If a kid will fall in top 30-50% in TJ, is going to TJ a better idea
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Anonymous
50% are at the bottom 50% at tj. Would they be at a higher percentage at their base school? |
Anonymous
I disagree. I think it takes more than a "level of interest" I think it requires a level of ability. You don't have to be in the top x%. TJ doesn't enforce a curve but you want to graduate with mostly A's with zero or almost zero Cs and as few Bs as possible. If you have a history of scoring below the 95th percentile on standardized exams, you should stay away and try to succeed at your base school. Preferably 98th or 99th percentile. Up until this last year, the average TJ student achieved an SAT score at the 99th percentile. And the average TJ student did not graduate with straight A's A kid at the 90th percentile can graduate their base school with nearly straight As, this is not possible at TJ for most kids at the 90th percentile. At least 50 kids didn't come back this year as sophomores. They went back to their base high school saddled with low freshman GPAs. If you are not at least 95th percentile (preferably 99th or 98th percentile) on pretty much every standardized exam you have ever taken, you are probably hurting yourself. |
Anonymous
PP. OK, I can see how the geometry requirement is really superficial. The primary reason for that was that if you are coming in without geometry, you are on track to take calculus your senior year and you don't get any of the high level math classes at TJ. I still stand by the standardized test score percentiles. If you are going to give TJ a shot without meeting these benchmarks, be ready pull yourself on a short hook. Do not get emotionally invested in TJ, don't make it part of your identity or anything like that, otherwise it will be hard to leave. |
Anonymous
Balanced and thoughtful view. I’ll add that for many, it will result in worse college options. This is not the only consideration but it is also not irrelevant. Go into it knowing it’s very possible the top ranked schools are unattainable. I think often the focus is on the here and now (my kid got into a top ranked, well known, STEM focused, free HS which comes with great opportunities) but ignore the study time, commute time, gpa impact, college impact, etc. |
Anonymous
PP. Most of the kids that would have been number 1 at base should probably go to TJ. That is not who I am warning off. I am warning off kids that would flounder at TJ |
Anonymous
Mine was number one at base and we turned TJ down. No regrets. |
Anonymous
Sure, Jan. |
Anonymous
Can be verified bc I have posted this before (not just in this post). And the way we are certain kid is number one is school profile (lists highest GPA and it is my kid’s to the exact decimal). I am only offering a different consideration: the long goal of HS success and excellent college placement. We did not want things like a longer day/commute but kid went all in during HS and worked hard to make self distinguishable from everyone else. |
Anonymous
There are a lot of reasons for the best student NOT to go to TJ, the top two are: 1. They aren't particularly focused on or interested in STEM. 2. The commute is really far and they have after school activities they would have to abandon to make the commute. But there are very few reasons for someone who is not academically prepared to go to TJ. They only suffer from the rigor and their college admissions get worse. |
Anonymous
The bold is true. The italics is not. There are no “top two” bc every family has a diff perspective with diff priorities. It seems one person continually posts on here statements of opinion as if they are facts. It waters down the message. Top stem kids can turn tj down. It happens. |
Anonymous
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Parent of TJ kid here.
Overall agree that TJ is worth it only if ur kid is someone who is truly academically advanced in math. Otherwise base school is a much better option. My own kid got a 1550+ on the SAT but at the same time struggled in courses like Calc B/C and landed with multiple Bs. That def didn’t help with college admissions Also getting into clubs is also very competitive- my kid was “denied” in clubs like TJ rocket and TJ TSA. DC still landed up at a very good school ( U Wisconsin ) but overall TJ was a pain - for us. |
Anonymous
Balanced view. Not the one TJ booster who sees no downside at all to TJ except for the bottom who should transfer out anyway. |
Anonymous
Sure, a lot of things can happen at the margins. But most top stem students want to go to TJ. The two reasons above are not the only possible reasons to avoid TJ for a top student but they are the most likely reasons. |
Anonymous
This a problem with TJ. The rigor is one thing, the grade deflation is another. The grade deflation can be quite severe. Getting into some clubs can turn into a bit of a popularity contest. It is sometimes who you know that is already in the club that makes the difference in a crowded field of qualified applicants. |
Anonymous
No downside at all? I keep saying that for most kids it is a trade-off. A near absolute benefit for the kids at the top a near absolute detriment for kids near the bottom and a trade-off for most of the kids in the middle. Unless UVA is your goal, then TJ is almost certainly a bad idea. |