If a kid will fall in top 30-50% in TJ, is going to TJ a better idea

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids from TJ get into the real world and dominate pretty much regardless of where they go to undergrad.

The differences in opportunities as far as course availability, facilities and equipment, and student groups is just so incredibly stark when compared to even the best base schools.

So yeah, it's possible that it might be a little harder to get into the most elite colleges from TJ... but as the years and decades have gone by, the value add from those schools has been depressed significantly AND you're increasing your chances of admission by a relatively small amount - it's by no means a guarantee.

This is ridiculous. Let me guess: you're sending out annual surveys that are answered by professors and employers from senior year of HS onward? No, this is what you're telling yourself. The answer is that very bright kids generally do well no matter where they are.

That's like a base HS kid who goes to an ivy league looking at the TJ kid going to VCU and saying "kids in the top of their HSs who get into the ivies dominate because their colleges are far superior to lower ranked colleges. We have more money from the endowment pouring in!!" The answer is that bright kids are bright and do well no matter where they are, and that includes middle school to base HS OR TJ and then base HS OR TJ on to x college.

- We turned TJ down for base HS and my kid is heading to an ivy next year. It is NOT "a little" harder to getting into elite schools from TJ. It's a lot harder. We strategically picked our local HS.

This is smart.

Thanks…hard decision four years ago - but we felt it was the right one for us then and we are very glad we did it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids ended up at HYPSM (same STEM major)
DC 1 attended top 5 FCPS.
DC 2 attended TJ.

The kid that attended TJ was way more prepared and had easier time academically than kid that went to base HS.

Also, my kid that went to base HS had friends they met at college who went to TJ and said TJ classmates were way more prepared for the STEM classes than they were despite taking the "same" courses in HS. BC calc at base high school is not the same as BC calc at TJ (not even close).

How many can be in this sampling? It would need to be:

- kids attending the same college as your kid

Further narrowed by

- TJ grads your kid met at the college

Compared to
- base HS kids

Narrowed by

- those taking the same Calc BC titled course

Narrowed by those

- taking the same course by the same professor at the same college

Narrowed by those who shared info with your kid

The number of kids from TJ going to UVA and VT for STEM that have friends from their base school also going to UVA or VT for STEM is fairly significant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids from TJ get into the real world and dominate pretty much regardless of where they go to undergrad.

The differences in opportunities as far as course availability, facilities and equipment, and student groups is just so incredibly stark when compared to even the best base schools.

So yeah, it's possible that it might be a little harder to get into the most elite colleges from TJ... but as the years and decades have gone by, the value add from those schools has been depressed significantly AND you're increasing your chances of admission by a relatively small amount - it's by no means a guarantee.

This is ridiculous. Let me guess: you're sending out annual surveys that are answered by professors and employers from senior year of HS onward? No, this is what you're telling yourself. The answer is that very bright kids generally do well no matter where they are.

That's like a base HS kid who goes to an ivy league looking at the TJ kid going to VCU and saying "kids in the top of their HSs who get into the ivies dominate because their colleges are far superior to lower ranked colleges. We have more money from the endowment pouring in!!" The answer is that bright kids are bright and do well no matter where they are, and that includes middle school to base HS OR TJ and then base HS OR TJ on to x college.

- We turned TJ down for base HS and my kid is heading to an ivy next year. It is NOT "a little" harder to getting into elite schools from TJ. It's a lot harder. We strategically picked our local HS.

This is smart.

Thanks…hard decision four years ago - but we felt it was the right one for us then and we are very glad we did it.

No offense but I don't buy that it is a LOT harder to get into elite schools from TJ.

None of the kids I know that got into HYPSM from Langley would have had much trouble at TJ.
Most of the handw5ringing these days is the gross underperformance of the kids that are getting in under the new admissions process that would not have gotten in under the prior admissions process.
Aside from that there is a fairly significant effect for kids that might have gotten into UVA from their base school that will not get in from TJ.

TJ sends almost as many kids to HYPSM as the rest of FCPS combined.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for TJ, OP. It's a fantastic opportunity!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids ended up at HYPSM (same STEM major)
DC 1 attended top 5 FCPS.
DC 2 attended TJ.

The kid that attended TJ was way more prepared and had easier time academically than kid that went to base HS.

Also, my kid that went to base HS had friends they met at college who went to TJ and said TJ classmates were way more prepared for the STEM classes than they were despite taking the "same" courses in HS. BC calc at base high school is not the same as BC calc at TJ (not even close).

