TJ allocated vs. unallocated split

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The board docs posted know are old, it still likely close numbers that about 155 kids from London, falls church, prince william and Arlington- so outside of FCPS. Is TJ not actually a FCPS school? Is it a Virginia school and not FCPS? Otherwise don’t follow why so many spots for non FCPS kids.

TJ is a regional magnet school, a Virginia Governor's School, not an FCPS school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The board docs posted know are old, it still likely close numbers that about 155 kids from London, falls church, prince william and Arlington- so outside of FCPS. Is TJ not actually a FCPS school? Is it a Virginia school and not FCPS? Otherwise don’t follow why so many spots for non FCPS kids.

It's a Virginia Governor's School (the academic year kind, not the summer kind) and has been for it's entire existence as TJHSST (as opposed to the old TJHS). The surrounding districts can choose to participate but don't have to. For example Faquier County and Alexandria have both participated at points in the past, but do not currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a lottery. This document is not the current admissions process.

How exactly is the current process?

They choose the top 1.5% of each middle school according to size, and then an additional overall top 100 students from any school. It's not a lottery.

The top 1.5% of only yields a bit over 200 across FCPS (from the ~14k 8th graders)... then the rest are done from a county-wide pool, but it's gotta be over half the class (i.e., ~500 total minus the ~200 from from the 1.5% method would mean ~300 are coming from the county-wide pool)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a lottery. This document is not the current admissions process.

How exactly is the current process?

They choose the top 1.5% of each middle school according to size, and then an additional overall top 100 students from any school. It's not a lottery.

The top 1.5% of only yields a bit over 200 across FCPS (from the ~14k 8th graders)... then the rest are done from a county-wide pool, but it's gotta be over half the class (i.e., ~500 total minus the ~200 from from the 1.5% method would mean ~300 are coming from the county-wide pool)

there is big difference between 14k and 1.5k fcps students that apply. total 2.5k apply?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The board docs posted know are old, it still likely close numbers that about 155 kids from London, falls church, prince william and Arlington- so outside of FCPS. Is TJ not actually a FCPS school? Is it a Virginia school and not FCPS? Otherwise don’t follow why so many spots for non FCPS kids.

It's a Virginia Governor's School (the academic year kind, not the summer kind) and has been for it's entire existence as TJHSST (as opposed to the old TJHS). The surrounding districts can choose to participate but don't have to. For example Faquier County and Alexandria have both participated at points in the past, but do not currently.

even FCPS doesnot have to participate. Other counties are eager to host this governor school, and will likely do a better job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The board docs posted know are old, it still likely close numbers that about 155 kids from London, falls church, prince william and Arlington- so outside of FCPS. Is TJ not actually a FCPS school? Is it a Virginia school and not FCPS? Otherwise don’t follow why so many spots for non FCPS kids.

It's a Virginia Governor's School (the academic year kind, not the summer kind) and has been for it's entire existence as TJHSST (as opposed to the old TJHS). The surrounding districts can choose to participate but don't have to. For example Faquier County and Alexandria have both participated at points in the past, but do not currently.

even FCPS doesnot have to participate. Other counties are eager to host this governor school, and will likely do a better job.

I don't think that's possible. FCPS has done an amazing job.

[Anonymous]

Top 1.5% from any non-FCPS school as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a lottery. This document is not the current admissions process.

How exactly is the current process?

The process is too vague as listed on admissions website. Why is not documented anywhere?

equity secrets cannot be published, run the risk of misinterpretations of racial bias

[Anonymous]

Pretty simple; farms and you are in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty simple; farms and you are in.

Not that simple. We are farms, and we didnt get in. Even if we were offered, our middle school doesnt teach even basic subjects like algebra 1 well, so it was obvious to us our child would go there and struggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a lottery. This document is not the current admissions process.

How exactly is the current process?

They choose the top 1.5% of each middle school according to size, and then an additional overall top 100 students from any school. It's not a lottery.

The top 1.5% of only yields a bit over 200 across FCPS (from the ~14k 8th graders)... then the rest are done from a county-wide pool, but it's gotta be over half the class (i.e., ~500 total minus the ~200 from from the 1.5% method would mean ~300 are coming from the county-wide pool)

there is big difference between 14k and 1.5k fcps students that apply. total 2.5k apply?

Yes, it is a small pool. As much as people on this specific forum think the bar to apply is low, it is actually relatively high.

1) Students have to have completed Algebra 1 H by the end of 8th grade. Based on SOL scores, there were 8,315 students in 8th grade who took the Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra II.
2) Students have to take Honors or AAP Math and Science
3) Students have to take Honors or AAP Social studies or English
4) Students have to have a 3.5 GPA

There were 4,587 students in Math 8 in FCPS. None of those kids can apply. I have no clue how to look up average GPAs in MS but I would guess that the average GPA is under 3.5.

And then kids have to want to leave their friends and potentially communte 30-60 minutes in order to attend school. That is going to decrease the number of kids who are interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a lottery. This document is not the current admissions process.

How exactly is the current process?

They choose the top 1.5% of each middle school according to size, and then an additional overall top 100 students from any school. It's not a lottery.

The top 1.5% of only yields a bit over 200 across FCPS (from the ~14k 8th graders)... then the rest are done from a county-wide pool, but it's gotta be over half the class (i.e., ~500 total minus the ~200 from from the 1.5% method would mean ~300 are coming from the county-wide pool)

You're forgetting about the top 1.5% allocations for LCPS, PWCS, and APS. LCPS usually sends around 100 kids to TJ. APS sends around 20. I'm not sure about PWCS, but their participation increased a lot with the new admissions system.

[Anonymous]

Some stats for the folks interested
Class of 2027:
550 out of 2,548 applications (21.5% acceptance)
Source: https://www.fcps.edu/node/47920

Class of 2026:
550 out of 2,544 applications (21.6% acceptance)
Source: https://www.fcps.edu/news/thomas-jefferson-high-school-continues-increase-access-all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some stats for the folks interested
Class of 2027:
550 out of 2,548 applications (21.5% acceptance)
Source: https://www.fcps.edu/node/47920

Class of 2026:
550 out of 2,544 applications (21.6% acceptance)
Source: https://www.fcps.edu/news/thomas-jefferson-high-school-continues-increase-access-all

In both years, the applications were well below the peak years ago, when there were roughly 3200 applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty simple; farms and you are in.

Not that simple. We are farms, and we didnt get in. Even if we were offered, our middle school doesnt teach even basic subjects like algebra 1 well, so it was obvious to us our child would go there and struggle.

But other kids did get in. And if everyone was farms.....