TJ Questions

[Anonymous]

Does anyone children remember what the essay and SIS questions were for the TJ admission exam? Thank you

[Anonymous]

Why?

[Anonymous]

Last year the essay asked children to discuss, in detail, what scientific breakthroughs they had already made in their lives that would would make a lasting impact on the improvement of the human race (be sure to include the reference number for any applicable patent filings). Unfortunately for my Dc, there was only room for his top 4, so narrowing down is tough. For the SIS, there were several things of course, but students did need to be prepared to list each of their Nobel Prize nominations separately and provide a detailed breakdown of how many individual's lives had been save by each and every non-profit that they started in their bedrooms. So at a minimum, I would be sure you DC can do these things.

Seriously though, if your DC cannot write an essay explaining their interest in STEM education and list STEM activities, maybe TJ isn't a good fit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year the essay asked children to discuss, in detail, what scientific breakthroughs they had already made in their lives that would would make a lasting impact on the improvement of the human race (be sure to include the reference number for any applicable patent filings). Unfortunately for my Dc, there was only room for his top 4, so narrowing down is tough. For the SIS, there were several things of course, but students did need to be prepared to list each of their Nobel Prize nominations separately and provide a detailed breakdown of how many individual's lives had been save by each and every non-profit that they started in their bedrooms. So at a minimum, I would be sure you DC can do these things.

Seriously though, if your DC cannot write an essay explaining their interest in STEM education and list STEM activities, maybe TJ isn't a good fit?

Obviously someones DS did not get in . Too bad because my son is now going to Princeton. . Anyway, the SIS question my son remembers was: If you could spend a day learning about something, what would it be and why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year the essay asked children to discuss, in detail, what scientific breakthroughs they had already made in their lives that would would make a lasting impact on the improvement of the human race (be sure to include the reference number for any applicable patent filings). Unfortunately for my Dc, there was only room for his top 4, so narrowing down is tough. For the SIS, there were several things of course, but students did need to be prepared to list each of their Nobel Prize nominations separately and provide a detailed breakdown of how many individual's lives had been save by each and every non-profit that they started in their bedrooms. So at a minimum, I would be sure you DC can do these things.

Seriously though, if your DC cannot write an essay explaining their interest in STEM education and list STEM activities, maybe TJ isn't a good fit?

Obviously someones DS did not get in . Too bad because my son is now going to Princeton. . Anyway, the SIS question my son remembers was: If you could spend a day learning about something, what would it be and why?

Actually, I like the sarcasm from the previous poster. My mother teaches at a school for science and math (in another state) and is involved on the selection process of the students. She says she can tell immediately whether the student wants to attend and is capable of handling the workload. I don't know if they do this at TJ, but the selection committee can also learn much from the personal interview. I guess the point of all this is, just let your child go through the process and see what happens. If s/he is qualified, s/he will get in. Just liking science or writing a good essay is not going to get him/her in - innate intellectual curiosity will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year the essay asked children to discuss, in detail, what scientific breakthroughs they had already made in their lives that would would make a lasting impact on the improvement of the human race (be sure to include the reference number for any applicable patent filings). Unfortunately for my Dc, there was only room for his top 4, so narrowing down is tough. For the SIS, there were several things of course, but students did need to be prepared to list each of their Nobel Prize nominations separately and provide a detailed breakdown of how many individual's lives had been save by each and every non-profit that they started in their bedrooms. So at a minimum, I would be sure you DC can do these things.

Seriously though, if your DC cannot write an essay explaining their interest in STEM education and list STEM activities, maybe TJ isn't a good fit?

Obviously someones DS did not get in . Too bad because my son is now going to Princeton. . Anyway, the SIS question my son remembers was: If you could spend a day learning about something, what would it be and why?

Actually, I've never had a DC apply to TJ. They are too young, and oldest DC is much stronger in humanities, so I doubt it would be a good fit. Younger DC-- too soon to know what is right for HS. But, I do live in an area of the county where parents go way overboard on TJ prep (like 3rd graders spending hours a week-- not on STEM activities, but in TJ specific cram classes). So, my tolerance for parents who are OTT on TJ prep gets lower every year.

[Anonymous]

Just let your kids go through the process if the process if they think they would like to go to TJ. I agree with the above posters that the prepping for TJ has become over the top.

Kids who need to prep to get in can quickly find themselves over their heads and unable to do the work without a lot of outside tutoring. A few years ago the school found that a number of kids had problems handling the math when they got there. Many of those kids had done prep courses ahead of time but obviously didn't have a strong grasp of the material.

Kids who really love math and pick up concepts quickly and easily will find TJ a good fit.