How many can be in this sampling? It would need to be:

- kids attending the same college as your kid

Further narrowed by

- TJ grads your kid met at the college

Compared to
- base HS kids

Narrowed by

- those taking the same Calc BC titled course

Narrowed by those

- taking the same course by the same professor at the same college

Narrowed by those who shared info with your kid

The number of kids from TJ going to UVA and VT for STEM that have friends from their base school also going to UVA or VT for STEM is fairly significant.

You can only compare if they all know your kid well enough to share their experience AND they are in the same class together (base and TJ grads) so that you’re getting an evaluation of the same professor and content (testing, grading, etc).

As you’d acknowledge I am sure, one college prof could be easy and another hard, so you can’t say: “I struggled in Calc 3 (with a teacher out sick 3/4 of the year)” is the same as “Mine curves all grades so the lowest is a B” and say the former student struggled bc he was at a base HS and the latter got an easy A bc of TJ.

So again, your kid doesn’t know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids from TJ get into the real world and dominate pretty much regardless of where they go to undergrad.

The differences in opportunities as far as course availability, facilities and equipment, and student groups is just so incredibly stark when compared to even the best base schools.

So yeah, it's possible that it might be a little harder to get into the most elite colleges from TJ... but as the years and decades have gone by, the value add from those schools has been depressed significantly AND you're increasing your chances of admission by a relatively small amount - it's by no means a guarantee.

This is ridiculous. Let me guess: you're sending out annual surveys that are answered by professors and employers from senior year of HS onward? No, this is what you're telling yourself. The answer is that very bright kids generally do well no matter where they are.

That's like a base HS kid who goes to an ivy league looking at the TJ kid going to VCU and saying "kids in the top of their HSs who get into the ivies dominate because their colleges are far superior to lower ranked colleges. We have more money from the endowment pouring in!!" The answer is that bright kids are bright and do well no matter where they are, and that includes middle school to base HS OR TJ and then base HS OR TJ on to x college.

- We turned TJ down for base HS and my kid is heading to an ivy next year. It is NOT "a little" harder to getting into elite schools from TJ. It's a lot harder. We strategically picked our local HS.

This is smart.

Thanks…hard decision four years ago - but we felt it was the right one for us then and we are very glad we did it.

No offense but I don't buy that it is a LOT harder to get into elite schools from TJ.

None of the kids I know that got into HYPSM from Langley would have had much trouble at TJ.
Most of the handw5ringing these days is the gross underperformance of the kids that are getting in under the new admissions process that would not have gotten in under the prior admissions process.
Aside from that there is a fairly significant effect for kids that might have gotten into UVA from their base school that will not get in from TJ.

TJ sends almost as many kids to HYPSM as the rest of FCPS combined.

-1,000

Do you even have a current 11th-12th grade TJ student or a TJ grad from ‘25?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids from TJ get into the real world and dominate pretty much regardless of where they go to undergrad.

The differences in opportunities as far as course availability, facilities and equipment, and student groups is just so incredibly stark when compared to even the best base schools.

So yeah, it's possible that it might be a little harder to get into the most elite colleges from TJ... but as the years and decades have gone by, the value add from those schools has been depressed significantly AND you're increasing your chances of admission by a relatively small amount - it's by no means a guarantee.

This is ridiculous. Let me guess: you're sending out annual surveys that are answered by professors and employers from senior year of HS onward? No, this is what you're telling yourself. The answer is that very bright kids generally do well no matter where they are.

That's like a base HS kid who goes to an ivy league looking at the TJ kid going to VCU and saying "kids in the top of their HSs who get into the ivies dominate because their colleges are far superior to lower ranked colleges. We have more money from the endowment pouring in!!" The answer is that bright kids are bright and do well no matter where they are, and that includes middle school to base HS OR TJ and then base HS OR TJ on to x college.

- We turned TJ down for base HS and my kid is heading to an ivy next year. It is NOT "a little" harder to getting into elite schools from TJ. It's a lot harder. We strategically picked our local HS.

This is smart.

Thanks…hard decision four years ago - but we felt it was the right one for us then and we are very glad we did it.

No offense but I don't buy that it is a LOT harder to get into elite schools from TJ.

None of the kids I know that got into HYPSM from Langley would have had much trouble at TJ.
Most of the handw5ringing these days is the gross underperformance of the kids that are getting in under the new admissions process that would not have gotten in under the prior admissions process.
Aside from that there is a fairly significant effect for kids that might have gotten into UVA from their base school that will not get in from TJ.

