Official TJ Admissions Decisions Results for the Class of 2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if you are just dumb or totally ignorant. TJ is a good school because it has good students, teachers are not that great, they are just comparable to any other high school. They just give lots of work which the current students have to really work hard to complete. In fact there is nothing special about TJ other than it’s students. Students push each other to do better, for some misfits this is toxic culture, for others it drives them to realize their potential. I bet if TJ does not waters down it’s current work load, most of the new students will really struggle. Just wait for 6 months. The real value of TJ was to bring all these hard working students together where they collaborated and pushed each other to excel but most of them will be fine at their base high school.

TJ "was" a good school because of 74% Asians. This class still has to prove itself, Dumbo.

Your points are baseless. No one is saying anything about the base schools except YOU!

Let's make all schools in VA STEM accredited. TRY it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m kind of sick of hearing about the sad academic superstars who won’t get into TJ. They will be fine at any school. Everyone should be more worried about the kids for whom TJ could change their lives. If you really cared about STEAM kids in America you’d agree.

You're very ignorant about the needs of highly gifted kids if you're assuming that they'll be fine at any school. Access to appropriate levels of challenge, mental stimulation, high level labs, a very smart peer group etc. would be life changing for most highly gifted kids. Many of the bright, overachievers might be fine at any high school. Gifted kids don't necessarily fall into that box.

Also, why are you assuming that TJ would only be life changing for poor kids? Many middle class families like mine would not be able to afford Ivies, SLACs, or anything beyond state schools without a decent aid package. Finishing in the top 10% (maybe even 25%) of TJ would help enormously with college aid and admissions. You need to stop categorizing everyone as either "poor" or "very privileged." There's a full economic spectrum of families spanning the two.

Except these are not highly gifted kids. These are kids who have been pushed from an early age to become academic superstars. They’ve been perfectly cultivated. Please do not act like they aren’t.

Which is also to say they will continue to be pushed to perfection in whatever high school they go to. Because these kids who were being molded into the perfect TJ applicant will be molded into the perfect college applicant.

They will be fine. A kid who is an academic superstar in 8th grade will be just fine. Anywhere. Whether it be TJ or a base high school.

Now I’m not saying I don’t wish for them to all be accepted to TJ. I’m just sick of them being a reason to keep the old way in which *only* the heavily prepped had any chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m kind of sick of hearing about the sad academic superstars who won’t get into TJ. They will be fine at any school. Everyone should be more worried about the kids for whom TJ could change their lives. If you really cared about STEAM kids in America you’d agree.

You're very ignorant about the needs of highly gifted kids if you're assuming that they'll be fine at any school. Access to appropriate levels of challenge, mental stimulation, high level labs, a very smart peer group etc. would be life changing for most highly gifted kids. Many of the bright, overachievers might be fine at any high school. Gifted kids don't necessarily fall into that box.

Also, why are you assuming that TJ would only be life changing for poor kids? Many middle class families like mine would not be able to afford Ivies, SLACs, or anything beyond state schools without a decent aid package. Finishing in the top 10% (maybe even 25%) of TJ would help enormously with college aid and admissions. You need to stop categorizing everyone as either "poor" or "very privileged." There's a full economic spectrum of families spanning the two.

Except these are not highly gifted kids. These are kids who have been pushed from an early age to become academic superstars. They’ve been perfectly cultivated. Please do not act like they aren’t.

Which is also to say they will continue to be pushed to perfection in whatever high school they go to. Because these kids who were being molded into the perfect TJ applicant will be molded into the perfect college applicant.

They will be fine. A kid who is an academic superstar in 8th grade will be just fine. Anywhere. Whether it be TJ or a base high school.

Now I’m not saying I don’t wish for them to all be accepted to TJ. I’m just sick of them being a reason to keep the old way in which *only* the heavily prepped had any chance.

If prep is the problem, create an exam that doesn't benefit from prep. Don't kill the admission test. It is that simple. I am pretty sure it is eminently possible to create a test for which prepping doesn't provide an advantage.

[Anonymous]

In order for a test to work it just be new to the test takers. Unfortunately, you can try to keep changing and creating new tests, but preppers will just continue to spoil the tests.

