Number of Applicants for TJ this year ?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why are applications going down?


My guess is that the commute too and fro is one of the biggest inhibitors.


They are going down because many families do not like the cheating culture. It also is not a kind place to girls, especially black/Hispanic/white girls.
Anonymous
I thought the applications would go back up when the renovations to TJ were completed, but that didn't really happen.

There is a definite downward trend in the volume of applications. As for why that is the case, the substantially lower admissions rate for non-Asian kids discourages other kids from applying and many simply look at what their base schools now have to offer and think they will be happier there with a shorter commute and less stress. Obviously they still turn away more than they accept, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I thought the applications would go back up when the renovations to TJ were completed, but that didn't really happen.

There is a definite downward trend in the volume of applications. As for why that is the case, the substantially lower admissions rate for non-Asian kids discourages other kids from applying and many simply look at what their base schools now have to offer and think they will be happier there with a shorter commute and less stress. Obviously they still turn away more than they accept, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.


It did - kind of. They went up to 3100 there for the class of 2022 - the first year of the current admissions process using the three exams and the Quant-Q. That was also, if memory serves, the first full year after the renovation was complete.
Anonymous
A big reason there are fewer applications is parents, school counselors, and students themselves realize that TJ is such a reach for them that it isn't worth even trying and having to face the rejection. Keep in mind for the class of 2023, there were 2789 students who took the exam and only 949 made it to the semi-final round.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:A big reason there are fewer applications is parents, school counselors, and students themselves realize that TJ is such a reach for them that it isn't worth even trying and having to face the rejection. Keep in mind for the class of 2023, there were 2789 students who took the exam and only 949 made it to the semi-final round.


Can you link those stats? I believe them, but I've been looking for confirmation...
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A big reason there are fewer applications is parents, school counselors, and students themselves realize that TJ is such a reach for them that it isn't worth even trying and having to face the rejection. Keep in mind for the class of 2023, there were 2789 students who took the exam and only 949 made it to the semi-final round.


Can you link those stats? I believe them, but I've been looking for confirmation...

These are 8th graders. They all look essentially identical in terms of GPA and classes taken. There is a HUGE TJ prep industry that tries to give a bit of differentiation. Most (over 50%) of the scoring used to select students is subjective evaluation of essays, recommendations and the student's info sheet and the prep places know what the evaluators are looking for. Most kids who are unaware of this are at a huge disadvantage. Many parents who push their kids into TJ are really not doing them a favor. They will find that their TJ grad will watch their base school peers get into colleges that rejected them.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A big reason there are fewer applications is parents, school counselors, and students themselves realize that TJ is such a reach for them that it isn't worth even trying and having to face the rejection. Keep in mind for the class of 2023, there were 2789 students who took the exam and only 949 made it to the semi-final round.


Can you link those stats? I believe them, but I've been looking for confirmation...

These are 8th graders. They all look essentially identical in terms of GPA and classes taken. There is a HUGE TJ prep industry that tries to give a bit of differentiation. Most (over 50%) of the scoring used to select students is subjective evaluation of essays, recommendations and the student's info sheet and the prep places know what the evaluators are looking for. Most kids who are unaware of this are at a huge disadvantage. Many parents who push their kids into TJ are really not doing them a favor. They will find that their TJ grad will watch their base school peers get into colleges that rejected them.


All of those other factors only come into play AFTER the semifinalists are selected by the exam, though. A student who gets a perfect score on the math and science exams but scores in the 74th national percentile on the ACT Aspire English is not advancing in the process as it currently exists.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A big reason there are fewer applications is parents, school counselors, and students themselves realize that TJ is such a reach for them that it isn't worth even trying and having to face the rejection. Keep in mind for the class of 2023, there were 2789 students who took the exam and only 949 made it to the semi-final round.


Can you link those stats? I believe them, but I've been looking for confirmation...

