TJ or Edison, which do you think would get your high achieiving kid into a better college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

If you are so fond of average schools why did you attend UC Berkeley? According to your logic, attending "lower" performing college would lead to a better chance of being accepted to a competitive graduate school. Is it a case of do as I say not as I do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:White TJ kids with 4.3 GPA and 2100 SAT will get accepted to colleges like Northwestern, UVA, W&M, Michigan, UCLA, Cornell, NYU, Amherst, Georgia Tech, UNC, Rice, University of Illinois, USC, Boston College etc.

White Edison kids with same qualifications will have tougher time getting accepted to above schools.

Why would you think that a straight A student with a high SAT score from Edison would not get into the schools you listed? I would think a 4.3 GPA student from Edison would have a very good chance of gaining acceptance to most, if not all, of the schools you listed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And PP when they get those As, I bet they are in any college or university they choose.

Actually that's not true. I know a TJ grad who had all A's except for one B, as well as a nearly perfect SAT score, and she didn't get into any Ivies. She went to UVA.

Maybe she wanted to go to UVA.

She got into Duke, Rice, Carnegie Mellon and UVA. Did not get into Harvard (one parent had a Harvard grad degree), Brown, Columbia, Princeton, Penn or UC Berkeley. Participated in 2 varsity sports, plus other extracurriculars. I know all of this because I'm good friends with her mom.

Maybe she didn't take advanced post AP math or post AP science courses that most top students at TJ take.

I have had 2 kids at TJ so I'm familiar with the curriculum. Her only B was in an AP/post AP science class that gives many students their first B. I know she took Calc BC in 10th grade and then the math classes that follow in 11th and 12th. And to address the SAT score, I know her math and CR scores were each 800, writing was a little less. Also had 800s on all her SAT IIs and 5's on her APs. She is very happy at UVA - is getting great job/internship offers and her parents are happy to pay for grad school as she saved them so much money by choosing a state school over a private.

What were the ECs aside from 2 sports? Any officer positions or community service? it's just odd since about 20 ~ 25% of the TJ graduates make it to Ivys.

Do you have a link to this claim? It seems wildly off. 20-25% would mean that 90-110 students go to Ivies or 11-14 per Ivy. I haven't seen those numbers- even for TJ.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/377204.page

1) Since when is an anonymous post on DCUM evidence?
2) It shows acceptances not where they are going. One student can be accepted to more than one university.
3) The number of "acceptances" on your link is closer to 15% than 20-25%.

Anything else?

TJ college acceptance/enrollment history (2009 - 2013)

Brown University
64 28
University of California at Berkeley
58 12
California Institute of Technology
51 24
University of Chicago
60 17
Columbia University
53 27
Cornell University
203 77[/b
Dartmouth College
59 [b]29
Duke University
166 57
Georgetown University
65 20
Harvard College
30 23
Johns Hopkins University
63 9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
97 68
University of Michigan
137 21
New York University
90 20
Northwestern University
63 13
University of Pennsylvania
60 32
Princeton University
97 53
Stanford University
51 38
University of Virginia
1115 498
Yale University
56 28

Okay, so 297 went to Ivy League in the past five years. So around 60 per year. There are around ~450 TJ graduates each year. That is not 20-25%. It is 13-14%.

You should stop splitting hairs. Any educated person would put Stanford, Cal Tech, MIT and similar with ivy league schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And PP when they get those As, I bet they are in any college or university they choose.

Actually that's not true. I know a TJ grad who had all A's except for one B, as well as a nearly perfect SAT score, and she didn't get into any Ivies. She went to UVA.

Maybe she wanted to go to UVA.

She got into Duke, Rice, Carnegie Mellon and UVA. Did not get into Harvard (one parent had a Harvard grad degree), Brown, Columbia, Princeton, Penn or UC Berkeley. Participated in 2 varsity sports, plus other extracurriculars. I know all of this because I'm good friends with her mom.

Maybe she didn't take advanced post AP math or post AP science courses that most top students at TJ take.

I have had 2 kids at TJ so I'm familiar with the curriculum. Her only B was in an AP/post AP science class that gives many students their first B. I know she took Calc BC in 10th grade and then the math classes that follow in 11th and 12th. And to address the SAT score, I know her math and CR scores were each 800, writing was a little less. Also had 800s on all her SAT IIs and 5's on her APs. She is very happy at UVA - is getting great job/internship offers and her parents are happy to pay for grad school as she saved them so much money by choosing a state school over a private.

What were the ECs aside from 2 sports? Any officer positions or community service? it's just odd since about 20 ~ 25% of the TJ graduates make it to Ivys.

Do you have a link to this claim? It seems wildly off. 20-25% would mean that 90-110 students go to Ivies or 11-14 per Ivy. I haven't seen those numbers- even for TJ.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/377204.page

1) Since when is an anonymous post on DCUM evidence?
2) It shows acceptances not where they are going. One student can be accepted to more than one university.
3) The number of "acceptances" on your link is closer to 15% than 20-25%.

