Anonymous
04/14/2026 11:20
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:Should my low GPA TJ kid, rising junior, transfer to a school where they can stand out more? FCCPS. My worry is that their low gpa will considered worse if they go to a school with inflated gpa.
Honestly being a TJ Senior parent - low GPA at TJ is very subjective. Everybody will be happy when kid gets into TJ and thinks they end up at MIT / Harvard when the reality is completely different unless you are at the top 10% of TJ with GPA over 4.6. Most of TJ kids end up in regular schools not top 20.
At TJ because of its intense competition, GPA 4.35 is considered top 1/3rd of the class unfortunately from what school counselors said. What GPA are you referring to here?. Low GPA from TJ won't even get you into UVA or VT. If you change school, you will have to explain in the Common App additional information section why school change was made in Junior year to give admission officers context why the change was made.
Anonymous
04/14/2026 08:20
Subject: Re:Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:Kid will have a high, 1550+ SAT based on PSAT. The issue is not the intelligence.
How much do senior mid year grades matter for RD? There is a chance of a 4.5 mid year (but only with stellar grades.)
Look at Naviance, the list of schools that are safeties for TJ kid with mediocre to bad GPA but high SAT score includes VT, Pitt, GMU, Purdue, NJIT, Stevens institute of technology, Colorado school of mines, Texas A&M, the honors programs at a bunch of state flags... A bunch of places. But no ivy+. They see to many perfect transcripts to really bother with dinged up transcripts.
Without the gpa, all this advice is speculative
Anonymous
04/14/2026 07:07
Subject: Re:Should TJ student transfer?
Kid will have a high, 1550+ SAT based on PSAT. The issue is not the intelligence.
How much do senior mid year grades matter for RD? There is a chance of a 4.5 mid year (but only with stellar grades.)
How much do senior mid year grades matter for RD? There is a chance of a 4.5 mid year (but only with stellar grades.)
Anonymous
04/14/2026 07:01
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do not send your smart, well-rounded kid to TJ in the first place. With the same discipline and rigor they have at TJ, they will be a standout at the local high school.
It depends on how smart.
There are some kids that don't drown in the rigor, believe it or not.
Clearly there are top kids everywhere. But to wind up at a far lower ranked college than believed would happen OR to see doors closing to colleges when your kid is a HS sophomore like OPs has to be brought into the light more.
Also, cheating is rampant at TJ. That certainly helps with not drowning in the rigor.
Anonymous
04/14/2026 00:20
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
TJ is a unique place. If your kid is miserable, make a change. If they are ok, adjust classes and keep going. Choose classes carefully. Don’t do AP Physics or AP Chem with BC or higher math Junior year. It often doesn’t end well, even for kids who were fine in the early years. If there was a commitment that impacted grades, assess whether it brings joy and if not, consider dropping.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 22:00
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
OP - if ur kid is ok with it and is in a place where they are dreading every TJ HW and exam - do it.
But let this be the kids decision. They have to face other kids and tell them they are ‘dropping’ out of TJ. Dont make them force it.
In terms of how it will look for colleges - not bad at all.
People move all the time. Not a big deal.
Plus many schools use gpa as a first cut. so getting a high gpa in junior year will def help.
Good luck!
But let this be the kids decision. They have to face other kids and tell them they are ‘dropping’ out of TJ. Dont make them force it.
In terms of how it will look for colleges - not bad at all.
People move all the time. Not a big deal.
Plus many schools use gpa as a first cut. so getting a high gpa in junior year will def help.
Good luck!
Anonymous
04/13/2026 18:28
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
If your child is enjoying TJ, have them stick it out. If they do better junior year, they can write about their initial struggles and how they overcame them. Also, have them get tutored for the SAT.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 16:17
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:Do not send your smart, well-rounded kid to TJ in the first place. With the same discipline and rigor they have at TJ, they will be a standout at the local high school.
It depends on how smart.
There are some kids that don't drown in the rigor, believe it or not.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 15:12
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If the goal is to make it to a top school, why would they do any good at one when their peers go to schools like TJ and they did exceptionally well?
I think you're overestimating the intelligence of the average student at a top school and underestimating the intelligence of the average TJ student.
Also, cheating is rampant at TJ.
