What are the chances of APS cutting TJHSST in the future?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many students are offered seats at TJHSST from APS every year? Thanks

APS is allotted 4-5 spots per middle school at minimum.

[Anonymous]

Is there data available for how many from each middle school apply and get accepted/wait listed? Also does anyone have any information on the test that applicants recently took? For example, an 8th grader needs to be in honors Algebra and not honors Geometry to apply. If my child is in honors Algebra in the 8th grade, would they be at a disadvantage in taking the exam?

[Anonymous]

The number of TJ seats = 1.5% of the school’s middle school eighth grade class. Which usually means 4-5. But if a school doesn’t have enough applicants who qualify, they will not fill all the seats. Kenmore has not filled all its seats in past years. They often don’t have enough applicants. I think the rest do.

[Anonymous]

Test will not require knowledge beyond algebra. Many many kids are waitlisted. It’s more of a “wait pool” and they won’t tell you where you stand. Not heard of many APS kids turning down TJ spots. But I’m sure it happens. Private schools, moving away, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The number of TJ seats = 1.5% of the school’s middle school eighth grade class. Which usually means 4-5. But if a school doesn’t have enough applicants who qualify, they will not fill all the seats. Kenmore has not filled all its seats in past years. They often don’t have enough applicants. I think the rest do.

That does make an admin transfer to Kenmore more appealing...

[Anonymous]

TJHSST totally revamped their admissions process three years ago. If you are serious about applying, read up on that controversy. It is still being litigated.

Last year, each APS middle schools got 4 spots. You just need a B+ average and Alg 1 Intensified to apply. Then you do an essay test in February. There is no advantage to the kids who are straight A students and taking Geometry in 8th grade. They also got rid of the math entry exam. Students who are FARMS eligible or ELL get an automatic point bump in the admissions criteria-- that was definitely a factor in who got the spots from our kid's middle school.

It is much, much harder to get into TJ from APS. We get the 4 "allocated" spots per middle school, and that's it. In contrast, the Fairfax middle schools each get their 1.5% allocated seats filled, and then all the remaining kids go into a single pool to compete for additional "unallocated" seats. APS students aren't eligible to compete for the unallocated seats, because we only get our 25 students total (or whatever cap APS pays for). In contrast, Longfellow MS alone had 30 students enter this fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It could happen, it's come up before. They have also proposed eliminating busing.

+1 winter is coming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJHSST totally revamped their admissions process three years ago. If you are serious about applying, read up on that controversy. It is still being litigated.

Last year, each APS middle schools got 4 spots. You just need a B+ average and Alg 1 Intensified to apply. Then you do an essay test in February. There is no advantage to the kids who are straight A students and taking Geometry in 8th grade. They also got rid of the math entry exam. Students who are FARMS eligible or ELL get an automatic point bump in the admissions criteria-- that was definitely a factor in who got the spots from our kid's middle school.

It is much, much harder to get into TJ from APS. We get the 4 "allocated" spots per middle school, and that's it. In contrast, the Fairfax middle schools each get their 1.5% allocated seats filled, and then all the remaining kids go into a single pool to compete for additional "unallocated" seats. APS students aren't eligible to compete for the unallocated seats, because we only get our 25 students total (or whatever cap APS pays for). In contrast, Longfellow MS alone had 30 students enter this fall.

I’m okay with APS sending a small number to TJHSST. But 30 per middle school would be really expensive for APS. I don’t think Loudon County sends that many to TJ. Loudon also inaugurated their “Academies” STEM program.

[Anonymous]

Well, why not send a few to Sidwell? Or why shouldn’t APS pay tuition for some really bright ones to just take classes at NOVa? Or how about we have a lottery for a couple of students to do semester at sea?

I think all of these special programs for a random handful of kids are totally a waste of APS taxpayer dollars that we shoaled not be spending on other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJHSST totally revamped their admissions process three years ago. If you are serious about applying, read up on that controversy. It is still being litigated.

Last year, each APS middle schools got 4 spots. You just need a B+ average and Alg 1 Intensified to apply. Then you do an essay test in February. There is no advantage to the kids who are straight A students and taking Geometry in 8th grade. They also got rid of the math entry exam. Students who are FARMS eligible or ELL get an automatic point bump in the admissions criteria-- that was definitely a factor in who got the spots from our kid's middle school.

It is much, much harder to get into TJ from APS. We get the 4 "allocated" spots per middle school, and that's it. In contrast, the Fairfax middle schools each get their 1.5% allocated seats filled, and then all the remaining kids go into a single pool to compete for additional "unallocated" seats. APS students aren't eligible to compete for the unallocated seats, because we only get our 25 students total (or whatever cap APS pays for). In contrast, Longfellow MS alone had 30 students enter this fall.

