If a kid will fall in top 30-50% in TJ, is going to TJ a better idea
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Anonymous
Different poster in reply here (DP) - can you lend some more insight into why you feel it's unfair? |
Anonymous
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If your kid is not exceptionally talented in math, think fast and accurate- then don’t even think of going to TJ
U are then much better off at base school. TJ math exams are a booklet of hard problems in 60 min. |
Anonymous
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In my opinion, yes.
You can handle college after TJ. But, figure out your whole strategy and how to make better use of your education dollars. Have your plan Bs ready. What is the point of being a top performer in an average school, get into good college and then not being able to handle the hard majors or the rigor. No point in crashing and burning in college. |
Anonymous
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Go to TJ if you are Asian American. You will find it hard to get into top colleges from base HS even if you are top performers anywhere.
My kid had perfect grades, SATs, APs, ECs, research paper performance from a magnet school. He was top 1% in HS. Going to a TJ type of school for HS was amazing for him. Did not get into the top schools but got into a good enough school with merit aid. College, internships and job offers came easy to him. So, going to best HS is amazing. You are also cultivating a cohort of high achievers in HS who will be going to top colleges - even if you are not. These are your future network. |
Anonymous
The questions was why the opportunity was limited to smart kids. It may not catch all smart kids but that is an argument for expanding the program not lowering standards. |
Anonymous
The law of large numbers implies that a sample size this large was as representative in 20243 as it was in 2025. That combined with the fact that SAT scores dropped by 80 points is pretty good evidence that college outcomes declined. |
Anonymous
This person would like to make it easier for their kid to get in |
Anonymous
To this poster who wrote “SAT score dropped by 80 points” multiple times in every TJ thread (I know, you just want to emphasize it to make sure everyone read it). The SAT score dropped 80 points is because TJ kids from new admission is different kind of kids, of course they both the same kind of smart kids. Large percentage of old TJ kids got in because of heavy and costly test prep, and certainly they continue with heavy SAT prep to continue the rat race. It is no longer that way, and won’t be back that way pretty soon, no matter how hard you pushed to back to the glory of test prep industry. The “dropped SAT score” that you keep repeating doesn’t dismiss the intellectual quality of present TJ kids. SAT score is only one factor from many of college admission. |
Anonymous
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Go to TJ if your kid loves learning.
TJ provides opportunities to do and learn more than what base school offers. Don’t go to TJ if your goal is college prestige. Standard is high, classes are hard, curriculum is advanced, peers is very strong. |
Anonymous
Wait. You think the kids at TJ now aren't prepping for the SAT?!?! Are you stupid? Going from 1520 to 1440 is a pretty big drop, no matter how you try to spin it. Almost every Ivy+ school is going test required. |
Anonymous
I am the (stupid) poster your are referring too. I did not say TJ kids now aren’t prep for SAT, and I did not try to spin anything. TJ kids now is less of students that trained to test, as prior. And even though I am stupid, I know that in order to apply to Ivy you need to submit SAT score, but you also need to show your GPA, your HS, your rigor, classes taken, your achievement, essay, extracurricular, rec letter, economy background, social background, geography, and etc. Do you see my point? |
Anonymous
NP: I don’t see your point. You said: “The SAT score dropped 80 points is because TJ kids from new admission is different kind of kids, of course they both the same kind of smart kids. Large percentage of old TJ kids got in because of heavy and costly test prep, and certainly they continue with heavy SAT prep to continue the rat race. It is no longer that way, and won’t be back that way pretty soon, no matter how hard you pushed to back to the glory of test prep industry. The “dropped SAT score” that you keep repeating doesn’t dismiss the intellectual quality of present TJ kids.” 1 TJ is still a rat race (one reason for rampant cheating) 2. Your explanation makes zero sense. Kids under the old admission standard prepped for the sat/act and so do the new. The scores after ‘24 graduates finished are significantly down from prior scores. |
Anonymous
Are you implying that TJ catches the majority of smart kids in FCPS? |
Anonymous
DP. Oh man, this is a short post but there's a LOT to unpack here. 1) Yeah, the kids at TJ are still prepping for the SAT. But categorically I can tell you they're not doing so nearly as obsessively, and they also don't have the same resources to afford the same quality of bespoke prep as their predecessors (on balance because we're talking about a group-wide average). The SAT and all standardized tests have been demonstrably shown to favor affluent students even when controlling for intellect, so it should come as no surprise that a class that is significantly less wealthy would score worse (but still AMAZINGLY WELL!) on standardized exams. 2) Because test-taking ability is no longer a hard and fast requirement to get into TJ, you're far more likely to have a few kids who are bringing down that average significantly as a function of their lack of experience in the standardized testing universe. My SAT score improved by 100 points - to over 1500 - the second time I took it, and I did no additional prep from round 1 to round 2. 3) With regard to almost every Ivy school going test-required... that's fine, but the deeply experienced admissions officers there aren't simply making decisions based on a student's SAT scores. They are paid handsomely to look at the student's entire profile, of which testing is one small part that feeds into a broader narrative including the student's personal circumstances. And lastly - your original point was that "TJ college admissions outcomes are declining". And a big part of the evidence you're citing is those Instagram accounts. As embarrassing as that choice is on its face, it also has an additional flaw: You cannot assume - especially in today's less-wealthy TJ environment - that TJ students are matriculating to the most prestigious school to which they're admitted. More and more TJ families are making college choices based on the value proposition, and some TJ students are accepting scholarships to go to less-prestigious schools or are simply choosing less expensive in-state options. GMU is becoming more popular at TJ, partly because of its rapidly growing cybersecurity program but also because kids can stay home rather than paying to live on or near campus. You can't assume that TJ kids aren't getting admitted to elite schools just because they're not choosing to attend them. |
Anonymous
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There's probably about the same amount of SAT prep at TJ now than there was before. The kids who are naturally very bright don't need any prep to earn NMSF or a 1500+ SAT/35+ ACT.
My kid is bright but not some sort of super genius. They got NMSF, a 1520 SAT, and a 36 ACT with no prep and as a one-and-done for each. Before the admissions change, the top half of the TJ kids only prepped to push their natural 1500 up to a 1580+. There was otherwise no need to prep. A 1440 average SAT score for a school like TJ is pathetic, no matter how you spin it. Any TJ worthy kid should be able to score above a 1440, even if they took the test cold. |