I’d disagree. DS’s peers at a top school are IMO winners, top science prize recipients, and come from top magnet and private schools across America (HW, TAG, Payton, Gunn, PEA, etc). They all were near top of their class, if not valedictorian. A kid who couldn’t hack it at TJ, wouldn’t do well either at a top private university, because they just suck compared to their peers.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 14:58
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Do not send your smart, well-rounded kid to TJ in the first place. With the same discipline and rigor they have at TJ, they will be a standout at the local high school.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 14:06
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Should my low GPA TJ kid, rising junior, transfer to a school where they can stand out more? FCCPS. My worry is that their low gpa will considered worse if they go to a school with inflated gpa.
A top school is already out of the question.
If you wanted a chance at that you should have pulled your kid from TJ before the end of first semester freshman year or better yet turn down the acceptance so he has the confidence of having gotten into TJ without the cost of dealing with TJ rigor.
I know it would have been emotionally difficult, but FCPS lied to you and your kid. They didn't have the training that the other kids at TJ had.
Your decisions really depend on the GPA.
Look at Naviance for VT
If they have a weighted GPA above 4.3, its almost 99%+
If their weighted GPA is above a 4.0, they have a pretty good shot at VT 90%+; add a 1500 SAT score to that and your chances increase to 99%+
How low is the GPA? What is their projected SAT score (how did they do on the PSAT)?
If your GPA is sub 4.0 anbd projected SAT is sub 1500, then
JMU will take almost any TJ student above a 3.5 (don't biff the application -essay and recommendations)
GMU will take almost any TJ student with a GPA above a 3 (don't biff the application)
Where do you hope your kid will go from base school?
Rose Hulman (they take almost all TJ grads withy decent SAT scores)
Anonymous
04/13/2026 11:39
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
It probably too late. Ask your child what he wants. If he is happy at TJ, stay…
Try to grind junior year with tutor, less EC, SAT prep, ditch the hard classes if not too late and lower your expectation in college ranking.
He will still do fine in and after college.
If kid is the one who want out, then start planning the move, but speak to his counselor first…
Try to grind junior year with tutor, less EC, SAT prep, ditch the hard classes if not too late and lower your expectation in college ranking.
He will still do fine in and after college.
If kid is the one who want out, then start planning the move, but speak to his counselor first…
Anonymous
04/13/2026 11:17
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Make sure your reasonable about your child's college prospects. You can't wave a magic wand and get them into UVA.
Tons of kids go to Kentucky and love it. Same goes for Alabama, Ole Miss, VCU and CNU.
Tons of kids go to Kentucky and love it. Same goes for Alabama, Ole Miss, VCU and CNU.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 10:49
Subject: Re:Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:I can imagine it would be devastating for a kid to hear from his mom (in 11th grade) "we need you to leave your school and your friends because you're not doing well enough academically to get into the level of college which we need you to attend."
Tread lightly OP. Your kid will never forget it if you force a move for this reason.
And…the kid already probably feels bad about his grades…so staying has its own issues.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 10:10
Subject: Should TJ student transfer?
Anonymous wrote:Should my low GPA TJ kid, rising junior, transfer to a school where they can stand out more? FCCPS. My worry is that their low gpa will considered worse if they go to a school with inflated gpa.
A top school is already out of the question.
If you wanted a chance at that you should have pulled your kid from TJ before the end of first semester freshman year or better yet turn down the acceptance so he has the confidence of having gotten into TJ without the cost of dealing with TJ rigor.
I know it would have been emotionally difficult, but FCPS lied to you and your kid. They didn't have the training that the other kids at TJ had.
Your decisions really depend on the GPA.
Look at Naviance for VT
If they have a weighted GPA above 4.3, its almost 99%+
If their weighted GPA is above a 4.0, they have a pretty good shot at VT 90%+; add a 1500 SAT score to that and your chances increase to 99%+
How low is the GPA? What is their projected SAT score (how did they do on the PSAT)?
If your GPA is sub 4.0 anbd projected SAT is sub 1500, then
JMU will take almost any TJ student above a 3.5 (don't biff the application -essay and recommendations)
GMU will take almost any TJ student with a GPA above a 3 (don't biff the application)
Where do you hope your kid will go from base school?