TJ or Edison, which do you think would get your high achieiving kid into a better college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mistake. I was thinking Edison was AP for some reason, not IB. You are correct. And, I generally agree with your sentiment that it's not going to be quite so easy to compare students from TJ and Edison. But, I also think that if you take 3 students - one that went to TJ, one that took AP classes, and one that took IB classes, and they have the same SAT/ACT scores and grades, those students are likely to be viewed similarly by college admissions boards. All three challenged themselves to the maximum extent possible given what was offered at their school and appear to have accomplished similar levels of academic achievement. Other things like extracurriculars may be items that will distinguish the students from each other in that situation.

Thanks for your continuing, even-handed responses in this thread. I appreciate the perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

One, I didn't attend Edison or any HS in this area. Two, I don't think TJ is some sort of secret that only select insiders understand. It's not hard to understand TJ and what it is. Personally, I think it's a great school, and if my kid is motivated to go there and challenge themselves, I'll be all for it. But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It really probably depends on the particular student.

You say you didn't grow up around here, didn't attend high school, college or graduate school around here and that you just recently moved here. You also say that TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions thinking that will increase kids'chances of admissions to selective colleges. You also say that in fact, TJ lowers the chances for admission to selective college compared to school like Edison given the same qualifications.
So, you are saying TJ parents are "gaming the process" and they are too dumb to know such gaming will in fact result in lower chances for their kids and TJ parents are too dumb to even know that their efforts at "gaming " the process is actually lowering the chances.

You are not only insulting the TJ parents by painting them as "gaming the college admissions" but implying their gaming is actually harming college chances and they are too ignorant to know that based on the sole fact that you went to UC Berkeley. This area is full of professionals who attended top colleges/graduate schools/professional schools. Good number of TJ parents attended top colleges, graduate schools or professional schools. So, even though they attended top colleges and top graduate or professional schools, they are too dumb to know the truth that you know because you attended UC Berkeley. I personally met partners at top DC law firms who have children attending TJ or had a child graduate from TJ. Those parents attended Harvard and Yale for undergraduate programs. I also met a senior associate at another large firm in DC who attended TJ and graduated from Harvard Law School and this person wants to send her kids to TJ. I suppose all these people are "gaming the college admissions" and too dumb or ignorant to know that attending TJ would be actually harmful in college admissions and ignorant to even know that fact.

You are entitled to your opinion but don't insult TJ parents by saying they are gaming the college admissions or imply they are too dumb for sending their kids to TJ thinking that would increase college chances when you say that would actually hurt the college chances. You are free to send your kid to any high school you wish but there is no need to insult TJ parents. They are entitled to their own opinions and views whether you agree or not.

I seriously question your reading comprehension skills. Please point me to one thing I have posted to suggest that parents who send their kids to TJ are gaming the college admissions process or are stupid for sending their kids to TJ. I have never posted anything to that effect, and, if by chance, I am forgetting something I wrote that suggested that, I recant. I think TJ is a great school and if one of my children is motivated to go to TJ, I will be fully behind it. The only point I have been making is that when you have 2 otherwise identical children, the kid from the "lesser" HS will have the admissions advantage than the kid from the "better" HS. That, in my view, was the question the OP was essentially asking. I don't think that is a reason to discourage a child from attending TJ, and I'm not knocking TJ. Let me repeat - IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL. But, I do think that someone who thinks that you take 2 otherwise identical kids, one at TJ and one at Edison, and the admissions advantage goes to the TJ kid simply isn't that familiar with college admissions at competitive universities.

I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

You realize that not all of these posts were made by the Berkely poster, and that even on the gaming one, she was asked and posted that it was a typo, right?

I don't think (though I could have missed it) that anyone is suggesting that parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

You realize that not all of these posts were made by the Berkely poster, and that even on the gaming one, she was asked and posted that it was a typo, right?

I don't think (though I could have missed it) that anyone is suggesting that parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process.

If you went back and reviewed the postings the quotes are from, it is 99% clear that they are from the Berkeley poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

You realize that not all of these posts were made by the Berkely poster, and that even on the gaming one, she was asked and posted that it was a typo, right?

I don't think (though I could have missed it) that anyone is suggesting that parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process.

If you went back and reviewed the postings the quotes are from, it is 99% clear that they are from the Berkeley poster.

