This bothers me..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - what is your base school. If you are so concerned about getting into Ivys and the bloated reputation of TJ, then you must know your base school's general college acceptances. Does it even compare?

A rough back-of-the-envelope figurin...

Assume the approx. 12500 seniors in Fairfax County Schools are ranked by your favorite SPR (Smarty Pants Ranking)

Assume 1/6 of TJ students are not from Fairfax County, so approx. 375 seniors at TJ are from Fairfax County.

Assume all TJ kids from Fairfax County are from the top 10% of the ranked students, i.e. from the top 1250 ranked students.

That leaves 825 top 10% senior students for the other 21 Fairfax County high schools, or 39 per school.

So on average, each HS has around 1/10 the number of top 10% students as TJ, so if TJ has 10 MIT admits, each other FFX hs would have at most 1. But I would guess the TJ strips out almost all of the top STEM students with the ability and ambition to get into MIT, so an MIT admit from a base school would be rare.

Nice figurin', PP! Still don't understand what OP is saying about TJ being "just any other high school".

You have the same (or worse) teaching compared with any other school in the county. But, they have on average, the brightest kids. Those kids would be equally bright at there base schools. The peer group would not be as good there. Where it gets interesting is TJ has critical mass to have far more advanced opportunities than any other school in the region. Unfortunately, that is not why many people go to TJ; they go because it looks good to go to the best.

TJ is now dominated by students from families that would view failure to be at the top as an indicator of failure. They grew up in cultures where resources were extremely limited and their society could only afford to educate the top 1-5%. In the US, we educate every one. While in other societies, there are many exits from the path to success -- many gate ways where people are winnowed out, in the US, everyone has the opportunity (in theory). Anyone can go to a community college and do well, transfer to a top state school, and then the sky is the limit. This is why America is great.

TJ was initially built for the brilliant child that was underperforming in high school because they were bored. Like the STEM oriented kid who went on to be an internationally known physicist, but had a 2.3 GPA in HS because he was not challenged: why do the Homework when you know the answers?

The over-achievers co-opted TJ so the true genius -- the Albert Einsteins (who underachieved in HS) could not be admitted.

Yes, agree with above. But, also have to add that the curriculum at TJ is unparalled to any high school. When you have bright kids matched with opportunities & resources = sky is the limit.

Sky is the limit ???.. But where are the birds ..

The birds are flying too high for you on the ground to see...

Did you pad the bird with with electric wings ? It will run out of battery soon ..

Its wax wings will melt when it gets too close to the sun.

I have no idea what you kids are talking about anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - what is your base school. If you are so concerned about getting into Ivys and the bloated reputation of TJ, then you must know your base school's general college acceptances. Does it even compare?

A rough back-of-the-envelope figurin...

Assume the approx. 12500 seniors in Fairfax County Schools are ranked by your favorite SPR (Smarty Pants Ranking)

Assume 1/6 of TJ students are not from Fairfax County, so approx. 375 seniors at TJ are from Fairfax County.

Assume all TJ kids from Fairfax County are from the top 10% of the ranked students, i.e. from the top 1250 ranked students.

That leaves 825 top 10% senior students for the other 21 Fairfax County high schools, or 39 per school.

So on average, each HS has around 1/10 the number of top 10% students as TJ, so if TJ has 10 MIT admits, each other FFX hs would have at most 1. But I would guess the TJ strips out almost all of the top STEM students with the ability and ambition to get into MIT, so an MIT admit from a base school would be rare.

Nice figurin', PP! Still don't understand what OP is saying about TJ being "just any other high school".

You have the same (or worse) teaching compared with any other school in the county. But, they have on average, the brightest kids. Those kids would be equally bright at there base schools. The peer group would not be as good there. Where it gets interesting is TJ has critical mass to have far more advanced opportunities than any other school in the region. Unfortunately, that is not why many people go to TJ; they go because it looks good to go to the best.

