Anonymous
06/23/2018 12:45
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:NP here- what does it matter if a vast majority end up at UVA/William and Mary etc. - great schools but frankly, nothing to drive yourself TJ for.
My TJ grad at W&M would disagree. She was much better prepared for college than the kids from her base school - in fact, she's found college pretty easy.
And as been said over and over and over again on this board, don't send your kid to TJ just so they can get into a "top" college. The value of the school for bright, motivated kids is so much more than that.
My IB diploma grad says the same thing about Tufts. Her freshman year was significantly easier than high school, and her roommate and several friends were struggling. TJ is not the only way to a rigorous high school education that prepares students well for the rigors of college. It can be created at any school.
Actually, no. The kids from her base HS struggled at W&M freshman year, even though most of them had schedules filled with AP classes since sophomore year. IB schools are more rigorous, though, than the typical AP-focused HS.
Anonymous
06/23/2018 09:28
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:NP here- what does it matter if a vast majority end up at UVA/William and Mary etc. - great schools but frankly, nothing to drive yourself TJ for.
My TJ grad at W&M would disagree. She was much better prepared for college than the kids from her base school - in fact, she's found college pretty easy.
And as been said over and over and over again on this board, don't send your kid to TJ just so they can get into a "top" college. The value of the school for bright, motivated kids is so much more than that.
Don't worry bitter TJ posters it's only a matter of time before TJ goes away. See what's happening in New York City with getting rid of the top test-in schools
Also progressives don't want tracking anymore either
I'm serious within 10 years TJ will cease to exist as it currently is
Well, maybe.
Anonymous
06/23/2018 09:25
Subject: TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Here is the thing about the Class of 2018. They had all the amazing stats, the SAT scores, the grades, the Science Olympiad national championships and the Intel winners. All the whiz bang stuff. But they were also nice people. Kind, accepting, caring people. People always say that TJ is not the beautiful new building or the whiz bang labs. And after watching the kids in action. It was a hard year for my kid. It took a lot out of all of us. But, a large part of the reason I want him to stay is that there probably isn’t a finer peer group in any high school anywhere.
whiz bang?
Anonymous
06/23/2018 09:21
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
The person who enlisted is going to outshine everyone else.
Anonymous
06/23/2018 09:12
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
More folks going to, say, Pitt than to William and Mary is interesting. These numbers should be extremely concerning for William and Mary. The school has been eclipsed by UVA and, now, VT.
Anonymous
06/23/2018 09:11
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:I think the justification for 8th period is that the school draws from a vast geographic area, so that many/most kids would have no option to get home after the buses leave. That's not true for most base schools. People may not like the justification, but I think its reasonable.
It's not reasonable that that option is only provided to TJ students. If the idea was to be equitable, you could also have a designated club day at TJ and late bussing on that day. Most FCPS high schools draw from a radius of six to seven miles, so most kids whose parents work are left with no option to get home either on the days school buses aren't available. That's why few or no clubs meet during those days, and to the extent they do, they're often sparsely attended. It's difficult to get a team of anything going if only four kids show up.
The disparity is made worse by the fact that virtually all TJ families are affluent (3% FRM and a huge number of families that carpool so their kids won't have to ride the bus anyway).
Anonymous
06/23/2018 09:05
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Is it really worth it to drag your bright child through TJ even if they are extremely bright and focused? They end up competing against each other for schools so only the ones that discover some new technology or launch a rocket are first round at top universities (Ivy league). The majority could have gotten in to UVA, William and Mary etc, without going through the TJ grueling schedule. Future employers are focused on colleges- high schools are not that relevant and a few years out of college you should never list a high school.
I know someone who is late 30s and works her attendance at TJ into almost every conversation. She went to UVA. I went to UVA from a decidedly non-TJ hs.
Anonymous
06/23/2018 08:49
Subject: TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:There is no middle of the day planning block at TJ
because they have 8th period
Anonymous
06/22/2018 19:05
Subject: TJ class of 2018 college list
There is no middle of the day planning block at TJ
Anonymous
06/21/2018 11:01
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:NP here- what does it matter if a vast majority end up at UVA/William and Mary etc. - great schools but frankly, nothing to drive yourself TJ for.
My TJ grad at W&M would disagree. She was much better prepared for college than the kids from her base school - in fact, she's found college pretty easy.
And as been said over and over and over again on this board, don't send your kid to TJ just so they can get into a "top" college. The value of the school for bright, motivated kids is so much more than that.
My IB diploma grad says the same thing about Tufts. Her freshman year was significantly easier than high school, and her roommate and several friends were struggling. TJ is not the only way to a rigorous high school education that prepares students well for the rigors of college. It can be created at any school.
Anonymous
06/21/2018 10:58
Subject: TJ class of 2018 college list
At our FCPS HS clubs meet during the 45 minute planning block in the middle of the day.
Anonymous
06/20/2018 12:08
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
I think the justification for 8th period is that the school draws from a vast geographic area, so that many/most kids would have no option to get home after the buses leave. That's not true for most base schools. People may not like the justification, but I think its reasonable.
Anonymous
06/19/2018 19:32
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is it really worth it to drag your bright child through TJ even if they are extremely bright and focused? They end up competing against each other for schools so only the ones that discover some new technology or launch a rocket are first round at top universities (Ivy league). The majority could have gotten in to UVA, William and Mary etc, without going through the TJ grueling schedule. Future employers are focused on colleges- high schools are not that relevant and a few years out of college you should never list a high school.
