Disappointed by TJ decision?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an incoming freshman to TJ next year, and I had a few questions about the whole admissions thing. When I went to school today, there was a lot of talk about TJ and who got in and who didn't. From what I've heard, incredibly cracked students didn't get into TJ? I'm talking nationally competing in math, chess, science fair winners, and definitely fitting into the top 1.5% of students. I asked a math kid today and she said that TJ was planning on demagnetizing (mentioned in a school board meeting?), and that these were the first steps to doing so: rejecting/waitlisting all the actually good kids (not sure why they are waitlisting if that's the goal?). Then the top kids would stay in their base schools, make the bad schools better, as there is more competition, and bring them all up as a whole. So even if she got accepted to TJ, it wouldn't be beneficial to her as "the only reason to go there is for the competition and the ecosystem". Which is why TJ is accepting the most mediocre students, which is why i got in. All of these are her words, not mine. It made a little sense though. So, I asked another top tier student next block. He glared at me first, but after I told him I actually want his thoughts on it, he told me that "it's a lottery, they don't want students in STEM anymore" and went back to his chess game. Well, slightly differing opinion. Is TJ really a normal high school now? Is there no point in going anymore? Will this freshman year be nothing but unneeded stress, low scores, but still just a normal high school? The students who got into TJ at our school were in SCA, volunteered, wrote, coded, had a business, were in mathcounts, and/or all county chorus/strings (we're all asian so I doubt it's anything to do with 'evening it out'). None of these students are true toppers like the other kids, so it's unusual that we got in. We are good students, but we're not geniuses. The admissions is really weird this year, and I was wondering what they've changed and if there's a point in going, is it a better community of students now, or was it before? Is it really a lottery? How much of what I've heard is true? Is TJ even right for me if I was accepted to advance their plans without even earning it? Thank you for reading.

Congratulations on your admission to TJ. I would strongly recommend that you talk to students at the school and disregard much of what you read here. As for your peers, remember that you don’t know what they wrote in their essays. They may have had a bad day, or may not have written a compelling story as to why they would be a good fit for TJ. You, apparently, did, which is a testament to your skill.

Thank you stranger for guiding a kid in the right direction.
I know of a really smart kid at DS school who had a bad day on the exam and did not make it to TJ. I reckon even the smallest thing can potentially make a difference from the admission committee's viewpoint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why TJ doesn’t reveal their actual admission process? Why sharing misleading information? Many kids at DC’s school are disheartened to know that students with F grade and b grade are getting into TJ.

F student? I doubt they were admitted.

I was amazed to know this too but a classmate of that student knows that kid got an F. My DC also know a kid who got in and has a B in one subject and got in as too 1.5% and DC has all As and still couldn’t get in. What’s going on?

F's are the new A's. My straight F student got in too.

minimum GPa requirement is 3.5 to apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an incoming freshman to TJ next year, and I had a few questions about the whole admissions thing. When I went to school today, there was a lot of talk about TJ and who got in and who didn't. From what I've heard, incredibly cracked students didn't get into TJ? I'm talking nationally competing in math, chess, science fair winners, and definitely fitting into the top 1.5% of students. I asked a math kid today and she said that TJ was planning on demagnetizing (mentioned in a school board meeting?), and that these were the first steps to doing so: rejecting/waitlisting all the actually good kids (not sure why they are waitlisting if that's the goal?). Then the top kids would stay in their base schools, make the bad schools better, as there is more competition, and bring them all up as a whole. So even if she got accepted to TJ, it wouldn't be beneficial to her as "the only reason to go there is for the competition and the ecosystem". Which is why TJ is accepting the most mediocre students, which is why i got in. All of these are her words, not mine. It made a little sense though. So, I asked another top tier student next block. He glared at me first, but after I told him I actually want his thoughts on it, he told me that "it's a lottery, they don't want students in STEM anymore" and went back to his chess game. Well, slightly differing opinion. Is TJ really a normal high school now? Is there no point in going anymore? Will this freshman year be nothing but unneeded stress, low scores, but still just a normal high school? The students who got into TJ at our school were in SCA, volunteered, wrote, coded, had a business, were in mathcounts, and/or all county chorus/strings (we're all asian so I doubt it's anything to do with 'evening it out'). None of these students are true toppers like the other kids, so it's unusual that we got in. We are good students, but we're not geniuses. The admissions is really weird this year, and I was wondering what they've changed and if there's a point in going, is it a better community of students now, or was it before? Is it really a lottery? How much of what I've heard is true? Is TJ even right for me if I was accepted to advance their plans without even earning it? Thank you for reading.

