TJ Acceptance Demographics Available Here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have gotten into TJ probably, but had no interest in going (white girl). I have my friends at my school, I'm comfortable moving on with them, and I am as interested in non-STEM subjects as STEM. Also, I have a friend who left TJ after the first year because she said there was no social life.
Anyway, that was a few years ago. I got into Harvard, so clearly wasn't slacking at my home school. Calling people lazy because they don't think TJ is the best school for everyone is silly.

Don't be so cocky and think that you would have gotten into TJ because you got into Harvard since it's likely that Asians with higher SAT scores, higher GPAs, stronger teacher recommendations, stronger essays, stronger ECs, more officer positions, more national awards and more volunteer/community service hours compared to you were rejected by Harvard.

Well, i doubt they had higher SAT scores since i had perfect scores. And no prep course (not how my parents rolled). And not URM, so don't bother with that tired old argument.

Many applicants with perfect SAT scores get rejected by Harvard, many of them Asians. And the rejected Asians did not only have perfect SAT scores and perfect GPAs so don't bother with that tired old argument they lacked in other areas.

You have a disproportionate chance of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian, so stop whining just because fewer kids want to go there now.

You have a "fair chance without quotas" of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian but you have "unfair chance that has quotas" of being admitted to top colleges (except CA and MI colleges) if you're Asian so that is not whining. That is pointing out illegal discrimination against one racial group based on race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really is a mindset and in saying this it is not intended as a value judgement.

My son went to TJ. It was a long trek for him and on top of this the rigorous academic requirements at TJ had him working some long hours especially in his junior year.

He went on to medical school and is currently doing his residency at one of the most prestigious programs in the country and will be done soon.

He says that TJ was the best thing that happened to him. He literally breezed through his undergrad. He said it was a lot easier than TJ from an academic standpoint in terms of the pressure .... and he completed his undergrad in three years!

Given where he is today, ask him whether he has any regrets about the long commute and the academic demands that TJ made on him and he would give an unqualified response that TJ was a huge help to him in getting where he is today. Could he have done it in a different academic environment? More than likely he could have. But that does not take anything away from the role TJ played in getting him to where he is today.

None of the above is meant as a brag ..... after all, I am posting anonymously. It is merely intended as a perspective on how some parents and their children view the downsides (commuting, new friends, academic pressures) of going to TJ.

Thank you for your post. But for every experience like this, there is another for someone who commuted just as long and worked just as hard, but ended up in the bottom half of their TJ class. For that kid, was being in the bottom half (or, gasp, quarter) of their TJ class worth it? Could they have graduated at the top of their base school, had a more well-rounded high school experience, and perhaps gotten into a more prestigious college than their less-than-average TJ rank earned them?

I am not surprised that your son found undergrad less challenging (and perhaps less competitive) than TJ. I don't doubt for a minute that TJ provides the most rigorous academic program in the county. But I think FCPS does a pretty good job of preparing kids for college, and the kid who opts to remain at his base school could just as easily end up at the same place as your son, with perhaps a more difficult transition to undergrad, but with a better non-academic high-school experience.

You are quite right. TJ and other magnet programs will curve the grades. Which means that the top guys can be on the bottom at TJ.

So, it really depends what the end goal is?

If you want to get into Ivy college - you could be better off in a home school
If you want to do well in a Ivy college - go to TJ


This is a dilemma. Being in a program like TJ means that you are jeopardizing your chance to get into an Ivy League college, so why do kids try and get into it?

I can talk about my kid. She wants to get into medicine. Her aim is to get in in-state to a public university for undergrad and get into a prestigious medical school after that. We have seen a lot of kids drop out of pre-med in undergrad because they are not well prepared during HS to take on any course where any sort of rigor is required. She will be not dropping out of science/engineering in undergrad because she has already had her baptism by fire in HS.

Most of these kids who are in TJ are going to be smart about their education dollars. Their aim is to start their work life with no or little student debt. Their parents make too much for them to qualify for need-based aid, but not that much that college expense is a trivial matter.

If you are very wealthy, are legacy, have been able to afford private schools etc., can afford to pay for Harvard - skip TJ

If your child is not decided what field they want to go to or you will borrow heavily to pay for college - skip TJ

TJ is mainly for super smart middle class kids, who have a very long term view of their education. Getting into the top college is not the aim, the aim is to be able to handle the course in any college.

