Anyone else waiting impatiently for the final selection letters from TJ?

[Anonymous]

Now we're in the last 4 week stretch, and I'm just wondering --- what is taking so LONG?!?!? I'm glad they put a lot of thought into it, but 6 weeks to make their decisions?

1699 kids in the semifinals, down to 480 kids admitted. I think only 3 kids from my DC's middle school were admitted last year, and when I think about the kids who applied from there this year, sometimes I think my son is going to get in, other times I think there's no way against some of the kids he's told me about (when it's 3 out of 30 kids applying getting in) We're in Loudoun so I think there are less accepted here than in Fairfax, though they say no qualified applicants have ever been turned down due to quotas.

I'm trying not to get my son worked up about it, but I am DYING to find out if he's getting in!! ARGH! Be April 3rd already. Who else is waiting and what do you think about your DC's odds of getting in?

[Anonymous]

Nope, not waiting, but wishing you the best. Hang in there.

[Anonymous]

TJ grad here who lived in Sterling. Not waiting, but wishing you luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ grad here who lived in Sterling. Not waiting, but wishing you luck!

TJ Grad - - can I ask if you regret anything about going to TJ? It's a hard question to answer b/c you only know your own HS experience, but I worry that he'll be busting his butt for so many years of his life. Maybe he'll regret going to such a challenging HS instead of going to his home school with all his friends and staying in his football and wrestling sports and not having to work so hard? Did you find it to be a fun school too? Did it consume your days with the bus commute and long hours?

My son also wants to be a lawyer, so all the math and science (though he likes it and excels in it) aren't his favorite things. He's big into debate, Latin, English, etc. He's super competitive natured, so I worry some of this excitement to get into TJ is a bit of "can I get in?" more than "do I want to go there?"

Sigh... I just need to back off, LOL!!! I worry too much sometimes!

[Anonymous]

Another TJ grad, wishing you luck.

To answer your question(s): I have no regrets going to TJ at all. It was definitely a fun school as well, and the bonds I made with my friends was further strengthened by knowing we'd all CHOSEN to go there. My commute was okay since I didn't always take the bus and was able to carpool with folks. There are a lot of grads who are now lawyers, and TJ has an excellent humanities program as well.

And for what it's worth, I am a public middle school teacher as well. I have had some of my own students get in and others not...but I do think everything works out well and those who will succeed will succeed no matter where they end up. Just my two cents.

[Anonymous]

PP wrote: There are a lot of grads who are now lawyers. What about the TJ grads who are screwed up and can't keep a job. It doesn't make a hell of a difference where the kid goes to high school.

[Anonymous]

Sterling TJ Grad here: I also don't regret going to TJ. I had a great time and met some of my best friends on the bus. Living in Loudoun will make for some long days, but he will get used to it. I remember that my alarm went of at 5:30 in the morning and when I didn't stay after school, I got home around 5:15. The bus ride was great for getting some extra sleep, catching up with friends, playing cards, and finishing up homework. I actually looked forward to the bus and missed it my senior year when I had to drive most days due to my mentorship in Bethesda.

I thought school was fun. Yes, it was tough, but that's to be expected. It wasn't anything I couldn't handle and I was not one of the SUPER smart kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP wrote: There are a lot of grads who are now lawyers. What about the TJ grads who are screwed up and can't keep a job. It doesn't make a hell of a difference where the kid goes to high school.

Well sure. There are screwed up kids everywhere you go. But to be honest, I don't know of many from my graduating class at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP wrote: There are a lot of grads who are now lawyers. What about the TJ grads who are screwed up and can't keep a job. It doesn't make a hell of a difference where the kid goes to high school.

Well sure. There are screwed up kids everywhere you go. But to be honest, I don't know of many from my graduating class at TJ.

I think that poster was my STBX husband who is pissed off that my son might get into TJ and interrupt his career in some way.... ignore him.

[Anonymous]

Sigh.. well, he didn't make it. I'm surprised because they included his test scores with his letter and he definitely scored in the top 350 out of 1400 applicants. But he did mention twice that he wants to be an attorney, on both his test essay and his student bio sheet. Unless his teachers wrote him bad recs, I can't figure out what else torpedoed him.

We talked in advance of the letters coming out that no matter what he plans and plots, sometimes life has a way of doing things you don't always like at the time, that end up being exactly what you needed in the long run. I think he's pretty confident that he is going to land on his feet no matter where he goes to high school and that things have a way of taking care of themselves in strange and zig-zagged ways. On the bright side, he doesn't have to catch the bus at 5:45am five days a week!