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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]TJ/Longfellow student here. I think the workload at TJ is challenging, but doable. As stated before, the workload does get progressively harder. Freshman year is pretty straightforward. It eases you into the speed of things. I played a sport, and I was able to complete my homework and get to bed at a reasonable hour. If your child can manage their time well, then they can certainly handle the challenge. Junior year at TJ has a bad reputation for being very difficult, though the workload really won't be much different from the workload your child would receive taking several AP classes at their base school.
At Longfellow, I felt challenged, especially in math. I came from an elementary school with a small AAP program and was not prepared for Algebra 1. At times, I felt crushed by the workload from all my classes. But I persevered, and things turned out for the best. Right now, I'm definitely reaping the benefits of a strong middle school AAP program. Where some students are struggling in math, as you probably know, I am consistently getting A's. The math program at Longfellow taught me higher level concepts that are only now being covered in these courses. If math is the specific problem, then you should know that that is [b]okay. I know some people who flunked out of Algebra 1 in seventh grade at Longfellow who are now enjoying and succeeding at TJ.[/b]Though I feel like I'm better off at TJ than I would be at Langley, TJ is not for everybody. The workload can be stressful due to time restraints and the environment is very competitive. I have some friends who left TJ and returned to their base high schools. I've also heard that students who do not have a genuine interest in STEM usually burn out by junior year. (On a random side note, the language department at TJ has a reputation for being very challenging. That can be an extra stressor, if your child is not gifted with languages). Honestly, it all comes down to your child. They should be the ones to decide if TJ's right for them. Many students who are bad fits are pushed by their parents and peers to accept the offer and ultimately end up having a miserable time. [/quote]

I have a hard time believing this. -- you know people who "flunked out of Algebra I in 7th grade" and still got into TJ?? I just have a very hard time believing the admissions people at TJ would accept someone who flunked algebra I. Then they wouldn't take Geometry the next year.   Hard to believe.

[/quote]

Sorry, that was bad wording on my part. I meant that I know some people (at TJ) who either dropped out of Algebra 1 after first quarter and switched to Math 7 Honors, or repeated Algebra 1 in 8th grade. In these cases, they chose to omit the grades from their transcripts. I even know some students who received mediocre grades in Algebra 1 and moved on to Geometry in 8th grade who still were admitted to TJ. Since grades count for only 15% of the final admission (and that includes science grades), these students were able to make up for their grades in other portions of the admissions, like the essays and SIS.
I can't vouch for anything the admissions process does. Yes, I do know some people who had very bad grades and show little interest in STEM who were admitted, and some excellent students with a strong interest in STEM who were rejected. As you probably know, FCPS is changing this admissions process this year in order to fix some of these problems. [/quote]

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