Official TJ Admissions Decisions Results for the Class of 2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If TJ was expanded so that the thousands of kids who qualify were served it would no longer be special and the “families who value education” aka preppers would seek out other programs they could compete in.

If TJ required an IQ test they would just start prepping for that.

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.

Please, first your IQ is screaming that it needs help!

Just so you know, IQ cannot be prepped!!! It is inherent in people. Either you have it or you don't! It is like Common Sense which is apparently very uncommon.

Second, no one would want to go to TJ, if we had more STEM schools in VA. Trust me!!! It is the need of time! Grow up!

I could not let this one just slip by.

The IQ tests like the WPPSI or WISC can be prepped. These are in no way perfect instruments that measure the raw intelligence inherent in people. If you google search what is on these tests you can certainly prep yourself or your kid to get an higher score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If TJ was expanded so that the thousands of kids who qualify were served it would no longer be special and the “families who value education” aka preppers would seek out other programs they could compete in.

If TJ required an IQ test they would just start prepping for that.

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.

Please, first your IQ is screaming that it needs help!

Just so you know, IQ cannot be prepped!!! It is inherent in people. Either you have it or you don't! It is like Common Sense which is apparently very uncommon.

Second, no one would want to go to TJ, if we had more STEM schools in VA. Trust me!!! It is the need of time! Grow up!

I could not let this one just slip by.

The IQ tests like the WPPSI or WISC can be prepped. These are in no way perfect instruments that measure the raw intelligence inherent in people. If you google search what is on these tests you can certainly prep yourself or your kid to get an higher score.

Many white parents prep their kids to take wisc for AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If TJ was expanded so that the thousands of kids who qualify were served it would no longer be special and the “families who value education” aka preppers would seek out other programs they could compete in.

If TJ required an IQ test they would just start prepping for that.

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.

Please, first your IQ is screaming that it needs help!

Just so you know, IQ cannot be prepped!!! It is inherent in people. Either you have it or you don't! It is like Common Sense which is apparently very uncommon.

Second, no one would want to go to TJ, if we had more STEM schools in VA. Trust me!!! It is the need of time! Grow up!

I could not let this one just slip by.

The IQ tests like the WPPSI or WISC can be prepped. These are in no way perfect instruments that measure the raw intelligence inherent in people. If you google search what is on these tests you can certainly prep yourself or your kid to get an higher score.

Many white parents prep their kids to take wisc for AAP.

I thought you could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that your kid was gifted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If TJ was expanded so that the thousands of kids who qualify were served it would no longer be special and the “families who value education” aka preppers would seek out other programs they could compete in.

If TJ required an IQ test they would just start prepping for that.

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.

Please, first your IQ is screaming that it needs help!

Just so you know, IQ cannot be prepped!!! It is inherent in people. Either you have it or you don't! It is like Common Sense which is apparently very uncommon.

Second, no one would want to go to TJ, if we had more STEM schools in VA. Trust me!!! It is the need of time! Grow up!

I could not let this one just slip by.

The IQ tests like the WPPSI or WISC can be prepped. These are in no way perfect instruments that measure the raw intelligence inherent in people. If you google search what is on these tests you can certainly prep yourself or your kid to get an higher score.

Many white parents prep their kids to take wisc for AAP.

I thought you could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that your kid was gifted?

Yes. That too. Take your kid to a psych and tell her “I think Larlo is gifted, and I want him in this gifted program where he needs a 130 to get in. Here’s $2000. Evaluate him.” You will get what you wanted. And then you’ll recommend the psych to your friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It came from NAACP complaints about not enough blacks at TJ, combined with AG investigation, and a school board that was interested in pushing equity.

[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

[phone]

The non-preppers must be wingin' it a lot in life

My prep ass... prep's every damn day. I prep for work calls, I prep for my meetings, I prep for a efn drivers license test! Even the truly gifted need some coaching there is nothing wrong with that.

[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.

Langley is a NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL. Move into the boundaries for Langley and you get to go to Langley. That simple.

*headdesk*

[Anonymous]

Langley’s boundaries should be expanded to include neighboring Herndon since Langley is so under capacity. But the Great Falls folks don’t want those Herndon kids in their school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This was the entire point behind changing the exams to the Quant-Q and the two ACT Aspire exams for the Class of 2022. The Quant-Q is a quantitative reasoning exam that was identified by the head of the TJ math department as an exam that would be difficult to prepare for but an excellent indicator of innate ability. The Quant-Q is theoretically a "secured exam" where individuals who see the exam are required to sign a statement indicating they will not share any test details and no prep is supposed to be publicly available for it.

Remarkably, the percentage of Asian students, after growing persistently for 15 consecutive years, dropped precipitously from 74.9% in C/O 2021 to 65.2% in C/O 2022. When combining the percentages of Black and Hispanic students, that number rose from 3% in 2021 to 8% in 2022. This took place in the first year of a new exam that is currently being fought for by the status-quo adherents.

Then, magically over the next couple of years, order was restored to the universe when Asians comprised 72% of the Class of 2023 and 74% of the Class of 2024.

Of course, this all tracks pretty neatly with the publicly-released Curie data that indicates that they secured 51 seats in 2022, 95 seats in 2023, and 133 seats in 2024 - and fits well with the narrative from students who were named in the Curie releases who indicated on TJ Vents that they had seen Quant-Q questions in Curie classes. And remember - this is just one small part of the nine-or-ten figure TJ prep industrial complex.