Let's see. There are 8 quotes, one of them is mine (#2), and I'm not the Berkeley/Yale poster. So I think your 99% confidence level is less than air-tight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

You realize that not all of these posts were made by the Berkely poster, and that even on the gaming one, she was asked and posted that it was a typo, right?

I don't think (though I could have missed it) that anyone is suggesting that parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process.[/quote]

and for the millionth time with all the sending, pushing and gaming parents are supposedly doing, do kids have any say in the matter? Mind tend to be a little more self-directed than to meekly go to wherever I tell them to go for high school. Are these same heavy-handed parents picking their classes too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

One, I didn't attend Edison or any HS in this area. Two, I don't think TJ is some sort of secret that only select insiders understand. It's not hard to understand TJ and what it is. Personally, I think it's a great school, and if my kid is motivated to go there and challenge themselves, I'll be all for it. But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It really probably depends on the particular student.

You say you didn't grow up around here, didn't attend high school, college or graduate school around here and that you just recently moved here. You also say that TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions thinking that will increase kids'chances of admissions to selective colleges. You also say that in fact, TJ lowers the chances for admission to selective college compared to school like Edison given the same qualifications.
So, you are saying TJ parents are "gaming the process" and they are too dumb to know such gaming will in fact result in lower chances for their kids and TJ parents are too dumb to even know that their efforts at "gaming " the process is actually lowering the chances.

You are not only insulting the TJ parents by painting them as "gaming the college admissions" but implying their gaming is actually harming college chances and they are too ignorant to know that based on the sole fact that you went to UC Berkeley. This area is full of professionals who attended top colleges/graduate schools/professional schools. Good number of TJ parents attended top colleges, graduate schools or professional schools. So, even though they attended top colleges and top graduate or professional schools, they are too dumb to know the truth that you know because you attended UC Berkeley. I personally met partners at top DC law firms who have children attending TJ or had a child graduate from TJ. Those parents attended Harvard and Yale for undergraduate programs. I also met a senior associate at another large firm in DC who attended TJ and graduated from Harvard Law School and this person wants to send her kids to TJ. I suppose all these people are "gaming the college admissions" and too dumb or ignorant to know that attending TJ would be actually harmful in college admissions and ignorant to even know that fact.

You are entitled to your opinion but don't insult TJ parents by saying they are gaming the college admissions or imply they are too dumb for sending their kids to TJ thinking that would increase college chances when you say that would actually hurt the college chances. You are free to send your kid to any high school you wish but there is no need to insult TJ parents. They are entitled to their own opinions and views whether you agree or not.

I seriously question your reading comprehension skills. Please point me to one thing I have posted to suggest that parents who send their kids to TJ are gaming the college admissions process or are stupid for sending their kids to TJ. I have never posted anything to that effect, and, if by chance, I am forgetting something I wrote that suggested that, I recant. I think TJ is a great school and if one of my children is motivated to go to TJ, I will be fully behind it. The only point I have been making is that when you have 2 otherwise identical children, the kid from the "lesser" HS will have the admissions advantage than the kid from the "better" HS. That, in my view, was the question the OP was essentially asking. I don't think that is a reason to discourage a child from attending TJ, and I'm not knocking TJ. Let me repeat - IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL. But, I do think that someone who thinks that you take 2 otherwise identical kids, one at TJ and one at Edison, and the admissions advantage goes to the TJ kid simply isn't that familiar with college admissions at competitive universities.

I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."[/quote

This is probably a waste of my time, but here goes.

Quote #1: You can be hell bent of thinking TJ is the be all and end all for your child without wanting to game the college admissions process. When parents of 2nd and 3rd graders are asking other parents whether they think their child is TJ material, which we all know routinely happens in this area, I think there are some people who think that there is nothing better that could happen to their child than being accepted to TJ. I'm sure parents of TJ students and wannabe-TJ parents have a variety of reasons for wanting to send their child to TJ. Some have the perspective I describe, while others don't.

Quote #2: not mine

Quote #3: not mine

Quote #4: I'm not sure how expressing an opinion about someone else's knowledge of the college admissions process says anything about parents of TJ students. That quote alone could be found in any discussion of college admissions whether talking about TJ or some HS somewhere else in the country. Of course, it is just my opinion about the other poster, and I could be absolutely wrong.