TJ is now dominated by students from families that would view failure to be at the top as an indicator of failure. They grew up in cultures where resources were extremely limited and their society could only afford to educate the top 1-5%. In the US, we educate every one. While in other societies, there are many exits from the path to success -- many gate ways where people are winnowed out, in the US, everyone has the opportunity (in theory). Anyone can go to a community college and do well, transfer to a top state school, and then the sky is the limit. This is why America is great.

TJ was initially built for the brilliant child that was underperforming in high school because they were bored. Like the STEM oriented kid who went on to be an internationally known physicist, but had a 2.3 GPA in HS because he was not challenged: why do the Homework when you know the answers?

The over-achievers co-opted TJ so the true genius -- the Albert Einsteins (who underachieved in HS) could not be admitted.

This is sad, but true. FCPS admin was also complicit in this by becoming so enamored with having a top U.S. high school that they forgot why it was created in the first place. Sort of like the former gifted program has become the AAP and rewards pushiness and achievement over true learning.

No comparison. AAP is the one bloated with endless appeals and parents paying for IQ tests to get their kids into AAP. There is virtually no appeal of TJ admission decisions and no amount of pushiness or paying for psychologists will get your kids into TJ.

Also, having all As and perfect scores on the TJ exam does not ensure acceptance. The writing ability/skill is even more important. Isn't that ironic. TJ is not just accepting high achievers but all kinds of kids with potential and aptitude for STEM who also possess great writing skill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ is not for math or science genius.. The admission process is skewed towards holistic approach, where they have to be good at SIS, essays, middle school grades, teacher recommendations , and 20 - 30% from TJ test(math + English) ..

A pure math or science genius would have benefited from TJ labs, top teachers, facilities, etc... And TJ don't want them.

You have to see how coaching starts in the Asian communities from cogat and NNAT. Everything has to be spoon fed to their children .

I don't think anyone denies this isn't the case. Again, it's sad. I'm not sure about the turning away geniuses comment. If your genius can't put sentences together, then yes that process is not for you.

Putting Sentences together by coaching classes you mean ?

Why do think there is under representation of blacks or Hispanics ? They cannot afford to pay for coaching as much as Asians can.. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ is not for math or science genius.. The admission process is skewed towards holistic approach, where they have to be good at SIS, essays, middle school grades, teacher recommendations , and 20 - 30% from TJ test(math + English) ..

A pure math or science genius would have benefited from TJ labs, top teachers, facilities, etc... And TJ don't want them.

You have to see how coaching starts in the Asian communities from cogat and NNAT. Everything has to be spoon fed to their children .

The holistic admission process with the emphasis on the subjective factors and writing was instituted to limit Asian kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - what is your base school. If you are so concerned about getting into Ivys and the bloated reputation of TJ, then you must know your base school's general college acceptances. Does it even compare?

A rough back-of-the-envelope figurin...

Assume the approx. 12500 seniors in Fairfax County Schools are ranked by your favorite SPR (Smarty Pants Ranking)

Assume 1/6 of TJ students are not from Fairfax County, so approx. 375 seniors at TJ are from Fairfax County.

Assume all TJ kids from Fairfax County are from the top 10% of the ranked students, i.e. from the top 1250 ranked students.

That leaves 825 top 10% senior students for the other 21 Fairfax County high schools, or 39 per school.

So on average, each HS has around 1/10 the number of top 10% students as TJ, so if TJ has 10 MIT admits, each other FFX hs would have at most 1. But I would guess the TJ strips out almost all of the top STEM students with the ability and ambition to get into MIT, so an MIT admit from a base school would be rare.

Nice figurin', PP! Still don't understand what OP is saying about TJ being "just any other high school".

You have the same (or worse) teaching compared with any other school in the county. But, they have on average, the brightest kids. Those kids would be equally bright at there base schools. The peer group would not be as good there. Where it gets interesting is TJ has critical mass to have far more advanced opportunities than any other school in the region. Unfortunately, that is not why many people go to TJ; they go because it looks good to go to the best.

