Asian students dominate admissions to elite Thomas Jefferson High School

[Anonymous]

not a single one of them has any interest in STEM

Go to UVA and study the humanities. Just a way to get into UVA

[Anonymous]

If TJ were to interview applicants, they could consider creativity, drive, leadership, and other skills in their applicants. They would have a much more diverse student body and it would also help weed out the kids who aren't genuinely interested in STEM.

An admissions process based on preppable test scores and checking the right boxes for extracurriculars just isn't enough.

[Anonymous]

PP you have mistated the application process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue with TJ is the test prep. Both whites and Asians get an unfair advantage on this front and the Asian test camp use 'JJs' which is a form of recall cheating.

The same phenomonom is seen with the same two groups in SATs, LSATs, GMATS, etc., all the way down to the recall and often "live question "cheating.

And for the record the JJ's used to be exclusive to Asian communities, because they would be taught in non-English first. But it is increasingly becoming common in white test prep centers to originating from New York and spreading out.

What are JJ's? (?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If TJ were to interview applicants, they could consider creativity, drive, leadership, and other skills in their applicants. They would have a much more diverse student body and it would also help weed out the kids who aren't genuinely interested in STEM.

An admissions process based on preppable test scores and checking the right boxes for extracurriculars just isn't enough.

Maybe. But for a public institue, it may be subject itself to lawsuits! Call it what you like, affirmative action, reverse discrimination or just plain discrimination, Private institutes (colleges and HS alike) can get away with that as that admission process would be deem subjective admission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dd is at an AAP center middle school that traditionally sends a large number of kids to TJ. Every one of her good friends who applied, got in. All five of them are Asian, and not a single one of them has any interest in STEM. Four of them were not given a choice on applying or attending. Their parents required it. Two of these kids have had priveliges and cell phones revoked multiple times in the past year for getting less than an A on a single assignment or test.

This is why I will not encourage my very STEM oriented younger child to apply to TJ. It it not a school filled with gifted students and creative minds like it used to be. It is a cutthroat destination for hot-housed children of domineering parents.

+100 I have a student at TJ. That is exactly how it is. And after the drop out rate in 9th and 10th, it is 85% Asian. There are quite a few nervous breakdowns also. It is a very high pressure school. My DS loves it or I would remove him in a minute -- not my decision to make. Now that I know what it is like, I do not know if I would have let/ asked him to apply. The application process is very skewed and a lot of parents know this. Many who are qualified do not get accepted and many who are checking off an admission box are accepted. those students have a very hard time at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are tons of threads on this already. Do we really need another one?

I was just thinning this is old news.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are tons of threads on this already. Do we really need another one?

I was just thinning this is old news.

^ thinking

[Anonymous]

TJ parent here. It's not all negative as described above. Anyone who wonders, why don't you visit? Or look at the student newspaper online to see what students are doing and writing about? Google the clubs and look at their websites. Check out the various public groups on Facebook. It's academically challenging for almost all the students. But they support each other, learn a lot, and have fun, too.

And as for going on to study some humanities before their career? I think MDs, politicians, business leaders, and many other categories of careers now need to stretch over both humanities and STEM issues. Having a strong grounding in valid scientific methodologies is great for many disciplines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ parent here. It's not all negative as described above. Anyone who wonders, why don't you visit? Or look at the student newspaper online to see what students are doing and writing about? Google the clubs and look at their websites. Check out the various public groups on Facebook. It's academically challenging for almost all the students. But they support each other, learn a lot, and have fun, too.

And as for going on to study some humanities before their career? I think MDs, politicians, business leaders, and many other categories of careers now need to stretch over both humanities and STEM issues. Having a strong grounding in valid scientific methodologies is great for many disciplines.

+100. Not a TJ parent here (didn't get in), but agree completely. It's funny to see many people knocking TJ down for one reason or another. Bottom line, it's a great school like many other great schools in the area. It's not for everybody, like many other schools in the area!

Not disappointed at all DC didn't get in. Knowing some of the friends who are going, right kuds are going to that school!

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, the problem with the TJ application process is it attempts to be too objective: admission is primarily based on a test for pre-screening, and essay, and GPA. The big problem though, is the pre-screening process is based just on GPA and the test. It has nothing to do with STEM interest. And it removes well rounded students.

The process is purely designed to minimize workload of the admissions. I bet if the 7 and 8th grade teachers were more involved in the process, then you would have a different student body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what happens if you use objective/stat based screening. It's the reason colleges use holistic admission process to prevent over-sized Asian student population on campus.

You say it as if it is good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, the problem with the TJ application process is it attempts to be too objective: admission is primarily based on a test for pre-screening, and essay, and GPA. The big problem though, is the pre-screening process is based just on GPA and the test. It has nothing to do with STEM interest. And it removes well rounded students.

The process is purely designed to minimize workload of the admissions. I bet if the 7 and 8th grade teachers were more involved in the process, then you would have a different student body.

Well-rounded is overrated. Being objective is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, the problem with the TJ application process is it attempts to be too objective: admission is primarily based on a test for pre-screening, and essay, and GPA. The big problem though, is the pre-screening process is based just on GPA and the test. It has nothing to do with STEM interest. And it removes well rounded students.

The process is purely designed to minimize workload of the admissions. I bet if the 7 and 8th grade teachers were more involved in the process, then you would have a different student body.

Well-rounded is overrated. Being objective is a good thing.

...if you want a school full of robots

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion, the problem with the TJ application process is it attempts to be too objective: admission is primarily based on a test for pre-screening, and essay, and GPA. The big problem though, is the pre-screening process is based just on GPA and the test. It has nothing to do with STEM interest. And it removes well rounded students.

The process is purely designed to minimize workload of the admissions. I bet if the 7 and 8th grade teachers were more involved in the process, then you would have a different student body.

Well-rounded is overrated. Being objective is a good thing.

...if you want a school full of robots

NP here. No, well-rounded is how less qualified white applicants get into schools where they are too lazy to work hard enough to get in academically. The diligent white students still get in. It's for legacy, athletic and lazy/smart white kids who use well-roundedness as a form of white privilege to get into schools that they did not work hard enough to get into.

There are many minority "well rounded" students who don't seem to get a pass through on the same credentials. I've seen many minorities who are well-rounded, but can't get in without the academic credentials, but that doesn't seem to stop the white candidates without the academic credentials. Like the Asian kid who was a school standout on the tennis team, was a math league competitor, editor of the school yearbook, but "only" had a 4.1 GPA who didn't get in while a white kid who was a mediocre track athlete, participated in band and had a 4.0 GPA did get in. Same school.