TJ sends almost as many kids to HYPSM as the rest of FCPS combined.

Exactly how many HYPSM admits from Langley do you personally know. Please stop with your ridiculous assertions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids ended up at HYPSM (same STEM major)
DC 1 attended top 5 FCPS.
DC 2 attended TJ.

The kid that attended TJ was way more prepared and had easier time academically than kid that went to base HS.

Also, my kid that went to base HS had friends they met at college who went to TJ and said TJ classmates were way more prepared for the STEM classes than they were despite taking the "same" courses in HS. BC calc at base high school is not the same as BC calc at TJ (not even close).

How many can be in this sampling? It would need to be:

- kids attending the same college as your kid

Further narrowed by

- TJ grads your kid met at the college

Compared to
- base HS kids

Narrowed by

- those taking the same Calc BC titled course

Narrowed by those

- taking the same course by the same professor at the same college

Narrowed by those who shared info with your kid

The number of kids from TJ going to UVA and VT for STEM that have friends from their base school also going to UVA or VT for STEM is fairly significant.

You can only compare if they all know your kid well enough to share their experience AND they are in the same class together (base and TJ grads) so that you’re getting an evaluation of the same professor and content (testing, grading, etc).

As you’d acknowledge I am sure, one college prof could be easy and another hard, so you can’t say: “I struggled in Calc 3 (with a teacher out sick 3/4 of the year)” is the same as “Mine curves all grades so the lowest is a B” and say the former student struggled bc he was at a base HS and the latter got an easy A bc of TJ.

So again, your kid doesn’t know

It's not about grades, it's about grok. The better trained kids understand stuff easier and faster than the less trained kids.
It you're asking for a peer reviewed study saying that going to TJ will make college easier for you than if you go to your base school, I don't think it exists.
But if you are asking whether there is a consensus among kids that went to TJ that college was easier for them than their classmates then the consensus is pretty much unanimous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids ended up at HYPSM (same STEM major)
DC 1 attended top 5 FCPS.
DC 2 attended TJ.

The kid that attended TJ was way more prepared and had easier time academically than kid that went to base HS.

Also, my kid that went to base HS had friends they met at college who went to TJ and said TJ classmates were way more prepared for the STEM classes than they were despite taking the "same" courses in HS. BC calc at base high school is not the same as BC calc at TJ (not even close).

How many can be in this sampling? It would need to be:

- kids attending the same college as your kid

Further narrowed by

- TJ grads your kid met at the college

Compared to
- base HS kids

Narrowed by

- those taking the same Calc BC titled course

Narrowed by those

- taking the same course by the same professor at the same college

Narrowed by those who shared info with your kid

The number of kids from TJ going to UVA and VT for STEM that have friends from their base school also going to UVA or VT for STEM is fairly significant.

You can only compare if they all know your kid well enough to share their experience AND they are in the same class together (base and TJ grads) so that you’re getting an evaluation of the same professor and content (testing, grading, etc).

As you’d acknowledge I am sure, one college prof could be easy and another hard, so you can’t say: “I struggled in Calc 3 (with a teacher out sick 3/4 of the year)” is the same as “Mine curves all grades so the lowest is a B” and say the former student struggled bc he was at a base HS and the latter got an easy A bc of TJ.

So again, your kid doesn’t know

It's not about grades, it's about grok. The better trained kids understand stuff easier and faster than the less trained kids.
It you're asking for a peer reviewed study saying that going to TJ will make college easier for you than if you go to your base school, I don't think it exists.
But if you are asking whether there is a consensus among kids that went to TJ that college was easier for them than their classmates then the consensus is pretty much unanimous

No, I am asking you to stop with the sweeping claims which are not based in any realm of reality. Your posts are all the same…and easy to pick out.

No go make up some more sweeping “all TJ grads” or “all the base kids you know” stats.

Never change!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP

I believe if DS works really hard, he probably can be top 20%. But at least from what I see now, he is not very self motivated. If he is around 30-40%, he is probably comfortable with that.

Caring about that at all is a red flag. Skip TJ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a TJ senior who has a 7th semester GPA over 4.5, top test scores, but not the highest rigor possible. Accepted to T20 (intentionally being vague). Top colleges know the rigor of TJ, and kids can still have great college results even if they don't take the absolute hardest courses. There are TJ kids who get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and more without taking AP Physics C or math beyond Calculus.

Bingo. Believe it or not, those schools are more forgiving of a less-than-perfect academic record if the applicant can give them another great reason to admit them. Some folks call that a "hook"... others just call it "being interesting".

