Middle Schools: Grisham, Four Points, or Canyon Vista? (Austin, Van: top schools, college)

[bufo]

Originally Posted by Mimmyu

GPA calculations are a matter of district policy. Most use the 4/5/6 (regular/AP/IB) scale, but it's not a guarantee. Transcripts will typically display both weighted and unweighted GPA's.

Are IB classes at Westwood at a 6.0? I graduated from Westwood in 1999 when they first introduced IB, and at that time AP and IB were at the same scale. I'm a little worried for my young kid who will eventually go there. I feel like if IB is at a 6.0, then there's no point in going to Westwood unless you do IB.

[Meaux]

Well, there's a reason that when we were looking for homes we looked for McNeil first, Westwood 2nd.

Trust me, I get it - the GPA inflation drives me crazy. Although, on the flip side of that, I recall vividly how easy it was to stumble when I was in high school taking the hardest classes available, allowing kids taking easier courses to pass me in GPA. I had friends who dropped out of honors english to take regular english because it was markedly easier to earn an A in regular english than it was to earn a B in honors english.

Unfortunately, under RRISD's GPA policy, your friends daughter can get a higher GPA (by taking more AP/pre-AP courses and continuing to earn A's). Stressful? Yes. Fair? I don't really know. Clearly 239 other kids are doing so. I am not hinting that she is not a good student, a smart student, or a hard working individual. Just pointing out that it is quite literally possible, and a choice she could make for herself. But, like I said, there is a reason that we avoided Westwood for our daughter. Many many stories by parents of students there about the pressure-cooker environment.

The real fun part for us is that RRISD (I think it is a district policy, I might be wrong) stopped assigning D's. So you earn an A, B, or C - and if your score is under 70% you have an F. Rendering you ineligible for sports, band, and other extra curriculars. Talk about stressing out my little Freshman who was in a full load of workload heavy AP/pre-AP classes. One trip in a 6 week period would plunge her grade RIGHT down to the danger zone. She joked that AP classes are the way to go - if you pass you get a 4.0 award.

[Mimmyu]

Originally Posted by bufo

Are IB classes at Westwood at a 6.0? I graduated from Westwood in 1999 when they first introduced IB, and at that time AP and IB were at the same scale. I'm a little worried for my young kid who will eventually go there. I feel like if IB is at a 6.0, then there's no point in going to Westwood unless you do IB.

I believe they are, but don't quote me on that.

The only reason to stress about it though is if you want guaranteed admission into UT. You can still get a great education, take classes that earn dual credit, and take the tests to get college credit without being in the top 7%.

[bufo]

Originally Posted by Mimmyu

I believe they are, but don't quote me on that.

The only reason to stress about it though is if you want guaranteed admission into UT. You can still get a great education, take classes that earn dual credit, and take the tests to get college credit without being in the top 7%.

Thanks for the response. I was hoping my kids would go to UT just like their mom and dad.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by WhatTheFox

.....Anyway, my whole point was to help out someone who's from out of town and looking to buy a house within a good school zone. Many buyers have been duped in to thinking that
<Insert M.S. name> + Westwood = Canyon Vista + Westwood
and / or
if it's RRISD then you're in the best ISD (sans Eanes) in the Austin metro.

Just wanted say that it simply isn't true. So don't pay a premium for something that isn't.

No one has said any of these things. No one has even suggested any of these things.

Why are you starting an argument that isn't there?

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

We are zoned to VHS, and I will agree with this. But Westwood is even worse in that regard. Westwood takes competitive to a new level. And the other schools she's looking at feed into Westwood.

Why would you consider "competition" a bad thing? (using the word worse etc.)

My son attended WWHS (a senior last year) and it has prepared him well (very well) for the rigors of a fine university. Competition is good.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by Jeb2112

We struggled in deciding between Westwood and VHS when we moved here. Ultimately, we decided on VHS because - in our opinion - Westwood was absurdly and pointlessly competitive. Any of the public high schools that typically cluster in the top 4 or 5 in the Austin area rankings (and the middle schools that feed them) can provide kids with a great education. The key is to find the school that works for your kids, your lifestyle and your location.

Huh?

There actually is a "point" to schools having good students attend. & there is a "point" for a student to want to attend one.

National Merit Semifinalists (from the 2018 list):

1. WWHS - 62.
2. LASA - 39.
3. WL - 27.
4. Vandy - 17.
5. McNeil - 15.
6. Anderson - 7
7. LT & St. Stephens - 5 each.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Mimmyu

I believe they are, but don't quote me on that.

The only reason to stress about it though is if you want guaranteed admission into UT. You can still get a great education, take classes that earn dual credit, and take the tests to get college credit without being in the top 7%.

I don't have a dog in this race; but didn't I just read a headline stating it was going to/now 6% ???

Dang...life used to be so simple...

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

My kids go to Canyon Ridge MS (i.e. "the one in Steiner"). I would say that it is at least as good as Four Points, if not better. Parents have repeatedly been offered to transfer to Four Points from Canyon Ridge to even out the numbers (Canyon Ridge has a lot more students), and I don't know one family that has taken advantage of that.

They are the only two middle schools that feed into Vandegrift.

That's because the achievement scores (not the low bar scores, but the achievement scores) are much higher at CRMS than it is at FPMS. FP has more apartment dwellers feeding into it. The "highs are higher" at CR, and the "lows are lower" at FP.

Not sure why people would suggest otherwise, when the stats don't lie.

[A-Tex]

Originally Posted by hound 109

Huh?

There actually is a "point" to schools having good students attend. & there is a "point" for a student to want to attend one.

National Merit Semifinalists (from the 2018 list):

1. WWHS - 62.
2. LASA - 39.
3. WL - 27.
4. Vandy - 17.
5. McNeil - 15.
6. Anderson - 7
7. LT & St. Stephens - 5 each.

You can't really compare those raw number totals. Some of those schools are significantly smaller than others, making the actual percentage of Semifinalists lower.