Congratulations on your admission to TJ. I would strongly recommend that you talk to students at the school and disregard much of what you read here. As for your peers, remember that you don’t know what they wrote in their essays. They may have had a bad day, or may not have written a compelling story as to why they would be a good fit for TJ. You, apparently, did, which is a testament to your skill.

Thank you stranger for guiding a kid in the right direction.
I know of a really smart kid at DS school who had a bad day on the exam and did not make it to TJ. I reckon even the smallest thing can potentially make a difference from the admission committee's viewpoint.

this is concerning, a single essay performance determines someone's life!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an incoming freshman to TJ next year, and I had a few questions about the whole admissions thing. When I went to school today, there was a lot of talk about TJ and who got in and who didn't. From what I've heard, incredibly cracked students didn't get into TJ? I'm talking nationally competing in math, chess, science fair winners, and definitely fitting into the top 1.5% of students. I asked a math kid today and she said that TJ was planning on demagnetizing (mentioned in a school board meeting?), and that these were the first steps to doing so: rejecting/waitlisting all the actually good kids (not sure why they are waitlisting if that's the goal?). Then the top kids would stay in their base schools, make the bad schools better, as there is more competition, and bring them all up as a whole. So even if she got accepted to TJ, it wouldn't be beneficial to her as "the only reason to go there is for the competition and the ecosystem". Which is why TJ is accepting the most mediocre students, which is why i got in. All of these are her words, not mine. It made a little sense though. So, I asked another top tier student next block. He glared at me first, but after I told him I actually want his thoughts on it, he told me that "it's a lottery, they don't want students in STEM anymore" and went back to his chess game. Well, slightly differing opinion. Is TJ really a normal high school now? Is there no point in going anymore? Will this freshman year be nothing but unneeded stress, low scores, but still just a normal high school? The students who got into TJ at our school were in SCA, volunteered, wrote, coded, had a business, were in mathcounts, and/or all county chorus/strings (we're all asian so I doubt it's anything to do with 'evening it out'). None of these students are true toppers like the other kids, so it's unusual that we got in. We are good students, but we're not geniuses. The admissions is really weird this year, and I was wondering what they've changed and if there's a point in going, is it a better community of students now, or was it before? Is it really a lottery? How much of what I've heard is true? Is TJ even right for me if I was accepted to advance their plans without even earning it? Thank you for reading.

Congratulations on your admission to TJ. I would strongly recommend that you talk to students at the school and disregard much of what you read here. As for your peers, remember that you don’t know what they wrote in their essays. They may have had a bad day, or may not have written a compelling story as to why they would be a good fit for TJ. You, apparently, did, which is a testament to your skill.

This is concerning, performance in a single essay performance determines someone's life/carreer!! Disregarding years of hard work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an incoming freshman to TJ next year, and I had a few questions about the whole admissions thing. When I went to school today, there was a lot of talk about TJ and who got in and who didn't. From what I've heard, incredibly cracked students didn't get into TJ? I'm talking nationally competing in math, chess, science fair winners, and definitely fitting into the top 1.5% of students. I asked a math kid today and she said that TJ was planning on demagnetizing (mentioned in a school board meeting?), and that these were the first steps to doing so: rejecting/waitlisting all the actually good kids (not sure why they are waitlisting if that's the goal?). Then the top kids would stay in their base schools, make the bad schools better, as there is more competition, and bring them all up as a whole. So even if she got accepted to TJ, it wouldn't be beneficial to her as "the only reason to go there is for the competition and the ecosystem". Which is why TJ is accepting the most mediocre students, which is why i got in. All of these are her words, not mine. It made a little sense though. So, I asked another top tier student next block. He glared at me first, but after I told him I actually want his thoughts on it, he told me that "it's a lottery, they don't want students in STEM anymore" and went back to his chess game. Well, slightly differing opinion. Is TJ really a normal high school now? Is there no point in going anymore? Will this freshman year be nothing but unneeded stress, low scores, but still just a normal high school? The students who got into TJ at our school were in SCA, volunteered, wrote, coded, had a business, were in mathcounts, and/or all county chorus/strings (we're all asian so I doubt it's anything to do with 'evening it out'). None of these students are true toppers like the other kids, so it's unusual that we got in. We are good students, but we're not geniuses. The admissions is really weird this year, and I was wondering what they've changed and if there's a point in going, is it a better community of students now, or was it before? Is it really a lottery? How much of what I've heard is true? Is TJ even right for me if I was accepted to advance their plans without even earning it? Thank you for reading.

