlessly from dawn to dusk? This is the age when they should be falling in love, going to concerts, hanging out in the park, or just being teenagers.
There’s only a tiny percentage of kids who are truly mature enough to know at age 12 that they want to be surgeons and therefore need those top-tier schools.
But those kids are fine; they usually breeze through middle school. They might struggle a bit with gym or art, but even then, they often excel because they're so focused on everything else.

The person who mentioned taking time off was pretty clear about why they had to do it. In this specific case, it’s really just down to the responsibility of teachers who aren't pulling their weight. So, I think it would be nice if you could maybe stop with those rude comments about someone not being cut out for high school. I guess I'm just wondering where that kind of arrogance comes from.

mellowskipper said:Which schools are we even talking about here?

The local technical high school—they've got Google designer tracks (74.37 - 20 spots), media technician programs (72.4 - 20 spots), and computer technicians (75+ - 40 spots).

Just to give you some perspective on how those designer scores stack up elsewhere:

Scranton - 61.17
Des Moines - 64.90
Indianapolis - 61.99
Seattle - 63.99
Pittsburgh - 61.47
Miami - 67.59
San Diego - 70.06
Charleston - 47.61

Now, over in Washington, D.C., they have entrance exams—so people are hitting those 170 marks—which makes it almost impossible to draw a fair comparison, honestly.

Kate Jackson4, I feel your pain. It’s the same story here in NYC; take NASA, for instance. Last year, you needed a 76.11 just to qualify as a computer technician.

If we weren't living in NYC, 50 points would probably be plenty... 🤣

It’s hard to make a direct comparison since school quality varies so much—it isn't just about the curriculum.

I’ve actually touched on this before when discussing the situation in Cleveland... if you're a STEM-focused student, your options are pretty slim—maybe one or two solid prep schools at most. We don't really have a top-tier technical school, nothing like Rudyard Kipling, so typically, the vocational tracks are filled by students who aren't quite hitting those straight-A marks. That explains why someone might only need 63 points for a Google designer program; let's be honest, it's not exactly an elite program. Anyone with high grades and actual talent would rather head to a specialized math academy than settle for a design track.

Kate Jackson4 said:Kate Jackson4, I feel your pain. It’s the same story here in NYC; take NASA, for instance. Last year, you needed a 76.11 just to qualify as a computer technician.

If we weren't living in NYC, 50 points would probably be plenty... 🤣

It’s honestly pretty sad that some of us actually have to consider moving just so our kids can attend the schools they deserve. But I suppose nobody cares about people like us. I bet those folks in New York City don't mind, since they probably use those inflated grades to hide the fact that they aren't doing any work anyway.

Carol Kelly3 said:It’s honestly pretty sad that some of us actually have to consider moving just so our kids can attend the schools they deserve. But I suppose nobody cares about people like us. I bet those folks in New York City don't mind, since they probably use those inflated grades to hide the fact that they aren't doing any work anyway.

Why don't we all just pack up and move to Washington, D.C.? Then we can really drive those standards through the roof! 🤣

The quality of a school really depends on the students being enrolled. The real issue is that schools, terrified of not having enough applicants, lower their entrance requirements right from the start. This ends up letting in kids who aren't quite ready for that specific environment.
Speaking of entrance exams, in this kind of climate, teachers and principals would jump at the chance to use them (even though they'd actually get much better candidates), but parents would fight it because "exams are too stressful for children." In reality, for kids who are actually interested and talented, it isn't just stress—it's a thrill to show what they can do. My own kids mentioned that when they were applying for arts programs, they always had entrance exams, and they loved it. I also know kids heading toward specialized STEM academies who found the entrance tests way easier than regular school tests or competitions—especially if you actually know your math.

Another problem is that certain career paths are "in" right now. Parents want that "good job" for their kids, so they push them toward specific fields even if they aren't a good fit. This creates massive overcrowding in certain programs—kind of like how everyone tries to rush into tech hubs like Silicon Valley.
In Washington, D.C., you see a huge influx of students from all the surrounding states and counties because we have the dormitories available and the transit links are pretty solid for daily commuters.

