Official TJ Admissions Decisions Results for the Class of 2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: As a "white" father whose daughter is wait-listed, I held no such expectation. FYI, DD has been in weekend and summer schools routinely to earn her way in, though that's a lost cause now.

....forgot to reply on this point in the last post. I've had my kids in outside math classes, summer science programs, and so on for many years. I'm fully comfortable with having my kids compete in the old TJ process against all of the Curie kids and academically driven Asians. If my kids don't stack up, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to "increase URMs" that instead make it easier for mediocre white kids to beat more advanced Asian kids for spots at TJ. There seems to be a "natural aptitude" vs. "hard work" culture war at play, and I think it's absurd to try to select kids for a highly advanced, highly rigorous high school based on "natural aptitude." After a point, gifted is as gifted does, and I wouldn't reward kids who merely have good grades but have done nothing else to recommend them for TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a white person, I 100% believe that the TJ reform has nothing whatsoever to do with admitting more URMs or poor kids. Enough fellow white people have expressed that they don't want to place their children in outside academic classes or enrichment, but they still feel like their kids deserve spots at TJ, even if their kids are objectively less advanced than the Asian kids who are doing outside academics. The entire change is being driven to benefit white people over Asians, and URMs are just being used as a tool by white people to justify the changes.

Wow. You're in the minority here and in conflict with what has been communicated officially. Also, I'm not sure your "fellow white people" reflect the majority of opinions of "white" people. As a "white" father whose daughter is wait-listed, I held no such expectation. FYI, DD has been in weekend and summer schools routinely to earn her way in, though that's a lost cause now.

Well, I'd hardly expect the officials to communicate that the goal is to admit more white kids. . But, white enrollment increased about 5% and Asian enrollment decreased close to 20%. Hmmmm.....

I've been on dcum long enough that I've seen countless threads where white people were complaining that other kids were more advanced than their kids due to outside enrichment. They often said that their kids deserved to be among the top kids in the class due to natural talent, and teachers should stop 'rewarding' the other kids by actually teaching them material at their level. The gist of so many threads is that many white parents prefer putting their kids in sports over academics, but also think that their kids deserve top spots in academic programs. They can't prevent Asian parents from putting their kids into outside enrichment, so, they're changing the rules to benefit their kids.

Ugh. Regarding the decrease in % for Asians, where did you think the decrease would come from? Asians were at 70%, and with their focus on academics, deservedly so. But regarding your anecdotal assertion regarding "white people", I asked for these white folk to come forward and own your assertion. I doubt any will. And as others have noted, I suspect that you're trolling for entertainment value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: As a "white" father whose daughter is wait-listed, I held no such expectation. FYI, DD has been in weekend and summer schools routinely to earn her way in, though that's a lost cause now.

....forgot to reply on this point in the last post. I've had my kids in outside math classes, summer science programs, and so on for many years. I'm fully comfortable with having my kids compete in the old TJ process against all of the Curie kids and academically driven Asians. If my kids don't stack up, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to "increase URMs" that instead make it easier for mediocre white kids to beat more advanced Asian kids for spots at TJ. There seems to be a "natural aptitude" vs. "hard work" culture war at play, and I think it's absurd to try to select kids for a highly advanced, highly rigorous high school based on "natural aptitude." After a point, gifted is as gifted does, and I wouldn't reward kids who merely have good grades but have done nothing else to recommend them for TJ.

As the "white" father from the post above, apologies if I miscommunicated. You and I are on the same page 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: As a "white" father whose daughter is wait-listed, I held no such expectation. FYI, DD has been in weekend and summer schools routinely to earn her way in, though that's a lost cause now.

....forgot to reply on this point in the last post. I've had my kids in outside math classes, summer science programs, and so on for many years. I'm fully comfortable with having my kids compete in the old TJ process against all of the Curie kids and academically driven Asians. If my kids don't stack up, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to "increase URMs" that instead make it easier for mediocre white kids to beat more advanced Asian kids for spots at TJ. There seems to be a "natural aptitude" vs. "hard work" culture war at play, and I think it's absurd to try to select kids for a highly advanced, highly rigorous high school based on "natural aptitude." After a point, gifted is as gifted does, and I wouldn't reward kids who merely have good grades but have done nothing else to recommend them for TJ.

TJ will create separate clubs or programs like URM Science Olympiad club, Science bowl, Neuroscience program for URM/"Not advanced Asian kids"/ "non Curie" kids
Otherwise TJ set some students for BIG failure.

[Anonymous]

“If my kids don't stack up against high-achieving Asian students, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to increase URMs and decrease Asian students.” FTFY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“If my kids don't stack up against high-achieving Asian students, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to increase URMs and decrease Asian students.” FTFY

Perhaps but buying the test answers isn't the same thing as high achieving let's be clear about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I guess I'm perhaps bothered by the idea of a public high school as a "reward" and the pressures it imposes on the people (or parents of people) who desire it. We will see whether the new system will result in admitted TJ students "blooming where they are planted" or not. I hope we can all wish them well rather than hoping for bad outcomes. The new policy may improve the STEM offerings of all FCPS schools if the focus isn't on working towards a TJ prize and those same highly motivated parents seek opportunities for their brilliant, motivated children in their local high schools.