You're darn right.

[Anonymous]

I thought all the AAP nuts would be kinder to TJ. You know "thriving" in challenging environment and being with their "academic peers". What's the matter? Tear down anything you are not part of? Do you see why non-AAP people think all of the AAP obsessives are nuts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have gotten into TJ probably, but had no interest in going (white girl). I have my friends at my school, I'm comfortable moving on with them, and I am as interested in non-STEM subjects as STEM. Also, I have a friend who left TJ after the first year because she said there was no social life.
Anyway, that was a few years ago. I got into Harvard, so clearly wasn't slacking at my home school. Calling people lazy because they don't think TJ is the best school for everyone is silly.

Don't be so cocky and think that you would have gotten into TJ because you got into Harvard since it's likely that Asians with higher SAT scores, higher GPAs, stronger teacher recommendations, stronger essays, stronger ECs, more officer positions, more national awards and more volunteer/community service hours compared to you were rejected by Harvard.

Well, i doubt they had higher SAT scores since i had perfect scores. And no prep course (not how my parents rolled). And not URM, so don't bother with that tired old argument.

Many applicants with perfect SAT scores get rejected by Harvard, many of them Asians. And the rejected Asians did not only have perfect SAT scores and perfect GPAs so don't bother with that tired old argument they lacked in other areas.

You have a disproportionate chance of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian, so stop whining just because fewer kids want to go there now.

You have a "fair chance without quotas" of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian but you have "unfair chance that has quotas" of being admitted to top colleges (except CA and MI colleges) if you're Asian so that is not whining. That is pointing out illegal discrimination against one racial group based on race.

I'm far from convinced that non-Asian students are not discriminated against where TJ is concerned. Perhaps the Department of Education will weigh in on that eventually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ has changed significantly in the past 5 years, and has become much more intense and limited in its ability to produce well-rounded students. Chorus, theater and some of the other non-academic programs are struggling to keep up their memberships. To participate in music (band, chorus, orchestra) all 4 years, kids must take at least one class in the summer. Many of the kids also take multiple summer classes so that they can pursue even higher level classes during the academic year, making those who choose to do something else with their summers feel like slackers. If you are willing to do all academics, all the time, then maybe it is a good place for you. But if you seek any kind of balance in your life at all, it may be completely rational to look elsewhere.[/quote]

This. +100

And as hardworking as Americans are, all academics all the time has never really been the American way. Part of living a healthy, happy, productive life is recognizing when things become excessive or you hit diminishing returns. Opting out of TJ because you'd like more balance is completely reasonable choice for many people. There is no one formula for success in this country, which has always been the great thing about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have gotten into TJ probably, but had no interest in going (white girl). I have my friends at my school, I'm comfortable moving on with them, and I am as interested in non-STEM subjects as STEM. Also, I have a friend who left TJ after the first year because she said there was no social life.
Anyway, that was a few years ago. I got into Harvard, so clearly wasn't slacking at my home school. Calling people lazy because they don't think TJ is the best school for everyone is silly.

Don't be so cocky and think that you would have gotten into TJ because you got into Harvard since it's likely that Asians with higher SAT scores, higher GPAs, stronger teacher recommendations, stronger essays, stronger ECs, more officer positions, more national awards and more volunteer/community service hours compared to you were rejected by Harvard.

Well, i doubt they had higher SAT scores since i had perfect scores. And no prep course (not how my parents rolled). And not URM, so don't bother with that tired old argument.

Many applicants with perfect SAT scores get rejected by Harvard, many of them Asians. And the rejected Asians did not only have perfect SAT scores and perfect GPAs so don't bother with that tired old argument they lacked in other areas.

You have a disproportionate chance of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian, so stop whining just because fewer kids want to go there now.

You have a "fair chance without quotas" of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian but you have "unfair chance that has quotas" of being admitted to top colleges (except CA and MI colleges) if you're Asian so that is not whining. That is pointing out illegal discrimination against one racial group based on race.

