High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Susan James said:You really need to hit your head against a toilet bowl...
when you force a language on a child that they don't want, don't enjoy, and struggle to learn—especially when it impacts their ☕
GPA and admissions.

The cutoff scores are around 75-76. He’s sitting at 72. Since his first foreign language grade was a C in seventh and eighth grade (his foreign language five was a B, but the second language doesn't count toward this), he passes with a C. He doesn't want to hear another word about French, let alone keep studying it. But the French grade is dragging his overall average down by 4 points. And of course, he doesn't have straight As.

I actually agree with her point for the most part. It seems pretty silly that students can only take the entrance exams once they hit a certain GPA threshold (and even then, even if they get all 10 points, it might not be enough to catch up to the kids with perfect grades since the points aren't weighted that heavily anyway).
Not to mention how strange it is to give credit for a language the kid won't even continue in high school (some schools don't even offer it, and some kids genuinely just don't want to study it).
A colleague of mine is dealing with a similar headache (unless things change in the coming years), except it's German. She didn't even choose it for him; it was just bundled in as the primary foreign language at their neighborhood public school.

I suppose it’s because it’s THAT school—the one where all the celebrity kids go, the kind of place people feel they absolutely have to send their children to if they care about status🤦 🤦
it fell on its own, it killed itself.☕
that’s just how things go when you stop looking at what your own child actually needs or what they're naturally good at, and instead just focus on which schools are considered "the best."
not really, I guess, since now they're just slamming their head against a toilet bowl.🤷
c'est la vie. 😳

Sarah Hall53 said:But what about the kids who just don't care for English and have zero interest in learning it?
I’ve had several students pass through my classroom who were sitting at a C in English—sometimes with me, sometimes with another teacher—but they were absolute rockstars in their elective German classes. This was back in my "Attila the Hun" phase, honestly, when I used to demand the exact same level of rigor in German as I did in English. I didn't have to worry about stepping on anyone's toes or causing drama over teaching hours back then, though I did make one little concession—I realized that by the 7th or 8th period, these kids were just exhausted and hungry, so I'd let them snack on something small as long as they weren't making a mess of the room. They didn't even choose English themselves; the school just forced it on them as part of the curriculum. Yet, they somehow performed much better in German, which ended up helping their GPA for college applications.
At least your kid is lucky enough that they can probably knock out French in high school—I assume they're taking it because it was required for certain university tracks. Edit: Sorry, I mixed up some names there—George Steinbrenner 🤦 isn't even in their target admissions area, and the easiest way to handle that is to enroll them in a French track. The kids who actually want to focus on their primary language usually opt for English. My students, though... they couldn't catch a break with English, and to make matters worse, some schools don't even offer German as a second foreign language option anymore. Just my luck.
And really, your colleague could have made a different choice—they could have gone with English without the extra after-school programs.

She didn't have a choice because not all grade levels offer the after-school program, and she really needed it. The school made that a requirement.
And she’s definitely not the only one.
Honestly, pushing non-English languages is just a way to protect jobs. The primary language gets more instructional hours, and unlike electives, it doesn't depend on whether students are interested in it. Everyone picks English if it's an elective because they need it for high school, even if it doesn't count toward their GPA.
There's a huge difference between parents who really push a language—where you see how much faster kids learn when it's their first language—and kids who just end up in a class because the school decided so. Looking at the big picture for the student, it seems pretty silly to give points for a subject they aren't going to continue in high school. You should be rewarding the language they actually stick with. In your case, a kid who plans to keep studying German could use those German grades for their high school applications, especially if they don't like English and find a school where German is the main focus. 🤷

I suppose if you’re living in the heart of a major city like Chicago or New York, you actually have the luxury of looking into different school districts and deciding where to enroll your kid—since there are plenty of options available...
And, well, if the little one has their heart set on getting into a top-tier prep school, I guess you'd need at least a 72 on the entrance exam.

There is zero chance with a score of 72, unless they aim for an elite prep school with an intensive French track☕

redridge13 said:Miley Cyrus, no offense intended, but all this stuff you’re saying about hovering over your kid, buying textbooks from every publisher under the sun... don't you think you're taking it a bit too far?