Congratulations on your admission to TJ. I would strongly recommend that you talk to students at the school and disregard much of what you read here. As for your peers, remember that you don’t know what they wrote in their essays. They may have had a bad day, or may not have written a compelling story as to why they would be a good fit for TJ. You, apparently, did, which is a testament to your skill.

Thank you stranger for guiding a kid in the right direction.
I know of a really smart kid at DS school who had a bad day on the exam and did not make it to TJ. I reckon even the smallest thing can potentially make a difference from the admission committee's viewpoint.

this is concerning, a single essay performance determines someone's life!!

Admission to TJ and/or elite college does not determine someone’s life. Slow your roll.

[Anonymous]

TJ admission process is crooked!

My DC is on WL. DC is in AAP center but not a TJ feeding school. DC is all As in 7th, 8th grade, Took Algebra I honor, Geometry honor and Algebra II honor all As, DC is definitely 1.5% and did well on the test too. DC also study pre-calculus and calculus, but DC's base high school doesn't offer class, so no way DC can take advanced class. DC is very much into geoscience, did quite a lot of research by himself. The kids DC knows who get admitted to TJ, there is no way to compare to him. We are typical mid class and have very limit resource, we are Asian, but not like some post says, we didn't spent money from pre classes. One of DC's friend mocking at DC that DC should fill in Mix as the race and select low income, which makes DC feel really sad.

Questions: the admission said they will select top 1.5% students from each school, but how come the other schools like Long fellow, Carson got some many offers? The population of each school is about the same, slightly different. But the head count is different, why it is so different and the admission claims for equity.

The result is disappointed, but what can we do? I told my DC no matter what, you will be a shining star any where.

[Anonymous]

It is 1.5% minimum from each school that are included in the allocated seats. But some schools (like Carson, Longfellow) have more number of qualified kids so those are included in the unallocated seats and thus may get admitted. So each school has 1.5% of students + any additional qualified kids, that's why final number from each school is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ admission process is crooked!

My DC is on WL. DC is in AAP center but not a TJ feeding school. DC is all As in 7th, 8th grade, Took Algebra I honor, Geometry honor and Algebra II honor all As, DC is definitely 1.5% and did well on the test too. DC also study pre-calculus and calculus, but DC's base high school doesn't offer class, so no way DC can take advanced class. DC is very much into geoscience, did quite a lot of research by himself. The kids DC knows who get admitted to TJ, there is no way to compare to him. We are typical mid class and have very limit resource, we are Asian, but not like some post says, we didn't spent money from pre classes. One of DC's friend mocking at DC that DC should fill in Mix as the race and select low income, which makes DC feel really sad.

Questions: the admission said they will select top 1.5% students from each school, but how come the other schools like Long fellow, Carson got some many offers? The population of each school is about the same, slightly different. But the head count is different, why it is so different and the admission claims for equity.

The result is disappointed, but what can we do? I told my DC no matter what, you will be a shining star any where.

Once they fill the 1.5% requirement there's something like 50% of the seats left which just go to whoever wasn't picked in order of their ranking. I know it's not much consolation but it could just boil down to they liked someone else's essays better. This doesn't make your child any less deserving or bright. In the end they'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ admission process is crooked!

My DC is on WL. DC is in AAP center but not a TJ feeding school. DC is all As in 7th, 8th grade, Took Algebra I honor, Geometry honor and Algebra II honor all As, DC is definitely 1.5% and did well on the test too. DC also study pre-calculus and calculus, but DC's base high school doesn't offer class, so no way DC can take advanced class. DC is very much into geoscience, did quite a lot of research by himself. The kids DC knows who get admitted to TJ, there is no way to compare to him. We are typical mid class and have very limit resource, we are Asian, but not like some post says, we didn't spent money from pre classes. One of DC's friend mocking at DC that DC should fill in Mix as the race and select low income, which makes DC feel really sad.

Questions: the admission said they will select top 1.5% students from each school, but how come the other schools like Long fellow, Carson got some many offers? The population of each school is about the same, slightly different. But the head count is different, why it is so different and the admission claims for equity.

The result is disappointed, but what can we do? I told my DC no matter what, you will be a shining star any where.

