Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 20:22     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:My kid has near a 3.94 gpa. She feels she did strong on the SPS, she got 2/3 parts of the PSE wrong but she got the hardest question right and explained her thinking really well. Used nearly all characters, and her solution was more real world scenario. She attends a less competitive school with less than 40 applicants. No experience factors, geo hns, and all hns. What are the chances for acceptance?


My son had a 3.8 something GPA from one of the “feeder” middle schools and got in. Essays count for a lot.

GPA - 300 points
SPS (4 essays) - 300 points
PSE - 300 points

Your daughter only loses 4.5 points out of 900 with a 3.94 GPA. The essays make the biggest difference.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 17:49     Subject: TJHSST Exam
My kid has near a 3.94 gpa. She feels she did strong on the SPS, she got 2/3 parts of the PSE wrong but she got the hardest question right and explained her thinking really well. Used nearly all characters, and her solution was more real world scenario. She attends a less competitive school with less than 40 applicants. No experience factors, geo hns, and all hns. What are the chances for acceptance?
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 17:35     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.


PP here: this is what the admissions process says “ Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors…”

An A- and an A with the same overall score means the kids with all A’s wins.


While mentioned last, experience factors count for up to 40% of the student’s score on the evaluation for admission to TJ.


Is that formally stated somewhere?
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 17:19     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:How do you find out how many kids apply from your middle school?


Google, and you will know too. The numbers though are for previous years, and are usually in the same ballpark year over year.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 17:15     Subject: TJHSST Exam
How do you find out how many kids apply from your middle school?
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 13:47     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.


PP here: this is what the admissions process says “ Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors…”

An A- and an A with the same overall score means the kids with all A’s wins.


While mentioned last, experience factors count for up to 40% of the student’s score on the evaluation for admission to TJ.


This is what we are worried about…


You should not, unless your kid is just very average.
Only about 12% taken for poor/sped fam… and alot of them also are poor asian.


NP.

TJ’s current student body is 81% minority.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 13:18     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.


PP here: this is what the admissions process says “ Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors…”

An A- and an A with the same overall score means the kids with all A’s wins.


While mentioned last, experience factors count for up to 40% of the student’s score on the evaluation for admission to TJ.


This is what we are worried about…


You should not, unless your kid is just very average.
Only about 12% taken for poor/sped fam… and alot of them also are poor asian.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 10:41     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.


PP here: this is what the admissions process says “ Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors…”

An A- and an A with the same overall score means the kids with all A’s wins.


While mentioned last, experience factors count for up to 40% of the student’s score on the evaluation for admission to TJ.


This is what we are worried about…
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 10:06     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.


PP here: this is what the admissions process says “ Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors…”

An A- and an A with the same overall score means the kids with all A’s wins.


While mentioned last, experience factors count for up to 40% of the student’s score on the evaluation for admission to TJ.
Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 07:22     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:Do they look at second qtr?


No. It’s 7th grade gpa and 1st quarter 8th.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 19:55     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Do they look at second qtr?
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 19:55     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.


PP here: this is what the admissions process says “ Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors…”

An A- and an A with the same overall score means the kids with all A’s wins.


Yes thank you, that’s what I was trying to say.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 19:50     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.


PP here: this is what the admissions process says “ Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors…”

An A- and an A with the same overall score means the kids with all A’s wins.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 19:45     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


Yes obviously gpa is considered, but i feel anything that’s A- or above is fine. If it comes down to who has the higher grades they will look at it, but first it’s about the essay.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 19:45     Subject: TJHSST Exam
Anonymous wrote:Aren't GPA's just cutoffs and are not considered in final selection?


I haven’t seen anything to this effect in writing. There is SPS but also quotas per school.