Longfellow SO Golden Ticket to TJ - is this true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

The program is that you study science all year long and are not allowed to do any other club. Not for everyone even if you love science.

That's probably why they do so much better. Makes sense. The other schools meet once or twice a week for a couple of months.

Iff try doesn’t make sense at all. These are kids, and they need to explore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

The program is that you study science all year long and are not allowed to do any other club. Not for everyone even if you love science.

That's probably why they do so much better. Makes sense. The other schools meet once or twice a week for a couple of months.

Iff try doesn’t make sense at all. These are kids, and they need to explore.

Do not trust an internet resource. Check it out for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not a golden ticket, just a correlation. we are proud of all the kids - but also note that TJ only placed 21st...

ONLY 21st at Nationals. Come on now. Division C is FAR more competitive than Division B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow really has a SO team that is much different than any other middle school in FCPS. It's just a different caliber. They spent years putting that program together and kudos to them. They came in 5th in Nationals this year and regularly qualify. The other schools have programs but they aren't as robust.

The program is that you study science all year long and are not allowed to do any other club. Not for everyone even if you love science.

That's probably why they do so much better. Makes sense. The other schools meet once or twice a week for a couple of months.

Iff try doesn’t make sense at all. These are kids, and they need to explore.

Do not trust an internet resource. Check it out for yourself.

It’s true though. That’s how it is. And it’s wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not a golden ticket, just a correlation. we are proud of all the kids - but also note that TJ only placed 21st...

ONLY 21st at Nationals. Come on now. Division C is FAR more competitive than Division B.

oh gosh this was not actually a TJ sucks now comment. the kids do not seem to all continue with SO afterwards and don't do as well. probably because there are more interesting, less time-intensive things to do. it's too much time. I encouraged participation this year, devoted quite a bit of time myself (it's required), and I do think there are other activities that my child would enjoy even more with less time commitment.

part of this is due to the nature of SO - it's entirely a team activity and unlike how some other activities put up a team for nationals that's assembled from other teams, SO doesn't work like this. so the entire team has to be amazing in order to place. and the number of events and restrictions on the number of students means that it's very intensive studying/building.

[Anonymous]

Regardless of the division, has a Virginia school ever had a higher SO finish than Longfellow coming in 5th nationally in its division this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not a golden ticket, just a correlation. we are proud of all the kids - but also note that TJ only placed 21st...

ONLY 21st at Nationals. Come on now. Division C is FAR more competitive than Division B.

oh gosh this was not actually a TJ sucks now comment. the kids do not seem to all continue with SO afterwards and don't do as well. probably because there are more interesting, less time-intensive things to do. it's too much time. I encouraged participation this year, devoted quite a bit of time myself (it's required), and I do think there are other activities that my child would enjoy even more with less time commitment.

part of this is due to the nature of SO - it's entirely a team activity and unlike how some other activities put up a team for nationals that's assembled from other teams, SO doesn't work like this. so the entire team has to be amazing in order to place. and the number of events and restrictions on the number of students means that it's very intensive studying/building.

Thanks for clarifying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of the division, has a Virginia school ever had a higher SO finish than Longfellow coming in 5th nationally in its division this year?

No, this is the best showing. Maybe 1/2 will go to McLean and 1/2 to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not a golden ticket, just a correlation. we are proud of all the kids - but also note that TJ only placed 21st...

ONLY 21st at Nationals. Come on now. Division C is FAR more competitive than Division B.

oh gosh this was not actually a TJ sucks now comment. the kids do not seem to all continue with SO afterwards and don't do as well. probably because there are more interesting, less time-intensive things to do. it's too much time. I encouraged participation this year, devoted quite a bit of time myself (it's required), and I do think there are other activities that my child would enjoy even more with less time commitment.

part of this is due to the nature of SO - it's entirely a team activity and unlike how some other activities put up a team for nationals that's assembled from other teams, SO doesn't work like this. so the entire team has to be amazing in order to place. and the number of events and restrictions on the number of students means that it's very intensive studying/building.

+1 on the last paragraph. DC did SO in MS and at TJ, and noted that the TJ leadership was always very careful to stress that SO was a) a team activity and b) a lot of work across the board. My impression is that Longfellow SO is even more intense than TJ, so I expect everything to be turned up to 11 over there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of the division, has a Virginia school ever had a higher SO finish than Longfellow coming in 5th nationally in its division this year?

No, this is the best showing. Maybe 1/2 will go to McLean and 1/2 to TJ.

Why maybe? The admissions decisions are made already. What is the original answer to this post's question? Is it a golden ticket to TJ or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of the division, has a Virginia school ever had a higher SO finish than Longfellow coming in 5th nationally in its division this year?

No, this is the best showing. Maybe 1/2 will go to McLean and 1/2 to TJ.

Why maybe? The admissions decisions are made already. What is the original answer to this post's question? Is it a golden ticket to TJ or not?

Of course it is, but some will try to cover this up because they don't want others to find out and make it even more competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of the division, has a Virginia school ever had a higher SO finish than Longfellow coming in 5th nationally in its division this year?

No, this is the best showing. Maybe 1/2 will go to McLean and 1/2 to TJ.

Why maybe? The admissions decisions are made already. What is the original answer to this post's question? Is it a golden ticket to TJ or not?

Of course it is, but some will try to cover this up because they don't want others to find out and make it even more competitive.

It seems to be for the girls. The boys don’t seem to have an advantage. The grapevine tells that only two SO boys made it this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of the division, has a Virginia school ever had a higher SO finish than Longfellow coming in 5th nationally in its division this year?

No, this is the best showing. Maybe 1/2 will go to McLean and 1/2 to TJ.

Why maybe? The admissions decisions are made already. What is the original answer to this post's question? Is it a golden ticket to TJ or not?

Of course it is, but some will try to cover this up because they don't want others to find out and make it even more competitive.

It seems to be for the girls. The boys don’t seem to have an advantage. The grapevine tells that only two SO boys made it this year.

THe problem is people don't know the whole story and guess. Not everyone wants to go to TJ.

[Anonymous]

It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not true.

-- LMS SO parent

....what is not true?