Reasons why one would not accept TJ offer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ is significantly and by a large margin much harder than base HS.

Experience of same kid at base HS and TJ. Kid moved to TJ in 10th grade.

At base HS, all homework is finished at school itself and child home by 3 PM. Absolutely no additional effort needed at home - child took 2 AP classes in 9th, even then school is pretty easy. Tests took maybe 15 minutes more of effort at home. Grade book frequently had 100+ scores out of 100 in many subjects because they give bonus points for some things.

At TJ, the amount of effort is lot more. 2-3 hours per day. Highly kid dependent but heard lot of classmates were spending a lot more time. Some courses are at the same level of rigor as college.

At base HS if you understand the content you are good for an A. At TJ, you need in depth understanding of the subject. So you need to be able to apply the concept in a different situation, so you need to understand it very thoroughly. About 20% of test questions are in this category.

At TJ you get a fantastic education. But when applying to colleges, it might be a slight disadvantage for the top colleges.

At base child's recommendations would have been off the chart. Child was able to get into a very selective program from base HS because one teacher wrote something like "never saw anyone like this in my 18 years of teaching...".

At TJ, same child would get a good recommendation but nothing like at base HS. In one activity child is in top 100 in nation but there is at least one child every two years who is in the top 10. So the recommendation letters would likewise be much less strong coming from TJ than at base HS.

For our second child we decided not to go to TJ.

TJ is the right place for child 1 but not for child 2.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ is significantly and by a large margin much harder than base HS.

Experience of same kid at base HS and TJ. Kid moved to TJ in 10th grade.

At base HS, all homework is finished at school itself and child home by 3 PM. Absolutely no additional effort needed at home - child took 2 AP classes in 9th, even then school is pretty easy. Tests took maybe 15 minutes more of effort at home. Grade book frequently had 100+ scores out of 100 in many subjects because they give bonus points for some things.

At TJ, the amount of effort is lot more. 2-3 hours per day. Highly kid dependent but heard lot of classmates were spending a lot more time. Some courses are at the same level of rigor as college.

At base HS if you understand the content you are good for an A. At TJ, you need in depth understanding of the subject. So you need to be able to apply the concept in a different situation, so you need to understand it very thoroughly. About 20% of test questions are in this category.

At TJ you get a fantastic education. But when applying to colleges, it might be a slight disadvantage for the top colleges.

At base child's recommendations would have been off the chart. Child was able to get into a very selective program from base HS because one teacher wrote something like "never saw anyone like this in my 18 years of teaching...".

At TJ, same child would get a good recommendation but nothing like at base HS. In one activity child is in top 100 in nation but there is at least one child every two years who is in the top 10. So the recommendation letters would likewise be much less strong coming from TJ than at base HS.

For our second child we decided not to go to TJ.

TJ is the right place for child 1 but not for child 2.

+1

You have to take a step beyond this, though.

Child 1 learns to self-study at TJ, gets into mediocre state school, excels with 4.0 GPA and amazes all her professors who usually don't see this type of student. Gets great recommendation to get into Ivy+ grad school (free since they would be grad TAs). Child 2 is at the top of their class at Base HS and is shocked at when Ivy+ Econ 101 is using grad-level differential equations (based on a true story, BTW). Child 2 has a mediocre (and expensive) Ivy+ undergrad and goes to Mediocre Grad school.

What's the better outcome?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Child would have struggled at TJ. We were surprised they picked him over other studious kids, but it was flattering. Happy at the base school, has time to do other activities

No one knows why.

[Anonymous]

Professor Po-Shen Loh, the coach for US math Olympiad team, said that for genuine self-learners, they don't need TJ. They can go to base school and after 2:30 dismissal they can just sit in their room and study ahead of any advanced subjects themselves. Going to TJ would put extra demand on subjects they are not interested in.

He also said at every Olympiad camp, there is little difference between student in second place and 50th place in terms of intelligence, but the student in 1st place is way above everyone else and nobody knows how he get that good.

So I guess he meant for the truly genius students, a very small portion of good students, they don't need TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Professor Po-Shen Loh, the coach for US math Olympiad team, said that for genuine self-learners, they don't need TJ. They can go to base school and after 2:30 dismissal they can just sit in their room and study ahead of any advanced subjects themselves. Going to TJ would put extra demand on subjects they are not interested in.

He also said at every Olympiad camp, there is little difference between student in second place and 50th place in terms of intelligence, but the student in 1st place is way above everyone else and nobody knows how he get that good.

So I guess he meant for the truly genius students, a very small portion of good students, they don't need TJ.

