Gifted vs. Magnet (Austin, Clint, Anderson: home, neighborhood, law school)

[Parent of Gifted]

My son, who is in 5th. grade, is currently in the Gifted program. We had him tested for Magnet program for the middle school. He appeared for both Kealing and Fulmore. For some reason he was not accepted in Kealing, even though he had all A's in 4th. grade and his first quarter in 5th. grade and very good essay writing skills. He is, however, accepted at Fulmore.


My questions are: 1. what do they look for while admitting a kid at Kealing? Apparently he had the required academic qualifications but still they did not select him. 2. He wants to be a psychiatrist - which is a medical field - when he grows up. Fulmore being a Liberal Arts and Law magnet program, will Fulmore provide him with required skills towards his aim of being a doctor and admitted at LASA? 3. based on the above question, and keeping his aim in the view, should he accept the offer from Fulmore or should he remain at the regular school in the gifted program?


I have only a few days to accept/decline the Fulmore offer and am very confused.

[eirenecat]

I don't think too many kids end up following the career path they thought they wanted in 5th grade. Personally, I wouldn't worry about that or whether or not getting tracked into the "liberal arts" middle school will affect his future chances at entrance into medical school. My SIL is a doctor, and what medical schools care about is your undergraduate GPA, MCAT scores, and overall package as a 22 year old, not what you did when you were 12.

[clarksvillemom]

Kealing is very competitive as is LASA - and I think it's only become more so since they have been making an effort to get kids from other areas and not just central Austin. Maybe it depends on what middle school you're tracked to - decide what is the better school from an academic and social standpoint, i.e., Fulmore or your MS. Also, take a look at some other schools as well. Anderson High and St. Stephens are both strong in STEM. But at the end of the day, I agree with the poster above - MS is not going to matter.

[gdu]

For what it's worth, I went to Kealing and then LASA because I thought I wanted to be a doctor.

Instead I ended up getting a degree in finance and then going to law school and now I represent doctors.

Wouldn't trade the experience I had at Kealing and LASA though. Both great programs full of great teachers and great students. I don't believe Fulmore was a magnet when I was in middle school, but I'm sure it would be a solid foundation as well.

[bpvarian]

I love the OP's username... I can hear the helicopters circling over her child's head now.

[AMJ27]

Originally Posted by clarksvillemom

Kealing is very competitive as is LASA - and I think it's only become more so since they have been making an effort to get kids from other areas and not just central Austin. Maybe it depends on what middle school you're tracked to - decide what is the better school from an academic and social standpoint, i.e., Fulmore or your MS. Also, take a look at some other schools as well. Anderson High and St. Stephens are both strong in STEM. But at the end of the day, I agree with the poster above - MS is not going to matter.

You are correct that the middle school that you are tracked to does have an impact on Kealing admission. They changed the admission structure this year. The top 50% of those admitted are straight rubric scores, but the bottom 50% are proportioned out between which middle school you are zoned for (and meeting a minimum rubric score). They did this because they want to try and have a better representation of students throughout the district.

To the OP, the admission rubric is publicly available and was probably part of the admissions packet (it was previously) that lays out very clearly the way they score applications. In addition to grades, they also score an admissions test, essay, teacher recommendations, and STAAR tests from 4th grade. Your child's "gifted" status is not a factor in the admissions, but would likely give him a natural advantage on the admissions test, STAAR tests, etc. I realize that you might think that your child had all of the academic requirements, but the applications are scored extremely objectively. They simply take the kids that scored the highest for the top 50% and then take the kids that scored the highest from each of the middle school zones for the rest.

There were 800-900 applicants this year for less than 300 spots so the admissions is, unfortunately, very competitive. If your son has his heart set on Kealing, have him reapply for 7th grade. Fulmore is a great school too and I've met many kids and parents who absolutely love it. What is your home middle school though? The magnet programs are amazing, but you child can have a great educational experience at his home middle school too.

[Parent of Gifted]

Than you very much, AMJ27, for a detailed response. Our home middle school is Clint Small.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Parent of Gifted

Than you very much, AMJ27, for a detailed response. Our home middle school is Clint Small.

There are some great programs at Small MS, starting with the Green Tech program.
Green Tech Academy | Clint Small, Jr. Middle School

That would be a great option if your kid is STEM or engineering focused, Fulmore magnet would be better for non-stem kids but either way, have your kid explore their interests and see where they lead.

LASA is still an option for the future and LASA is not the only option in AISD, Global Academy at Austin HS, IB at Anderson, Fine Arts at McCallum as well as the engineering program at McCallum, Manufacturing Engineering at Anderson, the list goes on.

[Jennibc]

We have a friend that chose not to attend Kealing after his visit there (a brawl broke out in the cafeteria on his visiting day). He went to our neighborhood school and then chose to go to LASA for high school. He is no less prepared to pursue his desired course of study in college because he chose to stay in neighborhood for middle school. Honestly, I think that people stress WAY too much about where their kids attend middle school. The truth is middle school really doesn't matter that much. High school is going to have a bigger impact on his college choice. Just have him go some place where he will feel like he fits and where he feels safe.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by bpollard

I love the OP's username... I can hear the helicopters circling over her child's head now.

Is this necessary or particularly helpful? If not, why do you feel compelled to make a judgment on something as superficial as a chosen screen name? I have a kid that has tested 'gifted' (top 1%) and I am the antithesis of a helicopter parent. I don't even care if my kid goes to college. His life, his choice. As long as he grows up to be a productive human being that shows integrity and uses good manners, I've done my job.

Gifted kids tend to learn differently and that means that sometimes parents have to pay closer attention to what educational options are available. That doesn't mean they are helicopters.