Novel suggestion for TJ admissions - just for fun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

You could say the same thing about the robotics competitions and the math competitions, etc

In the end they get to talk about it in their applications.

You could. You could put together a list of eligible events and minimum placements to qualify.

No they don’t get to talk about the current year’s results. They got to talk about last year. Not this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

You could say the same thing about the robotics competitions and the math competitions, etc

In the end they get to talk about it in their applications.

You could. You could put together a list of eligible events and minimum placements to qualify.

No they don’t get to talk about the current year’s results. They got to talk about last year. Not this one.

So this will be good for them and help them prepare for college when they will apply to school at a deadline and have all that they did in the past to reference but not the other later senior year competitions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had a similar argument as OP, but with math instead. If TJ heavily weighted or even guaranteed admission to any kids scoring in the top 10 at mathcounts state and the top 10 8th grade scorers in VA in the AMC 10A and AMC10B, that would only add maybe 10-15 TJ seats.

Massively pro-reform here and very happy with the way things have gone with the new admissions process...

But any sensible admissions process to TJ would at least have an opportunity for kids to indicate an outstanding achievement like this - and to write about what it meant to them. I've argued for some time that the seated and proctored part of the process should include a chance for kids to write about their single proudest accomplishments both in STEM and outside of STEM, as well as what they hope to get from and provide to TJ if admitted.

Doesn't mean you take everyone who does Science Olympiad or everyone who performs at an exceptional level in major math contests, but those things absolutely should be part of the narrative that is built through the application.

The kids ARE writing about it in their essays so already happening.

They are writing about last years edition. Arguably this years results are more pertinent to them being TJ material.

So the kids get in this year on last year accomplishments or they apply again for the few 10th grade spots and if big deal to win the gold then they can be first picked to join then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Science Olympiad as well - the problem is that most of these kids bought kits or got hand me downs.

Very few were from scratch; scratch forces you to learn. Kits make you follow directions. And depending on the event the kits are expensive.

I don't mind a build type of competition to TJ but they need to build it in-person; I'd even like to see a coding event where the kids code against each other.

I just want to see them do the challenge without parents or kits. I don't like grades and I don't like tests. I do like hands on. I'm even ok with an design challenge.

TJ shouldn't be for a place with the most AP classes it should be for makers. You're a genius with robots and have a crappy GPA no problem - welcome to TJ.

My understanding is that for the build events, kids are directed to start with a certain kit. There is no option to build from scratch.

I understand your preference for build events vs tests - but it is certainly an individual preference, not a measure.

You have a choice Kit or Scratch - I know I have been involved the past 2 years. There were a number of scratch entries. The judge even asks you if you used a kit. The winners off-course are the kits.

[Anonymous]

My kids middle school doesn't have science olympics and I had honestly never heard of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had a similar argument as OP, but with math instead. If TJ heavily weighted or even guaranteed admission to any kids scoring in the top 10 at mathcounts state and the top 10 8th grade scorers in VA in the AMC 10A and AMC10B, that would only add maybe 10-15 TJ seats.

Massively pro-reform here and very happy with the way things have gone with the new admissions process...

But any sensible admissions process to TJ would at least have an opportunity for kids to indicate an outstanding achievement like this - and to write about what it meant to them. I've argued for some time that the seated and proctored part of the process should include a chance for kids to write about their single proudest accomplishments both in STEM and outside of STEM, as well as what they hope to get from and provide to TJ if admitted.

Doesn't mean you take everyone who does Science Olympiad or everyone who performs at an exceptional level in major math contests, but those things absolutely should be part of the narrative that is built through the application.

But that is how the current process works! My kid does robotics team and wrote about that for some of his essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids middle school doesn't have science olympics and I had honestly never heard of it.

A decent number of the MS don't have academic clubs. I was suprised to see how few of the public school MS had teams or individuals at the MathCounts chapter contest. I would guess that there was similar represnentation at the Science Olympiad events. I know that my sons ES did not have a Math Club until my husband ran it and that he was the only kid from his ES to try out for Math Counts at his school. No one picked up the math club after my son left his ES even though parents thought it was great. It doesn't upset me, the academic clubs need adult volunteers, which requires adults who know about the program's existence and have the time to volunteer after school to run a club. They also have to be knowledgeable enough to work with the kids on the material.