For example the CoGAT. It’s supposed to be completely new to the students. The students aren’t supposed to have practiced the types of questions in order for the scores to be valid. But as we all know there are websites, workbooks, tutoring places…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In order for a test to work it just be new to the test takers. Unfortunately, you can try to keep changing and creating new tests, but preppers will just continue to spoil the tests.

For example the CoGAT. It’s supposed to be completely new to the students. The students aren’t supposed to have practiced the types of questions in order for the scores to be valid. But as we all know there are websites, workbooks, tutoring places…

When there is a test, there will be preparation, how can you stop it, one who wants to get in is preparing for it, they aren't breaking any laws

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Except these are not highly gifted kids. These are kids who have been pushed from an early age to become academic superstars. They’ve been perfectly cultivated. Please do not act like they aren’t.

Which is also to say they will continue to be pushed to perfection in whatever high school they go to. Because these kids who were being molded into the perfect TJ applicant will be molded into the perfect college applicant.

They will be fine. A kid who is an academic superstar in 8th grade will be just fine. Anywhere. Whether it be TJ or a base high school.

Now I’m not saying I don’t wish for them to all be accepted to TJ. I’m just sick of them being a reason to keep the old way in which *only* the heavily prepped had any chance.

You don't think there are highly gifted kids at TJ? Sure, the number is probably around 50 per grade level, but those kids really do need TJ. In the past, with absolutely no prep, those kids still crushed the entrance exams, had the extracurriculars, got the teacher recommendations, etc. and got in. There is simply no way to identify those kids in the new system. The new system is so much worse for these kids, because the highly gifted kids who have not been "perfectly cultivated" are the ones more likely to end up getting some A- or B+ grades in their AAP English class for sucking at creative writing, which in the new system means no TJ for them. Or, since they haven't taken prep on writing an essay to market yourself, they're likely to get penalized on the essay. The middle school teachers know that the kid is something special, but their input is no longer taken into consideration.

I couldn't care less about how the bottom 3/4 of TJ is selected. Use a lottery among all above average kids who want to go for all that I care. Just make sure that the highly gifted kids who truly belong at TJ get in. GPA + one unmonitored essay is wholly inadequate. A few of the ideas I've mentioned previously in these threads are: Use teacher recommendations, extracurriculars, a test, math level, additional essays, etc to select the top 100 kids for TJ or to select the top kids for spots not allocated to any specific middle school. Then, use whatever other system to select the middle school allocated kids or any other remaining slots. I'm sure this suggestion will either be ignored or someone will act like it's completely infeasible and just perpetuates prep culture.

I'm the PP with the kid who will be taking calc in 9th grade. We're nowhere near FARMS level, but also nowhere near the level where we can 'perfectly cultivate' our kid. If we had resources like that, we wouldn't be living in a townhouse zoned to a GS 5 high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In order for a test to work it just be new to the test takers. Unfortunately, you can try to keep changing and creating new tests, but preppers will just continue to spoil the tests.

For example the CoGAT. It’s supposed to be completely new to the students. The students aren’t supposed to have practiced the types of questions in order for the scores to be valid. But as we all know there are websites, workbooks, tutoring places…

Oh come on...it is not that difficult to set a non-standard test. In fact, I recall one of the math teachers had offered to do it. If one can up with tomes of second rate research to try to justify subjective measures, with just a small proportion of that effort, one can come up with a test. It is just that prepping isn't what is being targeted. The attempt is to try to forcibly reduce a particular group with metrics that can be manipulated instead of an objective admissions test which cannot be manipulated. Sheer spite!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Except these are not highly gifted kids. These are kids who have been pushed from an early age to become academic superstars. They’ve been perfectly cultivated. Please do not act like they aren’t.

Which is also to say they will continue to be pushed to perfection in whatever high school they go to. Because these kids who were being molded into the perfect TJ applicant will be molded into the perfect college applicant.

They will be fine. A kid who is an academic superstar in 8th grade will be just fine. Anywhere. Whether it be TJ or a base high school.

Now I’m not saying I don’t wish for them to all be accepted to TJ. I’m just sick of them being a reason to keep the old way in which *only* the heavily prepped had any chance.