Bingo what?

A T20 is frequently attainable through FCPS' base program. What you wrote applies to all kids everywhere - once there is a base level of scores (GPA, testing if required, etc.) a lower stats kid can easily leapfrog over ones with higher rigor and stats depending on ECs/awards. And as for this comment: There are TJ kids who get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and more without taking AP Physics C or math beyond Calculus. Again, this applies to all kids everywhere. It depends on what else the kid has done.

And the bolded is 100% not a hook.

The most selective colleges always evaluate applicants in the "context" of their school and what is available to them. Because of that, it is harder to be among the "top" in rigor at TJ without taking Physics C or multivariable calc (and higher). But these colleges know the rigor of TJ curriculum. Sure, it may be harder to get into MIT from TJ without the most rigorous TJ curriculum Vs. taking only AB Calc from a low performing HS, but TJ kids are extremely well prepared for college.

I don't think you understand what "evaluated in context" means. It means that taking only AP Calc AB (or even Precalc) when that's the most rigorous your school offers won't be a demerit. It doesn't mean that only taking Calc BC when Multi variable is offered will be held against you. That's already "over the bar", and senior year math class is often locked in before the kid even starts high school, so it's not a student's choice of rigor.

Context of high school also means that class rank is interpreted based on the school. So 10%ile at a non-selective school means something very different than top 10%ile from a selective school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice to see that folks are already lining up the narratives to get their kids into TJ off the waitlist.

It's almost a comforting rhythm - a flood of TJ sh!tposting right around the application deadlines to depress competition, and another flood gearing up for the admissions notices going out on mid-March to incentivize decline rates.

So much thirst.

Such BS. TJ can absolutely hurt college chances.

Honestly, so what? Even if this is true - and I'm not entirely convinced that it is - you'll find no end of TJ alumni who didn't get into their first choice college who are killing it and credit their TJ experience for what it taught them. A pair of twins I know went to TJ and then a state school and Langley then a high-end Ivy - and the TJ kid is doing way better and no one is surprised.

Of course I'll find an end of TJ grads who didn't get into their first choice and are still upset and aren't "killing it." The fact that you know a pair of twins who you claim is doing better than a Langley ivy grad doesn't change this fact.

To say "so what" completely ignores those who value what a higher ranked college can do versus what a higher ranked HS can do. Do you think:

- base high school grads going to top ranked colleges don't do amazingly well in those colleges?
- going to a top ranked colleges comes with "extras" like personal connections that result in job offers/internships, benefits to job offers from college being very well respected. etc.

We turned TJ down because we valued the longer game and are very happy with our choices even though it was difficult at the time. Sure, TJ has some great opportunities, but we saw that they were outweighed by the opportunities that could be afforded in college.

Wait,

You thought optimizing for college admissions over early academic rigor was playing "the longer game?"

We aren't talking about Harvard from base vs GMU from TJ.

Unless you are from a title 1 school, we are most likely talking about UVA from base vs something like W&M or VT from TJ.

I’m talking about turning TJ down for 9th and a a HS class of ‘26 heading to an ivy. We feel pretty confident the ivy would not have happened from TJ.

You're going to get less from the Ivy compared to the other school they'd have attended than you would have gotten from TJ compared to your base.

You made the bet and won, but in the long run you're still going to lose.

No, I made the bet and won. It is far, far better to go to a highly ranked ivy than it is to be at lower ranked schools if you're driven and successful no matter where you'd go. I know some kooks think saying you went to TJ when you were 16 helps you when you're 42. You're one.

If your kid is anything like you they still spend their time at 42 yelling about how they are an Ivy League grad and all these companies run by idiot MAGA don't know what intelligence looks like.

[Anonymous]

How do such stupid parents have such smart kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids ended up at HYPSM (same STEM major)
DC 1 attended top 5 FCPS.
DC 2 attended TJ.

The kid that attended TJ was way more prepared and had easier time academically than kid that went to base HS.

Also, my kid that went to base HS had friends they met at college who went to TJ and said TJ classmates were way more prepared for the STEM classes than they were despite taking the "same" courses in HS. BC calc at base high school is not the same as BC calc at TJ (not even close).

How many can be in this sampling? It would need to be:

- kids attending the same college as your kid

Further narrowed by

- TJ grads your kid met at the college

Compared to
- base HS kids

Narrowed by

- those taking the same Calc BC titled course

Narrowed by those

- taking the same course by the same professor at the same college

Narrowed by those who shared info with your kid

The number of kids from TJ going to UVA and VT for STEM that have friends from their base school also going to UVA or VT for STEM is fairly significant.

