OP, any update?

Anonymous wrote:Back in 2008, I had a freshman and a sophomore at TJ.  The freshman really struggled at TJ and transferred back to Langley HS after his freshman year while the older child didn't have any issues at TJ.  Fast forward to 2023, both of my children are working for a startup and the younger kid is leading a group of twenty software developers and my older child has to report to his younger brother.  In other words, the younger child is the boss and his older brother is another workabee.  The point of the story is that ten years from now, it doesn't matter whether it is TJ or Langley.  

what did each major in and at what college?

Back in 2008, I had a freshman and a sophomore at TJ.  The freshman really struggled at TJ and transferred back to Langley HS after his freshman year while the older child didn't have any issues at TJ.  Fast forward to 2023, both of my children are working for a startup and the younger kid is leading a group of twenty software developers and my older child has to report to his younger brother.  In other words, the younger child is the boss and his older brother is another workabee.  The point of the story is that ten years from now, it doesn't matter whether it is TJ or Langley.  

The whole point of TJ is to work your butt off to only get a B+ in a really tough class. This is exactly why all the best universities in the country recruit from TJ.

The education your kid is getting at TJ is miles above whatever your on-base HS will offer. There's really no comparison.

I’ve had multiple kids at TJ. I think you are jumping the gun to leave because he has a B after the first month of Chem. Only Two B+ Freshmen year is fine work at TJ. If he’s unhappy there, then he should go back to his base school. And if you are most worried about college (and so is he) then DEFINITELY go back to base school. Odds are, all kids will get better admissions results if they are not competing with fellow TJ students. Except for those top 50 kids or so. TJ is really not the smart move for maximizing college admissions. Amazing education though!

yes math ( that too intro level - nothing advanced) and latin

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore at TJ and we are encouraging him to move back to base school. His grades in Freshman year were ok ( 2 B+'s and rest A's) but this year he is struggling. e.g. He is getting a B in Chemistry even after spending quite a bit of time on it ( and he tells me many of his classmates are doing worse than him)

Maybe TJ is not for him? So we were thinking of moving back to base school while his grades ( and confidence) are good.

Any advice from parents who might have been in this situation? How will this look on the college applications?

TIA!

Are the two Bs in Math, Biology or language ?

What does he want to do? If he’s not unhappy he might want to stay, get a tutor and keep going. Going back to the base could be challenging socially but it depends on the kid. Also, no guarantee the base is a piece of cake. I’m assuming he’d want to take honors at the base. Honors Chem isn’t necessarily going to be easy at the base school and you never know about the teacher.

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore at TJ and we are encouraging him to move back to base school. His grades in Freshman year were ok ( 2 B+'s and rest A's) but this year he is struggling. e.g. He is getting a B in Chemistry even after spending quite a bit of time on it ( and he tells me many of his classmates are doing worse than him)

Maybe TJ is not for him? So we were thinking of moving back to base school while his grades ( and confidence) are good.

Any advice from parents who might have been in this situation? How will this look on the college applications?

TIA!

HS has just been in session for less than a month, how can you know for sure? I mean in the end his mental health matters more, but this still leaves me confused.

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore at TJ and we are encouraging him to move back to base school. His grades in Freshman year were ok ( 2 B+'s and rest A's) but this year he is struggling. e.g. He is getting a B in Chemistry even after spending quite a bit of time on it ( and he tells me many of his classmates are doing worse than him)

Maybe TJ is not for him? So we were thinking of moving back to base school while his grades ( and confidence) are good.

Any advice from parents who might have been in this situation? How will this look on the college applications?

TIA!

My kid went from a non-feeder MS to TJ and struggled the first year and part of second year. He got a B- in 9th grade, was advised to drop down a level for math but refused to accept that, consistently scored in the lower end of his grade range in most subjects (e.g. His A's were mostly 92%-94%) and learned to offset bad test performance by doing homework in advance and asking for extra credit work. Turned things around in the second half of 10th grade and is now studying CS at a T20 and doing very well. Focus on your DS. If he thinks he can fight through this and stay at TJ, let him. If he wants to drop down to base, let him. College outcomes will likely be better if he drops to base but performance at college will be much better if he perseveres at TJ.

I think working your butt off for a B is a formative, key experience for a smart kid. If he's miserable, mentally unhealthy, not making friends, not learning, yes, move him. But if the issue is that he works hard and gets a B, leave him! That's great. And I bet he's learning a ton.

OP here. Yes we are less concerned about college application and more about the overall well being, which is why we are encouraging him to consider this as an option.

DC was concerned about impact on college applications etc..so wanted some insights. Overall I think there should be limited impact.. colleges look at course rigor and grades.. and they would be roughly the same, I think?

The question isn’t how will this impact his college admissions, it’s where will he get the better education now. Because that will serve him better in the long run.

It’s totally fine! If he doesn’t like it or it’s not a good fit, go back to base and be happy. It’s not about college admissions.

DS is a sophomore at TJ and we are encouraging him to move back to base school. His grades in Freshman year were ok ( 2 B+'s and rest A's) but this year he is struggling. e.g. He is getting a B in Chemistry even after spending quite a bit of time on it ( and he tells me many of his classmates are doing worse than him)

Maybe TJ is not for him? So we were thinking of moving back to base school while his grades ( and confidence) are good.

Any advice from parents who might have been in this situation? How will this look on the college applications?

TIA!