My kid is basically at the end of middle school, and honestly, they handle their own business—schoolwork, homework, juggling extracurriculars, managing their own schedule, the whole nine yards.
We don't micromanage; we just step in if they actually ask for a hand.

For a kid who isn't struggling with any developmental issues, this level of intense supervision plus extra tutoring during middle school feels like total overkill to me.
How much longer are you planning to babysit their education? (I noticed you mentioned you guys have been going hard since 5th grade). Middle school, high school, college... where does it end?

If you want to succeed at state-level competitions, you really do need to have access to textbooks from various publishers, because it is quite difficult to achieve a strong result at that level without consulting multiple resources, which is why we buy additional books. We aren't buying them for every single subject, obviously, but rather for the ones involved in competitions or the subjects that are particularly tough or rely on subpar textbooks. I believe the natural boundary will be the transition to high school, as my goal is to ensure my child is completely prepared for that next step, fostering a genuine love for learning and establishing solid study habits. In 7th grade, my child doesn't spend more than an hour or two a day on homework, though I am not entirely sure if that is considered much or just average; there are also many days in a row where they literally do nothing after school, during those quiet periods before a storm of tests and presentations arrives. They also have practice three or four times a week, and they are out with friends every Friday and Saturday from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. The battles with the phone and the laptop are constant. So, I don't truly believe I am overreaching, although I do dedicate a realistically above-average amount of time to thinking about and planning my child's education. I want them to feel empowered and confident, especially since everyone says high school is brutal and kids often fall apart in those elite math-focused academies; I am simply trying to preempt those struggles as best I can. I personally enjoy reading and learning, and I am a firm believer in the power of education. Perhaps my way of thinking is unconventional when it comes to parenting, but I am simply sharing my views and experiences just as others here do. 🙂 I am certainly not surprised by how others feel, as everyone knows what is best for their own child, and I respect that completely.

mellowskipper said:I suppose if you’re living in the heart of a major city like Chicago or New York, you actually have the luxury of looking into different school districts and deciding where to enroll your kid—since there are plenty of options available...
And, well, if the little one has their heart set on getting into a top-tier prep school, I guess you'd need at least a 72 on the entrance exam.

I don't know, I mean, she doesn't even live downtown. She just had this specific idea that her kid should start learning French as a primary language from the first grade, mostly because that’s what all those celebrity kids go to...
Now she'll probably end up shelling out a fortune for one of those flashy private academies because wanting French means she won't qualify for some of the top-tier public schools where all the famous families send their children.
Honestly, that woman has always been a bit high-maintenance and stuck-up, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that things turned out this way.

In Small Town, USA, kids from all over the county get driven around; it was the same way back in the eighties, and honestly, not much has changed since then.

Kate Jackson4 said:There is zero chance with a score of 72, unless they aim for an elite prep school with an intensive French track☕

Actually, they do have a chance. It’s your classic, old-school Archbishop's type situation—very much for the girls heading to NATO. You can always find a spot somewhere.

urbantinker8 said:I don't know, I mean, she doesn't even live downtown. She just had this specific idea that her kid should start learning French as a primary language from the first grade, mostly because that’s what all those celebrity kids go to...
Now she'll probably end up shelling out a fortune for one of those flashy private academies because wanting French means she won't qualify for some of the top-tier public schools where all the famous families send their children.
Honestly, that woman has always been a bit high-maintenance and stuck-up, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that things turned out this way.

I have no clue where she actually lives; I suppose living in the city center would make sense if they're aiming for that specific school. But you should really start building the kid's profile in elementary school.
As for the whole French thing—no comment. Honestly, it might have been smarter to just pay for a private language academy. Now, that French requirement is going to cost her a fortune.

rowdypanther12 said:In Small Town, USA, kids from all over the county get driven around; it was the same way back in the eighties, and honestly, not much has changed since then.

First point.I don't see what's so special about that school, anyway.

rowdypanther12 said:In Small Town, USA, kids from all over the county get driven around; it was the same way back in the eighties, and honestly, not much has changed since then.

