Considering TJ?
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Anonymous
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My 7th grader is interested in attending TJ. I know nothing about it aside from it being STEM focused and all the admissions drama recently. She is currently enrolled in Algebra 1 and all honors classes, with straight As. How do we learn more to determine if it could be a good fit? She seems to think she would have to take Geometry over the summer to be eligible.
FWIW - we are in Robinson now and thus, she would have IB as an option too. (I have an older child doing the IB diploma so I know what that’s all about!) |
Anonymous
| She does not need to do Geometry over the summer. The requirement for TJ is Algebra 1 by the end of 8th grade. She will have completed Algebra 1 and Geometry by the end of 8th grade. |
Anonymous
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Thanks. I guess my question is - how do we know if we should even apply? How do we know if it would be a good fit?
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Anonymous
There are usually information sessions. For DD's school, it was around September 20th. Attend one and ask questions, so you have a good idea of whether this program is for you. Generally speaking, if your child has a real passion for math/science, and is good at them, consider applying. Be aware that coursework is substantially more difficult than it is for regular HS (including AP). They will have to be willing to put up with long days, and be willing to put in work. |
Anonymous
I would ask: Does my child have good study skills and self-learning skills? Is my child good at time management? Does my child have great strength in certain subjects (so not just good but rather great)? |
Anonymous
Kids that are successful at TJ are significantly driven and self-motivated. As an example to determine fit: Typical all-A kids at base schools are bright and will do the homeworks and practice problems religiously, study well for the exam, get their A, and then they'll be satisfied and enjoy their weekend with leisure activities completely unrelated to school. The best TJ kids do not rest after the A. They strive to learn beyond the syllabus. They spend their weekends studying additional topics of interest and seek out internships and project opportunities to work on. |
Anonymous
This is ridiculous. We're talking about 13 year ago olds here. |
Anonymous
No, PP is correct. The kids who go to TJ (and will genuinely enjoy it there) are kids who study on the weekends because they like doing it. It's like the kid who loves playing the piano so much that they choose to play more than play video games with friends. The kid will still play some video games, but doesn't mind missing the chance to play more piano. |
Anonymous
I’m sure there are many different kids at TJ. I can’t imagine that every single TJ student looks like this. |
Anonymous
Yes. There are some kids who get/got into TJ and find that they want to be the 9-5/M-F student, and leave their evenings weekends free. Some of these kids are happy, while others pine for the base school where they didnt have to put in so much effort to be "head of the class". TJ isn't for everyone, but for those kids who love math and science as an extracurricular, it's perfect. It's not the "perfect" school for the kid who would be valedictorian at e.g. Madison HS while still having time for travel soccer. |
Anonymous
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TJ is going to be quite different from any base HS. We had experience with a similar course at base HS and TJ.
At base HS, they teach the concept and cover examples that use that concept. If you understand the concept, either by paying attention in the classroom or by reviewing the notes, you can answer any question on that concept. It would be a straightforward application of that concept. At TJ the process is the same, except when they test you, at least 10-20% of the questions are about applying that concept to a new situation. Unless you deeply understand that concept by additional study and you are given those resources either as a prescribed text book that is handed out to you or as a packet, you would not be able to answer that question. This is similar to what students experience in college. There are parents of students at TJ complaining that teachers give questions that they did not teach at school. What they mean is the teacher did not cover the exact problem in class that they gave in the test. Both HW and tests are going to be challenging. It is never going to be just plugging the values to get an answer. Teachers are absolutely first rate and have high expectations of all students, in terms of deeply understanding the concepts. At base HS, if you pay attention in class, it is an easy A for many classes. At TJ, outside of PE or Personal Finance, there are no such classes. There are students who are junior to my child who would be among the top 30-50 students in USA on that subject. It is motivating if your child is interested in that subject and they would have many interesting peers. Intellectual curiosity is a very good marker for a good fit at TJ. My child when at base HS qualified for a competition and the teacher sponsor said, child was the only one who qualified from that school in the last 6 or 7 years they were there. At TJ, they have a contingent of 100+ qualifying every year. Keep these in mind when you are making the decision to apply. If your child likes these kinds of things, TJ is a fantastic place. If not, it is going to be draining. |
Anonymous
DD is there and we are Robinson Zone. I’m sure the above about weekend studying for the love of it is true for some kids and they are probably the top band. But DD has been getting straight As and does not do this nor do I think do any of her friends. Another PP’s advice though that the kid should be - by 8th grade - independently able to manage their work load and to basically sail through math at least I think is right. OP your child is “on track” for what most kids entering TJ will have taken - Algebra 1 in 7th. Yes some are ahead due I think mainly to outside acceleration but it’s not the majority at least of the new classes. Go to info sessions at your base school next year. Applying is easy so go ahead. If your child gets in then go to the open house at TJ, read as much as you can here, I think there was a Facebook group maybe too for kids deciding on it? Decide then if it’s the right path. In my view the most important thing for it being the right fit is that the kid is a “school kid” in that they do very well, are pretty self motivated, and care a lot about doing well in their classes. |
Anonymous
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7th grader? U have time.
Go to TJ is kid is super sharp and fast in math. If not they will struggle. Curriculum is the same as base high school, but the difficulty of assignments is much higher. Unless kid is super advanced, Base HS will be more than sufficient. |
Anonymous
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NP. This is all interesting. I have a DS who is interested in science, will read nonfiction books and textbooks on the weekend, knows more about chemistry at this point then I ever did, has self-taught some math from textbooks, but also has an official diagnosis of 2e with ADHD and IQ of 140+. So his grades in MS are As and Bs, related to some organizational and executive functioning challenges. He is interested in science and math but is not a "school kid".
He is in 8th grade, has applied, we have no idea if he'll get in, and don't know if he should go if he were admitted. |
Anonymous
You need to be prepared to provide the scaffolding support to his ADHD in he gets in and decides to go. Otherwise the organizational deficits will crush him. (Not saying whether they should be the case or not just that it is from what I’ve heard from DD’s friends that have ADHD there). |