Race and TJ admissions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What I have learned in many years of experience in Northern Virginia and TJ is this:

If you have a hard and fast selection criteria that you use and apply equally to all students - basically no matter what it is - the system will favor the parents who have the resources and motivation to fit their round kid into the square hole. And you’re going to get a huge number of kids who all have relatively the same profile because the parents figured out that “that’s the profile that works”.

No matter what racial balance that creates, it’s a negative outcome for TJ. Too many similar kids results in mental health issues.

What everyone (mostly everyone) wants is a return to the best years of TJ, to the good old days when gifted students had rigorous but not crushing classes, a peer group of innovative students, and lower pressure. The 80s and 90s, maybe?

So far, no one has any idea how to recreate that. But I think a change is a step in the right direction.

To recreate that, you'd need to return to a time when a good but not great TJ student could count on UVA as a fall back and VT as a safety. Any school comprised of kids all wanting to go to competitive colleges is going to have pressure because those kids know they have to outperform their peers to make it happen

This is absolutely FALSE. TJ students have struggled in the college admissions process in recent years not because of the increased level of competitiveness, but because they tend to be indistinguishable from one another on paper. They are all going for the same seats at the same schools, rather than going for different seats at the same schools. So say college admissions officers who visit the school, at any rate.

Bring in a class of students with a greater diversity of experiences, interests, and goals, and you’ll see stronger admit numbers from TJ.

What complete nonsense.1. TJ is not struggling. 2 It is a top STEM school. So kids will apply for top STEM programs at college.
Good old days means more white kids getting admission/being in the majority?

1. By any reasonable measure, fewer TJ students are getting into elite schools AND the schools of their choice than they did 10, 15, 20 years ago. It's not close.

2. Being a top STEM school does not mean that all of its students need to go on to pursue STEM careers. A quality secondary STEM education can go a long way towards preparing a student for a productive and lucrative career in many other STEM-adjacent fields.

Where is your proof?

MCPS Montgomery Blair HS beats TJ in almost every academic contest is the most diverse HS in the state of MD.

It is the most diverse because it houses 2 programs. The magnet program is only a very small portion of the school's student population. The rest of the students who would account for the school's diversity go there as their base school. Trust me, the students in the regular program are not the ones that beat TJ in "almost every academic contest"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What I have learned in many years of experience in Northern Virginia and TJ is this:

If you have a hard and fast selection criteria that you use and apply equally to all students - basically no matter what it is - the system will favor the parents who have the resources and motivation to fit their round kid into the square hole. And you’re going to get a huge number of kids who all have relatively the same profile because the parents figured out that “that’s the profile that works”.

No matter what racial balance that creates, it’s a negative outcome for TJ. Too many similar kids results in mental health issues.

What everyone (mostly everyone) wants is a return to the best years of TJ, to the good old days when gifted students had rigorous but not crushing classes, a peer group of innovative students, and lower pressure. The 80s and 90s, maybe?

So far, no one has any idea how to recreate that. But I think a change is a step in the right direction.

To recreate that, you'd need to return to a time when a good but not great TJ student could count on UVA as a fall back and VT as a safety. Any school comprised of kids all wanting to go to competitive colleges is going to have pressure because those kids know they have to outperform their peers to make it happen

This is absolutely FALSE. TJ students have struggled in the college admissions process in recent years not because of the increased level of competitiveness, but because they tend to be indistinguishable from one another on paper. They are all going for the same seats at the same schools, rather than going for different seats at the same schools. So say college admissions officers who visit the school, at any rate.

Bring in a class of students with a greater diversity of experiences, interests, and goals, and you’ll see stronger admit numbers from TJ.

What complete nonsense.1. TJ is not struggling. 2 It is a top STEM school. So kids will apply for top STEM programs at college.
Good old days means more white kids getting admission/being in the majority?

1. By any reasonable measure, fewer TJ students are getting into elite schools AND the schools of their choice than they did 10, 15, 20 years ago. It's not close.

