High School Preparation Question

franknd

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I have an 8th grader who is interested in West Point, which is coincident with the choice we have to make about his high school. He's currently in an academically oriented magnet, which I'd describe him as indifferent about. His two choices amount to 1) staying in the magnet district and going to the STEM high school (description below), or 2) transferring over to the comprehensive public high school (description below).

Option 1, STEM HS -- Rigorous, academically-oriented school with no sports (although kids can participate with their base high school, which my older son does, but it's definitely a rarity among students and a logistical challenge). Class size is about 175. Avg SAT is >1200 (almost all kids take it). School does not rank students.

Option 2, Regular HS -- AFJROTC (which son is interested in), sports (which son would definitely do), etc. Class size is about 500. Avg SAT is about 900 (maybe 65% take it).

As for my son, I would ballpark his academic ability in the 1300 SAT range when it comes time, but on balance he doesn't particularly like school. In fairness, if he likes a class, he'll go all in and ace it. He's a good athlete, and, as stated, has already expressed an interest in AFJROTC, noting that the "leadership" opportunity would look good on his application (his own observation).

So my dilemma boils down to this: eliminating the academics, this is a no-brainer decision. But I'm loathe to eliminate the academics, of course, not least because I think there is some cause for concern that even if going to the regular school worked out admissions-wise, I'm not sure how well prepared he would be for a rigorous college academic setting like WP. OTOH, would it be short-sighted to focus so much on academics in high school to the detriment of perhaps being a team captain, AFJRTOC commander, etc.?

Thoughts welcomed.
 
The best school for DS is the one that gives him the best opportunity to thrive — knowing that academics accounts for the bulk of an applicant’s Whole Candidate Score. No matter which school he’s in, he’ll need to be a standout within that context, taking the hardest classes the school has to offer and excelling at them. (SAs look at the candidate’s transcript and the school profile to determine if he’s done just that.)

More importantly, if your DS is really interested in West Point, he’ll need to adjust his attitude about school. West Point is an academically grueling institution where school demands compete with military obligations and athletic requirements. If he has motivation issues, especially when it comes to academics, he could be in a world of hurt. One, the curriculum is heavily prescribed and leans hard to STEM, regardless of major. Two, his overall class standing — which will largely govern his branch choices — puts the most weight on academics.

Make sure your DS understands all this. If he’s academically indifferent, he’ll have a tough time beating out candidates who love school, have demonstrated amazing leadership, and have excelled athletically.
 
You seem to have answered your own question. Your son is indifferent about academics but will excel regardless of where he is at. He already expressed interest in extracurricular activities, of which, option 1 does not provide the ones he is interested in.

Your son will gain more from these extracurricular activities that academics will not provide, i.e., sense of comradery, interpersonal skills, motivational skills, teamwork, and actual leadership. As someone who experienced both throughout high school/West Point, I can speak for the previous with personal experience. These social skills are essential in the everyday life of leadership and he will learn the beginnings of one of the simplest yet most difficult skills a leader needs: to get people to want to-do what you want them to-do. I am not saying academics aren't important, but if your son possesses the drive to succeed at West Point, he will succeed. Do what looks good on paper, sure, but ensure he actually enjoys the activities he is participating in (option 2).

The biggest thing is his happiness and what he wants to do. Of course you are a huge influence in his decision-making but sometimes the best option is what the kid wants to do. Hope my two cents helps. Take care and good luck to your son.
 
What I would find more interesting about option 2 is not the avg SAT score but the range of scores... i.e. can someone who applies themselves there do well on the SAT. I would also be interested to know if they had an Honors and/or AP program. I agree with the others that he needs to focus on academics, even when it's a course he's not into. Perhaps the motivation of applying to an academy in the future might do it.

Your son sounds a lot like mine. He was a fair high school student with a solid B average, wrestled and ran track. I always knew he could do better academically but there were always courses where he didn't apply himself. He surprised me when he went off to college and NROTC, without a scholarship. The motivation to earn a scholarship drove him to achieve academically, making the Deans' list 6 of 8 semesters. Hopefully, with Mom and Dad reminding him, an academy application will provide the same stimulus to your son in high school. I expect AFJROTC and sports participation might help with that too.

Of course your son's wishes come into play too. He may be more motivated attending a school he WANTS to go to vs where Mom and Dad might want him to go.

I have to say I don't envy the choices you have to make. I'm still waiting for my Parent's Manual. It must have gotten lost in the mail or something.
 
Hopefully, with Mom and Dad reminding him, an academy application will provide the same stimulus to your son in high school. I expect AFJROTC and sports participation might help with that too.
He says that he will take academics more seriously in HS because in HS "it counts."

can someone who applies themselves there do well on the SAT. I would also be interested to know if they had an Honors and/or AP program.
They have Honors/AP, and I'm sure students can do well on the SAT. A girl from the 2018 class got in to Annapolis. I only included that data to help give a picture of the student body.

I should probably add one additional piece of context. I started HS in a place not too different from Option 2 and ended up transferring after 10th grade to a private college prep school because my grades had started slipping. For me, that made a big difference, and my grades took off thereafter and made all the difference in the world at college application time. In other words, where I went to HS ended up being very important to my performance. This experience colors my thinking, which is why I'm interested in hearing from others.
 
I think all "normal" high schools have a group of high achieving students that take AP / Honors courses, score well on SAT/ACT tests, and stand out with extra curricular activities, student government, sports, etc. There will also be a group of students that may not be interested in college, perhaps the GPA is low, they get a job and work after school, they may learn a trade from a career/skill center, etc. There will be many groups of kids with different goals and aspirations in life.

Your son will have the opportunity to thrive at school 2. He can take the rigorous classes, do the AFJROTC if that interests him, play sports (does he play them now?), student government, volunteer outside of school, etc. Many fine students will graduate from that school as you stated one was appointed to the USNA last year (not all schools can say that). Your son needs to surround himself with like-minded students and have long-range goals of what he wants to do after high school.

You sound like a dad who wants the best for his son. I would sit down and have an open and frank discussion with him on what his goals regarding potential colleges, possible careers (although he is too young to actually know right now), and what it will take to reach those goals (what classes he will need to take, activities he may want to participate in, amount of homework/time that he may have, surrounding himself with students with the same goals, etc). Tell him you will support him in any way you can. Either school can allow him to reach his goals. I would let him be part of the decision.
 
I should probably add one additional piece of context. I started HS in a place not too different from Option 2 and ended up transferring after 10th grade to a private college prep school because my grades had started slipping. For me, that made a big difference, and my grades took off thereafter and made all the difference in the world at college application time. In other words, where I went to HS ended up being very important to my performance. This experience colors my thinking, which is why I'm interested in hearing from others.

Oh, trust me! I completely understand. Your tale actually suggested one possible course of action to me. Why not give the appearance that you want him to attend school 1 but will accede to his wishes and let him attend school 2.... provided he keep a x.xx average.... otherwise it's transfer to school 1. It gives him some skin in the game, and in some way addresses your concerns if worse comes to worse.

Not the same thing but DS #1 out-of-state college with scholarships he had (not NROTC at that point) would cost about $2,500 more per semester. I wanted him to have skin in the game so I told him I would pay for what it cost to send him to an in-state college, and if he was willing to get student loans for the rest then he could attend his #1. I had the money to foot the whole bill but I definitely wanted him to feel he had some skin in the game. Seemed to work and he hadn't really borrowed much by the time his NROTC scholarship kicked in during the middle of sophomore year. Plus, it taught him how to repay loans without it being a massive burden.
 
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