Tjhsst is it worth it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing about TJ is it is a lot like MIT. The students are amazing. The facilities are great. The teaching...Meh. The thing about TJ is the kids learn on their own (or in groups).

Just like MIT. Faculty at MIT are rated not for teaching but for research. That is their focus. If you want good college teaching, go to a school that focuses on teaching, not research. I went to both -- started at a small school, transferred to a major research school (not MIT, but close). At the small school, the professors were interested in the undergrads...they would include them in research, and it was important to see them learn. At the research school, I was an annoyance.

At TJ, the teachers are judged by student performance, but guess what? Almost all perform. It takes no effort to teach at TJ -- tell them what you are going to teach for the next week, and the kids will learn it.

I am one who thinks TJ is not worth is. MIT is not worth it (for undergrad; grad is a research degree and a different story).

While the facilities are good at TJ, most students -- even TJ students -- do not have the experience to take advantage of those.

I'm really curious about this because I posted earlier that I thought the one good reason to go to TJ was for a kid who's into STEM to have access to the equipment and facilities. Are you speaking from experience? Don't they train the kids? Who uses all that stuff, then?

I don't think that poster knew what they were talking about. I am a TJ grad. I can say that the part of the TJ experience is learning how to use all of the fancy equipment properly. The teachers are not doing independent research with them.

I maybe could have been clearer. The students at TJ are not doing any research that requires the equipment. They may learn how to use it, but they will not have the intellectual guidance to formulate questions that require that level of equipment to answer.

My kid used lots of the equipment, including the electron microscope, for his senior research project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW: Stats for McLean HS for 2015:

VPI 160/101/40
W&M 94/47/18
UVA 134/50/31

So almost 20% of MHS go to these three schools.

Omg, not to hijack this thread but only 50/134 McLean HS students got into UVA?! My kids are younger but I didn't realize it was that competitive. We are only budgeting for state schools.

Your kids should aim for TJ since TJ typically average about 190 acceptances per year. Some TJ kids take the minimum required math and science courses.

[Anonymous]

My kid says TJ was worth it but too much studying. He thinks college will be much easier!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid says TJ was worth it but too much studying. He thinks college will be much easier!

Is he going to comm college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW: Stats for McLean HS for 2015:

VPI 160/101/40
W&M 94/47/18
UVA 134/50/31

So almost 20% of MHS go to these three schools.

Omg, not to hijack this thread but only 50/134 McLean HS students got into UVA?! My kids are younger but I didn't realize it was that competitive. We are only budgeting for state schools.

Your kids should aim for TJ since TJ typically average about 190 acceptances per year. Some TJ kids take the minimum required math and science courses.

50/134 is pretty good given the quotas for Nova.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid says TJ was worth it but too much studying. He thinks college will be much easier!

Is he going to comm college?

He is going to a university considered one of the best in the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid says TJ was worth it but too much studying. He thinks college will be much easier!

Is he going to comm college?

He is going to a university considered one of the best in the world.

Many TJ kids say college is easier for them because they have already been working at such a high level throughout high school. These are kids at top colleges.
Best wishes to your son as he goes off to college!

[Anonymous]

stupid kids with big heads, stupid parents with big heads...

[Anonymous]

My husband went to Princeton and for about five years interviewed kids from there who applied. Not one got in. And he gave positive reviews for most.

[Anonymous]

My partner interviewed locally for Harvard and was very surprised to find that so many TJ applicants were offered admission compared to other area high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My partner interviewed locally for Harvard and was very surprised to find that so many TJ applicants were offered admission compared to other area high schools.

This.can't.be.right.

[Anonymous]

PP, well it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, well it is.

So, how many from TJ to H? I believe it when I see the data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing about TJ is it is a lot like MIT. The students are amazing. The facilities are great. The teaching...Meh. The thing about TJ is the kids learn on their own (or in groups).

Just like MIT. Faculty at MIT are rated not for teaching but for research. That is their focus. If you want good college teaching, go to a school that focuses on teaching, not research. I went to both -- started at a small school, transferred to a major research school (not MIT, but close). At the small school, the professors were interested in the undergrads...they would include them in research, and it was important to see them learn. At the research school, I was an annoyance.

At TJ, the teachers are judged by student performance, but guess what? Almost all perform. It takes no effort to teach at TJ -- tell them what you are going to teach for the next week, and the kids will learn it.

I am one who thinks TJ is not worth is. MIT is not worth it (for undergrad; grad is a research degree and a different story).

While the facilities are good at TJ, most students -- even TJ students -- do not have the experience to take advantage of those.

I'm really curious about this because I posted earlier that I thought the one good reason to go to TJ was for a kid who's into STEM to have access to the equipment and facilities. Are you speaking from experience? Don't they train the kids? Who uses all that stuff, then?

I don't think that poster knew what they were talking about. I am a TJ grad. I can say that the part of the TJ experience is learning how to use all of the fancy equipment properly. The teachers are not doing independent research with them.

I maybe could have been clearer. The students at TJ are not doing any research that requires the equipment. They may learn how to use it, but they will not have the intellectual guidance to formulate questions that require that level of equipment to answer.

Do you think this is because the teachers are not providing sufficient guidance, or because most of the kids do not have a sufficient foundational background in the subjects they're investigating to formulate questions that don't reinvent the wheel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My partner interviewed locally for Harvard and was very surprised to find that so many TJ applicants were offered admission compared to other area high schools.

Sara Kim doesn't count!!!