Susan James said:Why don't we all just pack up and move to Washington, D.C.? Then we can really drive those standards through the roof! 🤣

The quality of a school really depends on the students being enrolled. The real issue is that schools, terrified of not having enough applicants, lower their entrance requirements right from the start. This ends up letting in kids who aren't quite ready for that specific environment.
Speaking of entrance exams, in this kind of climate, teachers and principals would jump at the chance to use them (even though they'd actually get much better candidates), but parents would fight it because "exams are too stressful for children." In reality, for kids who are actually interested and talented, it isn't just stress—it's a thrill to show what they can do. My own kids mentioned that when they were applying for arts programs, they always had entrance exams, and they loved it. I also know kids heading toward specialized STEM academies who found the entrance tests way easier than regular school tests or competitions—especially if you actually know your math.

Another problem is that certain career paths are "in" right now. Parents want that "good job" for their kids, so they push them toward specific fields even if they aren't a good fit. This creates massive overcrowding in certain programs—kind of like how everyone tries to rush into tech hubs like Silicon Valley.
In Washington, D.C., you see a huge influx of students from all the surrounding states and counties because we have the dormitories available and the transit links are pretty solid for daily commuters.

I’m from Washington, D.C., where teachers basically hand out easy grades instead of actually doing their jobs, which is why this whole enrollment mess is such a joke. It feels like they're pushing me out of the city, so you shouldn't be surprised that I'm annoyed by the lack of effort. I mean, sure, it probably happens elsewhere, but I think it's a much bigger issue here.

Carol Kelly3 said:I’m from Washington, D.C., where teachers basically hand out easy grades instead of actually doing their jobs, which is why this whole enrollment mess is such a joke. It feels like they're pushing me out of the city, so you shouldn't be surprised that I'm annoyed by the lack of effort. I mean, sure, it probably happens elsewhere, but I think it's a much bigger issue here.

The whole thing became a mess because parents were putting so much pressure on schools to get their kids into specific programs. Honestly, the specialized sports tracks are just as ridiculous—especially when kids drop out of them halfway through middle school—and some of those medical diagnoses feel a bit exaggerated too. When you take the massive population of Washington, D.C., and add everyone commuting in from the suburbs, those spots fill up incredibly fast...
We were actually debating the other day whether transit authorities should raise ticket prices for commuters coming from outside the city. Personally, I don't think that's the answer, since that would just drive more people to drive cars and create even worse traffic jams. But, following that logic, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to implement a residency preference point system, similar to how they handle preschool placements (since high school isn't mandatory anyway)....

Susan James said:The whole thing became a mess because parents were putting so much pressure on schools to get their kids into specific programs. Honestly, the specialized sports tracks are just as ridiculous—especially when kids drop out of them halfway through middle school—and some of those medical diagnoses feel a bit exaggerated too. When you take the massive population of Washington, D.C., and add everyone commuting in from the suburbs, those spots fill up incredibly fast...
We were actually debating the other day whether transit authorities should raise ticket prices for commuters coming from outside the city. Personally, I don't think that's the answer, since that would just drive more people to drive cars and create even worse traffic jams. But, following that logic, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to implement a residency preference point system, similar to how they handle preschool placements (since high school isn't mandatory anyway)....

Go ahead and keep repeating that if you want, maybe someone will actually buy it. 🤣 I mean, sure, there's pressure on parents, but the real reason grades are being handed out like candy is mostly just lazy teachers.

I don't really have anything to say about albundy0009—not that I’ve been following their posts closely, mind you—but if there was supposed to be a point here, I suppose I missed it. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention. Or maybe there isn't much to pay attention to. It's hard to tell sometimes, I guess. mellowskipper says:
I completely agree with you there—and honestly, I’m struggling to see how someone like that would ever deserve priority for high school admission over a student who pulls a 4.0 GPA through sheer grit and self-study. It just doesn't add up. But then again, maybe that's exactly what you're advocating for with this whole system of yours and all those little comments you make. I guess that's just how you see it.

