a. IB, b. AP, c. Magnet, d. None of the above (Dallas: apartment, lease)

[Jan70]

1. When applying to college or an Ivy league school, does a child in an AP/IB/Mag program have a better chance than one who was in none of the above, but still in the top 10% of their school?

2. Do ppl actually have an apartment or an extra lease just so that their kid can go to the school in that district?

3. When Booker T Washington says a kid is on a waiting list....what are the chances?

4. Would you choose a good but not expensive National Ribbon private school over a good public school?

My friends and I are going crazy wondering about some of this stuff.

[mSooner]

1. When applying to college or an Ivy league school, does a child in an AP/IB/Mag program have a better chance than one who was in none of the above, but still in the top 10% of their school?

I don't know about the rest, but I can answer this. It is a RESOUNDING YES. AP/IB coursework proves that a child can perform at a college level. Colleges do look at this quite a bit.

[Jan70]

Originally Posted by mSooner

I don't know about the rest, but I can answer this. It is a RESOUNDING YES. AP/IB coursework proves that a child can perform at a college level. Colleges do look at this quite a bit.

Thanks for the reply.

So AP with dual college credit courses taken are just as competitive as magnet and IB?

[mSooner]

So AP with dual college credit courses taken are just as competitive as magnet and IB?

I couldn't say. It probably depends on the college, too. I think you would be a highly qualified applicant if a large portion of your schedule consisted of AP/dual credit courses, though.

[FarNorthDallas]

For me, being a Blue Ribbon school means nothing. It's been around too long and too many schools have the designation and it really is more an exercise of the school jumping through hoops for a year submitting paper work and getting cleaned up for visits. Not a fan.

With magnet schools you have to be careful. Sometimes a district will put some magnet program into some low performing school in order to attract "good" students back to the school or to attract whites into a majority minority school. In other districts, being in a magnet is a good thing - it's hard to get into, selective, the teachers are better.

Not sure about the wait list at Booker T. I have known many many people go through that school. If you are truly talented it's a good place to be, but the academics are not anything supergreat and not everyone can make a career in the performing or visual arts. For some Dallas ISD kids, Booker T. is 100x better than the neighborhood school though so it's a better place to be even if a creative career isn't in the cards.

We've been in (1) bad private, (2) "good on paper" public and (3) good private and nothing *nothing* beats #3 the good private school. The "good on paper" public school was better than the bad private - easy. The bad private school was bad because the teachers weren't real teachers - either by education, certification or experience. They were stay at home moms who wanted their own kids to attend for free. These are the lower profile Christian schools (not the big ones that require academic testing).

Yes, people rent an apartment to get their kids into specific districts. They also lie, use a relative's address, use the non-custodial parent's address, whatever. Some districts will check up on you though.

Can't address the Ivy League question. UT-Austin is now top 8% only.

On my street, the kids who live on it attend: Jasper High in Plano; Richardson High (RISD); JJ Pearce High (RISD); Bishop Lynch (private); Jesuit (private); Shelton (private); Richland Collegiate High (charter); Spring Creek Elementary (RISD); St. Paul Catholic (private); All Saints Catholic (private); Bowie Elementary (RISD); Westwood Jr High (RISD); Parkhill Jr High (RISD) and Rice Middle (PISD). Parents are just trying to find the best school for their kids.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Jan70

1. When applying to college or an Ivy league school, does a child in an AP/IB/Mag program have a better chance than one who was in none of the above, but still in the top 10% of their school?

College? Yes.
Ivy Leage? No....it is ASSUMED that an Ivy-bound student took the most rigorous courseload available.....and if you're not in the top 10% (really the top 3-5%), you don't have a chance at Ivy unless you have an extrordianary "hook" (Intel, Olympic athlete, brainy Hollywood actress, etc).

Originally Posted by Jan70

2. Do ppl actually have an apartment or an extra lease just so that their kid can go to the school in that district?

Yes, but if you get "caught", you get "deported." Happened to a kid in my class at Highland Park....family moved to Richardson but tried to keep him in high school by renting a dirt cheap (like $350/ mo studio) on the edge of HPISD. District found out & he had to leave and enroll in Richardson where is family actually lived. (No one was living in the studio).