You can only compare if they all know your kid well enough to share their experience AND they are in the same class together (base and TJ grads) so that you’re getting an evaluation of the same professor and content (testing, grading, etc).

As you’d acknowledge I am sure, one college prof could be easy and another hard, so you can’t say: “I struggled in Calc 3 (with a teacher out sick 3/4 of the year)” is the same as “Mine curves all grades so the lowest is a B” and say the former student struggled bc he was at a base HS and the latter got an easy A bc of TJ.

So again, your kid doesn’t know

It's not about grades, it's about grok. The better trained kids understand stuff easier and faster than the less trained kids.
It you're asking for a peer reviewed study saying that going to TJ will make college easier for you than if you go to your base school, I don't think it exists.
But if you are asking whether there is a consensus among kids that went to TJ that college was easier for them than their classmates then the consensus is pretty much unanimous

Our base school is an IB school and the IB supporters keep going on and on about how the IB kids are so much better prepared than the AP kids. I keep rolling my eyes and pointing to all the AP kids who do very well in college. My point? People love to point to their experiences and say it is better to make what they have more special. Parents of kids who have not and will not complete the IB diploma have bought into the IB is superior message because it makes them feel special.

TJ is a great school with a unique student population and some really cool classes. It is challenging and can help the right student really engage in school with similar peers. The students at TJ will do amazingly well at their base school. A kid who can choose between SLHS and TJ is probably more likely to get accepted at a higher ranked school out of SLHS because fewer kids from SLHS are applying to those schools then a kid out of TJ. The TJ kid has rigor on their side and high grades at a stronger school. The SLHS kid has less competition, a good program, and high grades. They still have a small probability of being selected because all of those schools are highly competitive.

Let your kid attend the HS they want to attend, that they feel is a good fit. A smart kid will do well in life regardless of the HS or the college. I make the same amount of money as my husband and I attended a college known of you know while he attended one all of you know. It really doesn’t matter that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's nice to see that folks are already lining up the narratives to get their kids into TJ off the waitlist.

It's almost a comforting rhythm - a flood of TJ sh!tposting right around the application deadlines to depress competition, and another flood gearing up for the admissions notices going out on mid-March to incentivize decline rates.

So much thirst.

Such BS. TJ can absolutely hurt college chances.

Honestly, so what? Even if this is true - and I'm not entirely convinced that it is - you'll find no end of TJ alumni who didn't get into their first choice college who are killing it and credit their TJ experience for what it taught them. A pair of twins I know went to TJ and then a state school and Langley then a high-end Ivy - and the TJ kid is doing way better and no one is surprised.

Of course I'll find an end of TJ grads who didn't get into their first choice and are still upset and aren't "killing it." The fact that you know a pair of twins who you claim is doing better than a Langley ivy grad doesn't change this fact.

To say "so what" completely ignores those who value what a higher ranked college can do versus what a higher ranked HS can do. Do you think:

- base high school grads going to top ranked colleges don't do amazingly well in those colleges?
- going to a top ranked colleges comes with "extras" like personal connections that result in job offers/internships, benefits to job offers from college being very well respected. etc.

We turned TJ down because we valued the longer game and are very happy with our choices even though it was difficult at the time. Sure, TJ has some great opportunities, but we saw that they were outweighed by the opportunities that could be afforded in college.

Wait,

You thought optimizing for college admissions over early academic rigor was playing "the longer game?"

We aren't talking about Harvard from base vs GMU from TJ.

Unless you are from a title 1 school, we are most likely talking about UVA from base vs something like W&M or VT from TJ.

I’m talking about turning TJ down for 9th and a a HS class of ‘26 heading to an ivy. We feel pretty confident the ivy would not have happened from TJ.

You're going to get less from the Ivy compared to the other school they'd have attended than you would have gotten from TJ compared to your base.

You made the bet and won, but in the long run you're still going to lose.

No, I made the bet and won. It is far, far better to go to a highly ranked ivy than it is to be at lower ranked schools if you're driven and successful no matter where you'd go. I know some kooks think saying you went to TJ when you were 16 helps you when you're 42. You're one.

If your kid is anything like you they still spend their time at 42 yelling about how they are an Ivy League grad and all these companies run by idiot MAGA don't know what intelligence looks like.

I hope not. I hope my kid is a kind, thoughtful, and happy person at 42. I also hope my kid not putting down others at that - or any - age.