TJ admissions now verifying free and reduced price meal status for successful 2026 applicants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Was your kid an AIME qualifier? A Mathcounts Nationals competitor? A Science Olympiad nationals competitor? Taking Pre-Calc or Calc in 8th grade? If the answer to all of these is no, it proves that the new process is letting less qualified kids leapfrog the outliers who need TJ.

Was every single admitted student in the past one of these things? No, of course not.

The question should be was every student who was one of those things admitted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You obviously hate Carson, Longfellow, Cooper, and Rocky Run MS, so you think capping the number of TJ students from those schools will stick it to the "wealthy middle schools."

They didn't cap the numbers. They took away spots by giving minimum quotas to other schools.
Loudoun did put in a cap for each middle school for AOS and AET.

[Anonymous]

haha, based on who got admitted and who didn't, my kid claims that it got be a lottery as none of them could find any correlation and refused to believe anything I said. Also, refused to admit that TJ admitted kids are smarter as so many really smart kids got waitlisted, which is beyond belief. Well, I pointed to a few smart kids that got in, but my kid says if its a lottery, then sure, some of the admitted will be smart

[Anonymous]

Per a suggestion on this board, I updated my waitlisted kids application to say eligible for free meals. I then received an e-mail that my kid was admitted, and after we hit accept someone else would be unenrolled from TJ and placed on the waitlist. Then I got another e-mail asking me to verify FARMS, which I cannot as we are not eligible. So my kid has had his admission taken away and is back on the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Per a suggestion on this board, I updated my waitlisted kids application to say eligible for free meals. I then received an e-mail that my kid was admitted, and after we hit accept someone else would be unenrolled from TJ and placed on the waitlist. Then I got another e-mail asking me to verify FARMS, which I cannot as we are not eligible. So my kid has had his admission taken away and is back on the waitlist.

Fake story

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:haha, based on who got admitted and who didn't, my kid claims that it got be a lottery as none of them could find any correlation and refused to believe anything I said. Also, refused to admit that TJ admitted kids are smarter as so many really smart kids got waitlisted, which is beyond belief. Well, I pointed to a few smart kids that got in, but my kid says if its a lottery, then sure, some of the admitted will be smart

What the kids infer is what matters. They'll share this with their parents and it will also impact how they approach whether to apply to TJ and how much effort they invest in the applications process if they do apply. The writing is on the wall. Applications were down this year vs. last year and that trend may well continue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Per a suggestion on this board, I updated my waitlisted kids application to say eligible for free meals. I then received an e-mail that my kid was admitted, and after we hit accept someone else would be unenrolled from TJ and placed on the waitlist. Then I got another e-mail asking me to verify FARMS, which I cannot as we are not eligible. So my kid has had his admission taken away and is back on the waitlist.

Nice! I wish you said something thats is at least slightly believable, even if you are trying to be sarcastic. But, who knows, these days people are believing in so many unbelievable things and country is becoming dumber as whole

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You obviously hate Carson, Longfellow, Cooper, and Rocky Run MS, so you think capping the number of TJ students from those schools will stick it to the "wealthy middle schools."

They didn't cap the numbers. They took away spots by giving minimum quotas to other schools.
Loudoun did put in a cap for each middle school for AOS and AET.

Fair enough. "Decimate" probably would have been more accurate than "cap." Their intent was obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids friend, who has been in AAP, couldn't get into algebra I in 7th, got few B+, A-s, got in to TJ, has wealth/educated parents, openly admitted to friends that he lied about all sorts of things on the portrait sheet as he and his parents know there is not going to be validation of anything they claim in the essays. May be this other kid is better at articulating things, but there is no way this kid should be preferred over a straight A students from the same school with demonstrable stem achievements, just based on few less than perfect lines in an essay. There are few that defend the new process to death, probably never didn't have their kids go through such unexpected rejections.

I had a friend who criticized so much about insurance companies covering for pre-existing conditions, how it gets expensive for everyone, country will break down, blah blah, but once someone in the family diagnosed with a serious medical condition, realized that it could happen to anyone. So, no one realizes until it hurts.