Anything else?

TJ college acceptance/enrollment history (2009 - 2013)

Brown University
64 28
University of California at Berkeley
58 12
California Institute of Technology
51 24
University of Chicago
60 17
Columbia University
53 27
Cornell University
203 77[/b
Dartmouth College
59 [b]29
Duke University
166 57
Georgetown University
65 20
Harvard College
30 23
Johns Hopkins University
63 9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
97 68
University of Michigan
137 21
New York University
90 20
Northwestern University
63 13
University of Pennsylvania
60 32
Princeton University
97 53
Stanford University
51 38
University of Virginia
1115 498
Yale University
56 28

Okay, so 297 went to Ivy League in the past five years. So around 60 per year. There are around ~450 TJ graduates each year. That is not 20-25%. It is 13-14%.

You should stop splitting hairs. Any educated person would put Stanford, Cal Tech, MIT and similar with ivy league schools.

Maybe you should just get your facts right next time. You seem very defensive and incapable of acknowledging when you misspeak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And PP when they get those As, I bet they are in any college or university they choose.

Actually that's not true. I know a TJ grad who had all A's except for one B, as well as a nearly perfect SAT score, and she didn't get into any Ivies. She went to UVA.

Maybe she wanted to go to UVA.

She got into Duke, Rice, Carnegie Mellon and UVA. Did not get into Harvard (one parent had a Harvard grad degree), Brown, Columbia, Princeton, Penn or UC Berkeley. Participated in 2 varsity sports, plus other extracurriculars. I know all of this because I'm good friends with her mom.

Maybe she didn't take advanced post AP math or post AP science courses that most top students at TJ take.

I have had 2 kids at TJ so I'm familiar with the curriculum. Her only B was in an AP/post AP science class that gives many students their first B. I know she took Calc BC in 10th grade and then the math classes that follow in 11th and 12th. And to address the SAT score, I know her math and CR scores were each 800, writing was a little less. Also had 800s on all her SAT IIs and 5's on her APs. She is very happy at UVA - is getting great job/internship offers and her parents are happy to pay for grad school as she saved them so much money by choosing a state school over a private.

What were the ECs aside from 2 sports? Any officer positions or community service? it's just odd since about 20 ~ 25% of the TJ graduates make it to Ivys.

Do you have a link to this claim? It seems wildly off. 20-25% would mean that 90-110 students go to Ivies or 11-14 per Ivy. I haven't seen those numbers- even for TJ.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/377204.page

1) Since when is an anonymous post on DCUM evidence?
2) It shows acceptances not where they are going. One student can be accepted to more than one university.
3) The number of "acceptances" on your link is closer to 15% than 20-25%.

Anything else?

TJ college acceptance/enrollment history (2009 - 2013)

Brown University
64 28
University of California at Berkeley
58 12
California Institute of Technology
51 24
University of Chicago
60 17
Columbia University
53 27
Cornell University
203 77[/b
Dartmouth College
59 [b]29
Duke University
166 57
Georgetown University
65 20
Harvard College
30 23
Johns Hopkins University
63 9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
97 68
University of Michigan
137 21
New York University
90 20
Northwestern University
63 13
University of Pennsylvania
60 32
Princeton University
97 53
Stanford University
51 38
University of Virginia
1115 498
Yale University
56 28

Okay, so 297 went to Ivy League in the past five years. So around 60 per year. There are around ~450 TJ graduates each year. That is not 20-25%. It is 13-14%.

You should stop splitting hairs. Any educated person would put Stanford, Cal Tech, MIT and similar with ivy league schools.

Maybe you should just get your facts right next time. You seem very defensive and incapable of acknowledging when you misspeak.

I'm a NP and not the PP who put up the admission stats. I am just giving credit where credit is due. TJ's college admissions are impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And PP when they get those As, I bet they are in any college or university they choose.

Actually that's not true. I know a TJ grad who had all A's except for one B, as well as a nearly perfect SAT score, and she didn't get into any Ivies. She went to UVA.

Maybe she wanted to go to UVA.

She got into Duke, Rice, Carnegie Mellon and UVA. Did not get into Harvard (one parent had a Harvard grad degree), Brown, Columbia, Princeton, Penn or UC Berkeley. Participated in 2 varsity sports, plus other extracurriculars. I know all of this because I'm good friends with her mom.

Maybe she didn't take advanced post AP math or post AP science courses that most top students at TJ take.

I have had 2 kids at TJ so I'm familiar with the curriculum. Her only B was in an AP/post AP science class that gives many students their first B. I know she took Calc BC in 10th grade and then the math classes that follow in 11th and 12th. And to address the SAT score, I know her math and CR scores were each 800, writing was a little less. Also had 800s on all her SAT IIs and 5's on her APs. She is very happy at UVA - is getting great job/internship offers and her parents are happy to pay for grad school as she saved them so much money by choosing a state school over a private.

What were the ECs aside from 2 sports? Any officer positions or community service? it's just odd since about 20 ~ 25% of the TJ graduates make it to Ivys.