If you think it's illegal, then prove it. Bring a case. Oh, you can't? Because you can't prove it? If you can prove it, why don't you do something about it. Or are you too lazy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it were such a BFD, you'd think it might spur an increase in applications, rather than a steady decline in the number of students interested in TJ.

simple anecdotal reality - whites are increasingly saying fuck it, let the Asians have it. TJ is too much of a grind; they really want to have a life as well as a good education

Hence the lazy accusations. I thought America was all about the strong "work ethics", work 80 hours a week, workaholics, work work work. I guess that only applies to money but not education. Hypocrites. Obsessed only with money but Asians do fine with both the education and the family values. The school's main purpose is education, then comes sports and other activities including social activities. The screwed up priority is what led to the sad state of education in U.S. U.S. even behind third world countries in reading and math. Be grateful for schools like TJ.

I'm not so sure. DC's private promises a "world class education" in a less cut-throat setting. I believe them. A good, even great, education doesn't have to be a grind.

[Anonymous]

The top privates around WDC are pretty intense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Hence the lazy accusations. I thought America was all about the strong "work ethics", work 80 hours a week, workaholics, work work work. I guess that only applies to money but not education. Hypocrites. Obsessed only with money but Asians do fine with both the education and the family values. The school's main purpose is education, then comes sports and other activities including social activities. The screwed up priority is what led to the sad state of education in U.S. U.S. even behind third world countries in reading and math. Be grateful for schools like TJ.

I'm not especially grateful to FCPS for setting up TJ. It was not really needed, except as part of a marketing strategy in the 1980s to sell businesses on Fairfax County, and it's greatly contributed to the obsession with GT/AAP status in NoVa. The only saving grace is that the tide seems to be turning, as reflected in the declining interest (15% drop in applications in two years) among area students in attending the school.

[Anonymous]

TJ doesn't have to be a "grind." For some kids, it is a great environment where, yes, they work hard, but they also have time for sports or music or theatre or other outside school activities. One of my kids is at TJ, does a sport after school for two hours every day and is involved in another time consuming activity outside of school. Gets great grades and test scores (no prep class- no time!). I'd say a kid who needs to work, work, work every minute to keep up at TJ would find a better fit at the neighborhood high school, where he would probably stand out and be top of the class and still have time for other activities. It should be about fit and what is best for the child so that the child can develop and grow in all aspects of his character, not only academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Hence the lazy accusations. I thought America was all about the strong "work ethics", work 80 hours a week, workaholics, work work work. I guess that only applies to money but not education. Hypocrites. Obsessed only with money but Asians do fine with both the education and the family values. The school's main purpose is education, then comes sports and other activities including social activities. The screwed up priority is what led to the sad state of education in U.S. U.S. even behind third world countries in reading and math. Be grateful for schools like TJ.

I'm not especially grateful to FCPS for setting up TJ. It was not really needed, except as part of a marketing strategy in the 1980s to sell businesses on Fairfax County, and it's greatly contributed to the obsession with GT/AAP status in NoVa. The only saving grace is that the tide seems to be turning, as reflected in the declining interest (15% drop in applications in two years) among area students in attending the school.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have gotten into TJ probably, but had no interest in going (white girl). I have my friends at my school, I'm comfortable moving on with them, and I am as interested in non-STEM subjects as STEM. Also, I have a friend who left TJ after the first year because she said there was no social life.
Anyway, that was a few years ago. I got into Harvard, so clearly wasn't slacking at my home school. Calling people lazy because they don't think TJ is the best school for everyone is silly.

Don't be so cocky and think that you would have gotten into TJ because you got into Harvard since it's likely that Asians with higher SAT scores, higher GPAs, stronger teacher recommendations, stronger essays, stronger ECs, more officer positions, more national awards and more volunteer/community service hours compared to you were rejected by Harvard.

Well, i doubt they had higher SAT scores since i had perfect scores. And no prep course (not how my parents rolled). And not URM, so don't bother with that tired old argument.

Many applicants with perfect SAT scores get rejected by Harvard, many of them Asians. And the rejected Asians did not only have perfect SAT scores and perfect GPAs so don't bother with that tired old argument they lacked in other areas.

You have a disproportionate chance of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian, so stop whining just because fewer kids want to go there now.

You have a "fair chance without quotas" of being admitted to TJ if you're Asian but you have "unfair chance that has quotas" of being admitted to top colleges (except CA and MI colleges) if you're Asian so that is not whining. That is pointing out illegal discrimination against one racial group based on race.

