Tjhsst is it worth it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW: Stats for McLean HS for 2015:

VPI 160/101/40
W&M 94/47/18
UVA 134/50/31

So almost 20% of MHS go to these three schools.

Omg, not to hijack this thread but only 50/134 McLean HS students got into UVA?! My kids are younger but I didn't realize it was that competitive. We are only budgeting for state schools.

The problem is too many high performing kids in NOVA area. UVa has to "spread" the admission to cover all regions and that makes highly competitive in Nova area. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW: Stats for McLean HS for 2015:

VPI 160/101/40
W&M 94/47/18
UVA 134/50/31

So almost 20% of MHS go to these three schools.

Omg, not to hijack this thread but only 50/134 McLean HS students got into UVA?! My kids are younger but I didn't realize it was that competitive. We are only budgeting for state schools.

The problem is too many high performing kids in NOVA area. UVa has to "spread" the admission to cover all regions and that makes highly competitive in Nova area. Good luck.

Also, UVA isn't the only state school in Virginia . . .

[Anonymous]

Interesting insider perspective on TJ and UVA:

http://www.tjtoday.org/11340/opinion/university-of-virginia-admissions-procedure-hurts-jefferson-students/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting insider perspective on TJ and UVA:

http://www.tjtoday.org/11340/opinion/university-of-virginia-admissions-procedure-hurts-jefferson-students/

No conflict of interest? This is TJ newspaper, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing about TJ is it is a lot like MIT. The students are amazing. The facilities are great. The teaching...Meh. The thing about TJ is the kids learn on their own (or in groups).

Just like MIT. Faculty at MIT are rated not for teaching but for research. That is their focus. If you want good college teaching, go to a school that focuses on teaching, not research. I went to both -- started at a small school, transferred to a major research school (not MIT, but close). At the small school, the professors were interested in the undergrads...they would include them in research, and it was important to see them learn. At the research school, I was an annoyance.

At TJ, the teachers are judged by student performance, but guess what? Almost all perform. It takes no effort to teach at TJ -- tell them what you are going to teach for the next week, and the kids will learn it.

I am one who thinks TJ is not worth is. MIT is not worth it (for undergrad; grad is a research degree and a different story).

While the facilities are good at TJ, most students -- even TJ students -- do not have the experience to take advantage of those.

I'm really curious about this because I posted earlier that I thought the one good reason to go to TJ was for a kid who's into STEM to have access to the equipment and facilities. Are you speaking from experience? Don't they train the kids? Who uses all that stuff, then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing about TJ is it is a lot like MIT. The students are amazing. The facilities are great. The teaching...Meh. The thing about TJ is the kids learn on their own (or in groups).

Just like MIT. Faculty at MIT are rated not for teaching but for research. That is their focus. If you want good college teaching, go to a school that focuses on teaching, not research. I went to both -- started at a small school, transferred to a major research school (not MIT, but close). At the small school, the professors were interested in the undergrads...they would include them in research, and it was important to see them learn. At the research school, I was an annoyance.

At TJ, the teachers are judged by student performance, but guess what? Almost all perform. It takes no effort to teach at TJ -- tell them what you are going to teach for the next week, and the kids will learn it.

I am one who thinks TJ is not worth is. MIT is not worth it (for undergrad; grad is a research degree and a different story).

While the facilities are good at TJ, most students -- even TJ students -- do not have the experience to take advantage of those.

I'm really curious about this because I posted earlier that I thought the one good reason to go to TJ was for a kid who's into STEM to have access to the equipment and facilities. Are you speaking from experience? Don't they train the kids? Who uses all that stuff, then?

I don't think that poster knew what they were talking about. I am a TJ grad. I can say that the part of the TJ experience is learning how to use all of the fancy equipment properly. The teachers are not doing independent research with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW: Stats for McLean HS for 2015:

VPI 160/101/40
W&M 94/47/18
UVA 134/50/31

So almost 20% of MHS go to these three schools.

Omg, not to hijack this thread but only 50/134 McLean HS students got into UVA?! My kids are younger but I didn't realize it was that competitive. We are only budgeting for state schools.

