2023 TJHSST Student - Ask me anything

[Anonymous]

Did you and other Asian kids at TJ want more diversity? Just curious

Second student poster from before.

I am South Asian. I can tell you for sure that a good number of my Asian classmates did not want more diversity. A lot of them have younger siblings or family friends who are interested in TJ and it's a big thing in our community to share our experiences both with the school and the admissions process. I think when I was a freshman I honestly might have felt the same way - my parents have some feelings about Black people that are pretty backwards but that they don't think are racist, and I was raised with a lot of the same ideas. I think the biggest thing that changed my view, looking back, was hearing from the parents and my friends who wanted to fight against the changes - the things that they said about Black kids and poorer kids and their idea of "merit" started to sound really gross to me. I've always felt lucky to have been accepted to TJ, because a lot of my friends weren't.

I doubt if this is a real south asian student and whether what he/she said about the parents are true or not.
I am an asian parent. Let me tell you what I think.
If TJ is supposed to support academically strong students, let's evaluate students from this angle. It doesn't matter what color the students are and how rich/poor the students are.
I'm ok for TJ to increase some quotes to enhance diversity. But let's make things clear. How many students are admitted for merit and how many students are admitted for diversity. Don't mix everything up as the new admission does.
The new admission process doesn't help with finding those students who are academically strong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Did you and other Asian kids at TJ want more diversity? Just curious

Second student poster from before.

I am South Asian. I can tell you for sure that a good number of my Asian classmates did not want more diversity. A lot of them have younger siblings or family friends who are interested in TJ and it's a big thing in our community to share our experiences both with the school and the admissions process. I think when I was a freshman I honestly might have felt the same way - my parents have some feelings about Black people that are pretty backwards but that they don't think are racist, and I was raised with a lot of the same ideas. I think the biggest thing that changed my view, looking back, was hearing from the parents and my friends who wanted to fight against the changes - the things that they said about Black kids and poorer kids and their idea of "merit" started to sound really gross to me. I've always felt lucky to have been accepted to TJ, because a lot of my friends weren't.

I doubt if this is a real south asian student and whether what he/she said about the parents are true or not.
I am an asian parent. Let me tell you what I think.
If TJ is supposed to support academically strong students, let's evaluate students from this angle. It doesn't matter what color the students are and how rich/poor the students are.
I'm ok for TJ to increase some quotes to enhance diversity. But let's make things clear. How many students are admitted for merit and how many students are admitted for diversity. Don't mix everything up as the new admission does.
The new admission process doesn't help with finding those students who are academically strong.

I know and stop evaluating applicants on this fake meritocracy where some people simply buy access tests and claim they're more deserving because they had an unfair advantage. That's instanity. This is a publicly funded program that should include everyone not just those who opt to game the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What options do kids have if they later realize they don't like the STEM labs TJ offers? Do they have to fit into the Labs offered for graduation?

They can opt to do a mentorship project instead.

The mentorship project would again be in the specified STEM areas that TJ offers. The student has to complete the pre-requisites in one of the STEM areas.

Why would a school force a kid to do a specialized lab/mentorship to graduate? I understand if they offer it for students who want to do it but it should not be a requirement to graduate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What options do kids have if they later realize they don't like the STEM labs TJ offers? Do they have to fit into the Labs offered for graduation?

They can opt to do a mentorship project instead.

The mentorship project would again be in the specified STEM areas that TJ offers. The student has to complete the pre-requisites in one of the STEM areas.

Why would a school force a kid to do a specialized lab/mentorship to graduate? I understand if they offer it for students who want to do it but it should not be a requirement to graduate.

https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/try-harder

So sad that we are putting our kids through this. They are becoming AP machines!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Did you and other Asian kids at TJ want more diversity? Just curious

Second student poster from before.

I am South Asian. I can tell you for sure that a good number of my Asian classmates did not want more diversity. A lot of them have younger siblings or family friends who are interested in TJ and it's a big thing in our community to share our experiences both with the school and the admissions process. I think when I was a freshman I honestly might have felt the same way - my parents have some feelings about Black people that are pretty backwards but that they don't think are racist, and I was raised with a lot of the same ideas. I think the biggest thing that changed my view, looking back, was hearing from the parents and my friends who wanted to fight against the changes - the things that they said about Black kids and poorer kids and their idea of "merit" started to sound really gross to me. I've always felt lucky to have been accepted to TJ, because a lot of my friends weren't.

I doubt if this is a real south asian student and whether what he/she said about the parents are true or not.
I am an asian parent. Let me tell you what I think.
If TJ is supposed to support academically strong students, let's evaluate students from this angle. It doesn't matter what color the students are and how rich/poor the students are.
I'm ok for TJ to increase some quotes to enhance diversity. But let's make things clear. How many students are admitted for merit and how many students are admitted for diversity. Don't mix everything up as the new admission does.
The new admission process doesn't help with finding those students who are academically strong.

PP. This is the “trying to be nice” way that our parents address things without thinking that they’re racist.

First of all, I’m not even in AP Gov yet but I know that racial quotas are illegal.

Second of all, you don’t know anything about TJ if you think it’s a good idea to openly identify students admitted because of diversity goals.

I’ll say this. Based on what you said, I absolutely believe you’re one of our parents.

[Anonymous]

saw a post:
my child shared with me that his friend who get into TJ texted for help at the restroom during Geometry test. Another girl scored 600 Geo SOL cried all weekend as she didn't get into TJ.

There are a lot of ways to valuate student's academic capability, not just by the a test. The problem is none of the effective evaluation is being used. The school board doesn't want the real strong students to get into TJ.

