TJ decisions are out

[Anonymous]

"This year 2,766 students applied for admission to the Class of 2023 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. 949 of those students qualified for the semifinalist pool from which 494 were selected for admission."

My DC got put in the "wait pool" AKA waitlist. After the summer round, they decide how many can come off the waitlist. From previous years' posts on DCUM, sounds like a small waitlist, and a lot get in -- but that may have changed last year, and 494 sounds like a high number to me.
Any thoughts/info on this appreciated.

In any case, how did y'all do?

[Anonymous]

DD is wait listed as well. Recd the same letter as you did. I wonder how many kids are wait listed and what her chances are. Her base school is pretty good, so she's happy either ways - but knowing the chances helps us plan the summer activities.

[Anonymous]

DC didn't get accepted but not surprised when I saw Quant Q score Congrats to those who got good news and fingers crossed for those on waitlist.

[Anonymous]

DC got a No.
97-Reading
94-Science
57-Quant Q
A- in Algebra
A in Geometry

Goofball did absolutely NOTHING to prep. Congratulations to those accepted.

[Anonymous]

DC is a junior at TJ. Came off the WL. It is usually 50 kids. For class of 2020, they took the whole waitlist and the class was still underenrolled. My understanding is that is not the case every year through and 2020 was an anomaly. But the TJ waitlist is not a college waitlist with a 1000 people on it and they take 12 thing. It’s a real shot. Probably better than 50-50. Especially considering not everyone will stay on the WL.

BTW, once DC was admitted, they have done as well at TJ as any other kid. Solidly middle of the class and very active in non-STEM activities.

Having BTDT, here is my advice. If your kid really wants it, accept the WL slot and hold on because they have a good shot any you don’t want them asking what if? I know it’s been a long road. 9-10 months by the time WL decisions come out. And very hard to end MS with HS unsettled. It was a tough three months in our house, but very worth it.

If your kid doesn’t really want it, let it go. Release the WL spot and help your kid start to focus on where they are going to HS. TJ is a lot of sacrifice for the whole family— the kid, the parents, even siblings. I just isn’t worth it if your kid is begging to go. I have a base school kid who is thriving and succeeding too. There is life beyond TJ. I can’t imagine either kid anywhere but where they ended up.

That’s all I got. Good luck to the WL and congrats to the class of 2023.

That’s all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC got a No.
97-Reading
94-Science
57-Quant Q
A- in Algebra
A in Geometry

Goofball did absolutely NOTHING to prep. Congratulations to those accepted.

Can’t prep for the Quant Q and they did great on the others. Let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC got a No.
97-Reading
94-Science
57-Quant Q
A- in Algebra
A in Geometry

Goofball did absolutely NOTHING to prep. Congratulations to those accepted.

Can’t prep for the Quant Q and they did great on the others. Let it go.

PP Done

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is a junior at TJ. Came off the WL. It is usually 50 kids. For class of 2020, they took the whole waitlist and the class was still underenrolled. My understanding is that is not the case every year through and 2020 was an anomaly. But the TJ waitlist is not a college waitlist with a 1000 people on it and they take 12 thing. It’s a real shot. Probably better than 50-50. Especially considering not everyone will stay on the WL.

BTW, once DC was admitted, they have done as well at TJ as any other kid. Solidly middle of the class and very active in non-STEM activities.

Having BTDT, here is my advice. If your kid really wants it, accept the WL slot and hold on because they have a good shot any you don’t want them asking what if? I know it’s been a long road. 9-10 months by the time WL decisions come out. And very hard to end MS with HS unsettled. It was a tough three months in our house, but very worth it.

If your kid doesn’t really want it, let it go. Release the WL spot and help your kid start to focus on where they are going to HS. TJ is a lot of sacrifice for the whole family— the kid, the parents, even siblings. I just isn’t worth it if your kid is begging to go. I have a base school kid who is thriving and succeeding too. There is life beyond TJ. I can’t imagine either kid anywhere but where they ended up.

That’s all I got. Good luck to the WL and congrats to the class of 2023.

That’s all

What should the class size be?
On their website it says, current class sizes are:

9th Grade (Class of 2022) – 461 Students 10th Grade (Class of 2021) – 450 Students 11th Grade (Class of 2020) – 446 Students 12th Grade (Class of 2019) – 425 Students.
Accepted students this year are 494, so what is the pool for waitlist estimation?

