Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ/Longfellow student here. I think the workload at TJ is challenging, but doable. As stated before, the workload does get progressively harder. Freshman year is pretty straightforward. It eases you into the speed of things. I played a sport, and I was able to complete my homework and get to bed at a reasonable hour. If your child can manage their time well, then they can certainly handle the challenge. Junior year at TJ has a bad reputation for being very difficult, though the workload really won't be much different from the workload your child would receive taking several AP classes at their base school.
At Longfellow, I felt challenged, especially in math. I came from an elementary school with a small AAP program and was not prepared for Algebra 1. At times, I felt crushed by the workload from all my classes. But I persevered, and things turned out for the best. Right now, I'm definitely reaping the benefits of a strong middle school AAP program. Where some students are struggling in math, as you probably know, I am consistently getting A's. The math program at Longfellow taught me higher level concepts that are only now being covered in these courses. If math is the specific problem, then you should know that that is okay. I know some people who flunked out of Algebra 1 in seventh grade at Longfellow who are now enjoying and succeeding at TJ.Though I feel like I'm better off at TJ than I would be at Langley, TJ is not for everybody. The workload can be stressful due to time restraints and the environment is very competitive. I have some friends who left TJ and returned to their base high schools. I've also heard that students who do not have a genuine interest in STEM usually burn out by junior year. (On a random side note, the language department at TJ has a reputation for being very challenging. That can be an extra stressor, if your child is not gifted with languages). Honestly, it all comes down to your child. They should be the ones to decide if TJ's right for them. Many students who are bad fits are pushed by their parents and peers to accept the offer and ultimately end up having a miserable time.

I have a hard time believing this. -- you know people who "flunked out of Algebra I in 7th grade" and still got into TJ?? I just have a very hard time believing the admissions people at TJ would accept someone who flunked algebra I. Then they wouldn't take Geometry the next year. Hard to believe.

Anonymous wrote:TJ/Longfellow student here. I think the workload at TJ is challenging, but doable. As stated before, the workload does get progressively harder. Freshman year is pretty straightforward. It eases you into the speed of things. I played a sport, and I was able to complete my homework and get to bed at a reasonable hour. If your child can manage their time well, then they can certainly handle the challenge. Junior year at TJ has a bad reputation for being very difficult, though the workload really won't be much different from the workload your child would receive taking several AP classes at their base school.
At Longfellow, I felt challenged, especially in math. I came from an elementary school with a small AAP program and was not prepared for Algebra 1. At times, I felt crushed by the workload from all my classes. But I persevered, and things turned out for the best. Right now, I'm definitely reaping the benefits of a strong middle school AAP program. Where some students are struggling in math, as you probably know, I am consistently getting A's. The math program at Longfellow taught me higher level concepts that are only now being covered in these courses. If math is the specific problem, then you should know that that is okay. I know some people who flunked out of Algebra 1 in seventh grade at Longfellow who are now enjoying and succeeding at TJ.Though I feel like I'm better off at TJ than I would be at Langley, TJ is not for everybody. The workload can be stressful due to time restraints and the environment is very competitive. I have some friends who left TJ and returned to their base high schools. I've also heard that students who do not have a genuine interest in STEM usually burn out by junior year. (On a random side note, the language department at TJ has a reputation for being very challenging. That can be an extra stressor, if your child is not gifted with languages). Honestly, it all comes down to your child. They should be the ones to decide if TJ's right for them. Many students who are bad fits are pushed by their parents and peers to accept the offer and ultimately end up having a miserable time.

Anonymous wrote:Where are people from? I was raised in upstate NY, took the regents classes, and had 3 hours of HW a night.

Anonymous wrote:wish fcps had an alternative hs--not for at-risk kids, just for curious kids who like to learn. op's description of her dd matches mine. a student, high test scores, likes math & science. i think tj would crush her. i don't see more than 3 hours/night of homework & competition for grades leading to greater intellectual development or reflective thinking. i told dd i would support her in the application process, but i don't think it's a good fit. too bad.

Anonymous wrote:wish fcps had an alternative hs--not for at-risk kids, just for curious kids who like to learn. op's description of her dd matches mine. a student, high test scores, likes math & science. i think tj would crush her. i don't see more than 3 hours/night of homework & competition for grades leading to greater intellectual development or reflective thinking. i told dd i would support her in the application process, but i don't think it's a good fit. too bad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am a native. I was in the FCPS GT program through HS, where I took all GT core courses (yes, they had GT HS classes back then) plus 4 APs (which was considered a lot back then)... and I rarely had more than an hour or two of homework a night.

Something happened between then and now.

Ofcourse something happened. Just look at technology between now and then. Parents often say"I ended up just fine with what I did in school" That's fine if you want to raise your child that way BUT, like this PP stated, something happened between now and then. It's a different world. Just like our grandparents lived in a different world. Parents need to recognize this and except it.