Missed TJ teacher name entry deadline (appeal process)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child’s counselor reminded them twice to do it. I would give some constructive feeedback to your schools guidance counslers. This is really unfortunate.

+1 OP, does you DC attend a MS that has very few kids getting into TJ each year?

[Anonymous]

Even my younger daughter missed this step. When contacted admissions office denied even taking second test.

2/11 is the actual deadline for teacher recommendation. They added additional deadline of giving names as 1/25. So really it is not missing the deadline as long as teachers give back by that time.

It looks like TJ admissions process is defined to just eliminate candidates rather than identify and help talented kids to come to TJ.

All colleges accept teacher/counselor recommendations even after the application deadline. They do not want to punish kids for this simple misstep.

If it is so critical step, a reminder email or even mention the semi-finalist notification email for next steps would have helped many. Or even they should have taken names at the application time itself to remove this issue.

Anyone interested in forming a group and representing to TJ Admissions?

[Anonymous]

I know one of my daughter's classmate missed this. There was a confusion with Loudoun Kids.

For AOS/AET (TJ like STEM school in Loudoun) also has first level test and then recommendations and second level test.

County sends letters to student's science and math teachers and get their recommendations. Students do not give names.

Because of this confusion she missed to provide names to TJ (presuming TJ contacts their middle school).

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this. Helps relieve the guilt. I can laugh at it now a little bit (I'm the OP). But I truly get your point.

I was kicking myself for not reading the email with the 25th. I should not have missed it, but I did. Funnily enough, I did *not* miss the line about the Feb 11th actual recommendation deadline. The truth is, her teachers said they are ready to write the recommendation right away if needed to help her get through this obstacle.

Last week, my daughter and I were talking about teachers she had in mind on Thursday PM, and then again on Friday. It would have been all too easy for her to enter the name by the deadline, but we just did not know. She did not read the congratulatory email. I opened it first and she did not read the whole thing. She was happy to hear me say she got in and went to her phone to text friends I guess, so all my fault really.

Others here say she'll be eaten alive. I am not too sure. For sure she would struggle mightily (everyone does), but she is quite capable (in my view, parent glasses). She is on Geometry, which she said is second year high school math, and on talented (don't want to say gifted because I consider that category something else) classification on all subjects in the APS classification system. That's something, even if not enough for TJ survival.

As you noted about colleges, I am also very familiar with the deadlines of elite graduate schools, and their flexibility within reason. I have been granted at least one waiver (Georgia Tech on TOEFL), and MIT on being late with a visa paper (they called me to ask if they could help as I did not have enough assets to show in a bank statement; they also waived a few other application documents).

TJs policy is as everyone says here, so my daughter and I can deal with that. I don't believe their being strict is about being a great, sough after school, just that it is their policy. That said, being an elite school provides the blanket to be more strict with rejections. They can always find someone of equal or higher quality.

I would be interested in forming a group, but that makes only two. Your points are great suggestions, it must be said.

Her MS gets a few each year, and I am happy to encourage their team to send reminder emails next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for this. Helps relieve the guilt. I can laugh at it now a little bit (I'm the OP). But I truly get your point.

I was kicking myself for not reading the email with the 25th. I should not have missed it, but I did. Funnily enough, I did *not* miss the line about the Feb 11th actual recommendation deadline. The truth is, her teachers said they are ready to write the recommendation right away if needed to help her get through this obstacle.

Last week, my daughter and I were talking about teachers she had in mind on Thursday PM, and then again on Friday. It would have been all too easy for her to enter the name by the deadline, but we just did not know. She did not read the congratulatory email. I opened it first and she did not read the whole thing. She was happy to hear me say she got in and went to her phone to text friends I guess, so all my fault really.

Others here say she'll be eaten alive. I am not too sure. For sure she would struggle mightily (everyone does), but she is quite capable (in my view, parent glasses). She is on Geometry, which she said is second year high school math, and on talented (don't want to say gifted because I consider that category something else) classification on all subjects in the APS classification system. That's something, even if not enough for TJ survival.

As you noted about colleges, I am also very familiar with the deadlines of elite graduate schools, and their flexibility within reason. I have been granted at least one waiver (Georgia Tech on TOEFL), and MIT on being late with a visa paper (they called me to ask if they could help as I did not have enough assets to show in a bank statement; they also waived a few other application documents).

TJs policy is as everyone says here, so my daughter and I can deal with that. I don't believe their being strict is about being a great, sough after school, just that it is their policy. That said, being an elite school provides the blanket to be more strict with rejections. They can always find someone of equal or higher quality.

I would be interested in forming a group, but that makes only two. Your points are great suggestions, it must be said.

Her MS gets a few each year, and I am happy to encourage their team to send reminder emails next year.

I posted above about how my child's guidance counsler reminded them to do this, TWICE. I personally could have easily forgotten as well and anyone suggesting an eighth grader isn't cut out for TJ due to this oversight is downright obnoxious and off base. No reminder emails were sent, in what day in age does this not happen?. If they are going to be so strict about this artificial deadline, then they really have no excuse not to send out a clear reminder email.

Have you talked to your child's guidance counselor? Maybe they can help advocate on your child's behalf.

