Official TJ Admissions Decisions Results for the Class of 2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got waitlisted-All A’s, Algebra II, All honors. She’s Asian but no prep classes and we do not push her to take higher math. If it wasn’t for COVID and sheer boredom she wouldn’t have taken Geometry last summer.

I know many of her friends also have Algebra II, all honors and also all A’s and waitlisted. As I’m reading kids with Algebra I from my daughter’s school got in, I’m curious as to how they determined the top 1.5%.

My DD is in the same boat but took Algebra 1 in 6th, Geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2 in 8th. She feels discouraged to see Algebra 1 students with no STEM activities get in from her school. I'm curious as to how the decisions have been made.

Did your DD get accept to TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given a large number of kids who got in with Algebra 1 background, the following observations seem to be in order:
1. TJ will get rid of most of its advanced math and science classes. (It’s either coincidental, since few students will have the prerequisites to take them, or by design, given the VMPI reform and all. It also unties the hands of the administration to replace teachers at TJ of specialized advanced classes more easily.)
2. A large number of kids taking higher level math courses will stay at their base schools, which makes it easier for them to get into better engineering and STEM programs as they are not directly competing with each other at a single school. However, college applications aside, it makes it harder for them to access post-calc math and science classes.
3. The students who got in with Algebra 1 but who solved what was reportedly (?) a geometry essay question are either very bright or took geometry ahead of public school offering (in which case they were also prepped outside their public school, so their natural math ability is completely unknown). Perhaps, the problem solving essay was just a distraction and had no real weight in the application process (this would explain why there was no score of any thought attached to it).

They should just rename TJ as the Karen Keys Gamarra High School for Diversity and Inclusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got waitlisted-All A’s, Algebra II, All honors. She’s Asian but no prep classes and we do not push her to take higher math. If it wasn’t for COVID and sheer boredom she wouldn’t have taken Geometry last summer.

I know many of her friends also have Algebra II, all honors and also all A’s and waitlisted. As I’m reading kids with Algebra I from my daughter’s school got in, I’m curious as to how they determined the top 1.5%.

My DD is in the same boat but took Algebra 1 in 6th, Geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2 in 8th. She feels discouraged to see Algebra 1 students with no STEM activities get in from her school. I'm curious as to how the decisions have been made.

Please write to school board all members and see their comments

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got waitlisted-All A’s, Algebra II, All honors. She’s Asian but no prep classes and we do not push her to take higher math. If it wasn’t for COVID and sheer boredom she wouldn’t have taken Geometry last summer.

I know many of her friends also have Algebra II, all honors and also all A’s and waitlisted. As I’m reading kids with Algebra I from my daughter’s school got in, I’m curious as to how they determined the top 1.5%.

My DD is in the same boat but took Algebra 1 in 6th, Geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2 in 8th. She feels discouraged to see Algebra 1 students with no STEM activities get in from her school. I'm curious as to how the decisions have been made.

Did your DD get accept to TJ?

DD is waitlisted

[Anonymous]

Asian mom here with an Advanced kid who did not get in. I did not spend money on prep academies, though I do try and teach my child to learn from every mistake on his homework and tests, and support his wish for a STEM career. I'm sorry to disappoint the haters but some kids actually thrive advancing at a faster pace. Believe it or not, people do derive happiness from solving difficult problems, and kids like my son get hooked once they FINALLY discover what learning with other advanced students feel like.

I also do not blame people who do trust their kids to Curie or Sunshine. They seem to be 1st generation immigrant parents who are concerned about not being able to provide support at home because 1, they went through a completely different school system in a different land, and 2, they are often 2 income families.

While I did not know much about these centers in the past, the DCUM posts here mad me look those up. Did any of y'all research what you are blaming? The thousands you claim that people pay these academies are, if used at all, for the years long tutoring services for normal school work. Where I live, the mostly white population is often single income and well off, with the typically well educated white moms being able to tutor their own kids at home or hire private tutors when they need to.