UVA has always been competitive. There are plenty of other in state schools in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is a rising Sophomore at TJHSST. Here's the facts: he works his tail off and is up very late at night doing homework. The administration is EXTREMELY disorganized which makes me crazy. So for those two reasons, I hate the school and cringe when I hear my other kids say they want to apply. However, it is the perfect place for my son. He is not Albert Einstein junior, he's just a smart kid with a real passion for tech (particularly computer science) and is loving all of the class options he can't get elsewhere (without doing dual enrollment). He got in because he got lucky -- which is the case for every student there. There are a lot of equally smart kids at schools other than TJ. Would he be happy and do well at our local HS, absolutely! Oh, and does he or do we care about the number of Asians there -- truth be told I think it's benefitting him a lot to be in the minority (we're caucasian) for once.

Can you expand on the bolded part above. I'm not trying to stir anything up, but rather understand. My DS is interested in applying (we're caucasian) and I'd like to understand this line of thinking more. Thanks.

Sorry -- just saw you posted wanting me to expand. My point is that he's lived his whole life in the majority and never had to think about what it might be like to be a minority. Now I know that being a minority for part of your day (while at school) is NOT the same as being a minority day in and day out for your whole life. That said, I think it's opened his eyes to the "uncomfortableness" that can sometimes come with being a minority. The kids at TJ poke fun at the minority thing all the time -- I saw a video they did that had asian students interviewing caucasian students asking them all the stupid questions that people in this country ask immigrants (e.g., where are you from originally? wow, your English is so good! do your parents speak English? how did you get a visa? . . . ) He's felt very welcomed there -- probably more so than minorities feel like at our neighborhood high school and I think my son sees this inequity much better now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing about TJ is it is a lot like MIT. The students are amazing. The facilities are great. The teaching...Meh. The thing about TJ is the kids learn on their own (or in groups).

Just like MIT. Faculty at MIT are rated not for teaching but for research. That is their focus. If you want good college teaching, go to a school that focuses on teaching, not research. I went to both -- started at a small school, transferred to a major research school (not MIT, but close). At the small school, the professors were interested in the undergrads...they would include them in research, and it was important to see them learn. At the research school, I was an annoyance.

At TJ, the teachers are judged by student performance, but guess what? Almost all perform. It takes no effort to teach at TJ -- tell them what you are going to teach for the next week, and the kids will learn it.

I am one who thinks TJ is not worth is. MIT is not worth it (for undergrad; grad is a research degree and a different story).

While the facilities are good at TJ, most students -- even TJ students -- do not have the experience to take advantage of those.

I'm really curious about this because I posted earlier that I thought the one good reason to go to TJ was for a kid who's into STEM to have access to the equipment and facilities. Are you speaking from experience? Don't they train the kids? Who uses all that stuff, then?

I don't think that poster knew what they were talking about. I am a TJ grad. I can say that the part of the TJ experience is learning how to use all of the fancy equipment properly. The teachers are not doing independent research with them.

I maybe could have been clearer. The students at TJ are not doing any research that requires the equipment. They may learn how to use it, but they will not have the intellectual guidance to formulate questions that require that level of equipment to answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing about TJ is it is a lot like MIT. The students are amazing. The facilities are great. The teaching...Meh. The thing about TJ is the kids learn on their own (or in groups).

Just like MIT. Faculty at MIT are rated not for teaching but for research. That is their focus. If you want good college teaching, go to a school that focuses on teaching, not research. I went to both -- started at a small school, transferred to a major research school (not MIT, but close). At the small school, the professors were interested in the undergrads...they would include them in research, and it was important to see them learn. At the research school, I was an annoyance.

At TJ, the teachers are judged by student performance, but guess what? Almost all perform. It takes no effort to teach at TJ -- tell them what you are going to teach for the next week, and the kids will learn it.

I am one who thinks TJ is not worth is. MIT is not worth it (for undergrad; grad is a research degree and a different story).

While the facilities are good at TJ, most students -- even TJ students -- do not have the experience to take advantage of those.

I'm really curious about this because I posted earlier that I thought the one good reason to go to TJ was for a kid who's into STEM to have access to the equipment and facilities. Are you speaking from experience? Don't they train the kids? Who uses all that stuff, then?

I don't think that poster knew what they were talking about. I am a TJ grad. I can say that the part of the TJ experience is learning how to use all of the fancy equipment properly. The teachers are not doing independent research with them.