Quote #5: As I clarified in another post, I was trying to say that you should send your child the school you think is best for them, whether that is TJ, Edison, or some other school, and NOT to game the college admissions process.

Quote #6: My opinion has only been further reinforced by the quotes you have chosen. Of course, I'm not really sure how asserting something about your reading comprehension abilities says anything about TJ parents generally or even about one TJ parent seeing as I don't even know whether you are a TJ parent. Furthermore, just because you may lack reading comprehension skills doesn't mean you're gaming the college admissions process.

Quote #7: Speaking about my own perspective regarding whether to send one of my children to TJ doesn't really say anything about the perspective of other parents. I suppose it could implicitly suggest that other parents don't share the same perspective. I imagine some parents share my perspective while there are some parents who think sending their kid to TJ all of a sudden increases the odds of their child being accepted to a competitive university. Personally, I imagine most of the kids who are sent to TJ would have excelled in any of the schools in Fairfax County and were likely on the course to being admitted to competitive colleges regardless of which HS they attended.

Quote #8: See my response to Quote #6.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why my response are in the blue box, but they are there in the post just above this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

One, I didn't attend Edison or any HS in this area. Two, I don't think TJ is some sort of secret that only select insiders understand. It's not hard to understand TJ and what it is. Personally, I think it's a great school, and if my kid is motivated to go there and challenge themselves, I'll be all for it. But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It really probably depends on the particular student.

You say you didn't grow up around here, didn't attend high school, college or graduate school around here and that you just recently moved here. You also say that TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions thinking that will increase kids'chances of admissions to selective colleges. You also say that in fact, TJ lowers the chances for admission to selective college compared to school like Edison given the same qualifications.
So, you are saying TJ parents are "gaming the process" and they are too dumb to know such gaming will in fact result in lower chances for their kids and TJ parents are too dumb to even know that their efforts at "gaming " the process is actually lowering the chances.

You are not only insulting the TJ parents by painting them as "gaming the college admissions" but implying their gaming is actually harming college chances and they are too ignorant to know that based on the sole fact that you went to UC Berkeley. This area is full of professionals who attended top colleges/graduate schools/professional schools. Good number of TJ parents attended top colleges, graduate schools or professional schools. So, even though they attended top colleges and top graduate or professional schools, they are too dumb to know the truth that you know because you attended UC Berkeley. I personally met partners at top DC law firms who have children attending TJ or had a child graduate from TJ. Those parents attended Harvard and Yale for undergraduate programs. I also met a senior associate at another large firm in DC who attended TJ and graduated from Harvard Law School and this person wants to send her kids to TJ. I suppose all these people are "gaming the college admissions" and too dumb or ignorant to know that attending TJ would be actually harmful in college admissions and ignorant to even know that fact.

You are entitled to your opinion but don't insult TJ parents by saying they are gaming the college admissions or imply they are too dumb for sending their kids to TJ thinking that would increase college chances when you say that would actually hurt the college chances. You are free to send your kid to any high school you wish but there is no need to insult TJ parents. They are entitled to their own opinions and views whether you agree or not.

I seriously question your reading comprehension skills. Please point me to one thing I have posted to suggest that parents who send their kids to TJ are gaming the college admissions process or are stupid for sending their kids to TJ. I have never posted anything to that effect, and, if by chance, I am forgetting something I wrote that suggested that, I recant. I think TJ is a great school and if one of my children is motivated to go to TJ, I will be fully behind it. The only point I have been making is that when you have 2 otherwise identical children, the kid from the "lesser" HS will have the admissions advantage than the kid from the "better" HS. That, in my view, was the question the OP was essentially asking. I don't think that is a reason to discourage a child from attending TJ, and I'm not knocking TJ. Let me repeat - IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL. But, I do think that someone who thinks that you take 2 otherwise identical kids, one at TJ and one at Edison, and the admissions advantage goes to the TJ kid simply isn't that familiar with college admissions at competitive universities.

I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

Re-posting my response with proper formatting.

This is probably a waste of my time, but here goes.

Quote #1: You can be hell bent of thinking TJ is the be all and end all for your child without wanting to game the college admissions process. When parents of 2nd and 3rd graders are asking other parents whether they think their child is TJ material, which we all know routinely happens in this area, I think there are some people who think that there is nothing better that could happen to their child than being accepted to TJ. I'm sure parents of TJ students and wannabe-TJ parents have a variety of reasons for wanting to send their child to TJ. Some have the perspective I describe, while others don't.

