TJ acceptances

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the one who posted about the TJ rep and sample questions. Essentially she gave us a list of topics that are found on the TJ application website. Forgive me is I misspoke as I attended the meeting 1.5 years ago.

Would you give me the website name please? Also, who is “she”? is she an administrator from TJ, or counselor? Because I haven’t heard of this list before.

[Anonymous]

Google TJHSST application

On the website under freshman application process it lists the topics for the essays. They include collaborator, communicator, leader, etc

[Anonymous]

Would you give me the website name please? Also, who is “she”? is she an administrator from TJ, or counselor? Because I haven’t heard of this list before.

https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/registration/thomas-jefferson-high-school-science-and-technology-tjhsst-admissions

This has the topics for the essays listed for TJ acceptance. They appear fairly generic, what you would expect from any application/interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I know kids who were in Alg. 2, all hns, and 4.0 gpa that got rejected. But, there are kids in normal Algebra with a lower gpa and accepted. How does the whole process work? Are the sps questions personal questions? Also, I heard many kids did not get the pse question right, and wrote an essay for the wrong answer and still got in… If you got accepted this year, lmk how they select their students. Thanks.

Yes, Thats really sad for the Algebra two kid. I have a daughter that goes to Franklin Middle, and she is just about to take geometry over the summer. She really wants to, because she thinks it will give her an advantage for TJ. I’m trying to tell her not to rush math, since Franklin ms does not even offer algebra two and she would have to sit in the library… So no, Algebra two certainly does not help your TJ sheet, and they will NOT be asking algebra two questions on the pse for sure!

[Anonymous]

yk ppl can lie abt experience factors? Just say u have 1-2 and bam free admission… it’s all based on “equality” so the real smart kids who take like algebra two in 8th and don’t have experience factors get disqualified. Thats the golden ticket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I know kids who were in Alg. 2, all hns, and 4.0 gpa that got rejected. But, there are kids in normal Algebra with a lower gpa and accepted. How does the whole process work? Are the sps questions personal questions? Also, I heard many kids did not get the pse question right, and wrote an essay for the wrong answer and still got in… If you got accepted this year, lmk how they select their students. Thanks.

Yes, Thats really sad for the Algebra two kid. I have a daughter that goes to Franklin Middle, and she is just about to take geometry over the summer. She really wants to, because she thinks it will give her an advantage for TJ. I’m trying to tell her not to rush math, since Franklin ms does not even offer algebra two and she would have to sit in the library… So no, Algebra two certainly does not help your TJ sheet, and they will NOT be asking algebra two questions on the pse for sure!

And since you told her you don’t support it, you said no, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I know kids who were in Alg. 2, all hns, and 4.0 gpa that got rejected. But, there are kids in normal Algebra with a lower gpa and accepted. How does the whole process work? Are the sps questions personal questions? Also, I heard many kids did not get the pse question right, and wrote an essay for the wrong answer and still got in… If you got accepted this year, lmk how they select their students. Thanks.

Yes, Thats really sad for the Algebra two kid. I have a daughter that goes to Franklin Middle, and she is just about to take geometry over the summer. She really wants to, because she thinks it will give her an advantage for TJ. I’m trying to tell her not to rush math, since Franklin ms does not even offer algebra two and she would have to sit in the library… So no, Algebra two certainly does not help your TJ sheet, and they will NOT be asking algebra two questions on the pse for sure!

And since you told her you don’t support it, you said no, right?

I told her I would not recommend it. Too much work over 6 weeks, and your rushing math for no reason at all. Franklin does not offer the course, so she would be extremely rusty on algebra two online. It does absolutely nothing for TJ either. But, I can’t really force my daughter to do anything, in the end she will have to make her own decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I know kids who were in Alg. 2, all hns, and 4.0 gpa that got rejected. But, there are kids in normal Algebra with a lower gpa and accepted. How does the whole process work? Are the sps questions personal questions? Also, I heard many kids did not get the pse question right, and wrote an essay for the wrong answer and still got in… If you got accepted this year, lmk how they select their students. Thanks.