The MS's that have the academic clubs are the MS's that have ES's with the academic clubs and parents willing to lead them. All you have to do is look at the ES that offer the AMC 8 and participate in the various math and science competitions and you will see the MS that dominate in those fields.

I don't have a problem with saying that the kids who make State for clubs like MathCounts and Science Olympiad and meet the TJ requirements should get a TJ offer. It would only alter what kids from schools like Carson, Rocky Run, Longfellow, Cooper, and Katherine Johnson (they did really well in MathCounts this year) receive offers.

This continues into HS. We compared the HS offerings at my kids base school to others in the area and his has hardly any STEM based clubs while the surrounding schools have a ton. I am more than a bit jealous. Even if one of us were to volunteer to run a club, I suspect that there is a real lack of interest since none of the kids from the feeder ES even tried out for the MS clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

What is your theory for the reason why Sci Oly teams, even in the wealthiest of "feeder schools", as well as in other schools, are OVERWHELMINGLY Asian?

My son is on a Sci Oly team in one of the semi-wealthy feeder school. He was the only half-Caucasian in the initial team of 45, and remained the only half-Caucasian in the final team of 15.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids middle school doesn't have science olympics and I had honestly never heard of it.

A decent number of the MS don't have academic clubs. I was suprised to see how few of the public school MS had teams or individuals at the MathCounts chapter contest. I would guess that there was similar represnentation at the Science Olympiad events. I know that my sons ES did not have a Math Club until my husband ran it and that he was the only kid from his ES to try out for Math Counts at his school. No one picked up the math club after my son left his ES even though parents thought it was great. It doesn't upset me, the academic clubs need adult volunteers, which requires adults who know about the program's existence and have the time to volunteer after school to run a club. They also have to be knowledgeable enough to work with the kids on the material.

The MS's that have the academic clubs are the MS's that have ES's with the academic clubs and parents willing to lead them. All you have to do is look at the ES that offer the AMC 8 and participate in the various math and science competitions and you will see the MS that dominate in those fields.

I don't have a problem with saying that the kids who make State for clubs like MathCounts and Science Olympiad and meet the TJ requirements should get a TJ offer. It would only alter what kids from schools like Carson, Rocky Run, Longfellow, Cooper, and Katherine Johnson (they did really well in MathCounts this year) receive offers.

This continues into HS. We compared the HS offerings at my kids base school to others in the area and his has hardly any STEM based clubs while the surrounding schools have a ton. I am more than a bit jealous. Even if one of us were to volunteer to run a club, I suspect that there is a real lack of interest since none of the kids from the feeder ES even tried out for the MS clubs.

You need a willing, enthusiastic teacher. At our MS (Kilmer), the Sci Oly team was coached by two science teachers. They managed the process, along with regular twice-weekly afterschool sessions. I suppose a parent can stand in, if they are available and interested. We are very grateful to the teacher coaches and supportive principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids middle school doesn't have science olympics and I had honestly never heard of it.

I don't have a problem with saying that the kids who make State for clubs like MathCounts and Science Olympiad and meet the TJ requirements should get a TJ offer. It would only alter what kids from schools like Carson, Rocky Run, Longfellow, Cooper, and Katherine Johnson (they did really well in MathCounts this year) receive offers.

Hey hey don't forget Kilmer!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can pretty much guarantee my child a gold in at least two events if I am unethical. So this is an invitation to cheating.

Longfellow has a deep base of material that they reuse each year. Their coaches have years of expertise that is passed on to the next years cohort. A student at Longfellow is starting off with a huge lead compared to other schools. They have some of the best material available that is curated over decades of experience. It has a parent group that is fanatical about winning. Any student just by being at Longfellow has a good chance of winning the top 1-2 spots. Granted they do have to work hard, but students at other schools can work twice as hard and not get the same results.

Why doesn't anyone give a copy of the material to Curie like the do with the TJ test?

Sci Oly material is freely available to all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

How is a robotics team an unfair advantage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

What is your theory for the reason why Sci Oly teams, even in the wealthiest of "feeder schools", as well as in other schools, are OVERWHELMINGLY Asian?

My son is on a Sci Oly team in one of the semi-wealthy feeder school. He was the only half-Caucasian in the initial team of 45, and remained the only half-Caucasian in the final team of 15.

Why are you so obsessed with race?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

How is a robotics team an unfair advantage?

Having robotics team experience helps with admission.