Because
1. Their stem clubs are competitive
2. Their overall grading standards are high. Students in other schools get an A easily.
3. They have science Olympiad, robotics maths and other clubs. Some schools don’t have any SO clubs.
4. Favorite schools over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an incoming freshman to TJ next year, and I had a few questions about the whole admissions thing. When I went to school today, there was a lot of talk about TJ and who got in and who didn't. From what I've heard, incredibly cracked students didn't get into TJ? I'm talking nationally competing in math, chess, science fair winners, and definitely fitting into the top 1.5% of students. I asked a math kid today and she said that TJ was planning on demagnetizing (mentioned in a school board meeting?), and that these were the first steps to doing so: rejecting/waitlisting all the actually good kids (not sure why they are waitlisting if that's the goal?). Then the top kids would stay in their base schools, make the bad schools better, as there is more competition, and bring them all up as a whole. So even if she got accepted to TJ, it wouldn't be beneficial to her as "the only reason to go there is for the competition and the ecosystem". Which is why TJ is accepting the most mediocre students, which is why i got in. All of these are her words, not mine. It made a little sense though. So, I asked another top tier student next block. He glared at me first, but after I told him I actually want his thoughts on it, he told me that "it's a lottery, they don't want students in STEM anymore" and went back to his chess game. Well, slightly differing opinion. Is TJ really a normal high school now? Is there no point in going anymore? Will this freshman year be nothing but unneeded stress, low scores, but still just a normal high school? The students who got into TJ at our school were in SCA, volunteered, wrote, coded, had a business, were in mathcounts, and/or all county chorus/strings (we're all asian so I doubt it's anything to do with 'evening it out'). None of these students are true toppers like the other kids, so it's unusual that we got in. We are good students, but we're not geniuses. The admissions is really weird this year, and I was wondering what they've changed and if there's a point in going, is it a better community of students now, or was it before? Is it really a lottery? How much of what I've heard is true? Is TJ even right for me if I was accepted to advance their plans without even earning it? Thank you for reading.

Congratulations on your admission to TJ. I would strongly recommend that you talk to students at the school and disregard much of what you read here. As for your peers, remember that you don’t know what they wrote in their essays. They may have had a bad day, or may not have written a compelling story as to why they would be a good fit for TJ. You, apparently, did, which is a testament to your skill.

This is concerning, performance in a single essay performance determines someone's life/carreer!! Disregarding years of hard work.

Single math test should not determine student's life either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an incoming freshman to TJ next year, and I had a few questions about the whole admissions thing. When I went to school today, there was a lot of talk about TJ and who got in and who didn't. From what I've heard, incredibly cracked students didn't get into TJ? I'm talking nationally competing in math, chess, science fair winners, and definitely fitting into the top 1.5% of students. I asked a math kid today and she said that TJ was planning on demagnetizing (mentioned in a school board meeting?), and that these were the first steps to doing so: rejecting/waitlisting all the actually good kids (not sure why they are waitlisting if that's the goal?). Then the top kids would stay in their base schools, make the bad schools better, as there is more competition, and bring them all up as a whole. So even if she got accepted to TJ, it wouldn't be beneficial to her as "the only reason to go there is for the competition and the ecosystem". Which is why TJ is accepting the most mediocre students, which is why i got in. All of these are her words, not mine. It made a little sense though. So, I asked another top tier student next block. He glared at me first, but after I told him I actually want his thoughts on it, he told me that "it's a lottery, they don't want students in STEM anymore" and went back to his chess game. Well, slightly differing opinion. Is TJ really a normal high school now? Is there no point in going anymore? Will this freshman year be nothing but unneeded stress, low scores, but still just a normal high school? The students who got into TJ at our school were in SCA, volunteered, wrote, coded, had a business, were in mathcounts, and/or all county chorus/strings (we're all asian so I doubt it's anything to do with 'evening it out'). None of these students are true toppers like the other kids, so it's unusual that we got in. We are good students, but we're not geniuses. The admissions is really weird this year, and I was wondering what they've changed and if there's a point in going, is it a better community of students now, or was it before? Is it really a lottery? How much of what I've heard is true? Is TJ even right for me if I was accepted to advance their plans without even earning it? Thank you for reading.

Congrats on your acceptance! I would not look to this board for guidance on what is true/not true or what YOUR experience will be. Try to talk to current students, explore the curriculum options, and do what feels right for you. You earned a spot in the class based on your GPA and the strength of your essays. Do not let someone tell you that you don't belong without ever stepping foot into the building if its what you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ admission process is crooked!

My DC is on WL. DC is in AAP center but not a TJ feeding school. DC is all As in 7th, 8th grade, Took Algebra I honor, Geometry honor and Algebra II honor all As, DC is definitely 1.5% and did well on the test too. DC also study pre-calculus and calculus, but DC's base high school doesn't offer class, so no way DC can take advanced class. DC is very much into geoscience, did quite a lot of research by himself. The kids DC knows who get admitted to TJ, there is no way to compare to him. We are typical mid class and have very limit resource, we are Asian, but not like some post says, we didn't spent money from pre classes. One of DC's friend mocking at DC that DC should fill in Mix as the race and select low income, which makes DC feel really sad.