Yes, Thats really sad for the Algebra two kid. I have a daughter that goes to Franklin Middle, and she is just about to take geometry over the summer. She really wants to, because she thinks it will give her an advantage for TJ. I’m trying to tell her not to rush math, since Franklin ms does not even offer algebra two and she would have to sit in the library… So no, Algebra two certainly does not help your TJ sheet, and they will NOT be asking algebra two questions on the pse for sure!

And since you told her you don’t support it, you said no, right?

I told her I would not recommend it. Too much work over 6 weeks, and your rushing math for no reason at all. Franklin does not offer the course, so she would be extremely rusty on algebra two online. It does absolutely nothing for TJ either. But, I can’t really force my daughter to do anything, in the end she will have to make her own decision.

I would tell her again it does zero for TJ admission AND because online is harder to learn from may make it harder for her to do well at TJ if she gets in due to a shakier base.

[Anonymous]

The first year of the new admissions process they took now algebra 2 kids but so many of them did poorly on math 4 that they didn't have a preference anymore

Turns out advanced math in middle school frequently says little about your actual math ability without a standardized test to back it up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like most kids getting in are from curie or take curie classes. I don’t think ive met a person with a kid who didn’t do anything but look at a few practice problems and get into TJ without prep

This is not true.

The essay format makes admissions a bit of a lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems like most kids getting in are from curie or take curie classes. I don’t think ive met a person with a kid who didn’t do anything but look at a few practice problems and get into TJ without prep

Does Curie have an entrance exam to enroll in their program?

I don’t think curie has a TJ prep class, does it? I’ve only seen core subjects on there.

They have a short $300 you can add onto your 8th grade curriculum. It's mostly time management, sample essays, etc.

The current admissions process is pretty random

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I know kids who were in Alg. 2, all hns, and 4.0 gpa that got rejected. But, there are kids in normal Algebra with a lower gpa and accepted. How does the whole process work? Are the sps questions personal questions? Also, I heard many kids did not get the pse question right, and wrote an essay for the wrong answer and still got in… If you got accepted this year, lmk how they select their students. Thanks.

Yes, Thats really sad for the Algebra two kid. I have a daughter that goes to Franklin Middle, and she is just about to take geometry over the summer. She really wants to, because she thinks it will give her an advantage for TJ. I’m trying to tell her not to rush math, since Franklin ms does not even offer algebra two and she would have to sit in the library… So no, Algebra two certainly does not help your TJ sheet, and they will NOT be asking algebra two questions on the pse for sure!

And since you told her you don’t support it, you said no, right?

I told her I would not recommend it. Too much work over 6 weeks, and your rushing math for no reason at all. Franklin does not offer the course, so she would be extremely rusty on algebra two online. It does absolutely nothing for TJ either. But, I can’t really force my daughter to do anything, in the end she will have to make her own decision.

You may not be able to force her to do something but you could stop her from doing something. Summer school requires parent approval and $500- so if you don’t want to stop that’s fine, but yes, summer school is ultimately a parental call.

[Anonymous]

My son is currently going to TJ. He didn’t do any “prep” except practice a few PSE-like questions, and SPS-like questions. This new admissions process is meant to cut down the need for prep. He was in Geometry in 8th, and 4.0 gpa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is currently going to TJ. He didn’t do any “prep” except practice a few PSE-like questions, and SPS-like questions. This new admissions process is meant to cut down the need for prep. He was in Geometry in 8th, and 4.0 gpa.

Same, current TJ student, no prep just practice to write SPS like questions few days before the test, 4gpa, geo honor, not math/science genius but loves to learn anything, well rounded, and won his MS award on few subjects.
Thriving at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yk ppl can lie abt experience factors? Just say u have 1-2 and bam free admission… it’s all based on “equality” so the real smart kids who take like algebra two in 8th and don’t have experience factors get disqualified. Thats the golden ticket.

I don’t think its as easy as you think. I don’t think admission team is just hired temporary to review the test, I think they are full time employees and know the dynamics of the whole school system, they are experienced and they know what they are doing, they also use data to check the experience favtor
And let see a kid lie on their essay said they won gold Sciol medal from X ms, you think the admission didn’t check that? That big winner usually on school news and most people know, let alone the admission officer.