Quote #2: not mine

Quote #3: not mine

Quote #4: I'm not sure how expressing an opinion about someone else's knowledge of the college admissions process says anything about parents of TJ students. That quote alone could be found in any discussion of college admissions whether talking about TJ or some HS somewhere else in the country. Of course, it is just my opinion about the other poster, and I could be absolutely wrong.

Quote #5: As I clarified in another post, I was trying to say that you should send your child the school you think is best for them, whether that is TJ, Edison, or some other school, and NOT to game the college admissions process.

Quote #6: My opinion has only been further reinforced by the quotes you have chosen. Of course, I'm not really sure how asserting something about your reading comprehension abilities says anything about TJ parents generally or even about one TJ parent seeing as I don't even know whether you are a TJ parent. Furthermore, just because you may lack reading comprehension skills doesn't mean you're gaming the college admissions process.

Quote #7: Speaking about my own perspective regarding whether to send one of my children to TJ doesn't really say anything about the perspective of other parents. I suppose it could implicitly suggest that other parents don't share the same perspective. I imagine some parents share my perspective while there are some parents who think sending their kid to TJ all of a sudden increases the odds of their child being accepted to a competitive university. Personally, I imagine most of the kids who are sent to TJ would have excelled in any of the schools in Fairfax County and were likely on the course to being admitted to competitive colleges regardless of which HS they attended.

Quote #8: See my response to Quote #6.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

One, I didn't attend Edison or any HS in this area. Two, I don't think TJ is some sort of secret that only select insiders understand. It's not hard to understand TJ and what it is. Personally, I think it's a great school, and if my kid is motivated to go there and challenge themselves, I'll be all for it. But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It really probably depends on the particular student.

You say you didn't grow up around here, didn't attend high school, college or graduate school around here and that you just recently moved here. You also say that TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions thinking that will increase kids'chances of admissions to selective colleges. You also say that in fact, TJ lowers the chances for admission to selective college compared to school like Edison given the same qualifications.
So, you are saying TJ parents are "gaming the process" and they are too dumb to know such gaming will in fact result in lower chances for their kids and TJ parents are too dumb to even know that their efforts at "gaming " the process is actually lowering the chances.

You are not only insulting the TJ parents by painting them as "gaming the college admissions" but implying their gaming is actually harming college chances and they are too ignorant to know that based on the sole fact that you went to UC Berkeley. This area is full of professionals who attended top colleges/graduate schools/professional schools. Good number of TJ parents attended top colleges, graduate schools or professional schools. So, even though they attended top colleges and top graduate or professional schools, they are too dumb to know the truth that you know because you attended UC Berkeley. I personally met partners at top DC law firms who have children attending TJ or had a child graduate from TJ. Those parents attended Harvard and Yale for undergraduate programs. I also met a senior associate at another large firm in DC who attended TJ and graduated from Harvard Law School and this person wants to send her kids to TJ. I suppose all these people are "gaming the college admissions" and too dumb or ignorant to know that attending TJ would be actually harmful in college admissions and ignorant to even know that fact.

You are entitled to your opinion but don't insult TJ parents by saying they are gaming the college admissions or imply they are too dumb for sending their kids to TJ thinking that would increase college chances when you say that would actually hurt the college chances. You are free to send your kid to any high school you wish but there is no need to insult TJ parents. They are entitled to their own opinions and views whether you agree or not.

I seriously question your reading comprehension skills. Please point me to one thing I have posted to suggest that parents who send their kids to TJ are gaming the college admissions process or are stupid for sending their kids to TJ. I have never posted anything to that effect, and, if by chance, I am forgetting something I wrote that suggested that, I recant. I think TJ is a great school and if one of my children is motivated to go to TJ, I will be fully behind it. The only point I have been making is that when you have 2 otherwise identical children, the kid from the "lesser" HS will have the admissions advantage than the kid from the "better" HS. That, in my view, was the question the OP was essentially asking. I don't think that is a reason to discourage a child from attending TJ, and I'm not knocking TJ. Let me repeat - IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL. But, I do think that someone who thinks that you take 2 otherwise identical kids, one at TJ and one at Edison, and the admissions advantage goes to the TJ kid simply isn't that familiar with college admissions at competitive universities.

