Anonymous wrote:PP, thank you for the fantastic detailed reply.

No problem. AET is currently a developing program but it has experienced so many tremendous opportunities over the past 2 years as clearly explained in my past post. If there is anyway that I can help more students understand the AET admission process and know what to expect for their courses in each of the pathways, I would be more than delighted to.

PP, thank you for the fantastic detailed reply.

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone share their experience or thoughts on TJ vs LCPS AOS/AET/MATA. Heard LCPS is planning a full expansion of AOS by 2018, where high school students will have three STEM program options - Academy of Science (AOS), Academy of Engineering and Tech (AET) and Monroe Advanced Technical Academy (MATA), to choose from or qualify for. Would love to understand the differences between these three academies and how they stack up to TJ.

Hello, I am a sophomore currently attending the Academy of Engineering of Technology in Information Technology and I would like to inform you more about the programs offered at AOL and give you a solid breakdown of AET without the bias that some earlier posts are projecting towards AET because it is a school that has rapidly developed in the past 2 years and is still emerging with several opportunities. Let me first start with AET. AET is broken down into 3 separate but interrelated pathways called IT (Information Technology), Engineering, and Entrepreneurship. In the IT pathway, students study computer science and learn advanced concepts of programming starting with Java in the first 2 years of the program and will apply their knowledge to more practical fields such as virtual reality, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, mobile development, app development, data analytics, parallel computing, bioinformatics, and computational neuroscience to develop an in-depth research project related to a field within the realm of IT in their junior and senior years. In the past year so far, we have participated in competitions such as TJ IOI, UVA, Virginia Tech, US Computing Olympiad, ACSL, University of Maryland, and are trying to expand even further to national competition levels. We have also received guest speakers from major corporations like Google, Deloitte, Excentur, and Century Link that have informed us about emerging trends in the field of computer science such as machine learning, neural networks, microproccessors, data science, and so on. IT also does a lot of computational projects where we coordinate with our math and science classes to write programs to simulate certain processes, ideas, or concepts from a visual perspective. In Engineering, students learn about the Stanford Design Process in order to discover how different systems and technologies are designed to resolve practical problems in the fields of aeronautical engineering, structural engineering, CAD, nanotechnology, nuclear engineering, and modeling simulation technology. They gain exposure to what are the most efficient materials to create a particular design and how to optimize the efficiency of a product using the most advanced and practical techniques. They also create their own innovative solutions with every project they conduct. In Entrepreneurship, they learn all about the marketing side of STEM. They learn about how to improve customer relations, maximize profit for a solution, address the problems of their clients more efficiently, and working with independent organizations and associations on collaborative financing and marketing. So, think of the three pathways like this: IT is the brain of AET, Entrepreneurship is the brawn, and Engineering is the part that binds everything together. We have also done projects with companies in the DC area to address real-life situations and problems relevant to STEM. For instance, AET held an Innovation Challenge for the first batch of freshmen students by working with a global medical device manufacturing company with K2M which asked us to create unique solutions to increase the compliance of patients affected by scoliosis and the efficiency of currently bulky brace models. We split up into teams of 4 to 5 students all from different pathways to mix, assimilate, and have an equal presence of each pathway in the design process of the solution. The winning solution was an app called ScoliScan which uses an API from a Google software called Project Tango which is an open-source digital software embedded into a phone with 3D in-depth optical sensors to analyze complex regions by projecting points. What the app did was it analyzed the back of a patient at risk of obtaining scoliosis to determine the shape and angle of the back curve, compare the situation against normative brace models, and develop a plan for the patient to receive their brace or seek alternative methods before the scoliosis becomes more serious. The Innovation Challenge only happens for the freshmen students at AET. We are also doing Independent Science Research projects this year to gain exposure for our Senior Research Projects allowing us to not just cover areas of science but delve deeper into their prevalence within emerging technologies. This is just a glimpse into what AET is all about. The program will become even more fascinating as these next couple years progress.

