TJ exam - Feb 4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now more students attend TJ exam than before because the new application system is so simple that almost all AAP students in my kid's middle school applied TJ and attended the exam yesterday. In the old system, usually only 20 - 30 students applied TJ, and about 9-11 students were admitted into TJ every year. In the new system, the amount of students applying TJ increases nearly 5 times, but the number of students admitted into TJ in 2022 is only 16 . The competition is so strong.

Yes, it's a much stronger cohort than in years past because the improved competition and elimination of test buying.

How is determining single essay performance trasnlates to stronger cohort?Essay quesio is so dumb down that even 5th grade AAP stduent will be able to answer it. Atmost average GPA needed to get admitted to TJ is slightly elevated but not by huge margin. Exam is replaced by essay. Expereince factor is introduced that has no bearing on student academic excellenece just a mean to get these students in to TJ. Once students are entered in to TJ, they still need outside enrichment and student from poor family will not be able to compete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The essay question is already online, and yes, does seem fairly simple. I assume they change the question for the kids who got an exemption and take the test later this week?

Is this the essay question?

https://youtu.be/3a3yzIPaWqU

If so, I think it is facially simple but leaves a lot of room for deeper/more creative thinking. Reminds me a bit more of a law school exam or consulting interview question than a straight math problem.

[Anonymous]

I posted below on the other forum. Pasting below.

While it is true that the essay is very simple, what I heard is it’s not the correct answer (I believe 80-90% of kids will get that) but any out of the box, unique assumptions that you can add. It will make it stand out, even though it may not have the correct answer. Source is a friend whose kid got admitted last year. They had the question on punnet squares. Her kid fumbled at the answer but came up wit a story and really unique reasoning and got in. Their friends who wrote the correct answer were not admitted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I posted below on the other forum. Pasting below.

While it is true that the essay is very simple, what I heard is it’s not the correct answer (I believe 80-90% of kids will get that) but any out of the box, unique assumptions that you can add. It will make it stand out, even though it may not have the correct answer. Source is a friend whose kid got admitted last year. They had the question on punnet squares. Her kid fumbled at the answer but came up wit a story and really unique reasoning and got in. Their friends who wrote the correct answer were not admitted

That actually makes things worse. Which kids are likely to simply answer the question as asked? The regular, un-prepped kids applying to TJ. Who is likely to add extra commentary? The kids taking Curie or other TJ prep classes which will teach them to look for anything extra to add to their otherwise very simple answers to a very simple problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted below on the other forum. Pasting below.

While it is true that the essay is very simple, what I heard is it’s not the correct answer (I believe 80-90% of kids will get that) but any out of the box, unique assumptions that you can add. It will make it stand out, even though it may not have the correct answer. Source is a friend whose kid got admitted last year. They had the question on punnet squares. Her kid fumbled at the answer but came up wit a story and really unique reasoning and got in. Their friends who wrote the correct answer were not admitted

That actually makes things worse. Which kids are likely to simply answer the question as asked? The regular, un-prepped kids applying to TJ. Who is likely to add extra commentary? The kids taking Curie or other TJ prep classes which will teach them to look for anything extra to add to their otherwise very simple answers to a very simple problem.

NP. FCPS teaches "explaining your answer" from early elementary school. Kids don't need prepping for that. This is an interesting essay question - it looks easy but can be answered in many different ways. The way each of my kids would address this is different from how I would, or how DH would.

[Anonymous]

+ 1000 the kids going from the feeders are the kids who prepped. Other schools get the bonus points and don't have to write stories or correct answers

[Anonymous]

I am the poster who posted earlier about the kid who got in. FWIW, this kid did not go to any prep class and did not do any specific prep for TJ. Their friends who went to Curie did not get in and actually they did not write additional commentary. So not sure if/what they were coached on. This kid is now thriving at TJ and doing very well academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the poster who posted earlier about the kid who got in. FWIW, this kid did not go to any prep class and did not do any specific prep for TJ. Their friends who went to Curie did not get in and actually they did not write additional commentary. So not sure if/what they were coached on. This kid is now thriving at TJ and doing very well academically.

