Washington Post Article On Freshmen Admitted Under New Admissions Process

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/31/thomas-jefferson-high-school-freshmen-admissions/

I get that these are just four kids and may not represent all the new admits under the new systems, but it was really nice to hear. They are working hard and generally enjoying the experience. They had zero shot of getting in with the old system and seem to be doing more than fine academically at TJ. I am really proud of them. I love that they are not paying attention to all the hate, they are just doing their thing. Go on, Ms. Rocket Scientist! Love that gal!

Good luck to the new class: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/25/tj-class-of-2026-data/. Head up. We believe in you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/31/thomas-jefferson-high-school-freshmen-admissions/

I get that these are just four kids and may not represent all the new admits under the new systems, but it was really nice to hear. They are working hard and generally enjoying the experience. They had zero shot of getting in with the old system and seem to be doing more than fine academically at TJ. I am really proud of them. I love that they are not paying attention to all the hate, they are just doing their thing. Go on, Ms. Rocket Scientist! Love that gal!

Good luck to the new class: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/25/tj-class-of-2026-data/. Head up. We believe in you.

I agree, BUT I don't think it ever was in question that these kids couldn't do "fine academically" at TJ. Even before the change, there were many, many students who were denied admissions who clearly could have handled the work as well. The problem isn't with the students being admitted; it's the ones being denied who clearly would also benefit from the education, regardless of their race and SE status.

[Anonymous]

We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/31/thomas-jefferson-high-school-freshmen-admissions/

I get that these are just four kids and may not represent all the new admits under the new systems, but it was really nice to hear. They are working hard and generally enjoying the experience. They had zero shot of getting in with the old system and seem to be doing more than fine academically at TJ. I am really proud of them. I love that they are not paying attention to all the hate, they are just doing their thing. Go on, Ms. Rocket Scientist! Love that gal!

Good luck to the new class: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/25/tj-class-of-2026-data/. Head up. We believe in you.

I agree, BUT I don't think it ever was in question that these kids couldn't do "fine academically" at TJ. Even before the change, there were many, many students who were denied admissions who clearly could have handled the work as well. The problem isn't with the students being admitted; it's the ones being denied who clearly would also benefit from the education, regardless of their race and SE status.

There have been many posts here carefully looking at drop-out numbers, hoping to see high numbers of drop-outs or failed classes or remedial classes or anything showing that these kids couldn't do fine academically. Don't be disingenuous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

See, again, here's the thing. MANY highly competent and capable kids were denied admissions by both systems. Your assumption is that there is only one way -- the old way -- to decide who among those kids deserves admissions and who doesn't.

There have always been exceptional kids denied admission to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/31/thomas-jefferson-high-school-freshmen-admissions/

I get that these are just four kids and may not represent all the new admits under the new systems, but it was really nice to hear. They are working hard and generally enjoying the experience. They had zero shot of getting in with the old system and seem to be doing more than fine academically at TJ. I am really proud of them. I love that they are not paying attention to all the hate, they are just doing their thing. Go on, Ms. Rocket Scientist! Love that gal!

Good luck to the new class: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/25/tj-class-of-2026-data/. Head up. We believe in you.

I agree, BUT I don't think it ever was in question that these kids couldn't do "fine academically" at TJ. Even before the change, there were many, many students who were denied admissions who clearly could have handled the work as well. The problem isn't with the students being admitted; it's the ones being denied who clearly would also benefit from the education, regardless of their race and SE status.

There have been many posts here carefully looking at drop-out numbers, hoping to see high numbers of drop-outs or failed classes or remedial classes or anything showing that these kids couldn't do fine academically. Don't be disingenuous.

I'm sure you're right. And they were being naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

What? Qualified kids with exceptional credentials were turned away before the process change. This isn’t new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

See, again, here's the thing. MANY highly competent and capable kids were denied admissions by both systems. Your assumption is that there is only one way -- the old way -- to decide who among those kids deserves admissions and who doesn't.

There have always been exceptional kids denied admission to TJ.