As for Monroe Tech, if you would like to receive a vocational education, then this is probably the best program to participate in. It gives several pathways like AET however they are more on the general side of science and technology in areas like nursing, veterinary medicine, and computer information systems making them not as inclined to either side. Monroe Tech offers several amazing opportunities from what I have heard and it looks to be a promising program.

AOS is heavily inclined towards science and emphasizes conducting intensive research projects with a critical focus on questioning all potential applications of a scientific method, topic, or idea. I would assume that since the program has been around a lot longer than AET, it has gained more credibility but there are many remarkable differences that one can use to differentiate between AET and AOS.

Our goal at AET is to create and innovate and at AOS, the goal is to question, observe, and dig deeper into a scientific process or enigma. All of these three schools are have amazing success being facilitated under the building in the fall of 2018 and as the Superintendent and Science Supervisor said in the AOL groundbreaking, "The Academies of Loudoun is going to consist of three distinct but interrelated academies."

TJ is a wonderful school and offers many programs however the one think that I think sets AOL at an advantage and apart from TJ is the integration of three different academies. AOL is really going to foster the collaboration necessary for a community of different STEM students to reach a common goal: developing meaningful work that will improve the lives of others.

This is not to say TJ doesn't do that. They have been consistently one of the Top 10 High Schools in America and part in many conferences and competitions and international scientific and technological events. It's just that AOL is going to create a broader diversity of students working separately but together simultaneously.

I think that AOL is the better choice for Loudoun County Students but if you are a Fairfax student, you obviously don't have that option so TJ would the more advisable choice.

Both schools are exceptional and are going to enhance the presence of STEM in the DC area and across the country with several more STEM schools anticipated to grow soon.

I hope this addresses your question enough to have a taste of all the programs and schools of AOL and TJ. Some of the other posts explain AOS a lot better so take the information from this post and previous ones as well.

Hello, I am currently an AET sophomore and I would like to give you a breakdown of AET. I would like to talk about AET because many people are being way too arbitrary and biast towards it without actually having attended the program. AET is a school that is broken down into 3 separate pathways called IT, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship. IT is information technology and delves very deeply into computer science and I am a sophomore in IT, so I can give you the most input about that pathway. We have talked about fields such as data analytics, deep learning, artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience, bioinformatics, virtual reality, mobile, app, and web development. Our study primarily consists of learning all aspects of Java so that we can adapt our experience to any programming language for our Senior Research projects. In IT, we have also had a lot of guest speakers come to our fields to talk about what are the latest trends in technology and computer science so that students can begin formulating plans for their future research. We also have gone to a lot of computer science competition such as Martin Lockheed CodeQuest, TJ IOI, UVA, Virginia Tech, ACSL, and US Computing Olympiad. The curriculum for the 11th and 12th grade years is still in development but I will be sure to update another post about the IT classes for juniors and seniors. AS for engineering, they focus a lot on the Stanford Design Process in fields like mechanical and aeronautical engineering, CAD, microprocessors, 3D modeling, and nanotechnology. Lots of students from that pathway participate in a team for AET and AOS students called RoboLoco which is another fascinating way through which AET and AOS interact. In Entrepreneurship, students focus primarily on the marketing and entrepreneurial side of STEM learning about cost efficiency, optimization, profit, customer relations, fixed and variable costs, and papers that address the problems of their clients. They are doing several competitions like DECA and FBLA right now. Some ways through which we integrate our studies are in a competition called the Innovation Challenge for freshmen students only where students from all pathways divide into teams of 4 and 5 in order to develop a solution that will address a real-world problem. For instance, in the 1st year of AET, we worked with a global medical-device innovations company called K2M where we coordinated our efforts with them to create computer solutions or back braces that will make patients affected by scoliosis more compliant. The winning solution was an app called ScoliScan which uses a Google API called Project Tango which builds cameras into a 3D phone to analyze the angle and orientation of a spinal curve to determine normative models that fit this particular case and advise what are the best times to begin treatment to attempt to eliminate the problem entirely. We are also doing Independent Science Research projects which is new to our school but still challenges us to think in creative ways of emerging technologies and how we can integrate them to solve problems related to science. I am doing a research project in bioinformatics and deep learning. This is a good breakdown of AET and should allow you to see how our program with 300 students has rapidly developed over 2 years. If you would like to know more about AOS, MATA, or TJ, then you can read some other posts as they are equally as informative and helped me when I was deciding to apply during my 8th grade year. Thank you all for your time and I really hope you consider the Academy of Engineering and Technology for future admissions.