The Asian immigrant parents who place kids at Curie or Sunshine do so because they have no working knowledge of how to help their kids in the education system here. Yes, there will be overzealous parents and kids who do not want to go. For the most part though, the successful kids coming out of there are kids who are bright to begin with. Why all the hate? Nine of you are pointing fingers at mothers of lighter color who helicopter at ES and MS to assist their kids in school.

U do believe admissions at TJ needed reform. But it was needed long before the Asians became a majority there. Look at the admin Director. Is he someone who sounds qualified? Look at there application system. I don't think they should ever have had essays and problem solving unless they had ndependent and highly qualified scholars to review the submissions in a transparent and vetted method.

It seems their application process caused all that's happened by overemphasizing things like STEM Achievements and extracurricular. These are middle school kids - they should be looking for advancement math (science not so much because science education is a joke in many schools and not as standardized) as well as aptitude for logical thinking. A test like the SSAT should be able to accomplish finding the aptitude. Sponsor free test prep session at all middle schools - the skills being tested on an aptitude test are logical skills that will be useful to all students anyways.

I know a lot of you became more aware and are supportive of the BLM movement. I am too. But I am also saddened that some of the loud voices in the media for BLM gave no support for the native Americans when they demanded that the Washington Redskins change their name. Are you really for equality for all and respect for all? Please look in your hearts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asian mom here with an Advanced kid who did not get in. I did not spend money on prep academies, though I do try and teach my child to learn from every mistake on his homework and tests, and support his wish for a STEM career. I'm sorry to disappoint the haters but some kids actually thrive advancing at a faster pace. Believe it or not, people do derive happiness from solving difficult problems, and kids like my son get hooked once they FINALLY discover what learning with other advanced students feel like.

I also do not blame people who do trust their kids to Curie or Sunshine. They seem to be 1st generation immigrant parents who are concerned about not being able to provide support at home because 1, they went through a completely different school system in a different land, and 2, they are often 2 income families.

While I did not know much about these centers in the past, the DCUM posts here mad me look those up. Did any of y'all research what you are blaming? The thousands you claim that people pay these academies are, if used at all, for the years long tutoring services for normal school work. Where I live, the mostly white population is often single income and well off, with the typically well educated white moms being able to tutor their own kids at home or hire private tutors when they need to.

The Asian immigrant parents who place kids at Curie or Sunshine do so because they have no working knowledge of how to help their kids in the education system here. Yes, there will be overzealous parents and kids who do not want to go. For the most part though, the successful kids coming out of there are kids who are bright to begin with. Why all the hate? Nine of you are pointing fingers at mothers of lighter color who helicopter at ES and MS to assist their kids in school.

U do believe admissions at TJ needed reform. But it was needed long before the Asians became a majority there. Look at the admin Director. Is he someone who sounds qualified? Look at there application system. I don't think they should ever have had essays and problem solving unless they had ndependent and highly qualified scholars to review the submissions in a transparent and vetted method.

It seems their application process caused all that's happened by overemphasizing things like STEM Achievements and extracurricular. These are middle school kids - they should be looking for advancement math (science not so much because science education is a joke in many schools and not as standardized) as well as aptitude for logical thinking. A test like the SSAT should be able to accomplish finding the aptitude. Sponsor free test prep session at all middle schools - the skills being tested on an aptitude test are logical skills that will be useful to all students anyways.