2. Being a top STEM school does not mean that all of its students need to go on to pursue STEM careers. A quality secondary STEM education can go a long way towards preparing a student for a productive and lucrative career in many other STEM-adjacent fields.

Where is your proof?

MCPS Montgomery Blair HS beats TJ in almost every academic contest is the most diverse HS in the state of MD.

The Top 150 Model UN Teams in North America

Top 150: Mid-Atlantic Region

The Mid-Atlantic Region consists of the top performing schools from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia that participated in our list of advanced conferences in the US and Canada.

Bayonne High School (NJ)
Bergen County Academies (NJ)
Cape Henry Collegiate (VA)
East Brunswick High School (NJ)
Eastern Regional High School (NJ)
George C. Marshall High School (VA)
Georgetown Day School (DC)
HB Woodlawn High School (VA)
Henrico High School (VA)
J.P. Stevens High School (NJ)
Langley High School (VA)
McLean High School (VA)
Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (PA)
Osbourn High School (VA)
Poolesville High School (MD)
Princeton Day School (NJ)
Princeton High School (NJ)
Radnor High School (PA)
School Without Walls (DC)
St. Albans School (DC)
Tabb High School (VA)
The Lawrenceville School (NJ)
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (VA)
West Windsor Plainsboro High School North (NJ)
West Windsor Plainsboro High School South (NJ)
Wootton High School (MD)

https://bestdelegate.com/the-top-150-high-school-model-united-nations-teams-in-north-america-from-the-2017-2018-school-year/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What I have learned in many years of experience in Northern Virginia and TJ is this:

If you have a hard and fast selection criteria that you use and apply equally to all students - basically no matter what it is - the system will favor the parents who have the resources and motivation to fit their round kid into the square hole. And you’re going to get a huge number of kids who all have relatively the same profile because the parents figured out that “that’s the profile that works”.

No matter what racial balance that creates, it’s a negative outcome for TJ. Too many similar kids results in mental health issues.

What everyone (mostly everyone) wants is a return to the best years of TJ, to the good old days when gifted students had rigorous but not crushing classes, a peer group of innovative students, and lower pressure. The 80s and 90s, maybe?

So far, no one has any idea how to recreate that. But I think a change is a step in the right direction.

To recreate that, you'd need to return to a time when a good but not great TJ student could count on UVA as a fall back and VT as a safety. Any school comprised of kids all wanting to go to competitive colleges is going to have pressure because those kids know they have to outperform their peers to make it happen

This is absolutely FALSE. TJ students have struggled in the college admissions process in recent years not because of the increased level of competitiveness, but because they tend to be indistinguishable from one another on paper. They are all going for the same seats at the same schools, rather than going for different seats at the same schools. So say college admissions officers who visit the school, at any rate.

Bring in a class of students with a greater diversity of experiences, interests, and goals, and you’ll see stronger admit numbers from TJ.

What complete nonsense.1. TJ is not struggling. 2 It is a top STEM school. So kids will apply for top STEM programs at college.
Good old days means more white kids getting admission/being in the majority?

1. By any reasonable measure, fewer TJ students are getting into elite schools AND the schools of their choice than they did 10, 15, 20 years ago. It's not close.

2. Being a top STEM school does not mean that all of its students need to go on to pursue STEM careers. A quality secondary STEM education can go a long way towards preparing a student for a productive and lucrative career in many other STEM-adjacent fields.

Where is your proof?

MCPS Montgomery Blair HS beats TJ in almost every academic contest is the most diverse HS in the state of MD.

It is the most diverse because it houses 2 programs. The magnet program is only a very small portion of the school's student population. The rest of the students who would account for the school's diversity go there as their base school. Trust me, the students in the regular program are not the ones that beat TJ in "almost every academic contest"

True. Parent of Blair STEM Magnet kid. It is a 100 student/year program housed in a much larger school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What I have learned in many years of experience in Northern Virginia and TJ is this:

If you have a hard and fast selection criteria that you use and apply equally to all students - basically no matter what it is - the system will favor the parents who have the resources and motivation to fit their round kid into the square hole. And you’re going to get a huge number of kids who all have relatively the same profile because the parents figured out that “that’s the profile that works”.