[Anonymous]

we have 4 members in the group. if you are interested in joining in that group to petition, you can email me (sp0616 at agillence.net ) replace at with @ symbol

[Anonymous]

In Loudoun, we were not reminded like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I posted above about how my child's guidance counsler reminded them to do this, TWICE. I personally could have easily forgotten as well and anyone suggesting an eighth grader isn't cut out for TJ due to this oversight is downright obnoxious and off base. No reminder emails were sent, in what day in age does this not happen?. If they are going to be so strict about this artificial deadline, then they really have no excuse not to send out a clear reminder email.

Have you talked to your child's guidance counselor? Maybe they can help advocate on your child's behalf.

Which is your child's school? Also we now have 5 people in the group and we are planning to do group representation to TJ Admissions and to FCPS board.

If you or any of your friends who missed this deadline, you can email me (sp0616 at agillence.net ) replace at with @ symbol

[Anonymous]

Don't beat yourself up about this. Real world - no one gives a fcuk where you went to high school. On a job interview, no one will ask her where she went for high school. Only college counts. Don't fcuk those deadlines up.

I know there is a ton of hype about TJ in VA but there are tons of good high schools and if you are a competitive snob etc. you can still go to an Ivy League without TJ. Go have a glass of wine and forget about it. Don't stress.

[Anonymous]

We do not need to change timelines. 2/11 is teacher recommendation deadline.

[Anonymous]

The group idea and petitioning the school board is embarrassing. You have no grounds for appeal. You missed a deadline stayed clearly in the letter. Yes, it would have been nice for your school to remind you but it is not common. No, it is not reasonable to expect TJ Admissions to remind you.

I feel sorry for your children. I know they will adjust and have a great 9th grade at their base school. If they are still interested, they can apply again next year. Remember they hadn’t been granted admission; just semifinal status.

Alll the best to your kids.

[Anonymous]

I am confused with what OP said in her original post.

1. There's no congratulatory email. There was a email to let you know that you can now log-in to see the decision. There is a congratulation message under the Application Decision tab but no separated email.

2. Why is missing the deadline the parents' responsibility. The student has to initiate the application process and enter all information. Parents are informed to confirm and pay admission fee. I personally think it is specifically designed this way so they can see how the student handles the application process.

3. They do have a tool to help managing the application progress on the application site. If you or your student had spent time navigate the application site, under the tab of Application Progress, they have applicable deadline dates & time listed. I have my son check here every time he submitted something electronically to see it got recorded accordingly.

4. The teacher need to fill out the recommendation online. I guess the teachers can only get the email instruction if the student input their info online. Since you missed the deadline, the teachers won't get the email to write the online recommendation for your student. Maybe the teacher can override the system but I doubt it.

Of course you can try to appeal the decision however I don't think you have much ground.

By the way, did you also missed the Applicant Newsletter Class of 2023 posted on the site? It has a Dates to Remember Column and the first one is the Teacher Rec Info. In the What's Next Session also gives a very detail description of the tasks need to be complete.

Anonymous wrote:We were lucky to have our daughter quality as a TJ semifinalist this year. Unfortunately, we missed the teacher name entry deadline last Friday (name entry, not the final recommendation text) for TJHSST. The admission director said we have to pull out from the application and cannot continue. I was searching for an appeal process but most links lead nowhere.

In our household, I was responsible for TJ date tracking. I completely missed the Jan 25th date in the congratulatory email, and was surprised when we checked Sunday evening. All along we thought she could talk to her teachers this week. She already had two teachers in mind last week, but we were oblivious to the Friday deadline, else we could have done the name entry that day. Between a couple of school tests last week, my daughter was preparing for the essays on the 9th.

We now have to withdraw from the process. It is heartbreaking --and I will feel guilty forever-- to deny her a chance to test for a TJ spot because of a missed name entry (because I missed a sentence while overjoyed reading the email ; I remember thinking, ok, the next date we have to know is the 9th). But the official response was a very dry you can't continue.

Is anyone familiar with an appeal? The appeal is not on the selection, just to be allowed to continue to the essay exam. Her teachers already agreed to write a recommendation.

Appreciate any tips. Thank you.

(This is probably a unique case so it would be easy to identify me, but will try to be anon.)

[Anonymous]

Sorry this happened and I think is shitty of people to say this is a way to weed kids like yours out. It is not. Yes, the deadline was there for a reason and by virtue of it, it will weed people out. It won’t weed people “like your kids” out though. Every family does things differently. Some have their kids cook. Some have their kids for their own scheduling. You happen to say you’d do the scheduling and messed up. In another thread, a mom double booked an academic team and a dance team competition the same days and times. Mistakes happen. This one was a bad one and I’m sorry it happened and sorry people are trying to make this a negative statement about your kid. It isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Children mature at different ages. They can’t be solely responsible for these deadlines. And certainly we don’t need to kick someone when they are down. I have a DC at TJ and believe me DC would have missed this deadline if I haven’t reminded DC. But nevertheless he successful there and belongs there.

To OP, I’m sorry this has happened to you. If you think it’s the right place then please look next year to apply again.

[Anonymous]

High school Counselors (including TJ) tells their students applying to colleges that do not panic about counselor or teacher recommendations reaching colleges on time.

Colleges admissions have more common sense than current TJ admissions staff and also many people who are commenting nonsense in this thread.

Have you every gone to college? If you do, then you may be knowing that all colleges do give consideration for missed deadlines for additional materials like recommendations.

Worst case scenario, recommendations have some weight-age in the admissions and late submitters may be penalized for that part. But can not take away complete opportunity for one mistake like this.