Novel suggestion for TJ admissions - just for fun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

How is a robotics team an unfair advantage?

Having robotics team experience helps with admission.

Unfairly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

How is a robotics team an unfair advantage?

Because not every school has a robotics team. A robotics team implies having parents or Teachers who are willing to devote time and resources to the robotics team. Resources require money or the ability to raise the funds to get the resources, which is not available at every MS. You need studetns who are interested in robotics, which requires an interest in math and science that is not fostered at every ES or MS.

If you start giving out slots to TJ based on performance in academic style clubs that are not available at every MS or in a manner that allows many schools to be competitive, then the kids at MS without access to the programs are at an unfair advantage.

There are MSs that don't have MathCounts or Science Olympiad or Science Bowl. The changes made to TJ admissions were made to even out the application field by focusing on what can be had at every MS and only that. Students can discuss their STEM activities in their essay so there is a way to discuss their activities but a kid who is just figuring out how much they enjoy STEM activities because they were able to take engineering or coding in MS has a chance to discuss that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can pretty much guarantee my child a gold in at least two events if I am unethical. So this is an invitation to cheating.

Longfellow has a deep base of material that they reuse each year. Their coaches have years of expertise that is passed on to the next years cohort. A student at Longfellow is starting off with a huge lead compared to other schools. They have some of the best material available that is curated over decades of experience. It has a parent group that is fanatical about winning. Any student just by being at Longfellow has a good chance of winning the top 1-2 spots. Granted they do have to work hard, but students at other schools can work twice as hard and not get the same results.

Why doesn't anyone give a copy of the material to Curie like the do with the TJ test?

What is Curie? You keep mentioning them frequently here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

How is a robotics team an unfair advantage?

Because not every school has a robotics team. A robotics team implies having parents or Teachers who are willing to devote time and resources to the robotics team. Resources require money or the ability to raise the funds to get the resources, which is not available at every MS. You need studetns who are interested in robotics, which requires an interest in math and science that is not fostered at every ES or MS.

If you start giving out slots to TJ based on performance in academic style clubs that are not available at every MS or in a manner that allows many schools to be competitive, then the kids at MS without access to the programs are at an unfair advantage.

There are MSs that don't have MathCounts or Science Olympiad or Science Bowl. The changes made to TJ admissions were made to even out the application field by focusing on what can be had at every MS and only that. Students can discuss their STEM activities in their essay so there is a way to discuss their activities but a kid who is just figuring out how much they enjoy STEM activities because they were able to take engineering or coding in MS has a chance to discuss that.

Kids at the MS without Mathcounts actually have greater access to mathcounts than kids at Longfellow or Carson. If your school doesn't have a team, you can sign up for the chapter competition as a non-school competitor. If your school has a cutthroat team, you have to be one of the top 15 kids out of the 100+ vying for a spot.

Also, every kid has access to AMC 8 and AMC 10. Anyone can sign up with any institution offering the tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Virginia Science Olympiad Division B and C last Saturday and it was a joy to see soooo many great kids who are genuinely excited about all things science. You had to see the fire in their eyes!

As I sat through the awards ceremony, I thought - TJ admits decisions must be getting made right about now. They should send an officer to the event, and extend automatic offers of admission to all gold medalists in Division B (middle schoolers). That won't tip the scale by much - there's only 23 disciplines, and some kids medaled in more than one. So it's like 20 seats. What other proof of commitment and interest in STEM does one need? Sci Oly is free so there is no suggestion that affluence matters - all one needs to do is study. Why not?

Obviously you don't understand it. Look at the skin colors of the medalists. Most of them belong to the wrong group which FCPS's current admission policy was created to reduce.

They weren’t trying to reduce anyone based on skin color.

They added seats to bring in more kids from all over the area, not just from a handful of wealthy feeder schools that provide unfair advantages with robotics teams, etc.

How is a robotics team an unfair advantage?

Because not every school has a robotics team. A robotics team implies having parents or Teachers who are willing to devote time and resources to the robotics team. Resources require money or the ability to raise the funds to get the resources, which is not available at every MS. You need studetns who are interested in robotics, which requires an interest in math and science that is not fostered at every ES or MS.

If you start giving out slots to TJ based on performance in academic style clubs that are not available at every MS or in a manner that allows many schools to be competitive, then the kids at MS without access to the programs are at an unfair advantage.

There are MSs that don't have MathCounts or Science Olympiad or Science Bowl. The changes made to TJ admissions were made to even out the application field by focusing on what can be had at every MS and only that. Students can discuss their STEM activities in their essay so there is a way to discuss their activities but a kid who is just figuring out how much they enjoy STEM activities because they were able to take engineering or coding in MS has a chance to discuss that.

