Disappointed by TJ decision?

[Anonymous]

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

Nor should it be!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

If this is true, why don't they use SOL or iready to evaluate the applicants? So no difference between schools.

[Anonymous]

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.

That’s literally impossible. They wouldn’t be eligible and you’re making things up.

A single F for a quarter wouldn't make a student ineligible. However, we can assume that such a student probably doesn't have all As outside that.
It is the equivalent of getting 4 Bs. Maybe not even that, as they take year grades, so it's possible F in a quarter will balance out to a B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this true? If all the grades need to average to 3.5 in order to meet the benchmark in order to apply, then for the admissions committee, there is no difference between a 3.5 and 4.0 student and other factors are considered.

It is not true. You need a 3.5 to apply, but your actual GPA is considered.

It is considered, but it is a low weight compared to essays or getting free meals.

[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?

They don't consider any of those things other than GPA. If grading is easier at those schools then they will have more students meeting the minimum standards to apply. The key factors are the essay and test question, as well as any extras like do you get free meals or have a learning handicap.

[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.

Hmm, I am thinking I know who you are, but not sure. You would have seen me at the library and at school after a basketball tournament. Feel free to send me an e-mail to talk about this.

[Anonymous]

Even for the feeder schools, same thing happens. The very top students get waitlisted or even rejected while average students get in.
The main reason your child is on WL is not that he is not from a feeder school, but that he is a top student.
For top students, the admission is even worse than pure lottery. Everyone gets the same chance in lottery. But now, top students are in a worse position than average students.

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even for the feeder schools, same thing happens. The very top students get waitlisted or even rejected while average students get in.
The main reason your child is on WL is not that he is not from a feeder school, but that he is a top student.
For top students, the admission is even worse than pure lottery. Everyone gets the same chance in lottery. But now, top students are in a worse position than average students.

No, that's not how statistics works. Or admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even for the feeder schools, same thing happens. The very top students get waitlisted or even rejected while average students get in.
The main reason your child is on WL is not that he is not from a feeder school, but that he is a top student.
For top students, the admission is even worse than pure lottery. Everyone gets the same chance in lottery. But now, top students are in a worse position than average students.

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.

I won't agree. What I heard is Carson got 80 seats so far and Longfellow got 40 seats, compare to population, my DD's school is around 1000, slight less than Carson and LongFellow, but DD's school only has 6 seats so far. If offered the same seats every school, I am sure my DD will be admitted already.

[Anonymous]

It's ridiculous to think the greater plan is to keep smart kids at the base school so that lower ranking kids are pulled up from their presence. That makes zero sense. If the majority of rejections are actually very smart kids from very wealthy high schools, then who are they benefitting? There are hardly any URMs at Langley and McLean to receive the purported benefit. "Equity" is not to blame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's ridiculous to think the greater plan is to keep smart kids at the base school so that lower ranking kids are pulled up from their presence. That makes zero sense. If the majority of rejections are actually very smart kids from very wealthy high schools, then who are they benefitting? There are hardly any URMs at Langley and McLean to receive the purported benefit. "Equity" is not to blame.

Of course it does. Because it's nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even for the feeder schools, same thing happens. The very top students get waitlisted or even rejected while average students get in.
The main reason your child is on WL is not that he is not from a feeder school, but that he is a top student.
For top students, the admission is even worse than pure lottery. Everyone gets the same chance in lottery. But now, top students are in a worse position than average students.

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.

Take a look of TJHSST admission page: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-high-school-science-and-technology-admissions/tjhsst-freshman

Seat Allocation Process
Each public school within Fairfax County and each cooperating school division will be presumptively allocated a number of seats equal to 1.5% of that school’s 8th grade student population (“Allocated Seats”). The remainder of seats will not be allocated to any specific public school (“Unallocated Seats”). In the event a school has fewer eligible applicants than its number of Allocated Seats, the difference will be treated as Unallocated Seats

Allocated Seats - Applicants attending public school will be first evaluated against other applicants from the same school, and students with the strongest evaluated applications from that school will be offered admission.

Unallocated Seats - All remaining public school applicants and applicants who do not attend public school in Fairfax County or in a cooperating division will be considered for the Unallocated Seats, which will be offered to the highest evaluated applicants in that group.

The reality is against what they are claiming. Carson and LongFellow should have same seats as other school for the top 1.5% students, then all are selected from waitpool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Nor should it be!

With grade inflation these days, 50% of all students have straight A's so that's just no longer a way to distinguish yourself

[Anonymous]

From previous discussion, parents complain that under current admission policy, your child gets a better chance from non feeder schools or less represented schools. Now parents from non feeder schools are complaining that they should get more seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's ridiculous to think the greater plan is to keep smart kids at the base school so that lower ranking kids are pulled up from their presence. That makes zero sense. If the majority of rejections are actually very smart kids from very wealthy high schools, then who are they benefitting? There are hardly any URMs at Langley and McLean to receive the purported benefit. "Equity" is not to blame.

Well, good because that's not what's happening since the higher-ranking kids are being pulled up. Being at a wealthy school isn't an indicator of merit or worthiness.