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[quote=Anonymous]
Here is a kid who asked a question, about should he go into TJ as sophomore as he was not selected as finalist, even though his test score was in the 98th percentile in TJ test.

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Read this complete thread, will be an eye-opener..

&quot;Staying at my base school (and not applying to TJ) was the best possible decision for me. &quot;
&quot;I applied to six schools and got into four of them: Harvard, Yale, Duke, and UVA. I was waitlisted by Stanford and Princeton. I just finished up my first semester at Harvard, and it was a blast! &quot;

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1098600-tough-choice-thomas-jefferson-high-school.html

----- Question --  03-06-2011 at 4:44 pm----

Last year, I applied to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. I did exceptionally well on the test and had an all-around great application. However, after making it past semi-finalist round, I was rejected.

This year, I have the chance to apply again. However, I'm not sure if I want to, seeing as I'd be a year behind the curve. Also, it seems to me that applying would basically signify a commitment to attend, since so few people apply as freshmen. Here's my reasoning:

If I stay: I go to a marginally competitive high school that sends a few to top colleges every year. I'm fairly (very) certain that I'm currently freshmen valedictorian. So far, I've taken the most advanced courses possible and received a straight A plus average for my semester grades. The classes offered at my high school are pretty advanced (our math goes to AP Calc BC, AP in all three sciences and both english classes, APUSH, AP Comp Sci, APWorld, etc). I plan to take the most difficult classes all four years, including all AP sciences and some college math courses (linear algebra, multi-var calculus). Also, I'm class president.

If I apply and I'm accepted: I'd attend TJHSST, the best high school in the United States (according to US News). There, I'd be challenged and pushed to my academic limits. Also, I'd probably start out behind most of my classmates, since they'd already have a year of the rigorous course load under their belts.

I really want to attend a top college like Harvard, Stanford, or MIT. Statistically, most of the Thomas Jefferson class is accepted into UVA and William and Mary, with maybe 10-25 percent go to top colleges like HYPSM. Although the chance of me getting accepted by a good college is higher at TJ, I fear that the probability of my acceptance into a top college will be slimmer, due to the intense competition.

My current high school offers great classes and opportunities to challenge myself. Also, I will most likely place within the top 5 spots of my class if I stay. I feel that if I remain at my current high school, I'll have the ability to stand out among my peers. This may be the determinant of my acceptance to a college like Harvard.

So, to simplify my dilemma, if I go to TJ, I might be at a disadvantage due to the large number of qualified peers applying to the same colleges that I do. If I stay, I will have a worse high school education but might have the ability to stand out and look like a star applicant.

What should I do? All help/suggestions are appreciated. I'm really undecided as to whether or not I should apply. And if I do end up applying, I don't know if I should attend or not.

PS. I didn't even mention the standard problems with transferring. Take the loss of friends, 1.5 hour + driving time, etc. into account. Also, don't respond with 'it's really tough to get in, don't count your chickens' and comments like that. I'm well aware that, should I apply, it'd be very difficult to get accepted. I'm only looking for advice concerning the school that would aid me in getting accepted to a school of ivy league caliber.

&gt;&gt;
My test score was in the 98th percentile for applicants. Which puts me within the top 200 of the applicant pool (probably slimmer). Since TJ admits approximately 480 students a year, I was well within the score threshold. Many of my peers, friends, and teachers were absolutely shocked that I didn't get in. However, I think I know why. Apparently, TJ has a quota where they can only accept one student from the middle school I attended. They accepted my friend, which means I wasn't able to be admitted. I had better stats in every single category than my friend. However, he went to the National Spelling Bee (edged me out in the school bee), and I think TJ valued that achievement pretty highly. So naturally, when I received the thin envelope, I was devastated.

----- Answer - AFTER 3 YEARS- 02-19-2014 --

I haven't updated in a while, so I suppose I should. Staying at my base school (and not applying to TJ) was the best possible decision for me. I thank everyone in this thread who ultimately helped me figure out where I needed to be.

In terms of academic achievement, I was able to do basically everything I wanted without having to endure hours of commute each day. When there weren't AMCs or Chem Olympiad tests offered, I got them sponsored. When there wasn't a strong quizbowl team at my school, I laid the groundwork for one. When there wasn't an available local opportunity for science research, I spent my summer away researching at Michigan State. It really is true that you make of your high school education what you put into it. For what it's worth, I scored a 2400 on the SAT and will graduate as class valedictorian later this year.

A few months ago, I was admitted to Harvard early. Last month, I got a likely letter from Yale. I'm also a finalist for the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA (something that probably wouldn't have happened amidst the intense competition at TJ). My college prospects thus have turned out even better than I'd ever hoped (and I'm still waiting on a few more schools!).

Perhaps most importantly, I feel like I really discovered myself at my local high school. I forged some amazing friendships, honed my political and religious beliefs, and discovered a passion for independent and live music (I go to shows as regularly as I can!), among other things. Best of all, my friends are all within short driving distance--a clear advantage to staying at my base school.

I hope this thread serves as a resource for future students in my position. It truly was a &quot;tough choice,&quot; but I think I made the right one.

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