Part of being a Raptor is facing judgment, and the haters. Being in such a high position in society, there’s a lot of attention diverted to us. Despite this, the Raptors know how to carry on. These are the most common stereotypes about Academic Magnet Students.

Social Life

It’s safe to say that there’s two sides to this coin. On one side, a lot of people think AMHS is full of dorks who don’t get out much, to say the least. Senior Ella Chapman says that “They think you’re really smart and then think you don’t do anything with your life because you’re just reading books,” although later she said she doesn’t remember saying this. I’ll go more into depth into the dorky stereotype later in the article. 

On the other side of the coin, a lot of Magnet students are hard-core party animals. Ms. Pinckney said once, during a study hall visitation, that she believes we don’t want to put our Magnet stickers on our car because people won’t let us into parties. She elaborated that we probably don’t tell people we’re Magnet kids “on the weekend,” insinuating the greater Charleston party scene isn’t accepting of Magnet students. Emma Morrison, who was in this study hall, weighed in that “You clearly haven’t ever been to a Magnet party.” It’s safe to say that because of this sentiment, many people think we “study hard and party harder,” which I like because it makes us sound cool and awesome  according to Katherine Nguyen.

False Advertising?

Many of us were first introduced to AMHS through a tour. I distinctly remember hearing about a salad and soup bar in the cafeteria, which I’m not seeing in the modern day. Another student reported hearing about Chick fil a in the cafeteria, and I remember a huge selling point being students playing the pianos in the courtyard. Coming from my middle school, this seemed insane. At Daniel Island School, a piano in the cafeteria probably wouldn’t have stayed there for long. 

I distinctly remember, when I was a freshman, a senior saying “At Magnet, we work hard, play hard.” Personally, I feel like both sides of this statement aren’t totally fulfilled, but it definitely depends on the person. Overall, I think it’s safe to say that this equation isn’t completely balanced.

Lame Way of Life

I remember the age-old adage “Crackademic Magnet,” which I don’t really fully know the implication of. Does this mean we do crack? I may be a pretty sheltered girl, but I’ve never seen it happen. Continuing in the vein of drug use, senior Emma Morrison says “I thought people did adderall here.” I don’t really think we have more people with ADHD than other schools, so I don’t know why this would be a stereotype. 

Freshmen said that they expected Magnet to be “cutthroat” and “competitive” earlier this year, which I feel like might be an overestimation of the intrinsic motivation of this school. It’s more of a self-validating type of comparison than genuine vicious competition. Raptors are also known for their historic feats of procrastination, which may contribute to these next stereotypes: stressed and sleep-deprived.

Sorry Officer Watson! It’s well-known how bad Magnet drivers are. This year we’ve already had six accidents by Magnet students. My mom and inspiration, Kelley Murray, says that we have a “parking lot that has fender benders.” Thanks for your nuanced insight!

Braniacs… but not in a good way…

While AMHS is known for Academics (duh), the public’s image of our student body is a little bit more complex. People know that we have a heavier than average workload and believe that we have good grades, which isn’t very profound of me to say. When talking to people who go to other schools, I’ve often received the response of “Oh so you’re so smart.” This may seem flattering but it’s often said in a derogatory tone.

While we’re known for being smart, it’s not in every meaning of the word. Mrs. Hurt says that it’s commonly said about bright kids that they “have no common sense,” but she clarifies that she doesn’t feel this way about all students. A lot of other people say that we’re nerdy and dorky, with some prominent anonymous parents of a senior saying that AMHS “has more dorks than Palmetto Scholars Academy,” which is, in my opinion, an offensive over exaggeration. Some seniors weighed in with their judgement of the grade, with one saying “Everyone is dumb” and “Everyone is stupid so they’re not nerds” and another says that “Nobody is that smarts (sic).” Thanks for the input! I have to admit, it definitely feels like this sometimes. No hate though.

College Connoisseurs