Rigor at TJ compared to regular FCPS high Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a person who studied CS and applied math and later worked at several big-name tech companies, I've always found IT boring. Those guys pull cables, install software, and fix computers. I guess someone has to do it.

Yes, IT is the STEM equivalent of manual labor. We had an IT desk on every floor that was like an Apple Genius bar where you could bring your laptop to have software installed or get repairs or replacement hardware. People who do serious work at tech firms aren't in IT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a person who studied CS and applied math and later worked at several big-name tech companies, I've always found IT boring. Those guys pull cables, install software, and fix computers. I guess someone has to do it.

Yes, IT is the STEM equivalent of manual labor. We had an IT desk on every floor that was like an Apple Genius bar where you could bring your laptop to have software installed or get repairs or replacement hardware. People who do serious work at tech firms aren't in IT.

for idiots like you IT simply means hardware repairs. For rest of the world, it means everything technology that runs most of this world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a person who studied CS and applied math and later worked at several big-name tech companies, I've always found IT boring. Those guys pull cables, install software, and fix computers. I guess someone has to do it.

Sorry you got the most menial job in IT. If you were asked to pull cables, your skills were assessed to be no more than a junior electrician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a person who studied CS and applied math and later worked at several big-name tech companies, I've always found IT boring. Those guys pull cables, install software, and fix computers. I guess someone has to do it.

Sorry you got the most menial job in IT. If you were asked to pull cables, your skills were assessed to be no more than a junior electrician.

Sorry, but that's what IT people do. CS is a different field, but you would've have had to work at a real tech company to know that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rigor at TJ compared to regular FCPS high Schools is much more.. Every course that is taught on Math, Science, CS side is more in depth and the testing way tougher than in a regular High school. Grading is tougher. So how do colleges not keep this in mind while evaluating student applications. It is definielty easy to get A's in a HS where rigor is lesser ! Looking for advice

You go to TJ to get a rigorous education. It is a drawback for college admissions for almost all the kids.

Even the tippy top TJ kid who might be in top 5% of academics at TJ would is at a slight disadvantage compared to base HS. At base the same student would have the teachers writing recommendation letters that say something to the effect of "walking on water" vs. a merely strong recommendation at TJ. The teachers at TJ were so used to seeing exceptionally strong kids over the years, that the bar to get a strong recommendation is extraordinarily high.

Colleges do consider the rigor, but would an Ivy pick bottom half student at TJ based on academics? Not unless they have some extraordinary extra-curriculars.

It is a big unfair, but consolation is that they do get really strong education.

It seems like this is what some TJ parents like to believe, but the reality is the rigor is similar to what's available at the base HS.

[Anonymous]

+1. My kid is currently at TJ. Older kid went to base HS.

Same courses. Same curriculum. At TJ often 2 semesters worth of course are crammed into 1. And that actually hurts the learning.

My older learnt his fundamentals much better at his base school.

TJ works for the top third of the class, who are truly academically advanced. But the remaining 2/3's struggle. Only consolation is the TJ diploma.

[Anonymous]

My older DC graduated from a well regarded FCPS base HS and also have a kid at TJ. There is a noticeable difference in rigor for the “same course”. DC that went to base had a much less stressful HS experience. Classes were not nearly as challenging as at TJ. Base HS kid is attending a top 5 university, but has found they actually need to study and work hard. If TJ kid is lucky to get into similar college, I know TJ kid will be much more prepared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1. My kid is currently at TJ. Older kid went to base HS.

Same courses. Same curriculum. At TJ often 2 semesters worth of course are crammed into 1. And that actually hurts the learning.

My older learnt his fundamentals much better at his base school.

TJ works for the top third of the class, who are truly academically advanced. But the remaining 2/3's struggle. Only consolation is the TJ diploma.

Not even sure the TJ diploma worth anything!? Especially considering how brutal it is for TJ kids applying to college. My TJ kid senior has 1550+ SAT but not stellar GPA thanks for the rigor/tough grading of TJ. I was told by a TJ counselor that my kid will have no chance admitting to UVA, W&M or V-Tech. Perhaps VCU is more likely!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1. My kid is currently at TJ. Older kid went to base HS.

Same courses. Same curriculum. At TJ often 2 semesters worth of course are crammed into 1. And that actually hurts the learning.

My older learnt his fundamentals much better at his base school.

TJ works for the top third of the class, who are truly academically advanced. But the remaining 2/3's struggle. Only consolation is the TJ diploma.

not stellar GPA thanks for the rigor/tough grading of TJ.!

What is a not stellar GPA for TJ?

[Anonymous]

About one third of TJ class is being wasted by filling it with students who lack the stem readiness to be successful there. The irony is those students don't know they lack the prerequisite knowledge in math, science, and English, since they got admitted without rigorous evaluation. Now it is even worse, with students being offered admission based on a frivolous essay and no stem evaluation whatsoever. Statistically, just the top one third are the only ones who would have been admitted if there was a rigorous admissions evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1. My kid is currently at TJ. Older kid went to base HS.

Same courses. Same curriculum. At TJ often 2 semesters worth of course are crammed into 1. And that actually hurts the learning.

My older learnt his fundamentals much better at his base school.

TJ works for the top third of the class, who are truly academically advanced. But the remaining 2/3's struggle. Only consolation is the TJ diploma.

not stellar GPA thanks for the rigor/tough grading of TJ.!

What is a not stellar GPA for TJ?

I would guess anything below 3.5 UW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About one third of TJ class is being wasted by filling it with students who lack the stem readiness to be successful there. The irony is those students don't know they lack the prerequisite knowledge in math, science, and English, since they got admitted without rigorous evaluation. Now it is even worse, with students being offered admission based on a frivolous essay and no stem evaluation whatsoever. Statistically, just the top one third are the only ones who would have been admitted if there was a rigorous admissions evaluation.

Citation DESPERATELY needed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1. My kid is currently at TJ. Older kid went to base HS.

Same courses. Same curriculum. At TJ often 2 semesters worth of course are crammed into 1. And that actually hurts the learning.

My older learnt his fundamentals much better at his base school.

TJ works for the top third of the class, who are truly academically advanced. But the remaining 2/3's struggle. Only consolation is the TJ diploma.

not stellar GPA thanks for the rigor/tough grading of TJ.!

What is a not stellar GPA for TJ?

I would guess anything below 3.5 UW

How about 4.3 WGPA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1. My kid is currently at TJ. Older kid went to base HS.

Same courses. Same curriculum. At TJ often 2 semesters worth of course are crammed into 1. And that actually hurts the learning.

My older learnt his fundamentals much better at his base school.

TJ works for the top third of the class, who are truly academically advanced. But the remaining 2/3's struggle. Only consolation is the TJ diploma.

not stellar GPA thanks for the rigor/tough grading of TJ.!

What is a not stellar GPA for TJ?

I would guess anything below 3.5 UW

How about 4.3 WGPA?

Stellar would mean exceptionally good. I would assume top 5%? Should only look at weighted GPA to cover the rigor part. Not sure though what weighted GPA would be for academic stars

[Anonymous]

My DC has a 4.0 W GPA after junior year. His counselor claims that it places him around 50% percentile compared to other TJ Kids. Does that seem right?

He also said - UVA etc are out of reach for a 4.0 W - but did say that MANY good OOS schools would welcome a student of that profile.

Who knows.