No matter what racial balance that creates, it’s a negative outcome for TJ. Too many similar kids results in mental health issues.

What everyone (mostly everyone) wants is a return to the best years of TJ, to the good old days when gifted students had rigorous but not crushing classes, a peer group of innovative students, and lower pressure. The 80s and 90s, maybe?

So far, no one has any idea how to recreate that. But I think a change is a step in the right direction.

To recreate that, you'd need to return to a time when a good but not great TJ student could count on UVA as a fall back and VT as a safety. Any school comprised of kids all wanting to go to competitive colleges is going to have pressure because those kids know they have to outperform their peers to make it happen

This is absolutely FALSE. TJ students have struggled in the college admissions process in recent years not because of the increased level of competitiveness, but because they tend to be indistinguishable from one another on paper. They are all going for the same seats at the same schools, rather than going for different seats at the same schools. So say college admissions officers who visit the school, at any rate.

Bring in a class of students with a greater diversity of experiences, interests, and goals, and you’ll see stronger admit numbers from TJ.

What complete nonsense.1. TJ is not struggling. 2 It is a top STEM school. So kids will apply for top STEM programs at college.
Good old days means more white kids getting admission/being in the majority?

1. By any reasonable measure, fewer TJ students are getting into elite schools AND the schools of their choice than they did 10, 15, 20 years ago. It's not close.

2. Being a top STEM school does not mean that all of its students need to go on to pursue STEM careers. A quality secondary STEM education can go a long way towards preparing a student for a productive and lucrative career in many other STEM-adjacent fields.

Where is your proof?

MCPS Montgomery Blair HS beats TJ in almost every academic contest is the most diverse HS in the state of MD.

The Top 150 Model UN Teams in North America

Top 150: Mid-Atlantic Region

The Mid-Atlantic Region consists of the top performing schools from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia that participated in our list of advanced conferences in the US and Canada.

Bayonne High School (NJ)
Bergen County Academies (NJ)
Cape Henry Collegiate (VA)
East Brunswick High School (NJ)
Eastern Regional High School (NJ)
George C. Marshall High School (VA)
Georgetown Day School (DC)
HB Woodlawn High School (VA)
Henrico High School (VA)
J.P. Stevens High School (NJ)
Langley High School (VA)
McLean High School (VA)
Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (PA)
Osbourn High School (VA)
Poolesville High School (MD)
Princeton Day School (NJ)
Princeton High School (NJ)
Radnor High School (PA)
School Without Walls (DC)
St. Albans School (DC)
Tabb High School (VA)
The Lawrenceville School (NJ)
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (VA)
West Windsor Plainsboro High School North (NJ)
West Windsor Plainsboro High School South (NJ)
Wootton High School (MD)

https://bestdelegate.com/the-top-150-high-school-model-united-nations-teams-in-north-america-from-the-2017-2018-school-year/

Congrats. Model UN seems to be a big deal in Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

I hear some parents of the applicants rejected under the unconstitutional and racist admissions system are organizing to file a class action lawsuit to bankrupt the corrupt fcps or bankrupt the board members if their actions are deemed to be intentionally disregarding laws and regulations or some misconduct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

Same as in sports. Families spend tens of thousands for better coaching and I don't see anyone screaming unfairness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

Same as in sports. Families spend tens of thousands for better coaching and I don't see anyone screaming unfairness

You know the saying - it is an eternal love if I do it and it is an immoral cheating if my neighbor does it.

[Anonymous]

Who cares about prepping, I mean if I am interviewing a candidate that studied about my company vs one that said I don't know guess which one gets picked. The word prepr is negative and it shouldn't be. Your piss poor planning is not an emergency in my part, loser

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

I hear some parents of the applicants rejected under the unconstitutional and racist admissions system are organizing to file a class action lawsuit to bankrupt the corrupt fcps or bankrupt the board members if their actions are deemed to be intentionally disregarding laws and regulations or some misconduct.