These are 8th graders. They all look essentially identical in terms of GPA and classes taken. There is a HUGE TJ prep industry that tries to give a bit of differentiation. Most (over 50%) of the scoring used to select students is subjective evaluation of essays, recommendations and the student's info sheet and the prep places know what the evaluators are looking for. Most kids who are unaware of this are at a huge disadvantage. Many parents who push their kids into TJ are really not doing them a favor. They will find that their TJ grad will watch their base school peers get into colleges that rejected them.


All of those other factors only come into play AFTER the semifinalists are selected by the exam, though. A student who gets a perfect score on the math and science exams but scores in the 74th national percentile on the ACT Aspire English is not advancing in the process as it currently exists.
Anonymous
TJ Applications (based on FCAG data, FCPS press releases, and other local blogs)

Class of 2008: 2634
Class of 2009: 2902
Class of 2010: 2795
Class of 2011: 2800
Class of 2012: 2577
Class of 2013: 2953
Class of 2014: 3115
Class of 2015: 3304
Class of 2016: 3423
Class of 2017: 3121
Class of 2018: 2900
Class of 2019: 2841
Class of 2020: 2868
Class of 2021: 2902
Class of 2022: 3161
Class of 2023: 2766
Class of 2024: 2539


Highest number of applications was for Class of 2016, who were admitted in the spring of 2012. Lowest was this past school year for the Class of 2024, down 26% from the peak for Class of 2016.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:TJ Applications (based on FCAG data, FCPS press releases, and other local blogs)

Class of 2008: 2634
Class of 2009: 2902
Class of 2010: 2795
Class of 2011: 2800
Class of 2012: 2577
Class of 2013: 2953
Class of 2014: 3115
Class of 2015: 3304
Class of 2016: 3423
Class of 2017: 3121
Class of 2018: 2900
Class of 2019: 2841
Class of 2020: 2868
Class of 2021: 2902
Class of 2022: 3161
Class of 2023: 2766
Class of 2024: 2539


Highest number of applications was for Class of 2016, who were admitted in the spring of 2012. Lowest was this past school year for the Class of 2024, down 26% from the peak for Class of 2016.


Also relevant: in June 2012, there were 13184 eighth grade students in FCPS, the largest participating jurisdiction in TJHSST. In June 2020, the number of eighth-grade students had increased to 14325.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:TJ Applications (based on FCAG data, FCPS press releases, and other local blogs)

Class of 2008: 2634
Class of 2009: 2902
Class of 2010: 2795
Class of 2011: 2800
Class of 2012: 2577
Class of 2013: 2953
Class of 2014: 3115
Class of 2015: 3304
Class of 2016: 3423
Class of 2017: 3121
Class of 2018: 2900
Class of 2019: 2841
Class of 2020: 2868
Class of 2021: 2902
Class of 2022: 3161
Class of 2023: 2766
Class of 2024: 2539


Highest number of applications was for Class of 2016, who were admitted in the spring of 2012. Lowest was this past school year for the Class of 2024, down 26% from the peak for Class of 2016.


Also relevant: in June 2012, there were 13184 eighth grade students in FCPS, the largest participating jurisdiction in TJHSST. In June 2020, the number of eighth-grade students had increased to 14325.


That’s an important statistic - perhaps even more important is the explosion in population (and my guess is, applications) from Loudoun County over that same time period. They’re basically building a new HS every other year for the last 15 years out there. I would bet the number of apps from FCPS has TANKED over the years. Tells you something when county students don’t want to attend the flagship high school.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:A big reason there are fewer applications is parents, school counselors, and students themselves realize that TJ is such a reach for them that it isn't worth even trying and having to face the rejection. Keep in mind for the class of 2023, there were 2789 students who took the exam and only 949 made it to the semi-final round.


What? That's 1 out of 3. I thought it would be like out 1 out of 10 or 15. That doesn't seem too competitive at all.
Anonymous
That's only 1/3 of the kids that think they have what it takes to make it TJ moving on to the semi-final round. That's a 66% fail rate - worse than any board or bar exam in the county in any profession. If it was 1 out 10 moving on to the next round you would only have 280 kids passing for a class of 490.
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