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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Why do you think they are less qualified? FCPS thinks they are more qualified.[/quote]
FCPS doesn't think they are more qualified or less qualified.  The only thing that FCPS cared about is that the demographics of TJ looked problematic.  So, they took steps to change the demographics.  The sticky part of that it that it's illegal to make the changes specifically for the purpose of reducing Asians and increasing the representation from other races.  But, since there were so very few URMs and/or poor kids getting admitted, one could make the argument that the entire process, including the K-8 pipeline, was both racist and classist.  [/quote]

Do *you* think the demographics at TJ were an issue before? 
[/quote]

DP. The demographics of the school itself are one thing. For me the far greater problem was the demographics of the applicant pool, which has had the largest historical impact on the demographics of the school. It's something of a chicken-and-egg problem, to be sure, but interest in TJ from non-Asian demographics plummeted in the time period between 2010-2020, and that's set against the backdrop of an exploding population base in the catchment areas.

In the year 2000 there were about 3,000 applicants for 400 seats. In 2020 there were about 2,500 applicants for 480 seats. Whatever it was that was making TJ less attractive and interesting to a broad portion of the population, whether it's the evolving racial demographic, transportation problems, a view that the school has become too STEM-oriented at the expense of a complete education, lack of non-STEM extracurricular options, an amount of workload that goes above and beyond what the rigor of the school demands, a feeling that enormous investments of time and money were required in order to keep up with the prep element, the $100 application fee or the two three-hour Saturdays previously needed for testing..... it needed a solution.

Based on the way the applicant numbers exploded for the Class of 2025, with significant increases among ALL demos and with an average applicant GPA remaining higher than 3.9, I would submit that the new admissions process has been successful in making the school more attractive for a broader coalition of applicants. In the long run, this should result in positive outcomes down the pipeline as students begin to see TJ as a goal that is worth striving for, and as they say, "a rising tide lifts all boats".

I will say two things - 1) they need to bring teacher recs back and 2) I feel for the families who invested so much in the previous application process only to have the rules changed on them at the last minute, but it was clear to dispassionate observers that something needed to be done and COVID provided a reality in which mandatory mass in-person testing simply wasn't feasible anyway.
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