Academic Magnet High School

Amazing school with very supportive teachers; It has all the issues that all high schools have...some kids party; There are cliques but what I love about this school is it is cool to excel, to push yourself., No one will criticize you for taking your academics seriouslyPros: Supportive teachers, athletics are competitive but not so much that the average kid can't participate, challenging classes, nerds are cool....well, cooler than they'd be at other schoolsCons: location had me worried but we never had a problem with it. diversity is a struggle that they are trying to improve

Having attended 4 high schools as a result of being in a military family, I have had a pretty good experience on what courses I was a head of and behind in when I transferred to and from this school. Strong Subjects: Sciences (Physics and Chemistry) - I liked the courses, they were very comprehensive (but not overboard). They were at par with classes in Northern Virginia (no extra training needed to catch up to the highschool I transfered to). Very impressive. History - Compared to the other 3 high schools I attended, this subject was the most comprehensive (especially European History). When I transfered to Northern Virginia, history was ridiculously easy in comparison (I could almost sleep through class!). Languages (French) - In the French course, you will learn a lot in a short amount of time. Many classes the teacher will not allow any other language to be spoken but French. The courses that were taught in English are very technical when it comes to grammar/spelling/structure. Very effective, and it can be tough. Weak Subjects Math (Algebra/Trig/Calculus) - Math at this school put me a year behind when I went to Northern Virginia. I literally had to stay after class after I moved for a half year before I could completely catch up (And Math is my best/favorite subject - so I was flaming pissed). If you attend AMHS - plan on taking courses outside of the high school if you seriously want an education. It is entirely possible that they've gotten better with this, but this is my hugest gripe. Computer Science - I'm currently working on my CS masters, so when I say that their computer science program is lacking - it really is. The teacher there was absolutely amazing - I learned a ton, but the curriculum was outdated and the tools were pretty sad. Arts/Music - Their arts and music aren't the focus of this school. The 'band' we were in (though I loved the teacher) had like 12 people in it, and she ended up teaching music theory since we didn't have the right instruments for most music available. Other Mentionables: Creative Writing - This class gave me more passion towards literature. I really felt that I understood the rules and emotions behind art. After I moved from SC to VA, I ended up really loving literature and ended up getting a perfect score on my IB Advanced English exam. English - It was definitely a great set of courses. Teachers - I remember a lot of teachers here, most of them are fun, really energetic, very creative, and know how to get their students motivated. For the most part, your experience at this school will be rough, but fun. I only had problems with one particular teacher that I had a hard time with, and other students also had this experience. If you ever get a class with Dr. Bures (European History) you'll be working every night for 5-6 hours. I was literally studying until 2-3 am EVERY night trying to keep up. She expects a lot of work, and you will have to work extra hard especially if you're male. I raised my hand to answer questions in that class, and I literally was called on twice - while females would constantly get the extra attention (with academic help as well as appreciation of knowledge). Transferring Warnings - If you transfer to here, they require you to take an introductory computer course. It was a complete waste of time for me (again, I'm a CS guy) and I wish they had a way to get out of it. They taught typing here and it's where I got really bored and figured I'd play around and I ended up hitting my record of 129 wpm (everyone else was like at 20-30). Also, their GPA weights DO NOT transfer to other schools. I had a B average coming out of AMHS, which Virginia High Schools factored as a 2.8 (I should have had a 3.8). This dropped my overall GPA from 3.7 to 3.4 when I graduated. This is pretty terrible - so if you plan on going to school here, you better graduate or all the ridiculously hard grading will keep you from getting into any colleges. Rating - 3 stars, mainly because of the weaker subjects. The courses in these subjects just weren't up to par with other High Schools and certainly did not prepare me for college. Also, the GPA system destroyed my chance at getting into my dream college.

I am currently enrolled at Academic Magnet HS, and I love it! The classes are great. The teachers (the vast majority of them) are great. You get the occasional subpar teacher, of course, but there are always other teachers in that particular area of study, and always students who understand what is being taught who will make an effort to help, you just have to reach out and ask. Even upperclassmen who have already taken the class won't mind tutoring you for a bit on the material. There are enough arts/music classes at this school to keep you busy, but academic's are definately the main focus. Do not come here if you expect to just take a bunch of artsy classes in HS in order to get by with as little work as possible, because here, it is not possible. There is a lot of work, I will admit, but the atmosphere definately makes up for the stress you go through. I've been attending Magnet long enough to have Senior Thesis right around the corner, and when deciding whether to come to Magnet a lot, you shouldn't think about it. They definately prepare you for it, and by the time you get up there, you'll be ready. You really have to take one year at a time in order for your head not to explode (sarcasm) with the fear of the next big project that AMHS has you complete (History Day, Science Fair aka MiniThesis, and Senior Thesis which takes the latter part of Junior year and beginning of Senior year to complete). It's not that bad. It's manageable. Definately come to Magnet. When you start caring about your future, if you haven't started caring already, you will not regret the decision to come here. The schoolwork by no means has you "miss out" on highschool. We're a family, and if anything, at Magnet the high school experience is only made better. I would recommend this school a million times over.