Check the article cited upthread. TJ grads have the highest average GPA of grads of any school in the country that has at least 10 students at UVA at a given time, year after year after year. An amazing education means that once you go to UVA, you are at the very top of your class. And most TJ grads agree they do it without working very hard. More than college, future employers are focused on grad schools.
Plus, TJ may have the best peer group of smart, kind, hard working motivated kids any school in the country. They play sports at a higher level than any high school their size, have a top rated marching band, put on amazing drama productions (the female lead of the spring musical just won the best female vocalist CAPPIE), sent more kids to all state band and orchestra than any other high school, win national writing and art awards, and, of course, sweep state and national academic awards. All while being nice, down to Earth kids who are not drinking and not doing drugs.
You send you ur kid for the education and peer group. But the college admissions are pretty damn impressive too.
NP
What "national academic awards " did TJ sweep?
"They play sports at a higher level than any high school of their size", what? You're so full of it.
TJ just won the NSC National Quizbowl Tournament several days ago and they are one of the top ranked MUN delegation in the country.
In addition to this:
The math team just won first place in the nation in the ARML, and won first place at the CMU national tournament earlier this year, and 2nd place at PUMC at Princeton, 1st place at Duke
The Chess team won the national championships this year
TJ Student was the National champ in the US History Bee. Another student was 4th
TJ Debate won VHSL states and placed 3 teams in the top 35 nationally
TJ Latin teams placed 2nd and third at the Yale Certamen
TJ had the national high school journalist of the year
3 TJ students were among the 40 Regeneon finalists this year
4 TJ students were Siemens regional finalists, and a TJ student was 2nd overall in the Siemens competition
TJ has 4 of the 20 students invited to compete in the US Biology Olympiad finals
The History Quiz Bowl team were national champions
A TJ student is a finalist for the US physics Olympiad team
2 TJ students were finalists in the US computing Olympiad
The Science Olympiad Team won the VA tournament and went on to win several categories at the national Science Olympiad, including cyber security
TJ had 2 Presidemtial Scholars
TJ Had well over 100 NMSFs
And numerous other academic awards
THIS YEAR
Also, TJ Cubesat is getting ready to deliver its second CubeSat to Houston to be launched into space later this year (not exactly an award, but very cool).
Not to mention sending more kids to all state band and orchestra, and senior regional orchestra than any other high school.
And all of the marching band awards
Well of course they do really well. Many TJ kids are among the strongest students in the pyramids they were drawn from. Some of them are extraordinary students. You concentrate them all in one place and drain the pools they were drawn from and they're bound to do much better on average than most other excellent schools, and certainly much better than the other high schools in the district. However, although they place close to the top in most cases, I'm not sure you can call their performance a "sweep."
Look at SO for instance: https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/National_Tournament_Winners
There are lots of schools that aren't even magnets that consistently do much better than TJ at a lot of competitions. Mira Loma is one example.
It's not a function of some TJ secret sauce, but simply the fact that it's a very strong pool of students.
As far as the satellite is concerned, yeah, it would be nice if all schools had this level of resources for kids who are interested. But FCPS base schools can't even get late bussing for more than one day a week, so many clubs are forced to try to meet on that day (which, in contrast with TJ's 8th period, has always struck me as the grossest and most unjustifiable inequity between TJ and the rest).
Anonymous
06/18/2018 17:35
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:NP here- what does it matter if a vast majority end up at UVA/William and Mary etc. - great schools but frankly, nothing to drive yourself TJ for.
My TJ grad at W&M would disagree. She was much better prepared for college than the kids from her base school - in fact, she's found college pretty easy.
And as been said over and over and over again on this board, don't send your kid to TJ just so they can get into a "top" college. The value of the school for bright, motivated kids is so much more than that.
Don't worry bitter TJ posters it's only a matter of time before TJ goes away. See what's happening in New York City with getting rid of the top test-in schools
Also progressives don't want tracking anymore either
I'm serious within 10 years TJ will cease to exist as it currently is
That will be a good thing for the county.
On the sports front, I think Madison, Oakton and Woodson likely have earned more state sports championships than TJ. Being good at tennis and swim/dive in a weak division only get you so far.
So what
TJ isn't a sports school. What is the point of all those sports trophies anyway. American kids play way too much sports and way too little of STEM, that is why there is a shortage of engineering graduates that needs to be imported from elsewhere.
Anonymous
06/18/2018 12:17
Subject: Re:TJ class of 2018 college list
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:NP here- what does it matter if a vast majority end up at UVA/William and Mary etc. - great schools but frankly, nothing to drive yourself TJ for.
My TJ grad at W&M would disagree. She was much better prepared for college than the kids from her base school - in fact, she's found college pretty easy.
And as been said over and over and over again on this board, don't send your kid to TJ just so they can get into a "top" college. The value of the school for bright, motivated kids is so much more than that.
Don't worry bitter TJ posters it's only a matter of time before TJ goes away. See what's happening in New York City with getting rid of the top test-in schools
Also progressives don't want tracking anymore either
I'm serious within 10 years TJ will cease to exist as it currently is
That will be a good thing for the county.
On the sports front, I think Madison, Oakton and Woodson likely have earned more state sports championships than TJ. Being good at tennis and swim/dive in a weak division only get you so far.