[Anonymous]

NP here -- DC also in Waitpool. Thanks 19:34 for the info! Does anyone know if you can find out any information about where you are in the Waitpool? It obviously would make a big difference if you were #4 on the list versus #48 in terms of likelihood of getting a spot in July. And while you can't bank on it either way, it would help to know where you were for planning purposes...

Interesting that there were a lot fewer applicants this year than last year.

[Anonymous]

Got a denial from TJ today - Can anyone pls. provide any thoughts on what could have gone wrong to get a straight denial?

TJ Test - Reading/Quant/Science : 100/99/98
7th Grade GPA in core subjects: 4.00 (A)
Summer Geometry: A
8th Grade Algebra II (1st and 2nd Qtr ) : A and A-

Did well on SIS/Essays (unknown factor)
Excellent Teacher recommendations

[Anonymous]

My kid was denied.

Quant Q 99
Reading 98
Science 96

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a junior at TJ. Came off the WL. It is usually 50 kids. For class of 2020, they took the whole waitlist and the class was still underenrolled. My understanding is that is not the case every year through and 2020 was an anomaly. But the TJ waitlist is not a college waitlist with a 1000 people on it and they take 12 thing. It’s a real shot. Probably better than 50-50. Especially considering not everyone will stay on the WL.

BTW, once DC was admitted, they have done as well at TJ as any other kid. Solidly middle of the class and very active in non-STEM activities.

Having BTDT, here is my advice. If your kid really wants it, accept the WL slot and hold on because they have a good shot any you don’t want them asking what if? I know it’s been a long road. 9-10 months by the time WL decisions come out. And very hard to end MS with HS unsettled. It was a tough three months in our house, but very worth it.

If your kid doesn’t really want it, let it go. Release the WL spot and help your kid start to focus on where they are going to HS. TJ is a lot of sacrifice for the whole family— the kid, the parents, even siblings. I just isn’t worth it if your kid is begging to go. I have a base school kid who is thriving and succeeding too. There is life beyond TJ. I can’t imagine either kid anywhere but where they ended up.

That’s all I got. Good luck to the WL and congrats to the class of 2023.

That’s all

What should the class size be?
On their website it says, current class sizes are:

9th Grade (Class of 2022) – 461 Students 10th Grade (Class of 2021) – 450 Students 11th Grade (Class of 2020) – 446 Students 12th Grade (Class of 2019) – 425 Students.
Accepted students this year are 494, so what is the pool for waitlist estimation?

They say they target to start at 480. But it’s always smaller— 460 seems about average. Have a bunch of kids drop first two years. Take in 10 or so froshmores. Graduate about 430-440.

Those are start of year number. The freshman and sophomore classes will be 20-30 kids smaller by now.

[Anonymous]

Are waitpool kids allowed to go to the open house on 4/4? That would probably help in deciding whether to stay on the list or decline it. It doesn't say anything about it in the waitlist letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here -- DC also in Waitpool. Thanks 19:34 for the info! Does anyone know if you can find out any information about where you are in the Waitpool? It obviously would make a big difference if you were #4 on the list versus #48 in terms of likelihood of getting a spot in July. And while you can't bank on it either way, it would help to know where you were for planning purposes...

Interesting that there were a lot fewer applicants this year than last year.

No. Last year was expected. It was the “bump year” when they had the huge AAP class of 8th graders because the Asian test prep mills had managed to get an early look at the CogAT seven years earlier. Which lead to the AAP admissions reforms. A much bigger group of prepped AAP kids was expected to lead to a much bigger, also prepped TJ pool. No coincidentally, it was the year they shifted to the Quant Q to try to weed out the prepping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are waitpool kids allowed to go to the open house on 4/4? That would probably help in deciding whether to stay on the list or decline it. It doesn't say anything about it in the waitlist letter.

Nope. Not invited. It would be hard for your kid to be there and not know anyway when everyone else is celebrating. Also they won’t release WL Place. — parent of the WL junior.

But TJ is a real, functioning school apart from the hype. You can take your kid to any sporting event, any band or strings or full orchestra concert, the drama department’s One Axe plays in May/ June. They hosted the MS science fair last weekend. There are several open to the public things a week going on. And the kids are very friendly and very approachable. I would find something my kid is interested in, take my kid, and ask any student there if your kid can ask them some questions. They will be genuinely glad too.