TJ vs Southlakes for UVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if 6OO TJ grads and reads general agreement that if under top 10 at TJ, more likely to not get into UVA and Tech, where are the other 500 TJ students going? And do the top 10 at TJ go to UVA or where do they go?

For SLHS, where do the top 10 there go? Is it the same as if at Chantilly or Oakton or Langley?

FCPS does not publish class rank so I don't know how you'd know who the top 10 were.

There were 129 posts to the instagram 2024 acceptances page - about 550 kids in the class so nowhere near all of them.

Still, out of the 129, there were grads who went to MIT, Princeton, Yale, and UCLA. Doubtless if there were a top ten they'd be in it.

Another 16 went to UVA and 15 to Virginia Tech. Perhaps you could say 3% of the class went to UVA and 3% to VT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if 6OO TJ grads and reads general agreement that if under top 10 at TJ, more likely to not get into UVA and Tech, where are the other 500 TJ students going? And do the top 10 at TJ go to UVA or where do they go?

For SLHS, where do the top 10 there go? Is it the same as if at Chantilly or Oakton or Langley?

The top 10 go to MIT, Caltech, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon for tech, Duke, some to UVA for sure. But not a ton. Not if they can get aid or afford the others.

Actually, that's not true. Just because you're in the top 10% at TJ, you're not a shoe-in for those schools. It seems to have a lot to do with legacy or winning national-level academic competitions or something else extraordinary like that.

Legacy bump gone for almost all schools now- Virginia schools can no longer do by law

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is South lakes IB a good program? Is it a comparable school to Chantilly or Oakton for STEM oriented kids?

How do the college outcomes compare? My kid is hardworking and quite smart.

We are torn between moving to a different high school area vs staying put in SLHS. Thanks!

I have a kid at SLHS doing a full IB degree. Our experience has been positive and we are pleased with the IB program. One thing I’ve been super happy about is that the IB program has been excellent for writing. DS can push out a well written paper and is not at all phased when assigned a 1200 word essay.

I agree with the PP who said to choose what is best for your child now. I just want to let you know that staying at the base school is not such a horrible option.

Thanks for this information. We were dissuaded from pursuing the full IB because it was supposed to be a lot harder than AP schools to get a high GPA. Is this true in your experience?

I am not sure it is a lot harder…maybe just harder in a different way. I only have my AP experience many years ago in high school, and what I hear when I talk to friends whose kids are taking AP courses now. They’re different paths, and becomes what the student makes of it. I see DS working and studying hard, but can’t really compare it to an AP road. Again, I think choosing what is best for your kid right now is the way to go. UVA may or may not happen with either decision, even if you try to maximize the chances of it happening.

Best wishes for success no matter what!

[Anonymous]

Legacy bump is gone for Virginia public colleges -- by recent bi-partisan legislation which was signed by the governor.

Legacy consideration remains at many other states' public colleges. Remains at most private colleges, including most Ivys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Legacy bump is gone for Virginia public colleges -- by recent bi-partisan legislation which was signed by the governor.

Legacy consideration remains at many other states' public colleges. Remains at most private colleges, including most Ivys.

True, but this thread was about UVa. But if want to look OOS and private, more stopping the practice and my guess is more will follow. Below list from a Wash Post article last fall and before VA made the switch.

Legacy not considered at:

MIT

Johns Hopkins

Cal Tech

UC-Berkeley

UCLA

Carnegie Mellon

Michigan

UC-Santa Barbara

UC-Irvine

UT Austin

UC-Davis

University of Wisconsin at Madison

Georgia Tech

Georgia

Ohio State

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Purdue

Florida State

Maryland

Rutgers

University of Washington

University of Pittsburgh

Amherst College (eliminated for fall 2023)

Texas A&M

University of Connecticut

U Mass Amherst

Indiana

UC- Santa Cruz

UC-Riverside

Auburn

University of Illinois Chicago

[Anonymous]

How long is bus ride from south lakes area to TJ? How early need to get up or leave to get there if driving? Maybe others wouldn’t care, but could that effect decision too? Heard commute not great with AM traffic and early bus rides but don’t know anything specific (so reason raise but as a question).

[Anonymous]

Correct that Ivys looking at ending legacy admission consideration. Doesn’t mean they will do, but discussions have begun. Example from Crimson this fall: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/10/18/hoekstra-legacy-admissions/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Legacy bump is gone for Virginia public colleges -- by recent bi-partisan legislation which was signed by the governor.

Legacy consideration remains at many other states' public colleges. Remains at most private colleges, including most Ivys.

True, but this thread was about UVa. But if want to look OOS and private, more stopping the practice and my guess is more will follow. Below list from a Wash Post article last fall and before VA made the switch.

Legacy not considered at:

MIT

Johns Hopkins

Cal Tech

UC-Berkeley

UCLA

Carnegie Mellon

Michigan

UC-Santa Barbara

UC-Irvine

UT Austin

UC-Davis

University of Wisconsin at Madison

Georgia Tech

Georgia

Ohio State

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Purdue

Florida State

Maryland

Rutgers

University of Washington

University of Pittsburgh

Amherst College (eliminated for fall 2023)

Texas A&M

University of Connecticut

U Mass Amherst

Indiana

UC- Santa Cruz

UC-Riverside

Auburn

University of Illinois Chicago

Very few private colleges have eliminated the legacy bump. I guess if you are focused on MIT, JHU and UVA it might feel like legacy is going away, but in reality it is a big hook at most elite colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Correct that Ivys looking at ending legacy admission consideration. Doesn’t mean they will do, but discussions have begun. Example from Crimson this fall: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/10/18/hoekstra-legacy-admissions/

Summary of Crimson is Harvard person won’t say no to legacy (wants the keep money coming in) but saying everything on table and reviewing etc. My guess is not tomorrow for them, but at risk for change in say 5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if 6OO TJ grads and reads general agreement that if under top 10 at TJ, more likely to not get into UVA and Tech, where are the other 500 TJ students going? And do the top 10 at TJ go to UVA or where do they go?