I know a lot of you became more aware and are supportive of the BLM movement. I am too. But I am also saddened that some of the loud voices in the media for BLM gave no support for the native Americans when they demanded that the Washington Redskins change their name. Are you really for equality for all and respect for all? Please look in your hearts

Pardon all the typos. Too many to correct

[Anonymous]

I'm happy that much more Blacks and Hispanics got in, but I'm disturbed that in order to affect this positive social change, the school board decided that the boogeyman should be evidence of academic excellence. I'm absolutely positive that this wasn't the only option for accomplishing the goal, and I'm cynically very willing to believe that the only reason the school board would choose to diminish evidence of excellence is because actual evidence and actual excellence would reflect poorly on certain higher-up people, who earned their positions just by being worthless assholes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm happy that much more Blacks and Hispanics got in, but I'm disturbed that in order to affect this positive social change, the school board decided that the boogeyman should be evidence of academic excellence. I'm absolutely positive that this wasn't the only option for accomplishing the goal, and I'm cynically very willing to believe that the only reason the school board would choose to diminish evidence of excellence is because actual evidence and actual excellence would reflect poorly on certain higher-up people, who earned their positions just by being worthless assholes.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
3. The students who got in with Algebra 1 but who solved what was reportedly (?) a geometry essay question are either very bright or took geometry ahead of public school offering (in which case they were also prepped outside their public school, so their natural math ability is completely unknown). Perhaps, the problem solving essay was just a distraction and had no real weight in the application process (this would explain why there was no score of any thought attached to it).

This is the shocking part. There is no way that kids who were at the time only halfway through Algebra I would have been equipped to solve a geometry problem of any real depth. So, we're left with several possibilities:
1. They completely ignored the problem when making admissions decisions.
2. The problem was so trivial that everyone aced it.
3. Algebra I kids who crushed the problem are kids receiving outside prep, because that's the only way they would have the math tools to solve the problem.
4. The Algebra I kids had help or cheated on the problem, since they were at home and unmonitored.

All of these are more plausible than imagining that there are tons of Algebra I kids who are hidden math geniuses and completely derived the material they needed to solve a geometry problem that they've never learned before.

Cases 3 and 4 sound like exactly the type of kids they don't want at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
3. The students who got in with Algebra 1 but who solved what was reportedly (?) a geometry essay question are either very bright or took geometry ahead of public school offering (in which case they were also prepped outside their public school, so their natural math ability is completely unknown). Perhaps, the problem solving essay was just a distraction and had no real weight in the application process (this would explain why there was no score of any thought attached to it).

This is the shocking part. There is no way that kids who were at the time only halfway through Algebra I would have been equipped to solve a geometry problem of any real depth. So, we're left with several possibilities:
1. They completely ignored the problem when making admissions decisions.
2. The problem was so trivial that everyone aced it.
3. Algebra I kids who crushed the problem are kids receiving outside prep, because that's the only way they would have the math tools to solve the problem.
4. The Algebra I kids had help or cheated on the problem, since they were at home and unmonitored.

All of these are more plausible than imagining that there are tons of Algebra I kids who are hidden math geniuses and completely derived the material they needed to solve a geometry problem that they've never learned before.

Cases 3 and 4 sound like exactly the type of kids they don't want at TJ.

also when Application min requirement is Algebra I, how TJ gave geometry problem that needs real depth. so Case 1 makes sense.

[Anonymous]

my daughter is in waitpool. all solid As, math Geometry. from one of strong feeder school. She is very disappointed with the result, especially saw some other kid with B+ got accepted.
We contact the TJ admission office about waitpool. Looks like all qualified kids but didn't have the offers are in the waitpool. It will be a large ###. So forgot about it and move on...

"We will not be providing information about placement in the waitpool. As this is a pool of students, we do not have a ranking number to provide to students and parents/guardians based on their standing in the pool. This year the waitpool process is different than in previous years and we don’t have a basis of comparison to provide additional information. This year our waitpool is larger than in previous years based on the 1.5% allocations for public schools. All students who met the minimum holistic evaluation requirements and didn’t receive an offer were placed in the waitpool. For those students who did not meet the minimum evaluation requirements, they received an offer of “Not Admit”."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given a large number of kids who got in with Algebra 1 background, the following observations seem to be in order:
1. TJ will get rid of most of its advanced math and science classes. (It’s either coincidental, since few students will have the prerequisites to take them, or by design, given the VMPI reform and all. It also unties the hands of the administration to replace teachers at TJ of specialized advanced classes more easily.)
2. A large number of kids taking higher level math courses will stay at their base schools, which makes it easier for them to get into better engineering and STEM programs as they are not directly competing with each other at a single school. However, college applications aside, it makes it harder for them to access post-calc math and science classes.
3. The students who got in with Algebra 1 but who solved what was reportedly (?) a geometry essay question are either very bright or took geometry ahead of public school offering (in which case they were also prepped outside their public school, so their natural math ability is completely unknown). Perhaps, the problem solving essay was just a distraction and had no real weight in the application process (this would explain why there was no score of any thought attached to it).