I don't understand this obsession with complete and utter discounting of achievement.

Lets leave out for now the schools without teams or clubs.

Longfellow has a Sci Oly team. A very competitive one! Yet, only FIVE students from that team won gold medals at State Sci Oly tournament. Five, out of a pool of probably 150+ testers, 30+strong wider team, and 15-strong state tournament team.

Is there a difference between a Longfellow Sci Oly gold medalist and a Longfellow student who isn't? Yes! There is! Why pretend that there isn't? Why pretend that accomplishing something very difficult in STEM doesn't make you a better fit in a damn STEM focused high school?

[Anonymous]

Also, since each school has allocated TJ spots, and kids are mostly compared with other kids from their school, the lack of Mathcounts or Science Olympiad at some schools isn't relevant.

At schools like Longfellow, kids who were on the Mathcounts team or earned gold medals at Science olympiad or qualified for AIME should get admissions preference over the kids from the same school with all of the same opportunities who haven't achieved much of anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You need studetns who are interested in robotics, which requires an interest in math and science that is not fostered at every ES or MS.

Of all the points you made, this one is the weakest. An interest in math and science...just exists. It can be encouraged and supported, but it cannot be planted where none exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need studetns who are interested in robotics, which requires an interest in math and science that is not fostered at every ES or MS.

This is the weakest point you made. An interest in math and science just...exists. It can be encouraged and supported but it cannot be planted if none exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, since each school has allocated TJ spots, and kids are mostly compared with other kids from their school, the lack of Mathcounts or Science Olympiad at some schools isn't relevant.

At schools like Longfellow, kids who were on the Mathcounts team or earned gold medals at Science olympiad or qualified for AIME should get admissions preference over the kids from the same school with all of the same opportunities who haven't achieved much of anything.

As is with current essay-based admissions aimed to build a diverse class, there is already a two year difference between the top and bottom tier students of the same TJ class. If additional merit criteria are introduced for top-tier students, the concern may be that it could further widen the achievement gap between them and those in the bottom tier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need studetns who are interested in robotics, which requires an interest in math and science that is not fostered at every ES or MS.

This is the weakest point you made. An interest in math and science just...exists. It can be encouraged and supported but it cannot be planted if none exists.

This is not true (from an Asian parent)

[Anonymous]

My kid is on the SciOly team at Longfellow. Seems like most of the 8th graders on the SciOly team last year that wanted to go to TJ got in. I'm guessing that will happen again this year.

These kids are able to weave SciOly experiences into the TJ essay prompts, and I have a feeling that TJ knows who is on SciOly teams through their "algorithm".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, since each school has allocated TJ spots, and kids are mostly compared with other kids from their school, the lack of Mathcounts or Science Olympiad at some schools isn't relevant.

At schools like Longfellow, kids who were on the Mathcounts team or earned gold medals at Science olympiad or qualified for AIME should get admissions preference over the kids from the same school with all of the same opportunities who haven't achieved much of anything.

As is with current essay-based admissions aimed to build a diverse class, there is already a two year difference between the top and bottom tier students of the same TJ class. If additional merit criteria are introduced for top-tier students, the concern may be that it could further widen the achievement gap between them and those in the bottom tier.

Wait you're saying you don't want the very top top top kids out of fear it will make the bottom tier kids look worse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is on the SciOly team at Longfellow. Seems like most of the 8th graders on the SciOly team last year that wanted to go to TJ got in. I'm guessing that will happen again this year.

These kids are able to weave SciOly experiences into the TJ essay prompts, and I have a feeling that TJ knows who is on SciOly teams through their "algorithm".

How do they know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, since each school has allocated TJ spots, and kids are mostly compared with other kids from their school, the lack of Mathcounts or Science Olympiad at some schools isn't relevant.

At schools like Longfellow, kids who were on the Mathcounts team or earned gold medals at Science olympiad or qualified for AIME should get admissions preference over the kids from the same school with all of the same opportunities who haven't achieved much of anything.

As is with current essay-based admissions aimed to build a diverse class, there is already a two year difference between the top and bottom tier students of the same TJ class. If additional merit criteria are introduced for top-tier students, the concern may be that it could further widen the achievement gap between them and those in the bottom tier.

Wait you're saying you don't want the very top top top kids out of fear it will make the bottom tier kids look worse?

That's one approach to reducing the achievement gap, and it is the method currently in use.

[Anonymous]

There is much diversity within regular FCPS schools. Why are we making it a goal to water down our singular top school to achieve what we have in plenty at all our other schools?