Reasons why one would not accept TJ offer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are this year's freshmen doing so far?

Other than Math, what courses are considered difficult in Freshman?

Biology, English, world language. There's homework everyday or quiz preparation. Getting enough time to sleep is a challenge.

[Anonymous]

The commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are this year's freshmen doing so far?

Other than Math, what courses are considered difficult in Freshman?

Biology, English, world language. There's homework everyday or quiz preparation. Getting enough time to sleep is a challenge.

Tough curriculum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are this year's freshmen doing so far?

Other than Math, what courses are considered difficult in Freshman?

Biology, English, world language. There's homework everyday or quiz preparation. Getting enough time to sleep is a challenge.

English didn't seem that tough 9th grade year.
World Language varies - spanish is a KILLER at TJ. Some of the others are totally fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are this year's freshmen doing so far?

Other than Math, what courses are considered difficult in Freshman?

Biology, English, world language. There's homework everyday or quiz preparation. Getting enough time to sleep is a challenge.

English didn't seem that tough 9th grade year.
World Language varies - spanish is a KILLER at TJ. Some of the others are totally fine.

English depends on student's middle school reading/writing level going in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are this year's freshmen doing so far?

Other than Math, what courses are considered difficult in Freshman?

Biology, English, world language. There's homework everyday or quiz preparation. Getting enough time to sleep is a challenge.

English didn't seem that tough 9th grade year.
World Language varies - spanish is a KILLER at TJ. Some of the others are totally fine.

English depends on student's middle school reading/writing level going in

These should be pretty high since they are using essay as the primary selector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If math grade is low, can the course be retaken in summer, like how it is allowed in regular high school?

I doubt there are enough TJ students with low grades in math to warrant this.

Tj says they have students with GPA as low as 3.2 weighted/ 2.7 unweighted. Doesn't it take quite a number of Cs to get that low of a GPA?

Thought saw in other post that kids must maintain 3.0 average?

Yes, it is.
Regulation 3355.15

" An enrolled student must maintain a cumulative B average (unweighted 3.0 grade point
average) at the end of each school year to remain a student in good standing at
TJHSST."

How can the supposedly no.1 stem magnet school admit students who are struggling to maintain bare minimum GPA?

Equity took priority over excellence

good news is middle school math classes have entered TJ in the form of remediation. not all middle schools teach math equally well, so remediation is the equalizer

I've heard teaching is much better at the wealthier schiools.

Actually the students are on average more advanced coming in (and the cohort of advanced students is larger) at wealtheir schools, which maps to higher test scores, etc. This should not be confused with "much better teaching" at those schools necessarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If math grade is low, can the course be retaken in summer, like how it is allowed in regular high school?

I doubt there are enough TJ students with low grades in math to warrant this.

Tj says they have students with GPA as low as 3.2 weighted/ 2.7 unweighted. Doesn't it take quite a number of Cs to get that low of a GPA?

Thought saw in other post that kids must maintain 3.0 average?

Yes, it is.
Regulation 3355.15

" An enrolled student must maintain a cumulative B average (unweighted 3.0 grade point
average) at the end of each school year to remain a student in good standing at
TJHSST."

How can the supposedly no.1 stem magnet school admit students who are struggling to maintain bare minimum GPA?

Equity took priority over excellence

good news is middle school math classes have entered TJ in the form of remediation. not all middle schools teach math equally well, so remediation is the equalizer

Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the kids are more well-rounded coming out of our local base HS, and I care about social things - wanted my kid to be with friends from the neighborhood and at a school closer to our house more than I care about prestige. He never applied in the first place because he agreed with me on these things. He's in 9th grade now and trust me - my husband and I don't use this loosely - but we think one of his friends is an actual genius. We've only said that about one other kid - a third grader who pushed up to our middle son's 5th grade AAP math class, and I think still knows more than the 5th graders. Anyway, this friend is applying to TJ for 10th grade, and they are idiots if they don't accept him. That said - I don't know if it wouldn't behoove him to stay at the base and be #1 there for college admissions. I hear the kids from TJ have a harder time getting into UVA because they think it's their safety school. ANYWAY - not my circus, not my monkey - so I'll mind my own business.