TJ is now dominated by students from families that would view failure to be at the top as an indicator of failure. They grew up in cultures where resources were extremely limited and their society could only afford to educate the top 1-5%. In the US, we educate every one. While in other societies, there are many exits from the path to success -- many gate ways where people are winnowed out, in the US, everyone has the opportunity (in theory). Anyone can go to a community college and do well, transfer to a top state school, and then the sky is the limit. This is why America is great.

TJ was initially built for the brilliant child that was underperforming in high school because they were bored. Like the STEM oriented kid who went on to be an internationally known physicist, but had a 2.3 GPA in HS because he was not challenged: why do the Homework when you know the answers?

The over-achievers co-opted TJ so the true genius -- the Albert Einsteins (who underachieved in HS) could not be admitted.

This is sad, but true. FCPS admin was also complicit in this by becoming so enamored with having a top U.S. high school that they forgot why it was created in the first place. Sort of like the former gifted program has become the AAP and rewards pushiness and achievement over true learning.

No comparison. AAP is the one bloated with endless appeals and parents paying for IQ tests to get their kids into AAP. There is virtually no appeal of TJ admission decisions and no amount of pushiness or paying for psychologists will get your kids into TJ.

Also, having all As and perfect scores on the TJ exam does not ensure acceptance. The writing ability/skill is even more important. Isn't that ironic. TJ is not just accepting high achievers but all kinds of kids with potential and aptitude for STEM who also possess great writing skill.

That contradicts the purpose of TJ..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - what is your base school. If you are so concerned about getting into Ivys and the bloated reputation of TJ, then you must know your base school's general college acceptances. Does it even compare?

A rough back-of-the-envelope figurin...

Assume the approx. 12500 seniors in Fairfax County Schools are ranked by your favorite SPR (Smarty Pants Ranking)

Assume 1/6 of TJ students are not from Fairfax County, so approx. 375 seniors at TJ are from Fairfax County.

Assume all TJ kids from Fairfax County are from the top 10% of the ranked students, i.e. from the top 1250 ranked students.

That leaves 825 top 10% senior students for the other 21 Fairfax County high schools, or 39 per school.

So on average, each HS has around 1/10 the number of top 10% students as TJ, so if TJ has 10 MIT admits, each other FFX hs would have at most 1. But I would guess the TJ strips out almost all of the top STEM students with the ability and ambition to get into MIT, so an MIT admit from a base school would be rare.

Nice figurin', PP! Still don't understand what OP is saying about TJ being "just any other high school".

You have the same (or worse) teaching compared with any other school in the county. But, they have on average, the brightest kids. Those kids would be equally bright at there base schools. The peer group would not be as good there. Where it gets interesting is TJ has critical mass to have far more advanced opportunities than any other school in the region. Unfortunately, that is not why many people go to TJ; they go because it looks good to go to the best.

TJ is now dominated by students from families that would view failure to be at the top as an indicator of failure. They grew up in cultures where resources were extremely limited and their society could only afford to educate the top 1-5%. In the US, we educate every one. While in other societies, there are many exits from the path to success -- many gate ways where people are winnowed out, in the US, everyone has the opportunity (in theory). Anyone can go to a community college and do well, transfer to a top state school, and then the sky is the limit. This is why America is great.

TJ was initially built for the brilliant child that was underperforming in high school because they were bored. Like the STEM oriented kid who went on to be an internationally known physicist, but had a 2.3 GPA in HS because he was not challenged: why do the Homework when you know the answers?

The over-achievers co-opted TJ so the true genius -- the Albert Einsteins (who underachieved in HS) could not be admitted.

This is sad, but true. FCPS admin was also complicit in this by becoming so enamored with having a top U.S. high school that they forgot why it was created in the first place. Sort of like the former gifted program has become the AAP and rewards pushiness and achievement over true learning.