I maybe could have been clearer. The students at TJ are not doing any research that requires the equipment. They may learn how to use it, but they will not have the intellectual guidance to formulate questions that require that level of equipment to answer.

But they want you to BELIEVE they do.

[Anonymous]

Much of the research is published or presented publicly at symposia at the school and elsewhere. You could (and should) investigate facts before you make a declaration about hardworking students at a school you obviously haven't attended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is a rising Sophomore at TJHSST. Here's the facts: he works his tail off and is up very late at night doing homework. The administration is EXTREMELY disorganized which makes me crazy. So for those two reasons, I hate the school and cringe when I hear my other kids say they want to apply. However, it is the perfect place for my son. He is not Albert Einstein junior, he's just a smart kid with a real passion for tech (particularly computer science) and is loving all of the class options he can't get elsewhere (without doing dual enrollment). He got in because he got lucky -- which is the case for every student there. There are a lot of equally smart kids at schools other than TJ. Would he be happy and do well at our local HS, absolutely! Oh, and does he or do we care about the number of Asians there -- truth be told I think it's benefitting him a lot to be in the minority (we're caucasian) for once.

Can you expand on the bolded part above. I'm not trying to stir anything up, but rather understand. My DS is interested in applying (we're caucasian) and I'd like to understand this line of thinking more. Thanks.

Sorry -- just saw you posted wanting me to expand. My point is that he's lived his whole life in the majority and never had to think about what it might be like to be a minority. Now I know that being a minority for part of your day (while at school) is NOT the same as being a minority day in and day out for your whole life. That said, I think it's opened his eyes to the "uncomfortableness" that can sometimes come with being a minority. The kids at TJ poke fun at the minority thing all the time -- I saw a video they did that had asian students interviewing caucasian students asking them all the stupid questions that people in this country ask immigrants (e.g., where are you from originally? wow, your English is so good! do your parents speak English? how did you get a visa? . . . ) He's felt very welcomed there -- probably more so than minorities feel like at our neighborhood high school and I think my son sees this inequity much better now.

Curious that you think that is funny not racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is a rising Sophomore at TJHSST. Here's the facts: he works his tail off and is up very late at night doing homework. The administration is EXTREMELY disorganized which makes me crazy. So for those two reasons, I hate the school and cringe when I hear my other kids say they want to apply. However, it is the perfect place for my son. He is not Albert Einstein junior, he's just a smart kid with a real passion for tech (particularly computer science) and is loving all of the class options he can't get elsewhere (without doing dual enrollment). He got in because he got lucky -- which is the case for every student there. There are a lot of equally smart kids at schools other than TJ. Would he be happy and do well at our local HS, absolutely! Oh, and does he or do we care about the number of Asians there -- truth be told I think it's benefitting him a lot to be in the minority (we're caucasian) for once.

Can you expand on the bolded part above. I'm not trying to stir anything up, but rather understand. My DS is interested in applying (we're caucasian) and I'd like to understand this line of thinking more. Thanks.

Sorry -- just saw you posted wanting me to expand. My point is that he's lived his whole life in the majority and never had to think about what it might be like to be a minority. Now I know that being a minority for part of your day (while at school) is NOT the same as being a minority day in and day out for your whole life. That said, I think it's opened his eyes to the "uncomfortableness" that can sometimes come with being a minority. The kids at TJ poke fun at the minority thing all the time -- I saw a video they did that had asian students interviewing caucasian students asking them all the stupid questions that people in this country ask immigrants (e.g., where are you from originally? wow, your English is so good! do your parents speak English? how did you get a visa? . . . ) He's felt very welcomed there -- probably more so than minorities feel like at our neighborhood high school and I think my son sees this inequity much better now.

Curious that you think that is funny not racist.

Racist? Why? I'm Asian but I am not offended by the post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Much of the research is published or presented publicly at symposia at the school and elsewhere. You could (and should) investigate facts before you make a declaration about hardworking students at a school you obviously haven't attended.

I have looked at it. The quality of the work did not require the equipment. The work is presented at symposia, but mostly just at the school. The students at TJ do not present at national or international scientific meetings, even though they have equipment comparable to many universities. And the reason is it takes years of work to develop and test the ideas, usually under the guidance of experts in the field.

[Anonymous]

^ that sounds like MS science fair.