Very good points.

My child was at base in 9th grade and at TJ afterwards. The primary reason is social for the move.

My child cared very much about 2 activities. A sport that would be too competitive for child to be able to be on the team at base. Child likes it very much but weak in that sport. Child was able to play at TJ. Another activity had literally one other child who is interested in at base. Child had (well I had to remind child) to remind teachers about due dates to apply to that activity. It was lonely. At TJ, it is tough to get into the top 30 in that activity and there are nearly 100 who are interested. This is a fantastic social experience and the one of the most enjoyable parts of TJ for child.

Anyway went to TJ for the social aspects and HS experience in our case, but not due to prestige or college admissions perspective.

I really don’t see the justification to maintain a magnet school and provide transportation if one of the main remaining benefits is that it allows some kids to make sports teams they couldn’t make at their base schools.

There is also the fact that base was ridiculously easy even while taking the most rigorous course load possible. In all of 9th grade, child probably put maybe 5 hours of effort at home for the entire year on all classes combined. All the home work used to be finished at school itself. In 3 of the courses ended up with over 100% due to bonus points.

So yes there is a need for TJ for some children.

How are the grades at TJ now?

It is an inverted bell or U-shaped curve, with bottom half of class struggling with Cs & Ds requiring math remediation, the distant top half with mostly As, and a nominal number in the middle.

What are benefits of joining TJ if student not expected to be in top half?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand every middle school will be given a few seats, but last year no one at our middle school accepted the offer. I could be mistaken, as I also heard one kid attended for a year, and returned to base high school. DC took the admissions test this month, and we think there is a good chance we will be made an offer. What I want to understand is why would one not accept a TJ offer? I hear everyone saying how much harder one has to study, but is it significantly more than what a student at base high school enrolled in all honors courses would need to study? How much time would be available to do sports? Trying to figure out if DC would be better off going to our high school with known friends and teammates, or tryout TJ, but definitely want to avoid the hassle of transferring if TJ isnt the right fit.

They need to stop fooling kids and their parents into thinking as long as they are in top 1.5% at their middle school they'll do just fine at TJ. This just sets up the kid for suffering and misery especially if coming from schools like Poe Middle in our neighborhood. An entire three fourth of our school is not taught basic Algebra at all. If they learn somewhat basic algebra, then they are in very top percent at the school, and are being pressured to put in the TJ application. If they accept the offer and enroll, how can they expect our so called "top" student from our school to do well at Thomas Jefferson, where 98% of the other students are coming in with better level of algebra math and english? What they really need to do is offer proper math classes and make sure they fix the chronic attendance issues, and then let the kids decide if they want to apply to TJ and take the offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the kids are more well-rounded coming out of our local base HS, and I care about social things - wanted my kid to be with friends from the neighborhood and at a school closer to our house more than I care about prestige. He never applied in the first place because he agreed with me on these things. He's in 9th grade now and trust me - my husband and I don't use this loosely - but we think one of his friends is an actual genius. We've only said that about one other kid - a third grader who pushed up to our middle son's 5th grade AAP math class, and I think still knows more than the 5th graders. Anyway, this friend is applying to TJ for 10th grade, and they are idiots if they don't accept him. That said - I don't know if it wouldn't behoove him to stay at the base and be #1 there for college admissions. I hear the kids from TJ have a harder time getting into UVA because they think it's their safety school. ANYWAY - not my circus, not my monkey - so I'll mind my own business.

Very good points.

My child was at base in 9th grade and at TJ afterwards. The primary reason is social for the move.

My child cared very much about 2 activities. A sport that would be too competitive for child to be able to be on the team at base. Child likes it very much but weak in that sport. Child was able to play at TJ. Another activity had literally one other child who is interested in at base. Child had (well I had to remind child) to remind teachers about due dates to apply to that activity. It was lonely. At TJ, it is tough to get into the top 30 in that activity and there are nearly 100 who are interested. This is a fantastic social experience and the one of the most enjoyable parts of TJ for child.