This is going to bruise some egos, but in TJ's heyday there was a very clear natural break between the kids who got in and the kids who didn't even make the first 800 cut. Pretty much everyone academic who actually wanted to go, got in. There were some kids who wanted to be more general ed and some who didn't want to commute who were even more qualified than many of the kids who went. However, the ones who blamed money or race didn't even make the first cut of a blind computerized test and were notably struggling in Pre-algebra, Life Science, Social studies, and English. They just couldn't see it and failed again in college admissions and at work. However, some after working alongside people who could produce more easily at work got over their egos and finally became productive. It takes a lot for exceptionally weak students to see it though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

See, again, here's the thing. MANY highly competent and capable kids were denied admissions by both systems. Your assumption is that there is only one way -- the old way -- to decide who among those kids deserves admissions and who doesn't.

There have always been exceptional kids denied admission to TJ.

The "thing" is people like you jumping up and down about a few kids at TJ because they are URMs, and missing the bigger picture, which is that TJ remains an exercise in elitism that excludes most kids - whose needs, challenges, and successes go ignored by the self-appointed arbiters of what is good and fair (like the FCPS School Board and Hannah Natanson).

Slow clap, if any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

What? Qualified kids with exceptional credentials were turned away before the process change. This isn’t new.

+1

Only the kids who felt ENTITLED to a TJ education (because that’s what their parents tell them) would be “depressed and disappointed”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

See, again, here's the thing. MANY highly competent and capable kids were denied admissions by both systems. Your assumption is that there is only one way -- the old way -- to decide who among those kids deserves admissions and who doesn't.

There have always been exceptional kids denied admission to TJ.

The "thing" is people like you jumping up and down about a few kids at TJ because they are URMs, and missing the bigger picture, which is that TJ remains an exercise in elitism that excludes most kids - whose needs, challenges, and successes go ignored by the self-appointed arbiters of what is good and fair (like the FCPS School Board and Hannah Natanson).

Slow clap, if any.

It's basically one example of how life works. There are lots of qualified people rejected from pretty much every top 30 universities, for instance. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the needs, challenges and successes of those excluded are ignored. IME, kids who would otherwise be good fit for selective institutions go on to do well in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We appreciate that your thread is about nothing so much as rubbing it in the face of kids who likely would have been admitted to TJ in the past that they've been turned away.

At the end of the day, the Post is a bastion of elitism. It's owned by a Princeton graduate, and the article was written by a Harvard graduate. They want to make sure that elite institutions continue to remain the focus of everyone's attention by admitting more URMs, so they retain their cachet.

It would be interesting if the Post did a follow-up story interviewing four kids who had exceptional credentials, but were denied admission to TJ and ended up at their base schools. Were they depressed and disappointed freshmen year? Or did they end up having a great freshmen year and feeling like it all worked out for the best? We'll never know because their stories won't be told by the Post. Hannah Natanson already knew she'd write this story from the moment the School Board started discussing changes to the TJ admissions process in 2020. If and when these four kids graduate from TJ in 2025, there will also be a sequel, but the experiences of the 96% of FCPS students who attend other high schools will continue to be ignored.

See, again, here's the thing. MANY highly competent and capable kids were denied admissions by both systems. Your assumption is that there is only one way -- the old way -- to decide who among those kids deserves admissions and who doesn't.

There have always been exceptional kids denied admission to TJ.

It's clearly the case that more kids with demonstrated aptitude to flourish at TJ are being turned down in favor of more kids that the admissions department is now concluding - based on less objective factors about which much has already been written - have the potential to succeed or are otherwise deserving of admission.

And we know that FCPS is so invested in being able to demonstrate a few years down the road that these kids thrived that the demands of TJ will be adjusted as necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

[Anonymous]

These kids solidify my view that the admissions process ought to include a detailed essay about STEM activities and goals as well as teacher recommendations. All of these kids are amazing with strong STEM goals, and they all seem like exactly the types that would get glowing teacher recommendations.

There are also many incredible kids being shut out because all of the Carson, Longfellow, and Rocky Run kids look the same in the very sparse current application.

[Anonymous]

Wow, a leftist publication celebrating the results of systemic racism. Who would have thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, a leftist publication celebrating the results of systemic racism. Who would have thought.

I've read this post several times and I cannot parse it. I mean, what?