So torn about TJ advice to child

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would argue that a highly driven gifted student could be miserable at a base high school with weaker teachers and peer group.

certainly, if the gifted student is academically weak as well, they would likely have a miserable time. But if that same weak student is sent to TJ, they would not only be miserable but also be at the bottom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would argue that a highly driven gifted student could be miserable at a base high school with weaker teachers and peer group.

True as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the kid is competitive and excellent in academics, it will not be easy four year whether they are at TJ/Langley/McLean/Oakton/Chantilly/... There are competitions everywhere at the top. (You do want them to be challenged, don't you? or retire in HS?) If the kid has a STRONG opinion of accepting the offer or not, I would let the kid decide. If the kid doesn't really care, the parent decides for them. Unlike many other countries, in the US the error tolerance is pretty high. A talented kid will shine, whether attending TJ or not.

My 8th grade algebra 1 student has a higher chance of achieving a high GPA at base school than at TJ, where a higher level of calculus math is forced onto them. Is it not?

Why are you concerned with GPA?

big number good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would argue that a highly driven gifted student could be miserable at a base high school with weaker teachers and peer group.

certainly, if the gifted student is academically weak as well, they would likely have a miserable time. But if that same weak student is sent to TJ, they would not only be miserable but also be at the bottom?

If their "academic weakness" is, say, not doing mind-numbing homework or showing their work to an extreme level of detail, then they can succeed at TJ where the homework is not mind-numbing and doing multiple steps per line is acceptable.

[Anonymous]

The work is hard and the expectations are high. None of this is new. If a high GPA is your goal, you are safer staying at just about any base school in FCPS. If a challenging experience is what you are looking for, go to TJ.

My kid goes there and loves it; she is not getting straight As for the first time in her life but I can see so much growth in her process and work ethic. She is also into the arts and has found a strong community of smart, motivated kids. None of this will not get her into a T10 program but that was not her (or our) goal. All that said, I am confident she will show up at college 1000 times more prepared than I was to manage the workload.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The work is hard and the expectations are high. None of this is new. If a high GPA is your goal, you are safer staying at just about any base school in FCPS. If a challenging experience is what you are looking for, go to TJ.

My kid goes there and loves it; she is not getting straight As for the first time in her life but I can see so much growth in her process and work ethic. She is also into the arts and has found a strong community of smart, motivated kids. None of this will not get her into a T10 program but that was not her (or our) goal. All that said, I am confident she will show up at college 1000 times more prepared than I was to manage the workload.

The second paragraph right there - that's what has always been great about TJ and exactly why to do. Grow the work ethic. Find a great peer group (which in the end typically helps kids who might have a smaller peer group at the base school because they are quirky to grow socially just in general). Be prepared to manage heavy workloads in life in general and get more resilient. These are the reasons TJ is great and why people should go. GPA - unless a kid will really do miserable managing the workload - should not factor in, nor should a T10 program. Life skills are so much bigger than all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I'm most afraid that by him accepting he's giving up high school and being a kid in place of four years of additional college. TJ seems very collegiate to me. On one hand that's nice and preparatory. On another, it feels like skipping part of childhood.

NP. I would love to dig into this a little deeper if that's okay. In what sense are you worried about him "giving up high school"? I'm genuinely curious, as my TJ experience was outstanding once I was able to find my people.

It's also worth noting that accepting the offer of admission to TJ is not a four-year commitment. If it's not the right fit, he can absolutely leave and transition pretty seamlessly into his base school while being ahead of the game from an academic sense.

I’m one of the PPs who attended TJ. I graduated in the late ‘90s and if you are close to my age, I’d argue that the TJ of today is nothing like it was when we attended.

I wouldn't say that it's nothing like it was, but it is significantly different in many ways. There is less freedom for students because of security concerns that didn't exist in our time. The STEM courses are significantly more advanced because of the natural progression of STEM fields. But it's not as different as a lot of people make it out to be, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The work is hard and the expectations are high. None of this is new. If a high GPA is your goal, you are safer staying at just about any base school in FCPS. If a challenging experience is what you are looking for, go to TJ.

My kid goes there and loves it; she is not getting straight As for the first time in her life but I can see so much growth in her process and work ethic. She is also into the arts and has found a strong community of smart, motivated kids. None of this will not get her into a T10 program but that was not her (or our) goal. All that said, I am confident she will show up at college 1000 times more prepared than I was to manage the workload.

This is 100% true. The only schools that TJ kids attend where the workload and rigor approaches what they saw in high school are MIT and Caltech. Everywhere else - yes, including the Ivies and every other top 20 school - TJ kids report being MUCH easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give it a try. If your child doesn’t like it, they can move to their base school sophomore year. It is a very unique educational experience and the peer group is great. Most are very active in clubs, sports and/or music.
- parent of two TJ alums who loved their time at TJ

What clubs are offered at TJ, and is it very competitive to get into them?

Clubs examples
https://tjhsst.fcps.edu/student-life-and-activities/8th-period-activities

Some are competitive to get in - a few of the more academic ones - but not most.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

How often can you switch clubs? Every semester? Can you do something like National Honor Society and another club at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The work is hard and the expectations are high. None of this is new. If a high GPA is your goal, you are safer staying at just about any base school in FCPS. If a challenging experience is what you are looking for, go to TJ.

My kid goes there and loves it; she is not getting straight As for the first time in her life but I can see so much growth in her process and work ethic. She is also into the arts and has found a strong community of smart, motivated kids. None of this will not get her into a T10 program but that was not her (or our) goal. All that said, I am confident she will show up at college 1000 times more prepared than I was to manage the workload.

This is 100% true. The only schools that TJ kids attend where the workload and rigor approaches what they saw in high school are MIT and Caltech. Everywhere else - yes, including the Ivies and every other top 20 school - TJ kids report being MUCH easier.

Truthfully it doesn't seem much different than some of the base school workloads. There is just no non-advanced option to me. I've met kids at Westfield and other high schools taking college and high school credits together that are harder combined than anything offered at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many TJ students do a sport, instrument, and get good grades. What did your child think of the open house?

To be honest, he got spooked at the end when he saw the research posters by some of the kids that won awards. I tried to explain that's not freshman-level kind of work but I don't know that he really bought what I was saying. He has a friend already attending, the kids were all very nice, and he liked the gym facilities.

There are 2 gyms, they only opened one of them. TJ has a few competitive teams but some of their teams are pretty laid back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often can you switch clubs? Every semester? Can you do something like National Honor Society and another club at the same time?

Absolutely. In fact, most clubs only meet during one of the four blocks (Wed A, Wed B, Fri A, Fri B) per week so you have many students who are in 3-4 clubs at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Base schools send many students to top schools too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Base schools send many students to top schools too.

Did the millionth time, if college admission is your main goal stay at the base school. That’s not the entire point of TJ.