Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the class of 2011, about 300 TJ students applied to UVA and 225 were admitted with 106 enrolling.

It has been argued on other discussion boards that students who stayed at their base high school might have a better chance of getting into UVA (the logic being they would be at the top of their class at the base school). Being a TJ student is NO GUARANTEE of being admitted to UVA. UVA can't accept every student from TJ.

Wow, that is so interesting! I'm sure those kids learned a lot by going to TJ, but FCPS schools are all pretty good. I would be devastated to not even get into the 'best' state school after going to a pressure-cooker school like that. Not that kids can't do as well or better at lower-ranked schools, and I'm sure some of those kids probably have gone on to do that, but my ego would just be crushed. I don't think I would have made it through the end of senior year having to hear about people go on about MIT and Cal Tech. I mean, TJ is HARD work, or that's my understanding anyways.

I think you're missing the point -- or I am. For a top FCPS student, it's entirely possible to get into MIT and CMU or wherever and not get into UVA. UVA is just that competitive for VA students from our area. There's no question that less qualified applicants are accepted from out of state and ROVA (rest of VA) simply because UVa can't become a NOVA outpost (which we've seen over and over and over).

Anonymous wrote:For the class of 2011, about 300 TJ students applied to UVA and 225 were admitted with 106 enrolling.

It has been argued on other discussion boards that students who stayed at their base high school might have a better chance of getting into UVA (the logic being they would be at the top of their class at the base school). Being a TJ student is NO GUARANTEE of being admitted to UVA. UVA can't accept every student from TJ.

Wow, that is so interesting! I'm sure those kids learned a lot by going to TJ, but FCPS schools are all pretty good. I would be devastated to not even get into the 'best' state school after going to a pressure-cooker school like that. Not that kids can't do as well or better at lower-ranked schools, and I'm sure some of those kids probably have gone on to do that, but my ego would just be crushed. I don't think I would have made it through the end of senior year having to hear about people go on about MIT and Cal Tech. I mean, TJ is HARD work, or that's my understanding anyways.

For the class of 2011, about 300 TJ students applied to UVA and 225 were admitted with 106 enrolling.

It has been argued on other discussion boards that students who stayed at their base high school might have a better chance of getting into UVA (the logic being they would be at the top of their class at the base school). Being a TJ student is NO GUARANTEE of being admitted to UVA. UVA can't accept every student from TJ.

Anonymous wrote:Is that weighted or unweighted, and what was their class rank? Just curious.

Our Fairfax County HS doesn't rank (I don't know if any do). I guess is it's weighted, but not 100% certain. If it's any guide, out of 500 grads, tons apply to lots of Va schools (including JMU); JMU accepts about 50 and about 15 enroll.

Is that weighted or unweighted, and what was their class rank? Just curious.

Anonymous wrote:I know a TJ grad who didn't even get into UVA and had to go to JMU. Is that normal (lots of competition everywhere), or was she truly the bottom of the barrel in her class? I would be horribly upset to work so hard in high school and end up in a college I could have gotten into with little effort in high school. Not knocking JMU, it's a good school, but it's no Harvard.

True that JMU is not Harvard but you're a bit under- or mis-informed. 130+TJ seniors are heading to UVa next week. UVa's demand simply outpaces its freshman seats -- it simply cannot accept every qualified applicant. Every year the mom circles are "shocked" when some true superstar kids don't get into UVa. As for the seniors from my DD's top ranked FX high school, those going to JMU averaged a 3.9 GPA.

I know a TJ grad who didn't even get into UVA and had to go to JMU. Is that normal (lots of competition everywhere), or was she truly the bottom of the barrel in her class? I would be horribly upset to work so hard in high school and end up in a college I could have gotten into with little effort in high school. Not knocking JMU, it's a good school, but it's no Harvard.

Anonymous wrote:What is STEM?

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

What is STEM?

Aren't a lot of VIPs likely to be lawyers, politicians, etc -- so maybe more humanities/social science-y than STEM?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've read, TJ accepts around 16% of the applicants each year, give or take. So I do not understand the comment VIPs "refuse to send" their kids to TJ. It's kind of a moot point if they can't get in.

Right, but why would you presume they can't get admitted? Kids of VIPs from McLean are just as likely to be smart as anyone else, right?

maybe, but TJ isn't a school for "smart kids." It's a school for kids who excel in STEM. Those who get in need (a) an interest in STEM and (b) academic qualifications. Those criteria exclude alot of people regardless of what neighborhood they grew up in.

Fine -- there's no need for us to haggle over such details. Let me amend my prior question for you:

Kids of VIPs from McLean are just as likely as anyone else to have (a) an interest in STEM, and (b) academic qualifications , right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've read, TJ accepts around 16% of the applicants each year, give or take. So I do not understand the comment VIPs "refuse to send" their kids to TJ. It's kind of a moot point if they can't get in.

Right, but why would you presume they can't get admitted? Kids of VIPs from McLean are just as likely to be smart as anyone else, right?

maybe, but TJ isn't a school for "smart kids." It's a school for kids who excel in STEM. Those who get in need (a) an interest in STEM and (b) academic qualifications. Those criteria exclude alot of people regardless of what neighborhood they grew up in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure it's not your intent to suggest this, but I think some people subscribe to a myth about TJ that it's a hotbed of meritocracy filled with brilliant children from disadvantaged tenement housing. I'm not quite sure that's accurate.

I don't know what their housing situation is, or why it matters, but why do you say it's a myth that TJ is a meritocracy? Admission is not based on merit (i.e., scores, grades and admission essays).

It's not a pure meritocracy because not all children have an equal chance at admission. Those children who are born into stable, high-SES families are going to receive several opportunities and advantages in life that increase their odds of admission to TJ. If it were a pure meritocracy, the percentages of ethnic diversity and low-income students would more closely match the general population in NoVa (or at least the statistics of the applicant pools). Clearly they do not.

I don't mean this as criticism of TJ. The same relative advantages for high-SES families occur in every school with competitive admissions. It's just a basic fact of life. TJ's numbers-driven admissions process doesn't reduce the inherent advantage that high-SES applicants have.