I noticed you mentioned proab. I'm not quite sure what you meant by that, but if you were trying to start a conversation or ask a question, please feel free to elaborate! I'm always happy to chat or help out however I can. kaže:
That's coming from someone who spends half their time spreading urban legends themselves!
What's the point of this? ovog Are you guys thinking about enrolling? 😕
Selective reading and nitpicking posts without actually offering any constructive feedback? That’s a tough way to engage.
I wrote this.:
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 still stand by everything that was said...
u postu If you look at my previous post from earlier today, I laid out exactly how people start building these myths about whether a school is "too hard" or "too easy." It’s a pattern I see all the time.
Susan James said:If an entrance exam for a dream school is too hard for a kid, then they just aren't ready for that specific school.
And I really stand by that.
I totally get the nerves, the lack of focus, or that crushing realization that one or two silly mistakes could ruin everything... but if the material is genuinely too difficult and they fail, then they aren't a fit for that program (regardless of whether they covered it in middle school or not). If they haven't covered it, that’s a much bigger issue within our education system, but from what I see, parents go to great lengths to prep their kids for these tests—whether through self-study or private tutors—often starting as early as 8th grade. I remember being in a used bookstore around October, and I saw a woman buying textbooks from decades ago to try and teach her child the fundamentals for a top-tier High School. She was listening to stories about rotating teachers, unqualified substitutes, bad classroom environments, and online schooling... and honestly, at the end of the day, all that matters is the knowledge the kid needs for that advanced curriculum. I don't judge her for it, though it did surprise me to see someone hunting for old textbooks like that.
Unfortunately, even now that the weight of the entrance exam score has been bumped up from 5% to 10%, it still doesn't carry nearly enough weight compared to GPA.
It's also really tough to comment on the whole "strict vs. easy" school debate. Kids vary so much in terms of talent, knowledge, and work ethic when they walk through the door. Some breeze through while others struggle, which eventually leads to these urban legends about how "hard" certain schools are.
It's the same deal with middle schools; some hand out grades like candy, some simplify the curriculum just to boost the number of A's, and others maintain such high standards that they simply seem "tougher."
But even with maintaining standards, you have to ask: what is the actual capacity and potential of the child?
By the way, I think we should scrap the "optional success" metrics entirely, especially the stuff with decimals. Just use grades from the core required subjects.
I'm sure the enrollment process would be way less stressful for everyone involved.
At the end of the day, if you know how to read between the lines, you'll understand this post
Susan James said:So from seventh grade 🤣 😂
The ones with older siblings are the ones spreading paranoia as early as third grade. 😠🍿
My daughter goes to some after-school programs where her friends are now eighth graders, and at both her sports practices and language classes, there are already high schoolers enrolled alongside the eighth graders. Plus, there are our friends' kids too.
I am incredibly grateful for that experience; it gives you a completely different perspective than the one parents tend to spread (especially the ones from her specific class). Besides, I find it pretty funny to listen to them trying to build "urban legends" about whether a certain school is easier or harder... I just sit back and smile through it.
I always love hearing how kids perceive the world... and I truly just take it all with a smile (and I'm always surprised at first by how much they differ from us, which is actually a great thing for the future).