Mostly accurate, but GPA is a factor. In other words, a higher GPA helps in the scoring system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJHSST totally revamped their admissions process three years ago. If you are serious about applying, read up on that controversy. It is still being litigated.

Last year, each APS middle schools got 4 spots. You just need a B+ average and Alg 1 Intensified to apply. Then you do an essay test in February. There is no advantage to the kids who are straight A students and taking Geometry in 8th grade. They also got rid of the math entry exam. Students who are FARMS eligible or ELL get an automatic point bump in the admissions criteria-- that was definitely a factor in who got the spots from our kid's middle school.

It is much, much harder to get into TJ from APS. We get the 4 "allocated" spots per middle school, and that's it. In contrast, the Fairfax middle schools each get their 1.5% allocated seats filled, and then all the remaining kids go into a single pool to compete for additional "unallocated" seats. APS students aren't eligible to compete for the unallocated seats, because we only get our 25 students total (or whatever cap APS pays for). In contrast, Longfellow MS alone had 30 students enter this fall.

Mostly accurate, but GPA is a factor. In other words, a higher GPA helps in the scoring system.

I'm the PP, and I am not sure that is true. The counselor at our school said they just certify that the student has a B+ average and meets the Alg 1 requirement. She said APS did not submit transcripts.

[Anonymous]

APS always makes dramatic proposals to cut things they never intend to. It’s a way to get money from the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJHSST totally revamped their admissions process three years ago. If you are serious about applying, read up on that controversy. It is still being litigated.

Last year, each APS middle schools got 4 spots. You just need a B+ average and Alg 1 Intensified to apply. Then you do an essay test in February. There is no advantage to the kids who are straight A students and taking Geometry in 8th grade. They also got rid of the math entry exam. Students who are FARMS eligible or ELL get an automatic point bump in the admissions criteria-- that was definitely a factor in who got the spots from our kid's middle school.

It is much, much harder to get into TJ from APS. We get the 4 "allocated" spots per middle school, and that's it. In contrast, the Fairfax middle schools each get their 1.5% allocated seats filled, and then all the remaining kids go into a single pool to compete for additional "unallocated" seats. APS students aren't eligible to compete for the unallocated seats, because we only get our 25 students total (or whatever cap APS pays for). In contrast, Longfellow MS alone had 30 students enter this fall.

Mostly accurate, but GPA is a factor. In other words, a higher GPA helps in the scoring system.

I'm the PP, and I am not sure that is true. The counselor at our school said they just certify that the student has a B+ average and meets the Alg 1 requirement. She said APS did not submit transcripts.

I’m the poster you’re responding to. My memory on this is a bit fuzzy, but when we went through this process last year I recall GPA being a consideration that gets weighed such that a higher GPA helps—but I could very well be wrong. I know they do have to calculate the GPA using Fairfax standards (so Loudoun’s bump for an A+ doesn’t help), and the minimum is a 3.5. One wrinkle we didn’t have to deal with is that Honors classes are required if your school offers them. It wasn’t an issue last year because the only intensified classes were math classes, but I don’t know how they deal with that in light of Arlington’s expansion of middle school intensified classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJHSST totally revamped their admissions process three years ago. If you are serious about applying, read up on that controversy. It is still being litigated.

Last year, each APS middle schools got 4 spots. You just need a B+ average and Alg 1 Intensified to apply. Then you do an essay test in February. There is no advantage to the kids who are straight A students and taking Geometry in 8th grade. They also got rid of the math entry exam. Students who are FARMS eligible or ELL get an automatic point bump in the admissions criteria-- that was definitely a factor in who got the spots from our kid's middle school.

It is much, much harder to get into TJ from APS. We get the 4 "allocated" spots per middle school, and that's it. In contrast, the Fairfax middle schools each get their 1.5% allocated seats filled, and then all the remaining kids go into a single pool to compete for additional "unallocated" seats. APS students aren't eligible to compete for the unallocated seats, because we only get our 25 students total (or whatever cap APS pays for). In contrast, Longfellow MS alone had 30 students enter this fall.

Well, no but since APS added intensified classes you have to take intensified math, social studies, and English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, why not send a few to Sidwell? Or why shouldn’t APS pay tuition for some really bright ones to just take classes at NOVa? Or how about we have a lottery for a couple of students to do semester at sea?

I think all of these special programs for a random handful of kids are totally a waste of APS taxpayer dollars that we shoaled not be spending on other schools.

If APS is paying more or less the same amount to educate each student and giving choices to families to find an environment that works for them, I think that is what makes APS unique and wonderful. When we moved to Arlington, I was overwhelmed by the choices my elementary school kids had (Spanish immersion, ATS, APS Montessori, neighborhood school, etc) but once I learned about the programs, I appreciated having the choices. Now that my middle schooler is looking at HS choices down the road, it’s another learning curve but I’m grateful to have the opportunity to see what works best for my child.