I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

Re-posting my response with proper formatting.

This is probably a waste of my time, but here goes.

Quote #1: You can be hell bent of thinking TJ is the be all and end all for your child without wanting to game the college admissions process. When parents of 2nd and 3rd graders are asking other parents whether they think their child is TJ material, which we all know routinely happens in this area, I think there are some people who think that there is nothing better that could happen to their child than being accepted to TJ. I'm sure parents of TJ students and wannabe-TJ parents have a variety of reasons for wanting to send their child to TJ. Some have the perspective I describe, while others don't.

Quote #2: not mine

Quote #3: not mine

Quote #4: I'm not sure how expressing an opinion about someone else's knowledge of the college admissions process says anything about parents of TJ students. That quote alone could be found in any discussion of college admissions whether talking about TJ or some HS somewhere else in the country. Of course, it is just my opinion about the other poster, and I could be absolutely wrong.

Quote #5: As I clarified in another post, I was trying to say that you should send your child the school you think is best for them, whether that is TJ, Edison, or some other school, and NOT to game the college admissions process.

Quote #6: My opinion has only been further reinforced by the quotes you have chosen. Of course, I'm not really sure how asserting something about your reading comprehension abilities says anything about TJ parents generally or even about one TJ parent seeing as I don't even know whether you are a TJ parent. Furthermore, just because you may lack reading comprehension skills doesn't mean you're gaming the college admissions process.

Quote #7: Speaking about my own perspective regarding whether to send one of my children to TJ doesn't really say anything about the perspective of other parents. I suppose it could implicitly suggest that other parents don't share the same perspective. I imagine some parents share my perspective while there are some parents who think sending their kid to TJ all of a sudden increases the odds of their child being accepted to a competitive university. Personally, I imagine most of the kids who are sent to TJ would have excelled in any of the schools in Fairfax County and were likely on the course to being admitted to competitive colleges regardless of which HS they attended.

Quote #8: See my response to Quote #6.

I am a TJ parent and I find your tone and attitude inappropriate. I don't think the TJ parents that I met are hell bent on the idea that TJ is in anyway "be all and end all". They just want the best possible educational opportunity for their children. Also, your characterization of "their little prince or princess" is inappropriate as well. The parents I met have attended selective colleges and graduate schools and thus have experienced college admissions process. I don't see why you have to have such hostile attitude towards TJ or TJ parents especially if you are not from the DC area. I am sure you wouldn't like it if someone had similarly hostile tone and attitude against your high school.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it. For those parents, I'd be curious as to where you actually went to college (and where you applied) to see if you actually have any first hand experience with competitive college admissions. And, for the record, I am the earlier poster that went to UC Berkeley, and subsequently an Ivy League law school and has a close friend who used to work in Yale admissions (after attending Yale and subsequently attending another Ivy League school).

I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system. At the end of the day, challenge your kid as much as he or she wants to be challenged and let the chips fall where they may. Who cares whether they make it to the Ivy League, UVA, George Mason, or community college. Help them to succeed in the path best suited for them and put down the TJ kool aid.

Stop bragging about the UC Berkeley and "Ivy League Law School". Many TJ kids turn down UC Berkeley to attend UVA/William and Mary. In fact, many TJ kids turn down Ivy League schools to attend UVA/William and Mary. Also, most parents do not send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. If what you say is true, parents would not agree to send their kids to UVA or William and Mary after their kids are accepted to Ivy League schools or similar top schools. That defeats the purpose of "gaming the college admissions system". Parents send their kids to TJ to receive challenging education and to have opportunity to take courses/participate in research that are not available at other schools. Is that hard to understand?

I'm not bragging about it. I'm mentioning it because I have actual experience with the admissions process at some of the country's most competitive institutions of higher learning. Do you?

Just because you went to Edison and attended UC Berkeley, that doesn't make you an expert on TJ or TJ college acceptances. It looks like you don't know much about TJ so don't pretend like you are an expert on TJ.

One, I didn't attend Edison or any HS in this area. Two, I don't think TJ is some sort of secret that only select insiders understand. It's not hard to understand TJ and what it is. Personally, I think it's a great school, and if my kid is motivated to go there and challenge themselves, I'll be all for it. But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. It really probably depends on the particular student.

