Official TJ Admissions Decisions Results for the Class of 2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The class of 2025 is at least 60% Asian. Don't you all have better things to do with your time than rehash this over and over again?

The initial offers were 54% Asian.

That would mean at least 20% of non-Asians declined admittance.

My niece turned it down because she wanted to attend a more diverse high school.

That sounds made up. What middle school is she from and what high school is she going to?

It's exactly what she said. I was surprised too. I mean I'd understand if she had said it was a toxic pressure cooker but she didn't say that. In the end, she felt he'd better served at her home school which Langley.

I guess TJ is overwhelmingly Asian so may be the least diverse school in the county.

Well, my niece is Asian. I just thought it was curious. For all I know she made this claim to justify staying with her friends, but it's also possible she felt this way I guess.

If you can't take the heat, get out the kitchen. Sounds like your niece knew she couldn't cut it at TJ. Nothing to be embarrassed about. She made up a story that was palatable for the family. Move on.

If they were one of those top kids selected they must've been up to it so I'd consider that maybe it was what they stated. I know it's hard for some parents to imagine but there are people who value diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In other words, "be kids".

Clearly, the kids taking an AoPS class or competing in Mathcounts aren't "being kids." The only way to "be a kid" is to do nothing whatsoever academic outside of school.

Of course not, there’s nothing wrong with doing academic things outside of school but I do think the prep wars created incentives for these kinds of programs that aren’t necessarily in the best interests of kids. Some kids are just really into this stuff and a lot are pushed to be competitive with the other kids that are being pushed. I’m also not a fan of the changed admissions policy. It’s a very complex issue.

I think we have a similar viewpoint on this. I don't think the prep wars are particularly good for anyone, but I'm worried that any efforts to end them will just penalize the kids who are ahead because they're brilliant and self motivated.

I think the admissions changes are a mixed bag. I like the geographic allotment for seats. I strongly dislike the removal of teacher recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In other words, "be kids".

Clearly, the kids taking an AoPS class or competing in Mathcounts aren't "being kids." The only way to "be a kid" is to do nothing whatsoever academic outside of school.

Of course not, there’s nothing wrong with doing academic things outside of school but I do think the prep wars created incentives for these kinds of programs that aren’t necessarily in the best interests of kids. Some kids are just really into this stuff and a lot are pushed to be competitive with the other kids that are being pushed. I’m also not a fan of the changed admissions policy. It’s a very complex issue.

I think we have a similar viewpoint on this. I don't think the prep wars are particularly good for anyone, but I'm worried that any efforts to end them will just penalize the kids who are ahead because they're brilliant and self motivated.

I think the admissions changes are a mixed bag. I like the geographic allotment for seats. I strongly dislike the removal of teacher recommendations.

I think this is the correct take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The class of 2025 is at least 60% Asian. Don't you all have better things to do with your time than rehash this over and over again?

The initial offers were 54% Asian.

That would mean at least 20% of non-Asians declined admittance.

My niece turned it down because she wanted to attend a more diverse high school.

That sounds made up. What middle school is she from and what high school is she going to?

It's exactly what she said. I was surprised too. I mean I'd understand if she had said it was a toxic pressure cooker but she didn't say that. In the end, she felt he'd better served at her home school which Langley.

I guess TJ is overwhelmingly Asian so may be the least diverse school in the county.

Well, my niece is Asian. I just thought it was curious. For all I know she made this claim to justify staying with her friends, but it's also possible she felt this way I guess.

If you can't take the heat, get out the kitchen. Sounds like your niece knew she couldn't cut it at TJ. Nothing to be embarrassed about. She made up a story that was palatable for the family. Move on.

It would be far too early for someone to “know they couldn’t cut it” at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Well, my niece is Asian. I just thought it was curious. For all I know she made this claim to justify staying with her friends, but it's also possible she felt this way I guess.

Heh. I would assume that any Langley kid who turned down TJ admissions looked at how long the bus ride would be each day and decided that it isn't worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well, my niece is Asian. I just thought it was curious. For all I know she made this claim to justify staying with her friends, but it's also possible she felt this way I guess.

Heh. I would assume that any Langley kid who turned down TJ admissions looked at how long the bus ride would be each day and decided that it isn't worth it.

If she was going to be in the middle of the pack at TJ, she could have decided she'd be better off with a higher ranking at Langley when it comes to college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Well, my niece is Asian. I just thought it was curious. For all I know she made this claim to justify staying with her friends, but it's also possible she felt this way I guess.

Heh. I would assume that any Langley kid who turned down TJ admissions looked at how long the bus ride would be each day and decided that it isn't worth it.

If she was going to be in the middle of the pack at TJ, she could have decided she'd be better off with a higher ranking at Langley when it comes to college admissions.

This is what my kid decided and I supported her decision. We are not Asian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

In other words, "be kids".

Clearly, the kids taking an AoPS class or competing in Mathcounts aren't "being kids." The only way to "be a kid" is to do nothing whatsoever academic outside of school.

Of course not, there’s nothing wrong with doing academic things outside of school but I do think the prep wars created incentives for these kinds of programs that aren’t necessarily in the best interests of kids. Some kids are just really into this stuff and a lot are pushed to be competitive with the other kids that are being pushed. I’m also not a fan of the changed admissions policy. It’s a very complex issue.

I think we have a similar viewpoint on this. I don't think the prep wars are particularly good for anyone, but I'm worried that any efforts to end them will just penalize the kids who are ahead because they're brilliant and self motivated.

