Do you want or do you not want your kid to go to TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

The pressure cooker aspect comes not from rigorous coursework or demanding teachers, but an environment where less than perfection is considered a failure.

There's a lot less of this now than there used to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

DP. Friend, it is and they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

DP. Friend, it is and they are.

Not the poster to whom you're responding, but this isn't an argument you're going to win. Of course, TJ has very bright kids, even now, but the student body is not close to that at a school like MIT. MIT is drawing from a much larger applicant pool and is able to evaluate candidates based on much more than what's needed to get into TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. My child already tends towards anxious, I don’t need to add to that.

+1. My kid is in 7th and checks grade book constantly. He obsesses over his grades. He doesn’t need the stress of TJ. Plus, while Math is one of his strongest subjects, his interests are much more focused on English/History.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely do not want my kids who based on what I know would likely get in. No need for that much pressure on teens. They can and will have great and successful lives with out going to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

DP. Friend, it is and they are.

Not the poster to whom you're responding, but this isn't an argument you're going to win. Of course, TJ has very bright kids, even now, but the student body is not close to that at a school like MIT. MIT is drawing from a much larger applicant pool and is able to evaluate candidates based on much more than what's needed to get into TJ.

Okay. I won't convince you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

DP. Friend, it is and they are.

Not the poster to whom you're responding, but this isn't an argument you're going to win. Of course, TJ has very bright kids, even now, but the student body is not close to that at a school like MIT. MIT is drawing from a much larger applicant pool and is able to evaluate candidates based on much more than what's needed to get into TJ.

Okay. I won't convince you.

You won't convince anybody who is looking at the issue objectively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To anyone reading this thread, please keep in mind that there are many parents on these boards who will do anything to get kids who are admitted to turn down their offer so as to draw from the waitlist.

They will claim that they have a kid who is miserable at TJ so that you will think twice about sending your kid there.

This might be true, but I know last year at least one student turned down TJ after a teacher warned people in a group chat about how hard TJ classes are and be sure you want to do this. This particular student did not have AOS/AET as an option either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

I doubt there are 550 'MIT caliber' students at TJ, or 480 under the old system. However, MIT has a lot of students that would be more like the prepped kids that get talked about on here. They took tough math and science classes, but they are not as capable in these subjects as many TJ students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

I doubt there are 550 'MIT caliber' students at TJ, or 480 under the old system. However, MIT has a lot of students that would be more like the prepped kids that get talked about on here. They took tough math and science classes, but they are not as capable in these subjects as many TJ students.

That's ridiculous, since the TJ students you despise so much got into based on their middle school records and a test, whereas MIT is evaluating older kids based on a more robust academic record.

But keep pretending that the rank-and-file TJ students now are somehow among the top students nationally in STEM, when in fact many are now probably no stronger than the top 25% or so at a half-dozen or more other high schools in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Yes for my 7th grader who loves learning, high achievers and feels that his honor classes, at well regarded TJ feeder MS, is still too slow, but not to my other kid who is 2e.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes for my 7th grader who loves learning, high achievers and feels that his honor classes, at well regarded TJ feeder MS, is still too slow, but not to my other kid who is 2e.

Honor classes are a bit slow. Even aap classes are slow to a good number of children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

You're delusional. It is nothing like MIT. Sure, for a public high school, it's great, but the caliber of student isn't exactly even close.

DP. Friend, it is and they are.

Not the poster to whom you're responding, but this isn't an argument you're going to win. Of course, TJ has very bright kids, even now, but the student body is not close to that at a school like MIT. MIT is drawing from a much larger applicant pool and is able to evaluate candidates based on much more than what's needed to get into TJ.

Agree these people who think TJ is comparable to MIT are delusional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

The pressure cooker aspect comes not from rigorous coursework or demanding teachers, but an environment where less than perfection is considered a failure.

This ^^^

If your kid takes TJ as a game where nothing is that important and it's a hard 4 years for a guaranteed admission to UVa or W&M, then maybe it's okay. But if your kid is sensitive and smart and genuinely likes learning, it's not worth it.

TJ doesn't make your kid successful, your kid makes himself successful at life. But going to TJ can damage your kid's self-esteem and drive. He is not going to get a better education there, unless it's an education in suffering.