Anonymous wrote:If your goal is to get into an ivy-league or Top 25 college, going to T.J. will not help your child's chances. In fact, it will hurt them. Colleges consider applicants by comparing them to their peers at the high school they attend. T.J. has some of the brightest students in the entire country. That means that for the 75% of T.J. students who will not be in the top 25% of their class, they will be at a disadvantage when compared to students at regular high schools. Unfair to TJ kids, but true. So go to T.J. if (a) you want to be surrounded by some of the smartest kids in the country, (b) you want to take a number of high-tech courses not offered by base schools, or (c) you just want to bask in the prestige of saying you attend TJ. But do NOT attend solely because you think it will help you make Harvard or Yale. It won't (unless you are among the very brightest at TJ).

P.S. AET does not deserve a place in this discussion. It does not come close to the intellectual rigor of AOS.
P.P.S. If you child gets into both TJ and AOS, AND your goal is to get into a fancy college, then--without question--you should choose AOS. Because at AOS, colleges will compare the student with others at the base school, and undoubtedly your child will compare to them very favorably.

Anonymous wrote:P.S. AET does not deserve a place in this discussion. It does not come close to the intellectual rigor of AOS.
P.P.S. If you child gets into both TJ and AOS, AND your goal is to get into a fancy college, then--without question--you should choose AOS. Because at AOS, colleges will compare the student with others at the base school, and undoubtedly your child will compare to them very favorably.

Anonymous wrote:P.S. AET does not deserve a place in this discussion. It does not come close to the intellectual rigor of AOS.

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To both the PPs above - thank you so much for the valuable information

Anonymous wrote:Thank you PP again for extending your hand. I'm the poster from 06/12, and both my son and I would love to get in touch with you. Please email <ParallelLines2003 AT gmail DOT com>

For the poster who asked "is there anything DC should do in preparation for TJ/AOS", some suggestions (summary from prev posts): look at the Admission PPT/selection criteria at TJ/AOS site. Don't just look at "first cut" criteria, look at "2nd cut" criteria also since that's where the real competition is. GPA and test scores (TJ test/PSAT) are important but are just a part of the game. Writing skills, STEM activities, Teacher Recs, etc. are NOT overnight things.

Someone also asked about AOS stat/profile to compare with TJ. AOS site actually has some data. Their latest Admission PPT has Alumni Data (Engr: 24%, CS: 20%, PreMed: 17%). AOS School profile has some stats incl. College Acceptance. https://www.lcps.org/cms/lib/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/17419/AOS%20PROFILE%202016-17.pdf

This poster makes an excellent point. The test is a first cut. If your kid can't do it without a lot of prep, they will never survive. Whatever your kid loves about STEM, they need to develop. and what they are genuinely interested in. A kid who loves space will read books about space, visit the space museum, go to space camp, does a project for school on space. The teacher writes about the project in the recommendation. You kid write about wanting to go to TJ for the planetarium and astronomy senior research. It all ties together into a TJ kid.

Thank you PP again for extending your hand. I'm the poster from 06/12, and both my son and I would love to get in touch with you. Please email <ParallelLines2003 AT gmail DOT com>

For the poster who asked "is there anything DC should do in preparation for TJ/AOS", some suggestions (summary from prev posts): look at the Admission PPT/selection criteria at TJ/AOS site. Don't just look at "first cut" criteria, look at "2nd cut" criteria also since that's where the real competition is. GPA and test scores (TJ test/PSAT) are important but are just a part of the game. Writing skills, STEM activities, Teacher Recs, etc. are NOT overnight things.