Do you have a link to this claim? It seems wildly off. 20-25% would mean that 90-110 students go to Ivies or 11-14 per Ivy. I haven't seen those numbers- even for TJ.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/377204.page

1) Since when is an anonymous post on DCUM evidence?
2) It shows acceptances not where they are going. One student can be accepted to more than one university.
3) The number of "acceptances" on your link is closer to 15% than 20-25%.

Anything else?

TJ college acceptance/enrollment history (2009 - 2013)

Brown University
64 28
University of California at Berkeley
58 12
California Institute of Technology
51 24
University of Chicago
60 17
Columbia University
53 27
Cornell University
203 77[/b
Dartmouth College
59 [b]29
Duke University
166 57
Georgetown University
65 20
Harvard College
30 23
Johns Hopkins University
63 9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
97 68
University of Michigan
137 21
New York University
90 20
Northwestern University
63 13
University of Pennsylvania
60 32
Princeton University
97 53
Stanford University
51 38
University of Virginia
1115 498
Yale University
56 28

Okay, so 297 went to Ivy League in the past five years. So around 60 per year. There are around ~450 TJ graduates each year. That is not 20-25%. It is 13-14%.

You should stop splitting hairs. Any educated person would put Stanford, Cal Tech, MIT and similar with ivy league schools.

Maybe you should just get your facts right next time. You seem very defensive and incapable of acknowledging when you misspeak.

I'm a NP and not the PP who put up the admission stats. I am just giving credit where credit is due. TJ's college admissions are impressive.

No one suggested otherwise. But neither should those praising a STEM school get their noses out of joint where it's pointed out correctly by other posters that they appear to be struggling with some basic math and statistics.

[Anonymous]

If you add UC Berkeley, Cal Tech, Chicago, Duke, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford (Ivy League level schools) to the Ivy schools you get 279 plus 297 = 576. Around 115 per year. That is 25% of about 450.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you add UC Berkeley, Cal Tech, Chicago, Duke, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Michigan, Northwestern, Stanford (Ivy League level schools) to the Ivy schools you get 279 plus 297 = 576. Around 115 per year. That is 25% of about 450.

That is true and if the OP had said that, no one would have disagreed with him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

If you are so fond of average schools why did you attend UC Berkeley? According to your logic, attending "lower" performing college would lead to a better chance of being accepted to a competitive graduate school. Is it a case of do as I say not as I do?

Apparently you don't read too well. I said in one of my earlier posts that the exact opposite is true with law school admissions - if you go to a more prestigious undergraduate university, it makes a significant difference. The same is not true, in my opinion, with regard to undergraduate admissions. I think most undergraduate admissions committees desire to equalize the playing field with regard to those who come from more privileged backgrounds vs. those that come from more underprivileged backgrounds. I think law school admissions committees, on the the hand, figure that the equalizing of he playing field was done with undergraduate admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

It may not make me an expert, but it certainly gives me some actual experience. What's your experience? Put your cars on the table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

One, I didn't attend Edison or any HS in this area. Two, I don't think TJ is some sort of secret that only select insiders understand. It's not hard to understand TJ and what it is. Personally, I think it's a great school, and if my kid is motivated to go there and challenge themselves, I'll be all for it. But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It really probably depends on the particular student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

+100

May be a typo, but you're not suggesting they send kids to TJ to game the college process right?

What distresses me about all this TJ talk is that so much of it comes from the parents. i.e., where should I send my kid for HS? Seems like a lot more of the drive and desire to attend TJ should come from the kid. Years ago, it was on my math and science obsessed son's radar much earlier than mine. Seems that's how it should be.

You're right. I'm not suggesting that someone should send their kids to any school to game the college admissions process - TJ, Edison, or anywhere, for that matter. Send your kids to where they want to go and what they are motivated to do. If that's TJ, great. If it's Edison or any other school, great.

Did you get rejected by TJ?

Yes, you figured it out. I'm just bitter that I got rejected by TJ. Please. I didn't go to HS anywhere near TJ or the DC area. And, as I wrote in another post, I think TJ is a great HS, and one of my children is motivated to attend TJ and accepted, I'd be elated to send them there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

One, I didn't attend Edison or any HS in this area. Two, I don't think TJ is some sort of secret that only select insiders understand. It's not hard to understand TJ and what it is. Personally, I think it's a great school, and if my kid is motivated to go there and challenge themselves, I'll be all for it. But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It really probably depends on the particular student.

+1. If the decision is ever made to shutter TJ, it will likely be because the unwashed majority got tired of hearing variations of "It's a TJ thing, you wouldn't understand" from the self-appointed "TJ experts."

[Anonymous]

For a STEM school, why so few or non-existent applications/acceptances to our service academies? These schools are perfect for the very smart, highly driven, athletic kid with an interest in engineering or the hard sciences. They are probably the most challenging schools in America. Plus, the education is free, you have a guaranteed job after graduation and your alumni networks are amazing!