Sure, anyone can study in isolation. But it would be extremely sad if a kid goes to school, is mostly in mental pain from going through the motions of superficial learning in most of their classes, then comes home and learns in isolation because they have no peer group who are interested in similar things. For some kids described above, attending a typical base school would be a miserable academic experience. TJ provides an opportunity to escape from that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son turned it down (this was before the admissions change; he graduated in 2023). He knew he didn’t want to work that hard in high school. He still did great (is now at a T20) but didn’t have the pressure that comes with TJ.

If student is not strong in math, TJ is a nightmare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I believe to get the TJ diploma a student needs to pass AP Calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son turned it down (this was before the admissions change; he graduated in 2023). He knew he didn’t want to work that hard in high school. He still did great (is now at a T20) but didn’t have the pressure that comes with TJ.

If student is not strong in math, TJ is a nightmare

Was it possible to be admitted under the old system and be weak in math?

I’m the PP and my son graduated high school with Calc 3 and Linear Algebra so weak math skills was not his issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Professor Po-Shen Loh, the coach for US math Olympiad team, said that for genuine self-learners, they don't need TJ. They can go to base school and after 2:30 dismissal they can just sit in their room and study ahead of any advanced subjects themselves. Going to TJ would put extra demand on subjects they are not interested in.

He also said at every Olympiad camp, there is little difference between student in second place and 50th place in terms of intelligence, but the student in 1st place is way above everyone else and nobody knows how he get that good.

So I guess he meant for the truly genius students, a very small portion of good students, they don't need TJ.

To be fair to 2-50, Loh was doing MOPS when Luke Robitaille was a teenager. It's tough when #1 is a generational talent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son turned it down (this was before the admissions change; he graduated in 2023). He knew he didn’t want to work that hard in high school. He still did great (is now at a T20) but didn’t have the pressure that comes with TJ.

If student is not strong in math, TJ is a nightmare

Was it possible to be admitted under the old system and be weak in math?

I’m the PP and my son graduated high school with Calc 3 and Linear Algebra so weak math skills was not his issue.

there is diversity benefit from admitting all calibres of students even if few are short on math skills. Would you not agree?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son turned it down (this was before the admissions change; he graduated in 2023). He knew he didn’t want to work that hard in high school. He still did great (is now at a T20) but didn’t have the pressure that comes with TJ.

If student is not strong in math, TJ is a nightmare

Was it possible to be admitted under the old system and be weak in math?

I’m the PP and my son graduated high school with Calc 3 and Linear Algebra so weak math skills was not his issue.

there is diversity benefit from admitting all calibres of students even if few are short on math skills. Would you not agree?

DP. It's a gifted math and science magnet high school. Students don't have to be math geniuses but they do need to be strong in math, even when they focus on science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son turned it down (this was before the admissions change; he graduated in 2023). He knew he didn’t want to work that hard in high school. He still did great (is now at a T20) but didn’t have the pressure that comes with TJ.

If student is not strong in math, TJ is a nightmare

Was it possible to be admitted under the old system and be weak in math?

I’m the PP and my son graduated high school with Calc 3 and Linear Algebra so weak math skills was not his issue.

there is diversity benefit from admitting all calibres of students even if few are short on math skills. Would you not agree?

DP. It's a gifted math and science magnet high school. Students don't have to be math geniuses but they do need to be strong in math, even when they focus on science.

Need to be strong enough to get a C, but an A would mean math genius?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Professor Po-Shen Loh, the coach for US math Olympiad team, said that for genuine self-learners, they don't need TJ. They can go to base school and after 2:30 dismissal they can just sit in their room and study ahead of any advanced subjects themselves. Going to TJ would put extra demand on subjects they are not interested in.

He also said at every Olympiad camp, there is little difference between student in second place and 50th place in terms of intelligence, but the student in 1st place is way above everyone else and nobody knows how he get that good.

So I guess he meant for the truly genius students, a very small portion of good students, they don't need TJ.

This sounds like a very lonely HS experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I believe to get the TJ diploma a student needs to pass AP Calc.

Yes. TJ requires you to take math through Calc AB. If you don’t pass it, you graduate FCPS but without a TJ diploma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son turned it down (this was before the admissions change; he graduated in 2023). He knew he didn’t want to work that hard in high school. He still did great (is now at a T20) but didn’t have the pressure that comes with TJ.

If student is not strong in math, TJ is a nightmare

Was it possible to be admitted under the old system and be weak in math?

I’m the PP and my son graduated high school with Calc 3 and Linear Algebra so weak math skills was not his issue.

there is diversity benefit from admitting all calibres of students even if few are short on math skills. Would you not agree?

DP. It's a gifted math and science magnet high school. Students don't have to be math geniuses but they do need to be strong in math, even when they focus on science.

Need to be strong enough to get a C, but an A would mean math genius?

Lol. In Equity bubble, C is almost like A.