Admission to TJ is not a reward. The bottom half of the kids at TJ will get worse college admission offers and scholarships than they would have if they remained at their base school. The bottom half of kids often consider TJ to be "Torture Jail." The main points of TJ are that it offers some very advanced math and STEM classes that aren't available at other schools, and it has some elite academic extracurricular teams. Kids who are not advanced enough or gifted enough won't gain anything from attending TJ. Every FCPS high school offers AP Calc, one year of post-AP calc, AP Bio/Chem/Physics, AP Comp Sci, etc. If a kid is only going to meet the prerequisites to take those courses, there's no point in doing so at TJ. Likewise, TJ has phenomenal STEM competition teams, which will only benefit the kids who are good enough at those competitions to make the team.

Like it or not, the kids from Curie who were admitted to TJ because they also had the attributes that suggested admission in the old holistic process were highly successful TJ students who could take full advantage of the school and would also have been somewhat under-served at the base school. While I wish the class of 2025 well, it's likely that kids selected on just GPA and one essay with extra weight given to FARMS kids, ESOL kids, etc. are being set up to fail. It's also unlikely that they will be equipped to take advantage of any of the special TJ offerings, as they will not meet the pre-requisites.

This. Best and likely most accurate post in this whole thread.

Have to disagree. The Curie kids would be served fine at their home school or gone on to more enrichment at Curie and been fine. It's the kids who lack access to it but are equally gifted that are better served by the new system.

Very true! The Curie kids will be fine anywhere.
For the equally gifted children being identified and less affluent schools this will be life-changing. Board of education did the right thing.

[Anonymous]

So, apparently, you believe that all Asians are rich and they all cheat. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, apparently, you believe that all Asians are rich and they all cheat. Got it.

Are you trying to tell us something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“If my kids don't stack up against high-achieving Asian students, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to increase URMs and decrease Asian students.” FTFY

Perhaps but buying the test answers isn't the same thing as high achieving let's be clear about it.

Very true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“If my kids don't stack up against high-achieving Asian students, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to increase URMs and decrease Asian students.” FTFY

Perhaps but buying the test answers isn't the same thing as high achieving let's be clear about it.

Look at pictures of the TJ students of the clubs or science / Math / Tech competitions, 95% Asians (prepped).

I'm sure TJ doesn't buy the tests of the competitions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“If my kids don't stack up against high-achieving Asian students, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to increase URMs and decrease Asian students.” FTFY

Perhaps but buying the test answers isn't the same thing as high achieving let's be clear about it.

Look at pictures of the TJ students of the clubs or science / Math / Tech competitions, 95% Asians (prepped).

I'm sure TJ doesn't buy the tests of the competitions

What is your point? That Asians care more about prestige and awards in STEM? This is hardly breaking news.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“If my kids don't stack up against high-achieving Asian students, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to increase URMs and decrease Asian students.” FTFY

Perhaps but buying the test answers isn't the same thing as high achieving let's be clear about it.

Look at pictures of the TJ students of the clubs or science / Math / Tech competitions, 95% Asians (prepped).

I'm sure TJ doesn't buy the tests of the competitions

What is your point? That Asians care more about prestige and awards in STEM? This is hardly breaking news.

Asians are academically shallow and motivated purely by prestige, while you're a voice of racial empathy and enlightenment? Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“If my kids don't stack up against high-achieving Asian students, then they don't deserve spots at a school like TJ. I object to processes that water down the standards in an effort to increase URMs and decrease Asian students.” FTFY

As is often the case in politics, people will play for the team they do not care for because they see greatest advantage for themselves

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I guess I'm perhaps bothered by the idea of a public high school as a "reward" and the pressures it imposes on the people (or parents of people) who desire it. We will see whether the new system will result in admitted TJ students "blooming where they are planted" or not. I hope we can all wish them well rather than hoping for bad outcomes. The new policy may improve the STEM offerings of all FCPS schools if the focus isn't on working towards a TJ prize and those same highly motivated parents seek opportunities for their brilliant, motivated children in their local high schools.

Admission to TJ is not a reward. The bottom half of the kids at TJ will get worse college admission offers and scholarships than they would have if they remained at their base school. The bottom half of kids often consider TJ to be "Torture Jail." The main points of TJ are that it offers some very advanced math and STEM classes that aren't available at other schools, and it has some elite academic extracurricular teams. Kids who are not advanced enough or gifted enough won't gain anything from attending TJ. Every FCPS high school offers AP Calc, one year of post-AP calc, AP Bio/Chem/Physics, AP Comp Sci, etc. If a kid is only going to meet the prerequisites to take those courses, there's no point in doing so at TJ. Likewise, TJ has phenomenal STEM competition teams, which will only benefit the kids who are good enough at those competitions to make the team.

Like it or not, the kids from Curie who were admitted to TJ because they also had the attributes that suggested admission in the old holistic process were highly successful TJ students who could take full advantage of the school and would also have been somewhat under-served at the base school. While I wish the class of 2025 well, it's likely that kids selected on just GPA and one essay with extra weight given to FARMS kids, ESOL kids, etc. are being set up to fail. It's also unlikely that they will be equipped to take advantage of any of the special TJ offerings, as they will not meet the pre-requisites.

This. Best and likely most accurate post in this whole thread.

Have to disagree. The Curie kids would be served fine at their home school or gone on to more enrichment at Curie and been fine. It's the kids who lack access to it but are equally gifted that are better served by the new system.

Very true! The Curie kids will be fine anywhere.
For the equally gifted children being identified and less affluent schools this will be life-changing. Board of education did the right thing.

Another troll. With little or no background knowledge.