The person who mentioned taking time off was pretty explicit about their reasons—it’s entirely due to teachers failing to fulfill their basic responsibilities, which I suppose is a legitimate grievance. Honestly, it would be nice if you could drop those obnoxious comments about someone not being "cut out" for high school. I mean, seriously... where does that kind of arrogance even come from?

My daughter is studying entirely on her own—and she’s also in an honors program. It seems like most kids in the 10th or 11th grade are constantly getting private tutoring, or their parents are basically sitting there coaching them through everything just so they can maintain a 4.0 GPA and coast into those elite prep schools. My girl is sitting at a 3.7, which is strictly her own doing—no tutors, no hand-holding, nothing—so I guess the real question is... will that be enough to get her into the Graphic Design program she actually wants?
It’s pretty obvious that I’m the idiot here—the one who should have actually sat down and studied alongside my kid, or maybe just shelled out the cash for a private tutor like everyone else seems to be doing.
I ended up taking some time off—just my annual leave—to help her out with that massive mountain of essays and PowerPoints she’s drowning in. She’s managing for now, I suppose, though... the only thing I really did was show her how to use Google Forms to streamline things and hopefully save her a bit of a headache.
According to some people, it's just for Zagorski—a kitchen assistant.
I find myself wondering—though I suppose it’s a bit of a pointless question, really—what kind of schools all those fake fifth graders are actually aiming for? You know the type. They enroll in a prep school or an academy, go through all that unnecessary struggle—whether they make it easy or hard on themselves, I guess—just to graduate and call themselves something they aren't. It's all a bit performative, isn't it?

boldbadger1 said:The local technical high school—they've got Google designer tracks (74.37 - 20 spots), media technician programs (72.4 - 20 spots), and computer technicians (75+ - 40 spots).

Just to give you some perspective on how those designer scores stack up elsewhere:

Scranton - 61.17
Des Moines - 64.90
Indianapolis - 61.99
Seattle - 63.99
Pittsburgh - 61.47
Miami - 67.59
San Diego - 70.06
Charleston - 47.61

Now, over in Washington, D.C., they have entrance exams—so people are hitting those 170 marks—which makes it almost impossible to draw a fair comparison, honestly.

Actually, I think Zadar is holding its ground pretty well. As for Chicago—well, they told me at the Graphic school that you basically need to be north of a 70, plus a massive amount of points from the entrance exam to stand a chance. For the Media Technician program, I'm guessing it’s closer to a 74... maybe? It's hard to say for sure.
They’re only taking one class per grade level—so, if you're doing the math, I guess that works out to about 23 regular students per section. Maybe.
My daughter is going to give it a shot, I suppose—but honestly, it’s pretty discouraging that they only accept one class. I really hope that the straight-A students lean more toward the academic prep schools rather than heading off into Web design.

Kate Jackson4 said:Kate Jackson4, I feel your pain. It’s the same story here in NYC; take NASA, for instance. Last year, you needed a 76.11 just to qualify as a computer technician.

If we weren't living in NYC, 50 points would probably be plenty... 🤣

Look, just check out the suburbs surrounding the metropolitan area—places like suburban outskirts near Chicago or maybe parts of New Jersey. If you really can't make it work elsewhere, they have Computer Technician and Mechatronics programs, and the entry requirements aren't even that steep. There might even be an option to transfer over to the main city center after the first year.

Carol Kelly3 said:Go ahead and keep repeating that if you want, maybe someone will actually buy it. 🤣 I mean, sure, there's pressure on parents, but the real reason grades are being handed out like candy is mostly just lazy teachers.

The pressure exists because the system itself is fundamentally broken. Parents are simply doing the only thing they can within the circumstances they've been handed. Once the flaws in the enrollment system are actually fixed, there won't be any parental pressure left to talk about. I imagine that would be in everyone's best interest, I guess.

Will they even get to the prerequisites, considering the Intel situation?