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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]TJ mom here: There seem to be at least two different types of TJ students. There are those who go to TJ and take more or less  the same classes at other FCPS students, although they are much harder classes. All core classes at TJ are weighted honors. And there are those who are extreme TJ students who are very ambitious and have been taking extra classes every summer and at colleges as well. That is the top 1-5% at TJ -- they do exist. They have cleared out their schedules to take the hard AP course in sophomore year and beyond. Most only take 1 or 2 AP in sophomore year.[/quote]

Another TJ mom here. I've been through the whole college application cycle a few times now and I would just add to this that it is important for kids to be doing [b]non[/b]-academic activities as well as a high level of academics. Top colleges are looking for kids who can do that high-level, rigorous course work while also being engaged in an outside activity such as sports, arts, music, theatre. Something that widens their view of the world while also showing that they can get the grades without spending every waking minute on academic work. Colleges like kids who get completely away from the classroom during the summers and do something that develops a different set of skills. There are many lessons high school kids need to be learning and they cannot all be learned in a classroom.

The kids who have kept their heads in the books sometimes end up disappointed because they did not get accepted to the top college of their choice even with lots of APs, post-APS, high test scores, and tippy-top grades. They've missed out on a lot of possible learning experiences while in high school and cannot understand why their top grades and scores aren't enough to get them accepted at a top school. It is sad to see disappointment at a time when kids should be happy and excited about their next step in life. There are lots of roads to Rome, and one isn't necessarily better than another.

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