Anyway went to TJ for the social aspects and HS experience in our case, but not due to prestige or college admissions perspective.

I really don’t see the justification to maintain a magnet school and provide transportation if one of the main remaining benefits is that it allows some kids to make sports teams they couldn’t make at their base schools.

There is also the fact that base was ridiculously easy even while taking the most rigorous course load possible. In all of 9th grade, child probably put maybe 5 hours of effort at home for the entire year on all classes combined. All the home work used to be finished at school itself. In 3 of the courses ended up with over 100% due to bonus points.

So yes there is a need for TJ for some children.

How are the grades at TJ now?

It is an inverted bell or U-shaped curve, with bottom half of class struggling with Cs & Ds requiring math remediation, the distant top half with mostly As, and a nominal number in the middle.

What are benefits of joining TJ if student not expected to be in top half?

You get a phenomenal STEM-focused education that sets you up really well for college and an eventual career in STEM. Even if you don't get into the school you want to right off the bat, you'll probably be prepared to dominate at the school you go to and be well-positioned to transfer to a better school after a year if that's what you want to do. It might be easier to get into a T20 school from, say, Langley or McLean, but you'll be far less prepared and far more likely to drop out after a year and be replaced by a TJ kid who spent a year killing it at Virginia Tech and saving money on in-state tuition.

You get access to facilities, materials, and faculty that are the envy of many college STEM departments. Kids at TJ frequently get early internships and quality employment considerations at major STEM companies because they get experience with this high-end equipment at such an early age.

You get to go school at a place where literally 100% of the kids there care about school. There are virtually zero security concerns or classroom management issues and while not every teacher is perfect, there are none of them who are incompetent.

Because everyone eats lunch at the same time, you're guaranteed to get to eat lunch every day with your friends. That's not the case at most high schools with multiple lunch periods.

Because 8th period exists, you get to participate in tons of clubs and activities without having to stay after school - and because sports take place after school, you can do both clubs and sports with basically no conflict.

[Anonymous]

Folks should remember that every year at this time, we get a slew of topics and threads on this forum that are trying to convince people not to take their TJ offer, which would open up space for their kid.

Tread lightly. And remember - you can always leave TJ once you start there, but if you decide to turn down the offer, it won't be there waiting for you when you change your mind and realize your mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand every middle school will be given a few seats, but last year no one at our middle school accepted the offer. I could be mistaken, as I also heard one kid attended for a year, and returned to base high school. DC took the admissions test this month, and we think there is a good chance we will be made an offer. What I want to understand is why would one not accept a TJ offer? I hear everyone saying how much harder one has to study, but is it significantly more than what a student at base high school enrolled in all honors courses would need to study? How much time would be available to do sports? Trying to figure out if DC would be better off going to our high school with known friends and teammates, or tryout TJ, but definitely want to avoid the hassle of transferring if TJ isnt the right fit.

They need to stop fooling kids and their parents into thinking as long as they are in top 1.5% at their middle school they'll do just fine at TJ. This just sets up the kid for suffering and misery especially if coming from schools like Poe Middle in our neighborhood. An entire three fourth of our school is not taught basic Algebra at all. If they learn somewhat basic algebra, then they are in very top percent at the school, and are being pressured to put in the TJ application. If they accept the offer and enroll, how can they expect our so called "top" student from our school to do well at Thomas Jefferson, where 98% of the other students are coming in with better level of algebra math and english? What they really need to do is offer proper math classes and make sure they fix the chronic attendance issues, and then let the kids decide if they want to apply to TJ and take the offer.