They should just rename TJ as the Karen Keys Gamarra High School for Diversity and Inclusion.

That would be awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given a large number of kids who got in with Algebra 1 background, the following observations seem to be in order:
1. TJ will get rid of most of its advanced math and science classes. (It’s either coincidental, since few students will have the prerequisites to take them, or by design, given the VMPI reform and all. It also unties the hands of the administration to replace teachers at TJ of specialized advanced classes more easily.)
2. A large number of kids taking higher level math courses will stay at their base schools, which makes it easier for them to get into better engineering and STEM programs as they are not directly competing with each other at a single school. However, college applications aside, it makes it harder for them to access post-calc math and science classes.
3. The students who got in with Algebra 1 but who solved what was reportedly (?) a geometry essay question are either very bright or took geometry ahead of public school offering (in which case they were also prepped outside their public school, so their natural math ability is completely unknown). Perhaps, the problem solving essay was just a distraction and had no real weight in the application process (this would explain why there was no score of any thought attached to it).

They should just rename TJ as the Karen Keys Gamarra High School for Diversity and Inclusion.

and equity in outcome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
3. The students who got in with Algebra 1 but who solved what was reportedly (?) a geometry essay question are either very bright or took geometry ahead of public school offering (in which case they were also prepped outside their public school, so their natural math ability is completely unknown). Perhaps, the problem solving essay was just a distraction and had no real weight in the application process (this would explain why there was no score of any thought attached to it).

This is the shocking part. There is no way that kids who were at the time only halfway through Algebra I would have been equipped to solve a geometry problem of any real depth. So, we're left with several possibilities:
1. They completely ignored the problem when making admissions decisions.
2. The problem was so trivial that everyone aced it.
3. Algebra I kids who crushed the problem are kids receiving outside prep, because that's the only way they would have the math tools to solve the problem.
4. The Algebra I kids had help or cheated on the problem, since they were at home and unmonitored.

All of these are more plausible than imagining that there are tons of Algebra I kids who are hidden math geniuses and completely derived the material they needed to solve a geometry problem that they've never learned before.

Cases 3 and 4 sound like exactly the type of kids they don't want at TJ.

It's either case one or case four

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
3. The students who got in with Algebra 1 but who solved what was reportedly (?) a geometry essay question are either very bright or took geometry ahead of public school offering (in which case they were also prepped outside their public school, so their natural math ability is completely unknown). Perhaps, the problem solving essay was just a distraction and had no real weight in the application process (this would explain why there was no score of any thought attached to it).

This is the shocking part. There is no way that kids who were at the time only halfway through Algebra I would have been equipped to solve a geometry problem of any real depth. So, we're left with several possibilities:
1. They completely ignored the problem when making admissions decisions.
2. The problem was so trivial that everyone aced it.
3. Algebra I kids who crushed the problem are kids receiving outside prep, because that's the only way they would have the math tools to solve the problem.
4. The Algebra I kids had help or cheated on the problem, since they were at home and unmonitored.

All of these are more plausible than imagining that there are tons of Algebra I kids who are hidden math geniuses and completely derived the material they needed to solve a geometry problem that they've never learned before.

Cases 3 and 4 sound like exactly the type of kids they don't want at TJ.

I hope someone FOIAs the application data. Names and schools can be redacted