Across the board, TJ kids blow college out of the water, and say it is so much easier than high school was.
Bit the piece I find interesting is the PP who says that the fact *only* 1;3 of the class goes to T15 engineering schools is unimpressive. WTF? Engineering is only one of the letters in STEM. So you really think every kid at TJ is gunning for engineering? They aren’t. Interesting fact: most years TJ has more students accepted to MIT than any other HS in the world. |
How would you know this since your kid is not in TJ ![]() |
Dr. Glazer gave presentations on this to TJ PTSA before he left. Most TJ students who attend UVA and W&M end up graduating with honors. Those I have known who went to UVA and W&M found the curriculum, particularly for the first 2 years, to be very easy. As a TJ parent, I personally believe that is because of the rigorous nature of the TJ classes. Nearly every class is taught at a college level starting in 9th grade. TJ also requires that all research be done with collegiate academic standards (which is why all 9th graders learn Research Statistics in the first semester and have to apply statistical principles to all their research) and the IBET groups learn how to search, interpret, and cite professional scientific databases (the same ones that universities use) for all their papers. It's also explains why many freshmen have an adjustment period coming into TJ, with lower grades than the likely straight As from middle school. By the time they graduate, they are extremely well prepared for college (in fact, some think overprepared ... another point that can be debated). |
No, it’s absolutely not sour grapes. I don’t have kids who are even in high school yet. I just worry about the stress levels of kids at TJ. So I ask...is it worth it? I felt very prepared for college and I didn’t go to TJ. |
I posted earlier ... my kid loves the experience so far for the courses offered and the peers. Kid is not stressed out yet. We do not have grand dreams of elite colleges. |
There is no doubt TJ kids work very hard and many are stressed out. But college is NOT a race! The point is to have time to think about, reflect on, discuss, debate, have time to understand deeply. The HS model of hyperacceleration that is TJ is not necessarily the best prep for college for most students, and TJ parents should think about it is best for their children. TJ students often find college easy, but that is because college proceeds at a sensible, thoughtful pace. I'm sure the students would have been fully prepared for college had they attended their base school. |
2/3 of TJ grads do not go into engineering. TJ grads go into medicine, CS, finance and other fields some non-STEM. How many 13-14 yr olds know what they want to study in college? Yes, most of the kids entering TJ have STEM interests but many change by the time they get to college. My D was one of them and is studying public policy and economics in college. |
Success in life for many doesn't mean following the easiest path. My kid decided on her own she wanted to go to TJ and she applied and got in. We told her that she'd have to work much harder than if she went to her base school Oakton but she wasn't phased. She has enjoyed the challenge and the hard work and the friendships she's made with classmates. She may end up "only going" to UVA but she never doubts she made the right choice choosing TJ. My other child chose to stay at Oakton and for her that was the right choice. |
PP. Not all kids deal with stress the same way. May be some kids stress too much, and I can only speak for my DS. He had his share of struggles adjusting but he loves the school and is having the best time of his school life. The work is hard, they call it grind and shaft, but they also say it good. May be it is because he talks to many upperclassmen he know through sports. I just don't know, and it may work out well for college. |
If you review threads on AAP, you will find the same concerns about stress on 3rd graders. But kids adapt. I'm yet to come across a kid having panic attacks because they were in AAP and should not have been. Same goes with TJ. It's a big jump from 8th grade to TJ. Kids struggle in 9th grade but soon adapt. In some countries, kids do real work in the morning before and evening after school. Yet they manage. It's called adaptation to the environment. Parents should however watch for signs of real stress (anxiety, panic attacks, etc) and inappropriate coping mechanisms (copying on tests, etc) and make sure those don't cause long-term issues. Other than that, I think most kids adapt and rise to the occasion. |
I think if the kid enjoys it that’s all that matters. I just have heard so much about the TJ pressure and the time demands. It just doesn’t sound fun to me. But to each his own! |
I think you've heard most of those stories from DCUM. And many come from people who don't even have kids at TJ. There's a lot of TJ hate on this board, largely because of the demographics of the school. |
+ 1. True. If the demographics were more "WASPy" DCUM would be gushing all over about how great the school is and how accomplished those kids are! |
Anyone know how the Class of 2018 at TJ fared w/early admissions? |
No way to know that other than by random anecdote as noninformation has been posted yet. Some got in, some got deferred, some that got deferred are now in, no way to see any patterns yet. |