You say you didn't grow up around here, didn't attend high school, college or graduate school around here and that you just recently moved here. You also say that TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions thinking that will increase kids'chances of admissions to selective colleges. You also say that in fact, TJ lowers the chances for admission to selective college compared to school like Edison given the same qualifications.
So, you are saying TJ parents are "gaming the process" and they are too dumb to know such gaming will in fact result in lower chances for their kids and TJ parents are too dumb to even know that their efforts at "gaming " the process is actually lowering the chances.

You are not only insulting the TJ parents by painting them as "gaming the college admissions" but implying their gaming is actually harming college chances and they are too ignorant to know that based on the sole fact that you went to UC Berkeley. This area is full of professionals who attended top colleges/graduate schools/professional schools. Good number of TJ parents attended top colleges, graduate schools or professional schools. So, even though they attended top colleges and top graduate or professional schools, they are too dumb to know the truth that you know because you attended UC Berkeley. I personally met partners at top DC law firms who have children attending TJ or had a child graduate from TJ. Those parents attended Harvard and Yale for undergraduate programs. I also met a senior associate at another large firm in DC who attended TJ and graduated from Harvard Law School and this person wants to send her kids to TJ. I suppose all these people are "gaming the college admissions" and too dumb or ignorant to know that attending TJ would be actually harmful in college admissions and ignorant to even know that fact.

You are entitled to your opinion but don't insult TJ parents by saying they are gaming the college admissions or imply they are too dumb for sending their kids to TJ thinking that would increase college chances when you say that would actually hurt the college chances. You are free to send your kid to any high school you wish but there is no need to insult TJ parents. They are entitled to their own opinions and views whether you agree or not.

I seriously question your reading comprehension skills. Please point me to one thing I have posted to suggest that parents who send their kids to TJ are gaming the college admissions process or are stupid for sending their kids to TJ. I have never posted anything to that effect, and, if by chance, I am forgetting something I wrote that suggested that, I recant. I think TJ is a great school and if one of my children is motivated to go to TJ, I will be fully behind it. The only point I have been making is that when you have 2 otherwise identical children, the kid from the "lesser" HS will have the admissions advantage than the kid from the "better" HS. That, in my view, was the question the OP was essentially asking. I don't think that is a reason to discourage a child from attending TJ, and I'm not knocking TJ. Let me repeat - IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL. But, I do think that someone who thinks that you take 2 otherwise identical kids, one at TJ and one at Edison, and the admissions advantage goes to the TJ kid simply isn't that familiar with college admissions at competitive universities.

I think the following are insulting and implies TJ parents send their kids to TJ to game the admissions process and that supposedly no amount of logic will convince them otherwise:

1. "It seems to me that there are just some people so hell bent on the idea that TJ is the be all and end all of education for their little prince or princess, no amount of logic is going to convince them that their prince or princess might actually have a better chance of being accepted to a competitive college is they sent them to a "lower" performing HS. They have drunk the TJ kool aid and can't get enough it.

2. "TJ provides Student A with opportunities that Student B will never have, such that they will not appear to be equally qualified when it comes time for them to apply to schools"

3."Surely TJ supporters are brighter than this"

4. "I think you're simply wrong, and are not familiar with the admissions process at the vast majority of competitive universities."

5. "I am also not suggesting, by any stretch of imagination, that a parent shouldn't send their kid to TJ to game the college admissions system"

6. "Apparently you don't read too well."

7. "But, I'm not going to do it because I think it will suddenly make their college admissions chances a lot better."

8. "I seriously question your reading comprehension skills."

Re-posting my response with proper formatting.

This is probably a waste of my time, but here goes.

Quote #1: You can be hell bent of thinking TJ is the be all and end all for your child without wanting to game the college admissions process. When parents of 2nd and 3rd graders are asking other parents whether they think their child is TJ material, which we all know routinely happens in this area, I think there are some people who think that there is nothing better that could happen to their child than being accepted to TJ. I'm sure parents of TJ students and wannabe-TJ parents have a variety of reasons for wanting to send their child to TJ. Some have the perspective I describe, while others don't.

