Reasons why one would not accept TJ offer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are some excellent videos on YouTube by people who were in these "gifted" and excelled programs who can speak very well to the downsides and risks of being one of these kids in these programs and then getting out into the real world.

Read the comments, which are loaded with "gifted" people in their late 20s and 30s writing about how being labeled as gifted with high expectations hurt them. For starters, they feel like they can't make even the simplest mistakes, and when it happens, they completely fall apart. They can't ask for help either, since they are already supposed to know everything about everything since they're "gifted".

It's all downhill from there. Many of them are unemployed.

You're saying that being labeled gifted causes these problems including lack of social skills, paralyzation because afraid to try, and under/unemployment. But you've got it backwards, actually those things are issues that go along with being gifted. Going to a school with other gifted kids at least means that they can have friends and peers for a while.

I understand why you think the label causes the problems, that is the common wisdom of today and many people have persuaded themselves that it's true and repeat it about themselves and others. If you think about it, though, especially if you know or are one of these people, you'll see it's the other way around. The label just gives a name to something that is a trait that sometimes helps and sometimes hinders.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posted early…

- finally, beat reason to go is if you think your kid will thrive in a spot where nost all the kids are “school kids”. My kid had some friends in base school but never felt like the base school was a great fit. TJ is instead a school full of their “tribe” and so has been a great fit in ways that out balance the commute, Higher HW load, college placement odds.

As another PP posted, for some kids it is a great spot and really lets them thrive. For others it’s not a great fit or else the base school works just as well (so not worth accepting the trade offs). You have to evaluate which bucket your child falls into.

There is such a benefit to going to a secondary school with kids who are not all in your “tribe,” especially for kids who are likely to inhabit rarefied environments the rest of their lives. You learn how to interact with a broader array of folks, whereas some of the kids at schools like TJ have been groomed so intensely to think of themselves as special that they never develop even passable social skills.

For my white, middle America kid TJ was eye opening regarding having to deal with a broader array of folks. They are so much better prepared to interact with people who aren't like them than my other kid who went to our base school. Sure there was some diversity at the base, but nothing like TJ again for my white kids.

I also agree with this and I was the earlier “tribe” PP. My kid is white and our base school is majority white (decent but minority shares of other races). It’s a mid pack FCPS HS. TJ is way more diverse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand every middle school will be given a few seats, but last year no one at our middle school accepted the offer. I could be mistaken, as I also heard one kid attended for a year, and returned to base high school. DC took the admissions test this month, and we think there is a good chance we will be made an offer. What I want to understand is why would one not accept a TJ offer? I hear everyone saying how much harder one has to study, but is it significantly more than what a student at base high school enrolled in all honors courses would need to study? How much time would be available to do sports? Trying to figure out if DC would be better off going to our high school with known friends and teammates, or tryout TJ, but definitely want to avoid the hassle of transferring if TJ isnt the right fit.

The fact that you are asking this question now is concerning. Kids who take on TJ curriculum successfully without stress and losing sleep have been honing their skills in stem subjects - math, science, & english, since their elementary school years. If you child is entering with having completed just algebra 1, they likely will have a challenge keeping up with other students who are a year ahead of yours in math. What makes it even more crazier is the TJ curriculum moves swiftly, and the upper half of the the class walks in ready it consume it at fire-hose pace. Each parent knows their kid best. Make sure your kid would be in the top half of the class, not the bottom quarter, as their stress and suffering being at the bottom will be hard for you to watch.

[Anonymous]

TJ parents will always find a way to assert the benefits of their kids’ access to a scarce resource (access to TJ). They’re hard-wired to do so. Fortunately a lot of people see the benefits of their kids’ other opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ parents will always find a way to assert the benefits of their kids’ access to a scarce resource (access to TJ). They’re hard-wired to do so. Fortunately a lot of people see the benefits of their kids’ other opportunities.

Are you posting on the wrong thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ parents will always find a way to assert the benefits of their kids’ access to a scarce resource (access to TJ). They’re hard-wired to do so. Fortunately a lot of people see the benefits of their kids’ other opportunities.

One of the PP with kids who went to TJ and to base HS. I agree with this. And there are benefits to being at base. My base kid would have been absolutely miserable at TJ, and my TJ kid while being ok - wouldn't have been nearly as challenged. Isn't searching for what's best for your kid kind of hard-wired into being a parent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The #1 benefit of going to TJ is that you're at a school where literally 100% of the kids care about academics. The other ancillary stuff is great too, but that's the best part about it.