You don't think there are highly gifted kids at TJ? Sure, the number is probably around 50 per grade level, but those kids really do need TJ. In the past, with absolutely no prep, those kids still crushed the entrance exams, had the extracurriculars, got the teacher recommendations, etc. and got in. There is simply no way to identify those kids in the new system. The new system is so much worse for these kids, because the highly gifted kids who have not been "perfectly cultivated" are the ones more likely to end up getting some A- or B+ grades in their AAP English class for sucking at creative writing, which in the new system means no TJ for them. Or, since they haven't taken prep on writing an essay to market yourself, they're likely to get penalized on the essay. The middle school teachers know that the kid is something special, but their input is no longer taken into consideration.

I couldn't care less about how the bottom 3/4 of TJ is selected. Use a lottery among all above average kids who want to go for all that I care. Just make sure that the highly gifted kids who truly belong at TJ get in. GPA + one unmonitored essay is wholly inadequate. A few of the ideas I've mentioned previously in these threads are: Use teacher recommendations, extracurriculars, a test, math level, additional essays, etc to select the top 100 kids for TJ or to select the top kids for spots not allocated to any specific middle school. Then, use whatever other system to select the middle school allocated kids or any other remaining slots. I'm sure this suggestion will either be ignored or someone will act like it's completely infeasible and just perpetuates prep culture.

I'm the PP with the kid who will be taking calc in 9th grade. We're nowhere near FARMS level, but also nowhere near the level where we can 'perfectly cultivate' our kid. If we had resources like that, we wouldn't be living in a townhouse zoned to a GS 5 high school.

Once it’s known that all you have to do is take Calculus in 9th grade to get a golden ticket to TJ that will become the new target for hundreds of families aiming for TJ. Or if it’s score well on AMC then that becomes the thing that gets absurdly prepped for. I know you think your DS is highly gifted and he may be, but a kid like your DS could also just be pushed. Both are wildly deserving of a seat at TJ, but the message it puts out is “push your kids hard and young to get into TJ”. You will not be capturing the highly gifted kids that way.

I know highly gifted kids are at TJ. But highly gifted kids are at the base schools too, and they thrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In order for a test to work it just be new to the test takers. Unfortunately, you can try to keep changing and creating new tests, but preppers will just continue to spoil the tests.

For example the CoGAT. It’s supposed to be completely new to the students. The students aren’t supposed to have practiced the types of questions in order for the scores to be valid. But as we all know there are websites, workbooks, tutoring places…

When there is a test, there will be preparation, how can you stop it, one who wants to get in is preparing for it, they aren't breaking any laws

Parents are gaming the system and creating an unfair advantage for their kids.

And then they feel entitled to special privileges.

F that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In order for a test to work it just be new to the test takers. Unfortunately, you can try to keep changing and creating new tests, but preppers will just continue to spoil the tests.

For example the CoGAT. It’s supposed to be completely new to the students. The students aren’t supposed to have practiced the types of questions in order for the scores to be valid. But as we all know there are websites, workbooks, tutoring places…

When there is a test, there will be preparation, how can you stop it, one who wants to get in is preparing for it, they aren't breaking any laws

That's an excellent question and one the BOE has tried to answer by ensuring even schools that have less affluent students have a shot at a TJ seat by setting a minimum number of seats per school. Otherwise parents at wealthy schools simply buy all the seats with outside enrichment.

[Anonymous]

It must be nice to always make the argument that anytime something goes my way, meritocracy has won but everytime it doesn't, the winner must have bought their way in or is otherwise corrupt.
The problem is the argument also goes the other way exactly the same from the rival's perspective.
The only real question is who has natural rights to the moral high ground. Actually, the argument on both sides is specious and neither side will ever "win" except by raw political power. But feel free to get back to your day drinking and the utter waste of time that is DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I’m kind of sick of hearing about the sad academic superstars who won’t get into TJ. They will be fine at any school. Everyone should be more worried about the kids for whom TJ could change their lives. If you really cared about STEAM kids in America you’d agree.

You're very ignorant about the needs of highly gifted kids if you're assuming that they'll be fine at any school. Access to appropriate levels of challenge, mental stimulation, high level labs, a very smart peer group etc. would be life changing for most highly gifted kids. Many of the bright, overachievers might be fine at any high school. Gifted kids don't necessarily fall into that box.

