Reply to What are the chances of APS cutting TJHSST in the future?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]TJHSST totally revamped their admissions process three years ago. If you are serious about applying, read up on that controversy. It is still being litigated.

Last year, each APS middle schools got 4 spots. You just need a B+ average and Alg 1 Intensified to apply. Then you do an essay test in February. There is no advantage to the kids who are straight A students and taking Geometry in 8th grade. They also got rid of the math entry exam. Students who are FARMS eligible or ELL get an automatic point bump in the admissions criteria-- that was definitely a factor in who got the spots from our kid's middle school.

It is much, much harder to get into TJ from APS. We get the 4 "allocated" spots per middle school, and that's it. In contrast, the Fairfax middle schools each get their 1.5% allocated seats filled, and then all the remaining kids go into a single pool to compete for additional "unallocated" seats. APS students aren't eligible to compete for the unallocated seats, because we only get our 25 students total (or whatever cap APS pays for). In contrast, Longfellow MS alone had 30 students enter this fall.

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Mostly accurate, but GPA is a factor. In other words, a higher GPA helps in the scoring system. [/quote]

I'm the PP, and I am not sure that is true. The counselor at our school said they just certify that the student has a B+ average and meets the Alg 1 requirement. She said APS did not submit transcripts.

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I’m the poster you’re responding to. My memory on this is a bit fuzzy, but when we went through this process last year I recall GPA being a consideration that gets weighed such that a higher GPA helps—but I could very well be wrong. I know they do have to calculate the GPA using Fairfax standards (so Loudoun’s bump for an A+ doesn’t help), and the minimum is a 3.5. One wrinkle we didn’t have to deal with is that Honors classes are required if your school offers them. It wasn’t an issue last year because the only intensified classes were math classes, but I don’t know how they deal with that in light of Arlington’s expansion of middle school intensified classes. [/quote]

Last year, we were told by the counselor that FCPS and APS use different grading scales, so the APS GPA doesn't translate the same. (I think FCPS has A and A-.) The counselor told us that for the APS kids, they just fill out a form that certifies the kid has taken at least Alg 1 Intensified and has a B+ average in core subjects. So- at least last year- I think the APS kids were chosen almost entirely based on the essay test and the bonus points for experience factors (FARMS, ELL, & Sp Ed). I am glad that APS is offering intensified middle school classes now, because at least that will be another way for kids to differentiate themselves. Last year felt more like the HBW lottery than a merit-based application process.  [/quote]

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