How do you know this kid was not prep? DCUM parents never share the true details when their kids are competing!! Maybe kid did not go to curie (since it is no longer exam based admission) and not needed but does not mean that kid was not enriched in other ways such as onine class, other coaching institutes.
Is essay about writting fiction or solving math problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The essay question is already online, and yes, does seem fairly simple. I assume they change the question for the kids who got an exemption and take the test later this week?

Is this the essay question?

https://youtu.be/3a3yzIPaWqU

If so, I think it is facially simple but leaves a lot of room for deeper/more creative thinking. Reminds me a bit more of a law school exam or consulting interview question than a straight math problem.

There was nothing creative thinking any student with sufficint knowledge of solving word problem can solve this. It sure looks like a lottery system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted below on the other forum. Pasting below.

While it is true that the essay is very simple, what I heard is it’s not the correct answer (I believe 80-90% of kids will get that) but any out of the box, unique assumptions that you can add. It will make it stand out, even though it may not have the correct answer. Source is a friend whose kid got admitted last year. They had the question on punnet squares. Her kid fumbled at the answer but came up wit a story and really unique reasoning and got in. Their friends who wrote the correct answer were not admitted

That actually makes things worse. Which kids are likely to simply answer the question as asked? The regular, un-prepped kids applying to TJ. Who is likely to add extra commentary? The kids taking Curie or other TJ prep classes which will teach them to look for anything extra to add to their otherwise very simple answers to a very simple problem.

NP. FCPS teaches "explaining your answer" from early elementary school. Kids don't need prepping for that. This is an interesting essay question - it looks easy but can be answered in many different ways. The way each of my kids would address this is different from how I would, or how DH would.

But are they looking for the kids who do a great job of explaining a fairly trivial math problem, or are they looking for the kids who state that the farmer should utilize one of the deals, since caring for the environment is more important than pure profits, or that the reduction in labor is in and of itself a form of profit, or that the farmer could now promote himself as eco friendly and thus gain some lucrative deals?

A lot of unprepped, regular students wouldn't necessarily feel like they're permitted to go off on tangents like the ones above. But, taken at face value, this problem would do nothing to differentiate between kids who are math geniuses and kids who are pretty average.

[Anonymous]

but there were 3 other essay questions too? What were they about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: DCUM parents never share the true details when their kids are competing!! Maybe kid did not go to curie (since it is no longer exam based admission)

There are still lots of kids going to Curie for TJ/Academy of Loudoun admissions prep. Vast majority do not get in, but essay prep is easier than math prep, unless they are getting the exact questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The essay question is already online, and yes, does seem fairly simple. I assume they change the question for the kids who got an exemption and take the test later this week?

Is this the essay question?

https://youtu.be/3a3yzIPaWqU

If so, I think it is facially simple but leaves a lot of room for deeper/more creative thinking. Reminds me a bit more of a law school exam or consulting interview question than a straight math problem.

There was nothing creative thinking any student with sufficint knowledge of solving word problem can solve this. It sure looks like a lottery system.

The question doesn’t give you all the information to determine the answer so kids necessarily will be making some assumptions to arrive at an answer. One way kids can differentiate themselves is by acknowledging their assumptions and explaining why they made those assumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:but there were 3 other essay questions too? What were they about?

The other essays are Portrait of a Graduate Traits. They are not STEM based and don't involve problem solving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now more students attend TJ exam than before because the new application system is so simple that almost all AAP students in my kid's middle school applied TJ and attended the exam yesterday. In the old system, usually only 20 - 30 students applied TJ, and about 9-11 students were admitted into TJ every year. In the new system, the amount of students applying TJ increases nearly 5 times, but the number of students admitted into TJ in 2022 is only 16 . The competition is so strong.

Yes, it's a much stronger cohort than in years past because the improved competition and elimination of test buying.

Here comes the test buying Karen

lol