Also, why are you assuming that TJ would only be life changing for poor kids? Many middle class families like mine would not be able to afford Ivies, SLACs, or anything beyond state schools without a decent aid package. Finishing in the top 10% (maybe even 25%) of TJ would help enormously with college aid and admissions. You need to stop categorizing everyone as either "poor" or "very privileged." There's a full economic spectrum of families spanning the two.

Except these are not highly gifted kids. These are kids who have been pushed from an early age to become academic superstars. They’ve been perfectly cultivated. Please do not act like they aren’t.

Which is also to say they will continue to be pushed to perfection in whatever high school they go to. Because these kids who were being molded into the perfect TJ applicant will be molded into the perfect college applicant.

They will be fine. A kid who is an academic superstar in 8th grade will be just fine. Anywhere. Whether it be TJ or a base high school.

Now I’m not saying I don’t wish for them to all be accepted to TJ. I’m just sick of them being a reason to keep the old way in which *only* the heavily prepped had any chance.

Great points. I agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Once it’s known that all you have to do is take Calculus in 9th grade to get a golden ticket to TJ that will become the new target for hundreds of families aiming for TJ. Or if it’s score well on AMC then that becomes the thing that gets absurdly prepped for. I know you think your DS is highly gifted and he may be, but a kid like your DS could also just be pushed. Both are wildly deserving of a seat at TJ, but the message it puts out is “push your kids hard and young to get into TJ”. You will not be capturing the highly gifted kids that way.

I know highly gifted kids are at TJ. But highly gifted kids are at the base schools too, and they thrive.

Why do you keep creating ridiculous strawman arguments? No one is suggesting any sort of "golden ticket" to TJ. Many of us want a more comprehensive holistic review of applicants than simply using GPA and one essay. Currently, all of the above average kids look the same, and it's basically a lottery. I would love to keep the 1.5% allocation per middle school, but give the selection committee enough info that they actually can detect the kids who have something special to offer to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In order for a test to work it just be new to the test takers. Unfortunately, you can try to keep changing and creating new tests, but preppers will just continue to spoil the tests.

For example the CoGAT. It’s supposed to be completely new to the students. The students aren’t supposed to have practiced the types of questions in order for the scores to be valid. But as we all know there are websites, workbooks, tutoring places…

Oh come on...it is not that difficult to set a non-standard test. In fact, I recall one of the math teachers had offered to do it. If one can up with tomes of second rate research to try to justify subjective measures, with just a small proportion of that effort, one can come up with a test. It is just that prepping isn't what is being targeted. The attempt is to try to forcibly reduce a particular group with metrics that can be manipulated instead of an objective admissions test which cannot be manipulated. Sheer spite!

This

So, in a pandemic, when hundreds of thousands kids staying home and not learning much, FCPS spent enormous time and money to focus on eliminating outside "prepping"? Does it even make sense? The prepping was merely just an excuse based on racial stereotype for their social engineering where the target is conveniently too weak politically. They never dare to touch Langley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In order for a test to work it just be new to the test takers. Unfortunately, you can try to keep changing and creating new tests, but preppers will just continue to spoil the tests.

For example the CoGAT. It’s supposed to be completely new to the students. The students aren’t supposed to have practiced the types of questions in order for the scores to be valid. But as we all know there are websites, workbooks, tutoring places…

Oh come on...it is not that difficult to set a non-standard test. In fact, I recall one of the math teachers had offered to do it. If one can up with tomes of second rate research to try to justify subjective measures, with just a small proportion of that effort, one can come up with a test. It is just that prepping isn't what is being targeted. The attempt is to try to forcibly reduce a particular group with metrics that can be manipulated instead of an objective admissions test which cannot be manipulated. Sheer spite!

This

So, in a pandemic, when hundreds of thousands kids staying home and not learning much, FCPS spent enormous time and money to focus on eliminating outside "prepping"? Does it even make sense? The prepping was merely just an excuse based on racial stereotype for their social engineering where the target is conveniently too weak politically. They never dare to touch Langley.

No the social engineering going on at TJ (lack of URMs) is/was a direct result of having an admission process so heavily gamed by prepping.