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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The problem I have with TJ is that it was created to be a STEM focused HS, not just a really competitive HS with extremely challenging curriculum.  Instead, it was supposed to be a place where the science and/or math focused kids could learn the math in more detail with more in-depth resources.

What killed TJ was they did a bad job on admissions:  they went for the best scores rather than the kids that would most benefit from the school.

As a result, TJ has no impact on colleges unless you re in the top 10-20%.  Because being in the top 10-20% from TJ is special.  It is much harder to stand out at TJ than any other school, and that will be noted.  For those kids, they are much more likely to get into elite schools that the top 3% at a regular school[/quote]
Untrue.  The opposite is true.[/quote]

The opposite of what is true?  Paragraph one,  two or three?

If you are saying paragraph 1 is untrue, were you here in the early 80's?  I was.  I was a HS student who spoke for the need for a place where the science and math kids could excel without being bullied for being smart.  I was there when TJ was approved.  I did not go there because I graduated before it opened.  Oh, and today, I am a PhD physicist.  I should also mention that today, I could not be admitted to TJ.

Paragraph 2: the focus should be on STEM originality.  What has made this a broken system is some people spend literally years creating a resume for TJ starting with Science Olympiad in ES -- not because of interest, but because of the resume.

As for paragraph 3:  the beyond the top 20%, you are looking at a lot of kids at UVA and VT.

At a good base school (Madison, for example), about 50 students are admitted per year to UVA and about 80 to VT.  
I suspect any graduate of TJ could be in the to 10% of most base schools, but there are kids from TJ rejected by UVA and VT.  Of course, the average student going to TJ is going to a better college than the average student at any base school, but TJ only admits the top 5% or so of the county.

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