Disappointed by TJ decision?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like they need at least a week to see who accepted before moving to waitlist.

https://jasonline.fcps.edu/jase-web/jase/applicant/50101/decision/download/41 (this is linked from the applicant decision page in the portal, I do not think it was emailed, could be wrong)

mid may. I don't know why they need this time. The wait pool should already be ranked and the acceptances should already be entered - a deadline is a deadline and the spots should already be identified as allocated or unallocated. I do not see the value in releasing waves of wait pool offers (vs as they become available). obviously fcps thinks differently!

After all intent forms are returned from offered students, we will know whether there is space available for additional students in the Class of 2027. After students decline the offer, we identify whether the open spot is allocated (public school only) or unallocated. Allocated spots will be filled with wait pool students from the individual school. If there are no remaining wait pool students at the school the allocated spot becomes an unallocated spot and is open to all students in the wait pool. This process will be repeated until all seats are filled or the beginning of the 2023- 2024 school year.

[Anonymous]

So as I understand from above post regarding waitpool:
Suppose school x has 6 allocated seats based on the 8th grade population and as of now 12 students are offered admission, then 6 allocated + 6 extra qualified kids from unallocated would be the distribution.
So if a kid from the first 6 allocated quota declines, then the seat is offered to waitpooled kid from same school.
If a kid from the extra 6 seats decline then those may not necessarily be offered to kid from the same school.

Does that make sense?
I would have thought that school x has already more kids offered than the quota so any declined seats should be considered unallocated.

[Anonymous]

I think that would be the most straightforward interpretation. However, your "I would have thought" is also seemingly a possibility, although I don't think it's probable.

[Anonymous]

There’s no ‘wave’ of waitpool notifications. They are informed as seats become available. 2 kids at DC’s school already declined last week and 1 kid from the school waitpool was offered and accepted the same week. The second slot did not go to any of the other kids on school waitpool so I think it was likely unallocated.

For TJ waitpooled kids, if you have not received notification yet then probably you are not in the first tier of waitpooled applicants and may need to wait until the first tier decides.

Last year, I heard that all seats were filled and finalized in June, but the TJ results were announced end of May and they gave 2 weeks time to decide. So I would think if you do not hear within the next couple weeks then probably the chances of getting off the waitlist are extremely slim.

[Anonymous]

It is quite simple. One can compare the grades kids receive on the more challenging courses. Grades are so inflated these days that there are quite large differences between kids with the same grade on the transcript.

Additionally, one can easily tell which kid has higher aptitude on extracurriculars like MathCounts and Science Olympiad. And then there are growth scores (like MAP) or achievement test scores (PSAT) that distinguish between abilities. The committee doesn't have access to any standard, objective test that allows them to compare.

This is easily verifiable. After 2 years at TJ, the students will take AP and PSAT exams. If the scores fall from prior years, then the committee was unable to distinguish. If they don't fall, them the new process is just as effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun and TJ both made similar changes to their admissions at the same time, and for the same reason- to increase the number of 'black and brown kids'(this was said in Loudoun).

Yet the results are vastly different, with Loudoun doing a much better job of picking top students within a school.

Don't know about that. Seems like TJ is picking the top students now but the old process was crooked and involved test buying.

They are not picking the top students, at least at the schools I have observed.

So you can pick the top students (whatever that means) but the admissions process cannot? Why do I have a hard time taking you seriously?

Just comparing who was accepted to either AOS or AET and who was accepted to TJ, there is a clear difference of ability.

Dp. You didn’t answer the question! Why do you think that you can compare the kids’ abilities but the committee can’t?

The committee doesn't have the same information. They have an essay, a math or science problem, grades(or perhaps just GPA).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This is easily verifiable. After 2 years at TJ, the students will take AP and PSAT exams. If the scores fall from prior years, then the committee was unable to distinguish. If they don't fall, them the new process is just as effective.

Also, you can look at the performance at TJ of those admitted under the new process, vs those admitted in sophomore admissions which is done by a different group.

You can also compare with how these sophomores were rated under the FCPS admissions policy. If they were the best on the waitlist, then the two admissions processes are similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s no ‘wave’ of waitpool notifications. They are informed as seats become available. 2 kids at DC’s school already declined last week and 1 kid from the school waitpool was offered and accepted the same week. The second slot did not go to any of the other kids on school waitpool so I think it was likely unallocated.

For TJ waitpooled kids, if you have not received notification yet then probably you are not in the first tier of waitpooled applicants and may need to wait until the first tier decides.

Last year, I heard that all seats were filled and finalized in June, but the TJ results were announced end of May and they gave 2 weeks time to decide. So I would think if you do not hear within the next couple weeks then probably the chances of getting off the waitlist are extremely slim.

Interesting to know, as it is definitely contrary to the guidance in the newsletter.