You are dreaming. Need to leave FCPS alone before they incorporate an admissions process that limits Asians to 20% or less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

I hear some parents of the applicants rejected under the unconstitutional and racist admissions system are organizing to file a class action lawsuit to bankrupt the corrupt fcps or bankrupt the board members if their actions are deemed to be intentionally disregarding laws and regulations or some misconduct.

You are dreaming. Need to leave FCPS alone before they incorporate an admissions process that limits Asians to 20% or less.

Remember what happened to that similarly corrupt and poorly run NRA? They went bankrupt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who cares about prepping, I mean if I am interviewing a candidate that studied about my company vs one that said I don't know guess which one gets picked. The word prepr is negative and it shouldn't be. Your piss poor planning is not an emergency in my part, loser

That's because you don't understand what you're talking about. But you've got great insults. To go along with your typing skillz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

Same as in sports. Families spend tens of thousands for better coaching and I don't see anyone screaming unfairness

You know the saying - it is an eternal love if I do it and it is an immoral cheating if my neighbor does it.

Yep, most white kids are too lazy to prep (they'd rather do sports - which is a fine pursuit also) so when they can't get into TJ, their parents throw a tantrum and label the academically-focused asian kids cheaters for prepping. Yet, they don't see a problem with their kids prepping hours on end to make a sport team. Why? Because the latter prep benefits them while the former doesn't. Then they get behind a half-cooked up admission plan citing that it gives the Black and Latino kids a chance at admission but the truth is that plan also helps their white kids get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

Same as in sports. Families spend tens of thousands for better coaching and I don't see anyone screaming unfairness

You know the saying - it is an eternal love if I do it and it is an immoral cheating if my neighbor does it.

Yep, most white kids are too lazy to prep (they'd rather do sports - which is a fine pursuit also) so when they can't get into TJ, their parents throw a tantrum and label the academically-focused asian kids cheaters for prepping. Yet, they don't see a problem with their kids prepping hours on end to make a sport team. Why? Because the latter prep benefits them while the former doesn't. Then they get behind a half-cooked up admission plan citing that it gives the Black and Latino kids a chance at admission but the truth is that plan also helps their white kids get in.

This is such a dumb take. Kids who are 10, 11, 12 years old who are building their resume should not have to give up things like sports in order to feel they have a fair shot at admission to TJ. That’s an unhealthy attitude, not only physically but mentally. Ideas like this are why TJ has so many difficulties with mental health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did we get it all wrong? New TJ admissions process is an act of racism against Black and Latino students (not against Asians). How so? Read this excellent article:
Making the SAT and ACT Optional Is the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations https://nyti.ms/3IlxRwI

Admissions are race blind. The biggest issue is the criteria that they use though is easily prepped for and many wealthy families invest tens of thousands doing exactly that to game the system.

Same as in sports. Families spend tens of thousands for better coaching and I don't see anyone screaming unfairness

You know the saying - it is an eternal love if I do it and it is an immoral cheating if my neighbor does it.

Yep, most white kids are too lazy to prep (they'd rather do sports - which is a fine pursuit also) so when they can't get into TJ, their parents throw a tantrum and label the academically-focused asian kids cheaters for prepping. Yet, they don't see a problem with their kids prepping hours on end to make a sport team. Why? Because the latter prep benefits them while the former doesn't. Then they get behind a half-cooked up admission plan citing that it gives the Black and Latino kids a chance at admission but the truth is that plan also helps their white kids get in.

This is such a dumb take. Kids who are 10, 11, 12 years old who are building their resume should not have to give up things like sports in order to feel they have a fair shot at admission to TJ. That’s an unhealthy attitude, not only physically but mentally. Ideas like this are why TJ has so many difficulties with mental health.

All of a sudden the progressives care about Asian kids' mental health.