The old process is bad, but new process is far worse.

And you don't think that there were kids who exaggerated or lied in essays in years past? No system is going to prevent all forms of abuse. Do you think that a high percentage of kids lied in their portrait essay?

Your kid might have been rejected under the old system because there are far more applicants then there are seats. And there are a lot of kids with the high test scores and grades and STEM activities. There is no guarantee that your kid would have been accepted. You can feel free to hold on to your perceived injustice over the essay but the reality is that many kids are denied entrance. And those kids who were from under represented schools that got a spot because of the 1.5% distribution come from schools that have been disadvantaged in the application process because they don't have STEM activities after school or they couldn't afford STEM extra activities or they didn't know about them because their parents are not on top of all things STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:haha, based on who got admitted and who didn't, my kid claims that it got be a lottery as none of them could find any correlation and refused to believe anything I said. Also, refused to admit that TJ admitted kids are smarter as so many really smart kids got waitlisted, which is beyond belief. Well, I pointed to a few smart kids that got in, but my kid says if its a lottery, then sure, some of the admitted will be smart

What the kids infer is what matters. They'll share this with their parents and it will also impact how they approach whether to apply to TJ and how much effort they invest in the applications process if they do apply. The writing is on the wall. Applications were down this year vs. last year and that trend may well continue.

Maybe if it becomes less shiny then just the real STEM kids will apply. Fewer students being pushed on a TJ death march since 2nd grade by their parents who like shiny things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You obviously hate Carson, Longfellow, Cooper, and Rocky Run MS, so you think capping the number of TJ students from those schools will stick it to the "wealthy middle schools."

They didn't cap the numbers. They took away spots by giving minimum quotas to other schools.
Loudoun did put in a cap for each middle school for AOS and AET.

Fair enough. "Decimate" probably would have been more accurate than "cap." Their intent was obvious.

For class of 2025, there were 42 fewer kids admitted from previously "well"-represented MSs than in 2024.

“Decimate”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids friend, who has been in AAP, couldn't get into algebra I in 7th, got few B+, A-s, got in to TJ, has wealth/educated parents, openly admitted to friends that he lied about all sorts of things on the portrait sheet as he and his parents know there is not going to be validation of anything they claim in the essays. May be this other kid is better at articulating things, but there is no way this kid should be preferred over a straight A students from the same school with demonstrable stem achievements, just based on few less than perfect lines in an essay. There are few that defend the new process to death, probably never didn't have their kids go through such unexpected rejections.

I had a friend who criticized so much about insurance companies covering for pre-existing conditions, how it gets expensive for everyone, country will break down, blah blah, but once someone in the family diagnosed with a serious medical condition, realized that it could happen to anyone. So, no one realizes until it hurts.

The old process is bad, but new process is far worse.

And you don't think that there were kids who exaggerated or lied in essays in years past? No system is going to prevent all forms of abuse. Do you think that a high percentage of kids lied in their portrait essay?

Your kid might have been rejected under the old system because there are far more applicants then there are seats. And there are a lot of kids with the high test scores and grades and STEM activities. There is no guarantee that your kid would have been accepted. You can feel free to hold on to your perceived injustice over the essay but the reality is that many kids are denied entrance. And those kids who were from under represented schools that got a spot because of the 1.5% distribution come from schools that have been disadvantaged in the application process because they don't have STEM activities after school or they couldn't afford STEM extra activities or they didn't know about them because their parents are not on top of all things STEM.