If you think it's illegal, then prove it. Bring a case. Oh, you can't? Because you can't prove it? If you can prove it, why don't you do something about it. Or are you too lazy?

The Supreme Court will rule that it is unconstitutional to use race in college admissions in the next few years if not sooner. We have 5 conservative Justices not receptive to the idea of racial discrimination in college admissions including the Chief Justice Roberts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ has changed significantly in the past 5 years, and has become much more intense and limited in its ability to produce well-rounded students. Chorus, theater and some of the other non-academic programs are struggling to keep up their memberships. To participate in music (band, chorus, orchestra) all 4 years, kids must take at least one class in the summer. Many of the kids also take multiple summer classes so that they can pursue even higher level classes during the academic year, making those who choose to do something else with their summers feel like slackers. If you are willing to do all academics, all the time, then maybe it is a good place for you. But if you seek any kind of balance in your life at all, it may be completely rational to look elsewhere.[/quote]

This. +100

And as hardworking as Americans are, all academics all the time has never really been the American way. Part of living a healthy, happy, productive life is recognizing when things become excessive or you hit diminishing returns. Opting out of TJ because you'd like more balance is completely reasonable choice for many people. There is no one formula for success in this country, which has always been the great thing about it.

Hence the lazy accusations. I thought America was all about the strong "work ethics", work 80 hours a week, workaholics, work work work. I guess that only applies to money but not education. Hypocrites. Obsessed only with money but Asians do fine with both the education and the family values. The school's main purpose is education, then comes sports and other activities including social activities. The screwed up priority is what led to the sad state of education in U.S. U.S. is even behind third world countries in reading and math. Be grateful for schools like TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Hence the lazy accusations. I thought America was all about the strong "work ethics", work 80 hours a week, workaholics, work work work. I guess that only applies to money but not education. Hypocrites. Obsessed only with money but Asians do fine with both the education and the family values. The school's main purpose is education, then comes sports and other activities including social activities. The screwed up priority is what led to the sad state of education in U.S. U.S. even behind third world countries in reading and math. Be grateful for schools like TJ.

I'm not especially grateful to FCPS for setting up TJ. It was not really needed, except as part of a marketing strategy in the 1980s to sell businesses on Fairfax County, and it's greatly contributed to the obsession with GT/AAP status in NoVa. The only saving grace is that the tide seems to be turning, as reflected in the declining interest (15% drop in applications in two years) among area students in attending the school.

This.

And this:

I thought all the AAP nuts would be kinder to TJ. You know "thriving" in challenging environment and being with their "academic peers". What's the matter? Tear down anything you are not part of? Do you see why non-AAP people think all of the AAP obsessives are nuts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ has changed significantly in the past 5 years, and has become much more intense and limited in its ability to produce well-rounded students. Chorus, theater and some of the other non-academic programs are struggling to keep up their memberships. To participate in music (band, chorus, orchestra) all 4 years, kids must take at least one class in the summer. Many of the kids also take multiple summer classes so that they can pursue even higher level classes during the academic year, making those who choose to do something else with their summers feel like slackers. If you are willing to do all academics, all the time, then maybe it is a good place for you. But if you seek any kind of balance in your life at all, it may be completely rational to look elsewhere.[/quote]

This. +100

And as hardworking as Americans are, all academics all the time has never really been the American way. Part of living a healthy, happy, productive life is recognizing when things become excessive or you hit diminishing returns. Opting out of TJ because you'd like more balance is completely reasonable choice for many people. There is no one formula for success in this country, which has always been the great thing about it.

Hence the lazy accusations. I thought America was all about the strong "work ethics", work 80 hours a week, workaholics, work work work. I guess that only applies to money but not education. Hypocrites. Obsessed only with money but Asians do fine with both the education and the family values. The school's main purpose is education, then comes sports and other activities including social activities. The screwed up priority is what led to the sad state of education in U.S. U.S. is even behind third world countries in reading and math. Be grateful for schools like TJ.

Sounds like you need to study your history. Yes, the U.S. is about strong "work ethics" and long workweeks, etc., but since instituting child labor laws we've tried to limit kids getting onto that treadmill until it matters. High school kids do not need to be working all the time or studying all the time. I've been to plenty of countries where kids are so burnt out by college they don't even do work anymore. What a waste.