My son likes math but he LOVES engineering & programming. We are local to Proof School and it was the one day school we visited but ruled it out because he didn’t want to spend 3 hours per day on the subject (now 3 hours per day in a science lab he’d be in heaven). Math to him is a necessary tool but not a passion. I think he’d enjoy a financial modeling class or one on coding algorithms.
I have heard people at another Stem college say that they emphatically look for good communicators in the admissions process - especially if they are cross-disciplinary within stem subjects. In their view, that is the future.
Other stem schools love the super pointy kids. They serve different purposes out in the marketplace.
Feed the pointiness if the kid wants it, but make sure high school develops everything else along with it. The kid may decide to be a sea urchin.
It is all about developing options at this stage.
The high school years are NOT just about academics and college/career prep.
They are also about exploring identity, making life-long friends, discovering new interests/activities/hobbies, building character, and learning how to be a contributing member of a community, etc. It is an age at which kids are wired to take risks and are more vulnerable to peer pressure, too.
I’m sure there is a LOT more to your kid than their interest in Science and need to improve in writing. Please choose a school based on the entirety of this lovely, multidimensional human you have raised. Pick the school where they will blossom in all areas of their life.
I would NOT make a decision based solely on academic interests, strengths, or weaknesses.
@CrimsonWife I get it, there are lots of interesting classes your child might like for free on the MIT Open source site. There are other resources as well. One of my kids took a short course that was on designing for wearable fashion. So if s/he is looking for financial modeling or really anything at all there are places to delve deeper.