We publish 28 in-depth prep guides covering 14 selective enrollment and competitive admission schools in Maryland, including Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic High Schools (HSPT Cohort), Baltimore City College High School, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Eastern Technical High School (Magnet Programs), G.W. Carver Center for Arts and Technology — Information Technology / Interactive Media Production (IT-AI/IMP) Magnet, Montgomery Blair Magnet, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Poolesville High School — Science, Math, and Computer Science (SMCS) House Magnet Program, and 6 more — covering essays, exam strategy, and application timelines.
Western High School Baltimore admissions comes down to one number: your daughter's composite score. This guide explains exactly how that score is calculated using MCAP ELA, MCAP Math, and GPA — and how targeted practice can push her above the 610 minimum and ahead of the competition.
Your daughter's shot at Western High School — Baltimore's most prestigious all-girls public high school — may come down to two MCAP scores she took in 7th grade. This post explains exactly how the MCAP ELA practice test connects to the Baltimore City composite score formula, what the 610 minimum threshold really means, and how to build the writing and critical thinking skills that move that number up.
The BCPS Career, Humanities, and STEM Magnet Assessment is the gateway to Western School of Technology — and its 30-question Critical Thinking section is the part most families don't see coming. This guide breaks down every section of the test, explains exactly how BCPS scores Western Tech applicants, and gives you a prep timeline that starts before September.
The 30-question Critical Thinking section is the largest — and least-practiced — part of the BCPS magnet assessment. This guide breaks down Argument Analysis, Identifying Assumptions, and Facts vs. Opinion with worked examples built specifically for Western Tech applicants and the BCPS Career, Humanities, and STEM Magnet Assessment.