Quote #2: not mine

Quote #3: not mine

Quote #4: I'm not sure how expressing an opinion about someone else's knowledge of the college admissions process says anything about parents of TJ students. That quote alone could be found in any discussion of college admissions whether talking about TJ or some HS somewhere else in the country. Of course, it is just my opinion about the other poster, and I could be absolutely wrong.

Quote #5: As I clarified in another post, I was trying to say that you should send your child the school you think is best for them, whether that is TJ, Edison, or some other school, and NOT to game the college admissions process.

Quote #6: My opinion has only been further reinforced by the quotes you have chosen. Of course, I'm not really sure how asserting something about your reading comprehension abilities says anything about TJ parents generally or even about one TJ parent seeing as I don't even know whether you are a TJ parent. Furthermore, just because you may lack reading comprehension skills doesn't mean you're gaming the college admissions process.

Quote #7: Speaking about my own perspective regarding whether to send one of my children to TJ doesn't really say anything about the perspective of other parents. I suppose it could implicitly suggest that other parents don't share the same perspective. I imagine some parents share my perspective while there are some parents who think sending their kid to TJ all of a sudden increases the odds of their child being accepted to a competitive university. Personally, I imagine most of the kids who are sent to TJ would have excelled in any of the schools in Fairfax County and were likely on the course to being admitted to competitive colleges regardless of which HS they attended.

Quote #8: See my response to Quote #6.

I am a TJ parent and I find your tone and attitude inappropriate. I don't think the TJ parents that I met are hell bent on the idea that TJ is in anyway "be all and end all". They just want the best possible educational opportunity for their children. Also, your characterization of "their little prince or princess" is inappropriate as well. The parents I met have attended selective colleges and graduate schools and thus have experienced college admissions process. I don't see why you have to have such hostile attitude towards TJ or TJ parents especially if you are not from the DC area. I am sure you wouldn't like it if someone had similarly hostile tone and attitude against your high school.

Well, I agree that I could have expressed my views with a softer, gentler tone. Let me try it another way. I think there are some parents in this area who place too much emphasis on their child attending TJ or one of the high schools in northern VA that are ranked more highly than others. I think you see both on forums such as this one and in interacting with other parents in this area, a tendency to view high schools in a hierarchical manner that does not necessarily benefit their children or the educational system here. Wanting the best for your child is a laudable goal and one that I think most parents have, but the best thing for your child is not necessarily ensuring that your child attends the highest ranked high school possible (just as attending the highest ranked college is not necessarily the best thing for every adult). In the context of this discussion, I recall some posters expressing the view that a child from TJ would have an advantage over an Edison student solely by virtue of attending TJ. Those posters seem to have the perspective that attending a higher ranked school, solely by virtue of attending that school, will result in better college admissions results for their child. I think this perspective is one that demonstrates a parent who, though likely very well intentioned, is misinformed.

I also would like to stress that I believe only some parents are of the type I have described. I suspect many more parents, if not the vast majority, have your perspective, which sounds very balanced and healthy. Unfortunately, on forums like this, and to a lesser extent in actuality, the misinformed parents tend to be the one's who express their views with the highest volume.

[Anonymous]

Simple advice: Pick the high school where you child would be happiest. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don't really know what point you're making. Yes, people turn down Ivy League schools or out of state schools every day to go to state schools, not only in VA, but in states across the country. There can be many reasons why one would turn down an Ivy League school, cost likely being a major reason. And, of course, there are non-Ivy League schools that are just as well regarded as the Ivies.

And, I have never suggested that most parents send their kids to TJ to game the college admissions system. The only point I have ever really made is that you take two kids who are otherwise equal in all respects, the one from the "lesser" HS will have an advantage in the college admissions process. There are others who have suggested the contrary, that the kid from TJ would have the upper hand, and I simply think they're wrong. Again, I don't think that is a reason to not send your kid to TJ - there is probably a good likelihood that sending a kid to TJ will result in a more advanced curriculum that will further enhance their intellectual abilities, resulting in higher test scores than if they had stayed in their base HS, and improving their college admissions chances.

Another good post. It's amazing how some observations that have as much, if not more, merit as any others expressed on this thread have generated such hostility and many personal attacks.

This is like saying 3.95 GPA kid from GMU would have an advantage over 3.95 GPA kid from Harvard in graduate school admissions with all other factors being equal. That is not true. Colleges know not all GPAs are created equal and that applies to high schools as well as colleges.