For SLHS, where do the top 10 there go? Is it the same as if at Chantilly or Oakton or Langley?

FCPS does not publish class rank so I don't know how you'd know who the top 10 were.

There were 129 posts to the instagram 2024 acceptances page - about 550 kids in the class so nowhere near all of them.

Still, out of the 129, there were grads who went to MIT, Princeton, Yale, and UCLA. Doubtless if there were a top ten they'd be in it.

Another 16 went to UVA and 15 to Virginia Tech. Perhaps you could say 3% of the class went to UVA and 3% to VT?

2024 kids are still deciding - most colleges pushed the deadlines to May 15, at least. Instagram is far from complete, so the conclusions you are drawing are premature at best.
Also, please remember these are real high school students, many of whom are minors still, and did not asked to be called out on such a widely read, public message board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if 6OO TJ grads and reads general agreement that if under top 10 at TJ, more likely to not get into UVA and Tech, where are the other 500 TJ students going? And do the top 10 at TJ go to UVA or where do they go?

For SLHS, where do the top 10 there go? Is it the same as if at Chantilly or Oakton or Langley?

FCPS does not publish class rank so I don't know how you'd know who the top 10 were.

There were 129 posts to the instagram 2024 acceptances page - about 550 kids in the class so nowhere near all of them.

Still, out of the 129, there were grads who went to MIT, Princeton, Yale, and UCLA. Doubtless if there were a top ten they'd be in it.

Another 16 went to UVA and 15 to Virginia Tech. Perhaps you could say 3% of the class went to UVA and 3% to VT?

2024 kids are still deciding - most colleges pushed the deadlines to May 15, at least. Instagram is far from complete, so the conclusions you are drawing are premature at best.
Also, please remember these are real high school students, many of whom are minors still, and did not asked to be called out on such a widely read, public message board.

Ummm… have not seen anyone here identify a student by name and only aggregating numbers from public posts the students are voluntarily putting up WITH their names and for most, their photos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if 6OO TJ grads and reads general agreement that if under top 10 at TJ, more likely to not get into UVA and Tech, where are the other 500 TJ students going? And do the top 10 at TJ go to UVA or where do they go?

For SLHS, where do the top 10 there go? Is it the same as if at Chantilly or Oakton or Langley?

FCPS does not publish class rank so I don't know how you'd know who the top 10 were.

There were 129 posts to the instagram 2024 acceptances page - about 550 kids in the class so nowhere near all of them.

Still, out of the 129, there were grads who went to MIT, Princeton, Yale, and UCLA. Doubtless if there were a top ten they'd be in it.

Another 16 went to UVA and 15 to Virginia Tech. Perhaps you could say 3% of the class went to UVA and 3% to VT?

2024 kids are still deciding - most colleges pushed the deadlines to May 15, at least. Instagram is far from complete, so the conclusions you are drawing are premature at best.
Also, please remember these are real high school students, many of whom are minors still, and did not asked to be called out on such a widely read, public message board.

So this message board is more widely read/public v Instagram? Kudos to DCUM!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ works only for the top 10%. For all the others its a struggle and schools like UVa and VT are out of reach.

Colleges look first at GPA. If it is not over 4.3 or so - you chances are hard

Getting a 4.3 at TJ is VERY HARD!

I don't know where my kid ended up in his TJ graduating class, but he finished with a 4.4 wGPA at TJ (albeit class of 2020). He got into UVa and W&M, but was shut out of most of the top tier SLACs he applied to (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Carlton). He did get into Grinnell (with good merit), but ultimately picked W&M. He's about to graduate with degrees in CS and Mathematics. I'll echo earlier posters and say that I don't think TJ is particularly helpful from a college-admissions perspective, but it does (did?) provide a really good education. He has not found W&M to be very hard, and has done really well there.

I have another kid who turned down TJ and stayed at his base school to do the full IB program (in Arlington). He also seems to have gotten a really good education. His grades, scores, and EC's were all excellent, and he shot really high with his college apps. He did not get in to many places, but did get into Northeastern with excellent merit aid. He is very happy there and is doing well. He also reports that his HS education really prepared him well for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ works only for the top 10%. For all the others its a struggle and schools like UVa and VT are out of reach.

Colleges look first at GPA. If it is not over 4.3 or so - you chances are hard

Getting a 4.3 at TJ is VERY HARD!

I don't know where my kid ended up in his TJ graduating class, but he finished with a 4.4 wGPA at TJ (albeit class of 2020). He got into UVa and W&M, but was shut out of most of the top tier SLACs he applied to (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Carlton). He did get into Grinnell (with good merit), but ultimately picked W&M. He's about to graduate with degrees in CS and Mathematics. I'll echo earlier posters and say that I don't think TJ is particularly helpful from a college-admissions perspective, but it does (did?) provide a really good education. He has not found W&M to be very hard, and has done really well there.

I have another kid who turned down TJ and stayed at his base school to do the full IB program (in Arlington). He also seems to have gotten a really good education. His grades, scores, and EC's were all excellent, and he shot really high with his college apps. He did not get in to many places, but did get into Northeastern with excellent merit aid. He is very happy there and is doing well. He also reports that his HS education really prepared him well for college.

Is it typical now to apply to so many schools? Count 8 above. Is that more common now? Is it still $100 application fee/school or more? Less?

[Anonymous]

Getting back to TJ v South Lakes- I am curious too, what is commute like to TJ?