Someone also asked about AOS stat/profile to compare with TJ. AOS site actually has some data. Their latest Admission PPT has Alumni Data (Engr: 24%, CS: 20%, PreMed: 17%). AOS School profile has some stats incl. College Acceptance. https://www.lcps.org/cms/lib/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/17419/AOS%20PROFILE%202016-17.pdf

That's amazing!! My deepest congratulations to your son for getting into AOS! He will most certainly build very strong friendships with his peers and really be engaged with the academic environment. Though I am now a rising junior at AOS, I hope I can see him thrive with his research project when he is an upperclassman!

Also, I agree with the idea on prep-school. I personally went to prep-school, because my mother heard from a coworker that "most kids that get into magnet schools come from prep schools", and she enrolled me (I was willing to do it). Though, mostly because I did not look Eastern (though I am), I felt a little 'put-down' compared to my Eastern-looking peers, and the environment was a little tiresome. And interestingly, two kids that appeared to be the brightest and best at my prep-school got into neither AOS nor TJ.

The good side of prep-school is that it really (at least for me) worked up my competitiveness as I realized I wasn't as smart as I thought it was. It was quite humbling.

For the previous comment, or anyone else, if you or your son has any questions about the AOS environment (how to get good grades, good research project, opportunities, teachers) I would be more than happy to help!

(For the PP, acronym meaning: DC-dear child, DD-dear daughter, DS-dear son. This forum uses these a lot for some reason)

My son is joining AOS as part of the incoming freshman this year, so I will add some comments from I have seen so far.

Btw, excellent discussion here with valuable feedback about TJ/AOS/AET/MATA, especially to the AOS student describing details about AOS education/environment (post 5/7/17 18:43). I wish someone had posted a part of this information a year ago or so. Also thanks to PP for mentioning "thinking ahead 3 years" for SIS questions. That gives enough time to a student to build a STEM-based profile (or to figure out what part of STEM the student has interest on, or even any part of it.)

We already got a feeling from Freshman orientation that AOS will be an excellent experience for my son (small class, high interaction with teachers, 2 yr's of research study based on student's interest, etc). The 1:1 "advisory" service is unique to AOS, where the advisory teacher actually comes to student's "home" in the summer, as already mentioned here before.

Regarding the preparation, I can add what my kid has done differently than many of his peers. He didn't go to one of those 18 month long prep courses, rather he was studying at home but still getting ahead 2-3 years with various Math and technology competitions (eventually competing in national and international level).

Thank you for the helpful information. By DC I meant Dear Child, its a DCUM language

Oops, I'm a little stupid, so it is hard for me to interpret your question. When you mean DC, do you mean Washington D.C schools or Washington D.C students or some other D.C acronyms? Also, are you asking about what to do in your application that isn't necessarily preparation for their standardized tests?

If the second question is a yes, these are things I would do:
--> You should have an interest in STEM if you are applying to these schools, and the best way to bring it out is through your essays and extracurriculars. TJ & AOS Essays are timed, but AOS has a list of 6 untimed questions that detail your interest in STEM, and TJ has a list of 3 timed "SIS" questions that serve the same purpose. I was a little ..extra.. as a sixth grader so I copied the 6 questions from the AOS website into a word document that I kept when they were removed. Then, for the next three years until they were due, I wrote, perfected, edited, and rewrote my answers in the best way possible. Good answers include why you're passionate about STEM and what you have done that shows the director (who handles admissions) this. It's harder to do this for TJ, because SIS are timed, and the questions don't entail your involvement about extracurricular activities. Though, they do use "bad answers", though well-written, to such SIS questions to put those bad applications in the trash. I knew a kid with a near perfect TJ test score (like 97/100) but when asked "Do you think high schools should have a computer science class in their STEM program?" he basically said "hell no". He was rejected, and I have this eery feeling that that was probably some, if not most, of the reason why.

As a rising 7th grader, is there anything DC should do in preparation for TJ/AOS. I am not talking about prep, but in terms of application and so on. Thanks in advance.

If anyone has questions about the AOS/TJHSST application process I would be more than happy to help. I will answer each and every question to the best of my knowledge.

For the previous comment, I currently attend AOS, and they do not consider 10th grade applications.