You are sure this new process picked the right kids with in the same school? I am not sure if you really understood that I wasn't even comparing between schools nor I was singling out one kid that didn't get it. You don't have to go for big words such as injustice, but do you really think the process is really fair especially for center schools. If you think it is, then and if your kid got in, then I am really happy for you! I am not trying to take away anything from you are anyone. What is done can't be changed and my kid is already moved on and looking forward to (base) HS experience! I am still holding on a little as I knew how much my kid wanted it and how much of a surprise it was for my kid and friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:haha, based on who got admitted and who didn't, my kid claims that it got be a lottery as none of them could find any correlation and refused to believe anything I said. Also, refused to admit that TJ admitted kids are smarter as so many really smart kids got waitlisted, which is beyond belief. Well, I pointed to a few smart kids that got in, but my kid says if its a lottery, then sure, some of the admitted will be smart

What the kids infer is what matters. They'll share this with their parents and it will also impact how they approach whether to apply to TJ and how much effort they invest in the applications process if they do apply. The writing is on the wall. Applications were down this year vs. last year and that trend may well continue.

Maybe if it becomes less shiny then just the real STEM kids will apply. Fewer students being pushed on a TJ death march since 2nd grade by their parents who like shiny things.

Or it could be the other way, real STEM kids might feel TJ is no longer a special thing and not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids friend, who has been in AAP, couldn't get into algebra I in 7th, got few B+, A-s, got in to TJ, has wealth/educated parents, openly admitted to friends that he lied about all sorts of things on the portrait sheet as he and his parents know there is not going to be validation of anything they claim in the essays. May be this other kid is better at articulating things, but there is no way this kid should be preferred over a straight A students from the same school with demonstrable stem achievements, just based on few less than perfect lines in an essay. There are few that defend the new process to death, probably never didn't have their kids go through such unexpected rejections.

I had a friend who criticized so much about insurance companies covering for pre-existing conditions, how it gets expensive for everyone, country will break down, blah blah, but once someone in the family diagnosed with a serious medical condition, realized that it could happen to anyone. So, no one realizes until it hurts.

The old process is bad, but new process is far worse.

And you don't think that there were kids who exaggerated or lied in essays in years past? No system is going to prevent all forms of abuse. Do you think that a high percentage of kids lied in their portrait essay?

Your kid might have been rejected under the old system because there are far more applicants then there are seats. And there are a lot of kids with the high test scores and grades and STEM activities. There is no guarantee that your kid would have been accepted. You can feel free to hold on to your perceived injustice over the essay but the reality is that many kids are denied entrance. And those kids who were from under represented schools that got a spot because of the 1.5% distribution come from schools that have been disadvantaged in the application process because they don't have STEM activities after school or they couldn't afford STEM extra activities or they didn't know about them because their parents are not on top of all things STEM.

Well, it matters a lot more now because SPS and science essay carry 600 points, where GPA can only make a difference of 37.5 points (since min req is 3.5 and max is 4.0, scaled to 300). I hope you understand why essays are so critical in the new process and even some seemingly innocent typos or minor grammatical mistakes made in hurry (by less prepared) can potentially cost a lot depending on who is grading the essays and how much tolerant they are about the mistakes.

Unlike multiple choice questions, essay grading is very subjective. Forget essays, my kids school had two math teachers for geometry HN and one is known to be very strict and cuts as much as half the marks for missing a single step or symbol, while other teacher ignores these things and only focuses on whether the kids really understood the problem. I see the merits in both approaches, but if the math score determines who gets the brownie at the end, then which class would you rather be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:haha, based on who got admitted and who didn't, my kid claims that it got be a lottery as none of them could find any correlation and refused to believe anything I said. Also, refused to admit that TJ admitted kids are smarter as so many really smart kids got waitlisted, which is beyond belief. Well, I pointed to a few smart kids that got in, but my kid says if its a lottery, then sure, some of the admitted will be smart

What the kids infer is what matters. They'll share this with their parents and it will also impact how they approach whether to apply to TJ and how much effort they invest in the applications process if they do apply. The writing is on the wall. Applications were down this year vs. last year and that trend may well continue.

Maybe if it becomes less shiny then just the real STEM kids will apply. Fewer students being pushed on a TJ death march since 2nd grade by their parents who like shiny things.

The "real STEM kids" increasingly will be found at other schools. Their parents will still like what you refer you disparagingly as "shiny things," but TJ will be the cubic zirconia of high schools.