No comparison. AAP is the one bloated with endless appeals and parents paying for IQ tests to get their kids into AAP. There is virtually no appeal of TJ admission decisions and no amount of pushiness or paying for psychologists will get your kids into TJ.

Also, having all As and perfect scores on the TJ exam does not ensure acceptance. The writing ability/skill is even more important. Isn't that ironic. TJ is not just accepting high achievers but all kinds of kids with potential and aptitude for STEM who also possess great writing skill.

That contradicts the purpose of TJ..

Not really. TJ is for kids who are interested in and have aptitude for STEM. The holistic review and emphasis on writing is to reduce Asian acceptances and increase non-Asian acceptances.

[Anonymous]

People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

If your end game is WHERE they end up in college, then you miss the point of an experience of TJ. It is like going to college in high school. It's not for everyone and it is college level work load. But for many kids, this is where a spark is lit in a field of study and that is something worthwhile and they take into college and beyond. - Signed, a TJ mom with a kid in grad school studying Biomed Eng.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

Except UVA accepts approximately 190 TJ kids each year and TJ kids typically end up in the top 10% of the colleges they attend, 30% to Ivys is impressive (along with another 40 to 50% to similar elite colleges/universities). Not many if any other high school can match that kind of achievement.

They have one of the best teams in the country endless categories such as math, physics, chemistry, biology, computing, chess, quizbowl, Model UN on and on.... TJ is well respected at the top universities (MIT, Caltech, Berkeley, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

If your end game is WHERE they end up in college, then you miss the point of an experience of TJ. It is like going to college in high school. It's not for everyone and it is college level work load. But for many kids, this is where a spark is lit in a field of study and that is something worthwhile and they take into college and beyond. - Signed, a TJ mom with a kid in grad school studying Biomed Eng.

It is like college in the sense that there is virtually no instruction; kids have to learn on their own. I do not see that as a good thing. The work approach is similar to HS: In college, one is usually not graded on homework, but rather tests. At TJ, that is not the case. An earlier poster wrote about the vast amounts of work required. In college, the work is suggested but not required. I do not know how TJ grades, but if they require you to do HW, and grade it, and include that in your grade, it is not like college.

TJ has brilliant students....but so does Madison, Langley, Woodson, Oakton, Marshall, McLean etc. TH teachers do not have to work hard because the teachers will get it.

Advantages of TJ:
No bullying for being smart
Brilliant Peers
No time spent prepared for SOL's.

Disadvantages:
Workload
Stress
Poor quality teaching
Travel Time
Imbalanced school-life priorities
1/2 the kids will finish in the bottom half instead of in the top 5% at the base school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

Except UVA accepts approximately 190 TJ kids each year and TJ kids typically end up in the top 10% of the colleges they attend, 30% to Ivys is impressive (along with another 40 to 50% to similar elite colleges/universities). Not many if any other high school can match that kind of achievement.

They have one of the best teams in the country endless categories such as math, physics, chemistry, biology, computing, chess, quizbowl, Model UN on and on.... TJ is well respected at the top universities (MIT, Caltech, Berkeley, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell etc.)

That is because they screen out anyone other than the top 5% of the county. If you compare the results of other schools (top 5%), it would not be significantly different.

The graduating seniors I know from Madison HS have been accepted to: UVA (Jefferson Scholarship), Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Stanford

I only know a few in the graduating class...though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

If your end game is WHERE they end up in college, then you miss the point of an experience of TJ. It is like going to college in high school. It's not for everyone and it is college level work load. But for many kids, this is where a spark is lit in a field of study and that is something worthwhile and they take into college and beyond. - Signed, a TJ mom with a kid in grad school studying Biomed Eng.

It is like college in the sense that there is virtually no instruction; kids have to learn on their own. I do not see that as a good thing. The work approach is similar to HS: In college, one is usually not graded on homework, but rather tests. At TJ, that is not the case. An earlier poster wrote about the vast amounts of work required. In college, the work is suggested but not required. I do not know how TJ grades, but if they require you to do HW, and grade it, and include that in your grade, it is not like college.