They’re teaching French, Latin, and even Greek in middle school. 🤦 I was just looking over their annual curriculum, and it’s quite extensive; they have both French and English for all eight grades, with three hours of Latin weekly from fifth through eighth, and three hours of Greek specifically for seventh and eighth graders. 😲 It seems they also dedicate two hours a week to French and English during the first four grades, which then bumps up to three hours for the final four. It’s certainly an ambitious schedule. I am a bit puzzled by how they list both languages for every grade while still offering French as an elective, especially since German is only available as an elective.

It is quite interesting to note that the enrollment numbers for seventh and eighth grade are significantly higher than what we saw in previous generations. One has to wonder if families are actually transferring their children from other local schools into this one once they hit seventh grade.

Dennis Alvarez2 said:If you want to succeed at state-level competitions, you really do need to have access to textbooks from various publishers, because it is quite difficult to achieve a strong result at that level without consulting multiple resources, which is why we buy additional books. We aren't buying them for every single subject, obviously, but rather for the ones involved in competitions or the subjects that are particularly tough or rely on subpar textbooks. I believe the natural boundary will be the transition to high school, as my goal is to ensure my child is completely prepared for that next step, fostering a genuine love for learning and establishing solid study habits. In 7th grade, my child doesn't spend more than an hour or two a day on homework, though I am not entirely sure if that is considered much or just average; there are also many days in a row where they literally do nothing after school, during those quiet periods before a storm of tests and presentations arrives. They also have practice three or four times a week, and they are out with friends every Friday and Saturday from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. The battles with the phone and the laptop are constant. So, I don't truly believe I am overreaching, although I do dedicate a realistically above-average amount of time to thinking about and planning my child's education. I want them to feel empowered and confident, especially since everyone says high school is brutal and kids often fall apart in those elite math-focused academies; I am simply trying to preempt those struggles as best I can. I personally enjoy reading and learning, and I am a firm believer in the power of education. Perhaps my way of thinking is unconventional when it comes to parenting, but I am simply sharing my views and experiences just as others here do. 🙂 I am certainly not surprised by how others feel, as everyone knows what is best for their own child, and I respect that completely.

My fear is that after all this heavy lifting you're doing, they won't magically become independent learners or decisive adults just because they stepped into a high school hallway. 🤷
Only time will tell, but honestly? I think by hovering this much, you might actually be doing them a massive disservice.

My kid is the same age, and as parents, we barely lift a finger regarding school stuff (aside from the logistics—driving them around, ordering supplies, etc.). We don't hunt down extra materials, we don't collect workbooks, we don't print out practice tests, and we don't obsessively track the curriculum... (I have a surface-level idea of what subjects they're covering, but that's about it).
School is the kid's job. Deciding which extracurriculars to do, picking which competitions to enter, and deciding how much effort to put into studying—that should be on them.

If you want to build actual study habits, you have to start working on it in the lower grades.
From 5th grade onward, in my opinion, you need to let them manage their own study schedules. They need to learn how to gauge how much intensity and time a project requires, how to prioritize, and most importantly, they need to learn how to fail, fix it, and move on.
That's how you build true confidence and security. I really think that through parental drilling and crushing expectations, you usually end up getting the exact opposite.

I know a few families over in Brooklyn who send their kids off to that school in Small Town, USA—specifically that area near the local sports complex just east or northeast of the playground (they usually take the bus). No one actually drives them there; all the kids just head out on their own. It makes me wonder why they chose that specific school instead of staying local at King Tomislav Elementary, where they actually live. I could go on about this for a bit longer 😁

Regarding the whole situation, I think it’s a perfect example of why we shouldn't leave these critical milestones up to chance. As parents, we really need to be proactive—digging into what those grades actually mean for getting into a specific high school and making sure we stay ahead of the curve by hiring a tutor for French if needed. Or, honestly, just looking into a different school altogether.
Is it "fair"? Sure, in a way, but it’s really just a reflection of how the system is set up...