Originally Posted by Jan70

3. When Booker T Washington says a kid is on a waiting list....what are the chances?

Not good. Kid would ONLY get a spot if someone in his "section" (studio art, tuba, costume design, etc) and his year didn't matriculate. While I'm sure it happens from time to time, it's not like getting off a private school wait list and into a "general pool" class of 80. If you're a ballet dancer, you need a ballet spot to open.

Originally Posted by Jan70

4. Would you choose a good but not expensive National Ribbon private school over a good public school?

This is personal. I think there are only a small handful of private schools in DFW worth paying for (St Mark's, Hockaday, & Cistercian) if you can afford to live in a district with excellent schools - Highland Park, Coppell, Plano, Southlake, and certain HS "feeders" of other districts, like Richardson HS feeder in Richardson (but not LH, Pearce, etc- IMO). If you're in a district with mediocre schools, then of course private schools are more "worth" it.

Originally Posted by Jan70

My friends and I are going crazy wondering about some of this stuff.

Don't drive yourself crazy. If you have a gifted kid, he will rise to the top no matter what school he's in.

[loves2read]

If you have a gifted kid, he will rise to the top no matter what school he's in.

I don't think that is automatically true--there are many reasons why it might not be true for some students...

Finding the right school for some students is just as difficult as making a good marriage...
and there are some people who have unreal expectations of what a child is capable of and what a school is capable of

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by loves2read

If you have a gifted kid, he will rise to the top no matter what school he's in.

I don't think that is automatically true--there are many reasons why it might not be true for some students...

Finding the right school for some students is just as difficult as making a good marriage...
and there are some people who have unreal expectations of what a child is capable of and what a school is capable of

Of course, I just meant that the rest of her kid's life is not contingent upon getting into Booker T or not, or going to less elite private school vs public school, or picking AP instead of IB. Too many parents seem to think "If I can't get junior into Lamplighter Pre-K, then I might as well just pre-pay University of Texas tuition because he's never going to get into Harvard or Stanford or Duke if he goes to XYZ Pre-K instead."

This mom seems to have several good options on the table- pick the best one for the family and move on. Don't sweat the "what if he had gotten into Booker T" or wherever if it doesn't happen. Focus on making sure he does his best and gets the resources he needs to thrive at whatever school he matriculates next year.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by Jan70

Thanks for the reply.

So AP with dual college credit courses taken are just as competitive as magnet and IB?

Actually, this dual credit thing is coming under fire. There are a lot of colleges that are not taking them. It is VERY selective. Many colleges are starting to say that if the course taken was given credit for BOTH high school AND college they will not take it. There was big write up in the DMN recently about this.

If the student can take AP or IB courses and not have any trouble in them......... stick to those over dual credit.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by Jan70

1. When applying to college or an Ivy league school, does a child in an AP/IB/Mag program have a better chance than one who was in none of the above, but still in the top 10% of their school?

YES! Colleges consider AP and IB courses to be of a higher standard and that those students are ready for college. Colleges are wanting students that can actually FINISH and graduate.

Ivy is a different animal. They are looking for the best of the best of the best.

2. Do ppl actually have an apartment or an extra lease just so that their kid can go to the school in that district?

Area school districts have investigators that verify a students living arrangements. They will literally show up on your front porch and ask to see the childs room. I'm not kidding. Giving grandparents, aunts or friends address does not work.

3. When Booker T Washington says a kid is on a waiting list....what are the chances?

Good luck. I have two friends w/ kids that are freshman that do not live in the Dallas ISD but their kids auditioned for Booker T. One got in w/ flying colors. Other on wait list and realizes they have no chance of getting in, EVER!


4. Would you choose a good but not expensive National Ribbon private school over a good public school?

There are only a few private schools in Dallas that I would consider. My G/T high schooler (IB student) thought she wanted to attend private school back in the 7th grade. I gave her a list, a SHORT list of the private schools that I would consider. Hockaday, Ursiline, Greenhill. She checked them all out, had the applications all filled out, sent them all her information, etc. I finally sat her down and showed her that her public school IB education was just as good. That I could use that money instead for her college since she has her eyes on going to some top notch schools in her field of interest and they are all out of state. She already knew she was looking at a good 8-10 years of college, grad school, medical school, etc. Private Christian schools were TOTALLY OUT OF THE QUESTION!


My friends and I are going crazy wondering about some of this stuff.

It can drive you crazy but there is no need to let it. What grade is your child in?