Here's an important point. No one reasonable is suggesting that every student who has been at TJ over the past several years has only been there because of their access to privileged prep. But it strains credulity to ignore the overwhelming evidence that suggests that many of those seats over the years have been bought and paid for. The point is not to disparage students or families who have played by the rules that existed previously. The point is to fix the rules over a long process to try to create a more level playing field - and the Quant-Q debacle proves that you can't do that with a standardized exam. No matter what exam you put together, there are families who will use resources that other families don't have to try to get their kid a leg up in that exam.

The current process is far from perfect - but it's vastly preferable to a system that eliminated students from consideration based on a exam that was graded on a curve that many families bought and paid for access to.

[Anonymous]

Make a test that only includes things that the kids would have learned at school. You won't need prep places because the test should be easy for the kids who are acing Algebra and Geometry. That way every kid who is taking Algebra and Geometry in MS has an equal chance of doing well on the test. Or use SOL scores plus grades to replace the test. That way you have your merit based test that covers material they should have learned in those classes, there is no cost to the student or even the school, and everyone takes the test. Simple.

Merit does not equate to extra curricular activities and it should not equate to extra curricular activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make a test that only includes things that the kids would have learned at school. You won't need prep places because the test should be easy for the kids who are acing Algebra and Geometry. That way every kid who is taking Algebra and Geometry in MS has an equal chance of doing well on the test. Or use SOL scores plus grades to replace the test. That way you have your merit based test that covers material they should have learned in those classes, there is no cost to the student or even the school, and everyone takes the test. Simple.

Merit does not equate to extra curricular activities and it should not equate to extra curricular activities.

You will still have prep places that will seek to create advantages. Because of the existence of these businesses, it is no longer possible to equate exam performance with "merit".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If TJ was expanded so that the thousands of kids who qualify were served it would no longer be special and the “families who value education” aka preppers would seek out other programs they could compete in.

If TJ required an IQ test they would just start prepping for that.

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.

Please, first your IQ is screaming that it needs help!

Just so you know, IQ cannot be prepped!!! It is inherent in people. Either you have it or you don't! It is like Common Sense which is apparently very uncommon.

Second, no one would want to go to TJ, if we had more STEM schools in VA. Trust me!!! It is the need of time! Grow up!

I could not let this one just slip by.

The IQ tests like the WPPSI or WISC can be prepped. These are in no way perfect instruments that measure the raw intelligence inherent in people. If you google search what is on these tests you can certainly prep yourself or your kid to get an higher score.

Many white parents prep their kids to take wisc for AAP.

I thought you could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that your kid was gifted?

Things changes now. You could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that the kid is ADHD to gain advantage for admission.

[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.

It was never about prepping. That's just a lame excuse. If prepping was the issue, they could have easily designed a test that is prep proof. It was always about changing racial composition by whatever means possible. They just couldn't risk a different test that would have resulted in the same racial composition. So let's call it for what it is - unfairness perpetuated on a minority population (in society) by the majority. And move on. The only problem is they may have done the changes illegally - as per the ongoing legal process. I am checking out of here. Final point: STEM is hard - even for the ones who are interested in it. Takes time, effort and prepping. And can be done even outside TJ. Work hard, find your purpose, no excuses. Love and peace!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If TJ was expanded so that the thousands of kids who qualify were served it would no longer be special and the “families who value education” aka preppers would seek out other programs they could compete in.

If TJ required an IQ test they would just start prepping for that.

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.

Please, first your IQ is screaming that it needs help!

Just so you know, IQ cannot be prepped!!! It is inherent in people. Either you have it or you don't! It is like Common Sense which is apparently very uncommon.

Second, no one would want to go to TJ, if we had more STEM schools in VA. Trust me!!! It is the need of time! Grow up!

I could not let this one just slip by.

The IQ tests like the WPPSI or WISC can be prepped. These are in no way perfect instruments that measure the raw intelligence inherent in people. If you google search what is on these tests you can certainly prep yourself or your kid to get an higher score.

Many white parents prep their kids to take wisc for AAP.

I thought you could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that your kid was gifted?

Things changes now. You could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that the kid is ADHD to gain advantage for admission.

Tons of families have done this in the past to gain "extra time" for the Quant-Q, which is a heavily time-intensive exam and used to have a huge impact on TJ admissions. The advantage of having 75 minutes on this exam instead of 50 would be enormous if a student didn't actually need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If TJ was expanded so that the thousands of kids who qualify were served it would no longer be special and the “families who value education” aka preppers would seek out other programs they could compete in.

If TJ required an IQ test they would just start prepping for that.

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.

Please, first your IQ is screaming that it needs help!

Just so you know, IQ cannot be prepped!!! It is inherent in people. Either you have it or you don't! It is like Common Sense which is apparently very uncommon.

Second, no one would want to go to TJ, if we had more STEM schools in VA. Trust me!!! It is the need of time! Grow up!

I could not let this one just slip by.

The IQ tests like the WPPSI or WISC can be prepped. These are in no way perfect instruments that measure the raw intelligence inherent in people. If you google search what is on these tests you can certainly prep yourself or your kid to get an higher score.

Many white parents prep their kids to take wisc for AAP.

I thought you could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that your kid was gifted?

Things changes now. You could simply pay some quack to administer one to show that the kid is ADHD to gain advantage for admission.

Or to get extra time for homework or tests.