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Disappointed by TJ decision?
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Anonymous
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I heard of some kids not getting in, which I thought were slam dunks.
Still in disbelief!! I feel so sad for all the kids that should have had an offer and didn’t get one! Ps. Congratulations to the kids who got in! |
Anonymous
| I think the winners are good writers. |
Anonymous
I feel similarly PP! Of course, I'm happy for the kids that got in, but there have been a lot of surprises and disappointments. My kid who is currently waitlisted is taking it in stride, but I can freely admit here, anonymously, that I am devastated. |
Anonymous
| Did the decisions really come out? My son didn’t apply but two of his good friends did. |
Anonymous
| I don't believe that the TJ tests measure aptitude or smartness in any manner. The tests just gauge your passion for STEM. My son did get accepted today to TJ. Do I believe he is THE smartest student at his school? Of course not. I am sure there are some really smart and passionate students who got rejected and sadly this is just the nature of the TJ admission process. We'll just have to take these kind of things in our stride with the belief that bigger and better things await these kids in the future! |
Anonymous
Yeah, I wonder how TJ's culture will shift with this admission process |
Anonymous
| I think my kid should have gotten in - TJ is a perfect fit for that kid and the kid exceeded all of the qualifications - but was waitpooled from a competitive middle school. |
Anonymous
My kid is much better at writing than he is at math...and like many others is on the waitlist. |
Anonymous
Don’t you think most kids who didn’t get in have parents who also think they should have gotten in? |
Anonymous
Winners? That's a strange choice of words. |
Anonymous
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There were some surprises at DC’s school. DC did get in and it was not a surprise for us. Given the nature of the admission process, the key is to crack the SPS and PSE in such a way that it would stand out. DC included some out of box critical insights on the PSE part and wrote very specific things about TJ those are of interest to DC. DC’s friends who did not get in wrote about robotics, math count and such things. My hunch is that 99% of kids would write about these things so you really need to find some creative ways to stand out.
Finally, even if you are brilliant in STEM, it is extremely critical to adapt to the TJ testing procedure to get a chance. It is no longer a given that just because you are a STEM superstar then you will get in. Wishing good luck to all waitpooled kids. I am not sure how the waitpool process works. If a kid declines does it go to a kid from same school (as in AOS) or it will be offered to the next kid in line on his points even though he’s from a different school? |
Anonymous
| Did the number of applications continue to decline this year? |
Anonymous
The old tests did but they got rid of them. |
Anonymous
But why is that wrong? A kid already has the aptitude based on other screening factors (GPA and course rigor). Sure, the old tests layered another screen on top of that, but there was also the prep problem. What’s wrong with having a process for admission to a high school where, once you meet the screen, you identify candidates who have a passion for STEM that can express that passion effectively and convincingly in the essays? |
Anonymous
It is hard to differentiate just based on essays that are very constrained to cookie cutter answers. At a minimum you need teacher recommendations. Those who have observed the students in a class room setting would be able to provide valuable input. That would fix a major part of the current admissions weakness. |