IMHO .. I'd rather deal with everything from TJ (incl. UVA adm) etc instead of worrying about this https://wjla.com/news/local/non-fatal-student-overdose-herndon-high-school-fairfax-county-public-schools-fcps-virginia-drug-use-dmv-education-parents-community

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand every middle school will be given a few seats, but last year no one at our middle school accepted the offer. I could be mistaken, as I also heard one kid attended for a year, and returned to base high school. DC took the admissions test this month, and we think there is a good chance we will be made an offer. What I want to understand is why would one not accept a TJ offer? I hear everyone saying how much harder one has to study, but is it significantly more than what a student at base high school enrolled in all honors courses would need to study? How much time would be available to do sports? Trying to figure out if DC would be better off going to our high school with known friends and teammates, or tryout TJ, but definitely want to avoid the hassle of transferring if TJ isnt the right fit.

The fact that you are asking this question now is concerning. Kids who take on TJ curriculum successfully without stress and losing sleep have been honing their skills in stem subjects - math, science, & english, since their elementary school years. If you child is entering with having completed just algebra 1, they likely will have a challenge keeping up with other students who are a year ahead of yours in math. What makes it even more crazier is the TJ curriculum moves swiftly, and the upper half of the the class walks in ready it consume it at fire-hose pace. Each parent knows their kid best. Make sure your kid would be in the top half of the class, not the bottom quarter, as their stress and suffering being at the bottom will be hard for you to watch.

+1

[Anonymous]

Approximately how many do not accept the offer?

[Anonymous]

Yeah, it's the fit most parents care about, the fact that it's "scarce" isn't really relevant for most. I'm sure there's a few drawn by some notion of prestige or exclusivity, but if there were two TJs or three TJs filled with similarly capable kids and culture and academic opportunity, very few people would be like "No thanks, it's not scarce anymore."

If there was a fine and performing arts magnet, that would draw a different crowd, but they would probably be equally passionate and excited and protective of that school, not because of scarcity, but because it provides a fit and opportunities for their kids in a way that a base school can't quite match.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand every middle school will be given a few seats, but last year no one at our middle school accepted the offer. I could be mistaken, as I also heard one kid attended for a year, and returned to base high school. DC took the admissions test this month, and we think there is a good chance we will be made an offer. What I want to understand is why would one not accept a TJ offer? I hear everyone saying how much harder one has to study, but is it significantly more than what a student at base high school enrolled in all honors courses would need to study? How much time would be available to do sports? Trying to figure out if DC would be better off going to our high school with known friends and teammates, or tryout TJ, but definitely want to avoid the hassle of transferring if TJ isnt the right fit.

Football team is 2-7

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posted early…

- finally, beat reason to go is if you think your kid will thrive in a spot where nost all the kids are “school kids”. My kid had some friends in base school but never felt like the base school was a great fit. TJ is instead a school full of their “tribe” and so has been a great fit in ways that out balance the commute, Higher HW load, college placement odds.

As another PP posted, for some kids it is a great spot and really lets them thrive. For others it’s not a great fit or else the base school works just as well (so not worth accepting the trade offs). You have to evaluate which bucket your child falls into.

There is such a benefit to going to a secondary school with kids who are not all in your “tribe,” especially for kids who are likely to inhabit rarefied environments the rest of their lives. You learn how to interact with a broader array of folks, whereas some of the kids at schools like TJ have been groomed so intensely to think of themselves as special that they never develop even passable social skills.

For my white, middle America kid TJ was eye opening regarding having to deal with a broader array of folks. They are so much better prepared to interact with people who aren't like them than my other kid who went to our base school. Sure there was some diversity at the base, but nothing like TJ again for my white kids.

I call BS on the above. You must either be talking about another school or you're a troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The #1 benefit of going to TJ is that you're at a school where literally 100% of the kids care about academics. The other ancillary stuff is great too, but that's the best part about it.

IMHO .. I'd rather deal with everything from TJ (incl. UVA adm) etc instead of worrying about this https://wjla.com/news/local/non-fatal-student-overdose-herndon-high-school-fairfax-county-public-schools-fcps-virginia-drug-use-dmv-education-parents-community

You know that there are students who overdose at TJ, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The #1 benefit of going to TJ is that you're at a school where literally 100% of the kids care about academics. The other ancillary stuff is great too, but that's the best part about it.

IMHO .. I'd rather deal with everything from TJ (incl. UVA adm) etc instead of worrying about this https://wjla.com/news/local/non-fatal-student-overdose-herndon-high-school-fairfax-county-public-schools-fcps-virginia-drug-use-dmv-education-parents-community

You know that there are students who overdose at TJ, right?

16:54 poster .. Yes I am aware but given everything on their plate ... I am assuming the %age is a lot less

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This is true. TJ math curriculum and science curriculum even for required courses is not comparable to base schools. Kids get Cs in Calc BC at TJ and yet easily get 5s on the AP. In face I believe everyone got a 5 last year.

Isn't math optional after Algebra 2 at TJ, like rest of FCPS?
I understand a math or an engineering major type students may be interested in taking precalculus and beyond. DC is more interested in lab based sciences, rocketry, drone, and that type of practical applications.