One correction to the bolded text above - a student could absolutely be near the top of the wait pooled applicants and still have no offer. either the student's school has had zero declines, or they are not one of the top handful students on the waitlist that have received one of the unallocated spots so far. I don't think there's any sort of tier, although I suspect you were just using that in general terms.

how long do wait pooled applicants that do receive a later offer have to accept it?

[Anonymous]

Why are people claiming this new admissions policy benefited poor Asians without providing any evidence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun and TJ both made similar changes to their admissions at the same time, and for the same reason- to increase the number of 'black and brown kids'(this was said in Loudoun).

Yet the results are vastly different, with Loudoun doing a much better job of picking top students within a school.

Don't know about that. Seems like TJ is picking the top students now but the old process was crooked and involved test buying.

They are not picking the top students, at least at the schools I have observed.

So you can pick the top students (whatever that means) but the admissions process cannot? Why do I have a hard time taking you seriously?

Just comparing who was accepted to either AOS or AET and who was accepted to TJ, there is a clear difference of ability.

Dp. You didn’t answer the question! Why do you think that you can compare the kids’ abilities but the committee can’t?

The committee doesn't have the same information. They have an essay, a math or science problem, grades(or perhaps just GPA).

And what information are you privy to? That the committee doesn’t have? For all students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is quite simple. One can compare the grades kids receive on the more challenging courses. Grades are so inflated these days that there are quite large differences between kids with the same grade on the transcript.

Additionally, one can easily tell which kid has higher aptitude on extracurriculars like MathCounts and Science Olympiad. And then there are growth scores (like MAP) or achievement test scores (PSAT) that distinguish between abilities. The committee doesn't have access to any standard, objective test that allows them to compare.

This is easily verifiable. After 2 years at TJ, the students will take AP and PSAT exams. If the scores fall from prior years, then the committee was unable to distinguish. If they don't fall, them the new process is just as effective.

False. The old process overselected for test taking ability by eliminating students who did not perform very well on the given exams relative to their peers.

There isn’t any doubt that scores will fall with the new cohort, but that’s not relevant because the entire point of the wave of admissions reform in elite schools is to account for standardized testing being a poor metric to evaluate students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people claiming this new admissions policy benefited poor Asians without providing any evidence?

Because it’s already been provided a long time ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is quite simple. One can compare the grades kids receive on the more challenging courses. Grades are so inflated these days that there are quite large differences between kids with the same grade on the transcript.

Additionally, one can easily tell which kid has higher aptitude on extracurriculars like MathCounts and Science Olympiad. And then there are growth scores (like MAP) or achievement test scores (PSAT) that distinguish between abilities. The committee doesn't have access to any standard, objective test that allows them to compare.

This is easily verifiable. After 2 years at TJ, the students will take AP and PSAT exams. If the scores fall from prior years, then the committee was unable to distinguish. If they don't fall, them the new process is just as effective.

Why not just look at PSATs for 9th graders and get it over with? My kids took the PSAT every year starting in 8th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is quite simple. One can compare the grades kids receive on the more challenging courses. Grades are so inflated these days that there are quite large differences between kids with the same grade on the transcript.

Additionally, one can easily tell which kid has higher aptitude on extracurriculars like MathCounts and Science Olympiad. And then there are growth scores (like MAP) or achievement test scores (PSAT) that distinguish between abilities. The committee doesn't have access to any standard, objective test that allows them to compare.

This is easily verifiable. After 2 years at TJ, the students will take AP and PSAT exams. If the scores fall from prior years, then the committee was unable to distinguish. If they don't fall, them the new process is just as effective.

False. The old process overselected for test taking ability by eliminating students who did not perform very well on the given exams relative to their peers.

There isn’t any doubt that scores will fall with the new cohort, but that’s not relevant because the entire point of the wave of admissions reform in elite schools is to account for standardized testing being a poor metric to evaluate students.

Of course, that makes perfect sense, but we're pushing to return to the old system where people could buy their way into TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loudoun and TJ both made similar changes to their admissions at the same time, and for the same reason- to increase the number of 'black and brown kids'(this was said in Loudoun).

Yet the results are vastly different, with Loudoun doing a much better job of picking top students within a school.

Don't know about that. Seems like TJ is picking the top students now but the old process was crooked and involved test buying.

They are not picking the top students, at least at the schools I have observed.

So you can pick the top students (whatever that means) but the admissions process cannot? Why do I have a hard time taking you seriously?

Just comparing who was accepted to either AOS or AET and who was accepted to TJ, there is a clear difference of ability.

Dp. You didn’t answer the question! Why do you think that you can compare the kids’ abilities but the committee can’t?

The committee doesn't have the same information. They have an essay, a math or science problem, grades(or perhaps just GPA).

And what information are you privy to? That the committee doesn’t have? For all students?

When I remove the tinfoil hate, I hear things from Q.