I think the admissions changes are a mixed bag. I like the geographic allotment for seats. I strongly dislike the removal of teacher recommendations.

teacher recs are too subjective ... I had many teachers that played favorites in ways that made no sense and had nothing to do with academics .. objective testing I'm fine with

[Anonymous]

I would guess that Teacher recommendations are going to be different at the schools that have historically only a few kids apply/accepted vs Carson type schools. Teachers are going to need to write fewer recommendations at schools with a smaller pool of candidates then schools like Carson. It might help if the kids in the top 1.5% applying don’t require recommendations so that the Teachers are not writing as many. But that would probably mean identifying who is applying, ranking them, and then letting the kids know if advance so they can ask for letters.

I would also guess that recommendations are like GBRSs, some people love them and others think that they are biased. Are the kids allowed to see the recommendations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would guess that Teacher recommendations are going to be different at the schools that have historically only a few kids apply/accepted vs Carson type schools. Teachers are going to need to write fewer recommendations at schools with a smaller pool of candidates then schools like Carson. It might help if the kids in the top 1.5% applying don’t require recommendations so that the Teachers are not writing as many. But that would probably mean identifying who is applying, ranking them, and then letting the kids know if advance so they can ask for letters.

I would also guess that recommendations are like GBRSs, some people love them and others think that they are biased. Are the kids allowed to see the recommendations?

I remember a teacher who hated one kid because she didn't like the shoes she wore. Also, some teachers have different standards. My oldest had a teacher at IV AAAP who pretty much gave a top marks to any kid who turned in an assignment whereas the previous year the teacher did that for only 4 or 5 kids out of the class. These are very hard to weighh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would guess that Teacher recommendations are going to be different at the schools that have historically only a few kids apply/accepted vs Carson type schools. Teachers are going to need to write fewer recommendations at schools with a smaller pool of candidates then schools like Carson. It might help if the kids in the top 1.5% applying don’t require recommendations so that the Teachers are not writing as many. But that would probably mean identifying who is applying, ranking them, and then letting the kids know if advance so they can ask for letters.

I would also guess that recommendations are like GBRSs, some people love them and others think that they are biased. Are the kids allowed to see the recommendations?

Kids and families were never allowed to see the recommendations in previous years.

If and when they ever get back to doing teacher recommendations, they need to make a couple of adjustments to that process, and those recommendations need to be used as part of determining who the top 1.5% in each school are.

1) Because there are so many more applicants to consider - there being no semifinalist cut down at this point - the recommendation form needs to be much quicker and easier to fill out and should not contain free-response areas. Evaluate the students against their peers in the areas that you need to evaluate - grit, determination, work ethic, commitment to the learning environment, contribution to others, academic integrity, and of course readiness for the academic level that they're pursuing. It's critical that they are evaluated against their peers - so teachers from, say, Carson need to make sure that they're using this form to identify which students stand out amongst the rest of the TJ applicants who receive recs from them.

2) Allow each teacher to write additional statements - either positive or negative - about a limited number of their students. Let's say five apiece. And they can use these to write about individuals who they feel are the true cream of the crop - or perhaps to let the admissions office know that a student is a grade-grubber or habitually treads the line of what's considered acceptable from an ethical perspective.

3) The admissions office needs to bucket the recommendation forms and letters from each teacher together so that they can compare and contrast - and possibly sniff out any bias or rating inflation.

[Anonymous]

Let FCPS do their thing. Just face the fact that things are being done differently and if you don’t like it, find somewhere else to send your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let FCPS do their thing. Just face the fact that things are being done differently and if you don’t like it, find somewhere else to send your kids.

Seriously. There are dozens of outstanding public and private schools in the Northern Virginia area. What is happening with TJ admissions right now is a canary in the coal mine for what is happening at the school within the building. You can like or dislike it, but if you don't like it then go find somewhere else to be negative. Send your kids somewhere else if you don't want a stronger emphasis on social responsibility with respect to STEM education. And if you're that desperate for the damn bumper sticker, then adapt or perish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let FCPS do their thing. Just face the fact that things are being done differently and if you don’t like it, find somewhere else to send your kids.

Seriously. There are dozens of outstanding public and private schools in the Northern Virginia area. What is happening with TJ admissions right now is a canary in the coal mine for what is happening at the school within the building. You can like or dislike it, but if you don't like it then go find somewhere else to be negative. Send your kids somewhere else if you don't want a stronger emphasis on social responsibility with respect to STEM education. And if you're that desperate for the damn bumper sticker, then adapt or perish.

Well said!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let FCPS do their thing. Just face the fact that things are being done differently and if you don’t like it, find somewhere else to send your kids.

Seriously. There are dozens of outstanding public and private schools in the Northern Virginia area. What is happening with TJ admissions right now is a canary in the coal mine for what is happening at the school within the building. You can like or dislike it, but if you don't like it then go find somewhere else to be negative. Send your kids somewhere else if you don't want a stronger emphasis on social responsibility with respect to STEM education. And if you're that desperate for the damn bumper sticker, then adapt or perish.

The next chance to litigate the TJ Admissions issue will be in the School Board elections in November of 2023. The admissions process for the Class of 2026 is about to get underway shortly, and at that point the process for the Class of 2028 will be far enough gone that a newly elected board will not have impact on it. So get used to the idea that there will be four classes at TJ simultaneously that will have been selected under a geographic-representation, non-testing process.