FFS go over the requirements for TJ admission. Algebra 1 honors is the Math req. At any env, some kids will thrive and not a fit for other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks should remember that every year at this time, we get a slew of topics and threads on this forum that are trying to convince people not to take their TJ offer, which would open up space for their kid.
+10000 I used to wonder if those kind of ppl exist. This forum leaves no doubt. Yes they do
Tread lightly. And remember - you can always leave TJ once you start there, but if you decide to turn down the offer, it won't be there waiting for you when you change your mind and realize your mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the kids are more well-rounded coming out of our local base HS, and I care about social things - wanted my kid to be with friends from the neighborhood and at a school closer to our house more than I care about prestige. He never applied in the first place because he agreed with me on these things. He's in 9th grade now and trust me - my husband and I don't use this loosely - but we think one of his friends is an actual genius. We've only said that about one other kid - a third grader who pushed up to our middle son's 5th grade AAP math class, and I think still knows more than the 5th graders. Anyway, this friend is applying to TJ for 10th grade, and they are idiots if they don't accept him. That said - I don't know if it wouldn't behoove him to stay at the base and be #1 there for college admissions. I hear the kids from TJ have a harder time getting into UVA because they think it's their safety school. ANYWAY - not my circus, not my monkey - so I'll mind my own business.

Very good points.

My child was at base in 9th grade and at TJ afterwards. The primary reason is social for the move.

My child cared very much about 2 activities. A sport that would be too competitive for child to be able to be on the team at base. Child likes it very much but weak in that sport. Child was able to play at TJ. Another activity had literally one other child who is interested in at base. Child had (well I had to remind child) to remind teachers about due dates to apply to that activity. It was lonely. At TJ, it is tough to get into the top 30 in that activity and there are nearly 100 who are interested. This is a fantastic social experience and the one of the most enjoyable parts of TJ for child.

Anyway went to TJ for the social aspects and HS experience in our case, but not due to prestige or college admissions perspective.

I really don’t see the justification to maintain a magnet school and provide transportation if one of the main remaining benefits is that it allows some kids to make sports teams they couldn’t make at their base schools.

There is also the fact that base was ridiculously easy even while taking the most rigorous course load possible. In all of 9th grade, child probably put maybe 5 hours of effort at home for the entire year on all classes combined. All the home work used to be finished at school itself. In 3 of the courses ended up with over 100% due to bonus points.

So yes there is a need for TJ for some children.

How are the grades at TJ now?

It is an inverted bell or U-shaped curve, with bottom half of class struggling with Cs & Ds requiring math remediation, the distant top half with mostly As, and a nominal number in the middle.

What are benefits of joining TJ if student not expected to be in top half?

You get a phenomenal STEM-focused education that sets you up really well for college and an eventual career in STEM. Even if you don't get into the school you want to right off the bat, you'll probably be prepared to dominate at the school you go to and be well-positioned to transfer to a better school after a year if that's what you want to do. It might be easier to get into a T20 school from, say, Langley or McLean, but you'll be far less prepared and far more likely to drop out after a year and be replaced by a TJ kid who spent a year killing it at Virginia Tech and saving money on in-state tuition.

You get access to facilities, materials, and faculty that are the envy of many college STEM departments. Kids at TJ frequently get early internships and quality employment considerations at major STEM companies because they get experience with this high-end equipment at such an early age.

You get to go school at a place where literally 100% of the kids there care about school. There are virtually zero security concerns or classroom management issues and while not every teacher is perfect, there are none of them who are incompetent.

Because everyone eats lunch at the same time, you're guaranteed to get to eat lunch every day with your friends. That's not the case at most high schools with multiple lunch periods.

Because 8th period exists, you get to participate in tons of clubs and activities without having to stay after school - and because sports take place after school, you can do both clubs and sports with basically no conflict.

I don't see that much benefit attending TJ now coming from Langley, McLean, Chantilly, or Oakton. The main benefit now is if your alternative is a school like Annandale or Mount Vernon. The peer group at the top neighborhood schools is being upgraded, and the peer group at TJ is being downgraded, but of course it's still more academically focused than many high schools in FCPS. The faculty, by most accounts, is no better and in some cases worse (i.e., relies more on students to teach themselves the material) than at other schools.

The access to facilities is nice but the dynamics with more kids who aren't really prepared to take advantage of all that TJ once had to offer aren't great. If they maintain their standards, they will stress out more kids, but the alternative is lowering their standards, in which case there's less reason to put up with the longer commute.