Questions: the admission said they will select top 1.5% students from each school, but how come the other schools like Long fellow, Carson got some many offers? The population of each school is about the same, slightly different. But the head count is different, why it is so different and the admission claims for equity.

The result is disappointed, but what can we do? I told my DC no matter what, you will be a shining star any where.

Because
1. Their stem clubs are competitive
2. Their overall grading standards are high. Students in other schools get an A easily.
3. They have science Olympiad, robotics maths and other clubs. Some schools don’t have any SO clubs.
4. Favorite schools over the years.

Makes no senses.

Their stem clubs are competitive, while DC's school doesn't have, does it means DC won't be doing well if he has the opportunity? Of course not.

Grading standards are high for Longfellow and Carson? Don't think so. DC had couple elementary school classmates who went to Carson and Longfellow, and they talked about the difficulties of the course, not much difference. One good example is the Geometry honor, it is a countywide test. If the grading standards are different, there are discrimination there already.

Again, our school doesn't have all these fancy clubs like SO, AMC, which further makes it discriminated factor if TJ take into consideration.

Favorite schools over the years? What about other schools now? Are they trying to change this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ admission process is crooked!

My DC is on WL. DC is in AAP center but not a TJ feeding school. DC is all As in 7th, 8th grade, Took Algebra I honor, Geometry honor and Algebra II honor all As, DC is definitely 1.5% and did well on the test too. DC also study pre-calculus and calculus, but DC's base high school doesn't offer class, so no way DC can take advanced class. DC is very much into geoscience, did quite a lot of research by himself. The kids DC knows who get admitted to TJ, there is no way to compare to him. We are typical mid class and have very limit resource, we are Asian, but not like some post says, we didn't spent money from pre classes. One of DC's friend mocking at DC that DC should fill in Mix as the race and select low income, which makes DC feel really sad.

Questions: the admission said they will select top 1.5% students from each school, but how come the other schools like Long fellow, Carson got some many offers? The population of each school is about the same, slightly different. But the head count is different, why it is so different and the admission claims for equity.

The result is disappointed, but what can we do? I told my DC no matter what, you will be a shining star any where.

we have the similar situation, also, Asian as well. is really 1.5% TOP STUDENTS AT MS WILL GET IN? I just told my DC we can't do anything, and you have right to feel sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ admission process is crooked!

My DC is on WL. DC is in AAP center but not a TJ feeding school. DC is all As in 7th, 8th grade, Took Algebra I honor, Geometry honor and Algebra II honor all As, DC is definitely 1.5% and did well on the test too. DC also study pre-calculus and calculus, but DC's base high school doesn't offer class, so no way DC can take advanced class. DC is very much into geoscience, did quite a lot of research by himself. The kids DC knows who get admitted to TJ, there is no way to compare to him. We are typical mid class and have very limit resource, we are Asian, but not like some post says, we didn't spent money from pre classes. One of DC's friend mocking at DC that DC should fill in Mix as the race and select low income, which makes DC feel really sad.

Questions: the admission said they will select top 1.5% students from each school, but how come the other schools like Long fellow, Carson got some many offers? The population of each school is about the same, slightly different. But the head count is different, why it is so different and the admission claims for equity.

The result is disappointed, but what can we do? I told my DC no matter what, you will be a shining star any where.

Because
1. Their stem clubs are competitive
2. Their overall grading standards are high. Students in other schools get an A easily.
3. They have science Olympiad, robotics maths and other clubs. Some schools don’t have any SO clubs.
4. Favorite schools over the years.

Makes no senses.

Their stem clubs are competitive, while DC's school doesn't have, does it means DC won't be doing well if he has the opportunity? Of course not.

Grading standards are high for Longfellow and Carson? Don't think so. DC had couple elementary school classmates who went to Carson and Longfellow, and they talked about the difficulties of the course, not much difference. One good example is the Geometry honor, it is a countywide test. If the grading standards are different, there are discrimination there already.

Again, our school doesn't have all these fancy clubs like SO, AMC, which further makes it discriminated factor if TJ take into consideration.

Favorite schools over the years? What about other schools now? Are they trying to change this?

Well this is known for my DC’s school. Every year they
Take less than 10!students from DC’s school. Unofficially there is discrimination in grading.

[Anonymous]

My kid got straight As and ended up on the waitlist. It's not a guarantee of anything.