TJ has brilliant students....but so does Madison, Langley, Woodson, Oakton, Marshall, McLean etc. TH teachers do not have to work hard because the teachers will get it.

Advantages of TJ:
No bullying for being smart
Brilliant Peers
No time spent prepared for SOL's.

Disadvantages:
Workload
Stress
Poor quality teaching
Travel Time
Imbalanced school-life priorities
1/2 the kids will finish in the bottom half instead of in the top 5% at the base school.

There are no class rankings at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

If your end game is WHERE they end up in college, then you miss the point of an experience of TJ. It is like going to college in high school. It's not for everyone and it is college level work load. But for many kids, this is where a spark is lit in a field of study and that is something worthwhile and they take into college and beyond. - Signed, a TJ mom with a kid in grad school studying Biomed Eng.

It is like college in the sense that there is virtually no instruction; kids have to learn on their own. I do not see that as a good thing. The work approach is similar to HS: In college, one is usually not graded on homework, but rather tests. At TJ, that is not the case. An earlier poster wrote about the vast amounts of work required. In college, the work is suggested but not required. I do not know how TJ grades, but if they require you to do HW, and grade it, and include that in your grade, it is not like college.

TJ has brilliant students....but so does Madison, Langley, Woodson, Oakton, Marshall, McLean etc. TH teachers do not have to work hard because the teachers will get it.

Advantages of TJ:
No bullying for being smart
Brilliant Peers
No time spent prepared for SOL's.

Disadvantages:
Workload
Stress
Poor quality teaching
Travel Time
Imbalanced school-life priorities
1/2 the kids will finish in the bottom half instead of in the top 5% at the base school.

There are no class rankings at TJ.

No class rankings, and heavily weighted GPAs due to all classes are honors, AP. The principal is even arguing to get rid of GPAs because of the race to get the highest. But, again, no class rank.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People can huff and puff, but at the end of the day both TJ and AAP are positives for FCPS and Fairfax County, in that they send signals that FCPS cares about advanced academics. It's an imperfect signal, but a meaningful one nonetheless. You only have to look at how FCPS outperforms MCPS and captures a much larger share of top students than APS to know they are net positives for the county. The possibility that some hypothetical TJ student turned down from U. Va. possibly might have been admitted had he or she applied from Woodson or South Lakes instead isn't going to change that.

I agree , and to add to that , at the end of the day TJ and non-TJ all get to meet in in-state colleges. Not sure what is so special about TJ though.. Only top 20-30 % go to IVYs if they can afford.. Once in local college ,everyone is same .. TJ / Non-TJ doesn't matter.

If your end game is WHERE they end up in college, then you miss the point of an experience of TJ. It is like going to college in high school. It's not for everyone and it is college level work load. But for many kids, this is where a spark is lit in a field of study and that is something worthwhile and they take into college and beyond. - Signed, a TJ mom with a kid in grad school studying Biomed Eng.

It is like college in the sense that there is virtually no instruction; kids have to learn on their own. I do not see that as a good thing. The work approach is similar to HS: In college, one is usually not graded on homework, but rather tests. At TJ, that is not the case. An earlier poster wrote about the vast amounts of work required. In college, the work is suggested but not required. I do not know how TJ grades, but if they require you to do HW, and grade it, and include that in your grade, it is not like college.

TJ has brilliant students....but so does Madison, Langley, Woodson, Oakton, Marshall, McLean etc. TH teachers do not have to work hard because the teachers will get it.

Advantages of TJ:
No bullying for being smart
Brilliant Peers
No time spent prepared for SOL's.

Disadvantages:
Workload
Stress
Poor quality teaching
Travel Time
Imbalanced school-life priorities
1/2 the kids will finish in the bottom half instead of in the top 5% at the base school.

The teaching quality at TJ is not perfect but it's definitely better than at other base schools.