Kate Jackson4 said:There is zero chance with a score of 72, unless they aim for an elite prep school with an intensive French track☕

They could try applying to schools in the Bronx (which is practically on the other side of the city) or maybe a standard classical high school.
The bilingual French programs might be within reach score-wise, but it doesn't sound like that's what they want.
Generally speaking, yes, those points aren't enough to get into almost any public high school, if you look at last year's rankings.

And those various private Catholic schools... they're still private institutions.

Am I reading this situation right?
So, Mikulicka decided to enroll her kid in some fancy school out in Small Town, USA, even though they don't even live in that district—all because she wanted that prestige factor, knowing full well the kid's primary language is French.
And now, predictably, there’s a massive meltdown happening because the kid is getting mediocre grades in French and suddenly doesn't have enough credits to get into any decent prep school.

I mean, 72 out of 80? Is it really just one subject causing this much of a disaster?

I honestly can't say why she chose to enroll her kid there—there could be a million different reasons. Back in my day, a girl in my class actually switched schools just because she was training gymnastics and it was way more convenient since the sessions were held at the local YMCA. But if she’s coming from Brooklyn, then technically that doesn't quite fit the district requirements. It also seems like there are a few other fourth graders involved, plus someone is taking a third-year language course that they don't even want to stick with anymore.

Look, losing grades in French isn't just some 7th-grade hiccup, it’s a bigger deal than that.
They really should have moved the kid over to a school where English is actually the primary language from the jump.

And let's be real—it clearly isn't just about the French classes.

Michelle Nelson4 said:They could try applying to schools in the Bronx (which is practically on the other side of the city) or maybe a standard classical high school.
The bilingual French programs might be within reach score-wise, but it doesn't sound like that's what they want.
Generally speaking, yes, those points aren't enough to get into almost any public high school, if you look at last year's rankings.

And those various private Catholic schools... they're still private institutions.

St. Jude’s Academy and the CIA aren't private. There's no tuition involved.

mellowskipper said:St. Jude’s Academy and the CIA aren't private. There's no tuition involved.

Well, technically, it’s a private school if the founding body is the Archdiocese rather than the federal government. Tuition is a completely different conversation, though. At its core, the school is private and sets its own internal policies.

The Archdiocese falls under the category of private religious schools😉

Take a look at this from last year

It explicitly states here that it's a private school

redridge13 said:Am I reading this situation right?
So, Mikulicka decided to enroll her kid in some fancy school out in Small Town, USA, even though they don't even live in that district—all because she wanted that prestige factor, knowing full well the kid's primary language is French.
And now, predictably, there’s a massive meltdown happening because the kid is getting mediocre grades in French and suddenly doesn't have enough credits to get into any decent prep school.

I mean, 72 out of 80? Is it really just one subject causing this much of a disaster?

well, she probably picked that school because that's where all the kids of Hollywood actors, pop stars, and those other big-name socialites go—it’s either there or at some elite boarding school in New England. they’re considered high-status in those specific circles, and apparently, being part of the "elite" is everything. they do French, Japanese, fencing, Greek, Latin... you name it.
so now she's just sitting at home in her upscale suburb, miserable about it.🙂
she doesn't live downtown anymore, but she's definitely moved past the middle-class suburbs too.
it’s such a headache trying to get into any decent vocational program when the "elite" crowd only recognizes the most pretentious preparatory academies, especially since the dad is a university professor and heaven forbid the kid ends up at a local community college or a trade school instead of an Ivy League. 🙂

redridge13 said:Am I reading this situation right?
So, Mikulicka decided to enroll her kid in some fancy school out in Small Town, USA, even though they don't even live in that district—all because she wanted that prestige factor, knowing full well the kid's primary language is French.
And now, predictably, there’s a massive meltdown happening because the kid is getting mediocre grades in French and suddenly doesn't have enough credits to get into any decent prep school.

I mean, 72 out of 80? Is it really just one subject causing this much of a disaster?

I wouldn't say 72 points is a small amount at all. It seems as though if you don't have a perfect 4.0 GPA, you aren't cut out for prep school and won't be able to achieve anything. That certainly doesn't feel right...