[Anonymous]

as same as how Dem wants to make the whole country a shit hole. Our SB is trying to make TJ a shit hole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Did you and other Asian kids at TJ want more diversity? Just curious

Second student poster from before.

I am South Asian. I can tell you for sure that a good number of my Asian classmates did not want more diversity. A lot of them have younger siblings or family friends who are interested in TJ and it's a big thing in our community to share our experiences both with the school and the admissions process. I think when I was a freshman I honestly might have felt the same way - my parents have some feelings about Black people that are pretty backwards but that they don't think are racist, and I was raised with a lot of the same ideas. I think the biggest thing that changed my view, looking back, was hearing from the parents and my friends who wanted to fight against the changes - the things that they said about Black kids and poorer kids and their idea of "merit" started to sound really gross to me. I've always felt lucky to have been accepted to TJ, because a lot of my friends weren't.

I doubt if this is a real south asian student and whether what he/she said about the parents are true or not.
I am an asian parent. Let me tell you what I think.
If TJ is supposed to support academically strong students, let's evaluate students from this angle. It doesn't matter what color the students are and how rich/poor the students are.
I'm ok for TJ to increase some quotes to enhance diversity. But let's make things clear. How many students are admitted for merit and how many students are admitted for diversity. Don't mix everything up as the new admission does.
The new admission process doesn't help with finding those students who are academically strong.

PP. This is the “trying to be nice” way that our parents address things without thinking that they’re racist.

First of all, I’m not even in AP Gov yet but I know that racial quotas are illegal.

Second of all, you don’t know anything about TJ if you think it’s a good idea to openly identify students admitted because of diversity goals.

I’ll say this. Based on what you said, I absolutely believe you’re one of our parents.

I didn't say "openly identify students admitted because of diversity goals". I mean let the students know the quote for merit and the quote for diversity. e.g. 400 for merit and 150 for diversity. They shouldn't be evaluated in the same way. merit is merit. Don't mix it with other things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Did you and other Asian kids at TJ want more diversity? Just curious

Second student poster from before.

I am South Asian. I can tell you for sure that a good number of my Asian classmates did not want more diversity. A lot of them have younger siblings or family friends who are interested in TJ and it's a big thing in our community to share our experiences both with the school and the admissions process. I think when I was a freshman I honestly might have felt the same way - my parents have some feelings about Black people that are pretty backwards but that they don't think are racist, and I was raised with a lot of the same ideas. I think the biggest thing that changed my view, looking back, was hearing from the parents and my friends who wanted to fight against the changes - the things that they said about Black kids and poorer kids and their idea of "merit" started to sound really gross to me. I've always felt lucky to have been accepted to TJ, because a lot of my friends weren't.

I doubt if this is a real south asian student and whether what he/she said about the parents are true or not.
I am an asian parent. Let me tell you what I think.
If TJ is supposed to support academically strong students, let's evaluate students from this angle. It doesn't matter what color the students are and how rich/poor the students are.
I'm ok for TJ to increase some quotes to enhance diversity. But let's make things clear. How many students are admitted for merit and how many students are admitted for diversity. Don't mix everything up as the new admission does.
The new admission process doesn't help with finding those students who are academically strong.

PP. This is the “trying to be nice” way that our parents address things without thinking that they’re racist.

First of all, I’m not even in AP Gov yet but I know that racial quotas are illegal.

Second of all, you don’t know anything about TJ if you think it’s a good idea to openly identify students admitted because of diversity goals.

I’ll say this. Based on what you said, I absolutely believe you’re one of our parents.

I didn't say "openly identify students admitted because of diversity goals". I mean let the students know the quote for merit and the quote for diversity. e.g. 400 for merit and 150 for diversity. They shouldn't be evaluated in the same way. merit is merit. Don't mix it with other things.

PP. how would you even do that? Two separate admissions processes? Or an illegal quota?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you post on DCUM as an 8th grader?

Have you made disparaging comments about class of 2025/26?

No, and no. I love our current freshmen and I can't wait to meet our new ones!

Yesterday during TJ open house we saw mostly Asians. If 50% of freshman is non-Asians where were the other 50%?

+1000. My daughter said the same thing and we are Asian

Answer?

[Anonymous]

PP. how would you even do that? Two separate admissions processes? Or an illegal quota?

yes, two separate admission processes. One for merit. One for diversity. Don't mess up.

[Anonymous]

https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/try-harder

So sad that we are putting our kids through this. They are becoming AP machines!

For some kids, it doesn't need to be AP machines to do these. They are the students for TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

PP. how would you even do that? Two separate admissions processes? Or an illegal quota?

yes, two separate admission processes. One for merit. One for diversity. Don't mess up.

This makes ‘no sense’ because parents just buy ‘insider information’ to the test questions… which defeats the purpose of an entrance test

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PP. how would you even do that? Two separate admissions processes? Or an illegal quota?

yes, two separate admission processes. One for merit. One for diversity. Don't mess up.

This makes ‘no sense’ because parents just buy ‘insider information’ to the test questions… which defeats the purpose of an entrance test

Stop this test is ok. It's not ok to use unweighted GPA. It is not ok to drop the teacher's recommendation letter. It's not ok to put AAP center school in such a disadvantaged situation. The new admission doesn't want the real strong kids to get into TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

PP. how would you even do that? Two separate admissions processes? Or an illegal quota?

yes, two separate admission processes. One for merit. One for diversity. Don't mess up.

This makes ‘no sense’ because parents just buy ‘insider information’ to the test questions… which defeats the purpose of an entrance test

Stop this test is ok. It's not ok to use unweighted GPA. It is not ok to drop the teacher's recommendation letter. It's not ok to put AAP center school in such a disadvantaged situation. The new admission doesn't want the real strong kids to get into TJ.

+1