Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 09:16     Subject: TJ Admissions
Anonymous wrote:To be fair, PP, the Wash Post has done at least three negative articles on TJ in the last month (each one centering around the lopsided Asian admittance) and has also run a whole series on the pressure Asian parents put on their kids re: Math and Science, especially in Korea where a huge majority of parents pay for extra tutoring to increase the child's score on tests. It's not just this thread. Personally, my DC got in to TJ this year and we are probably turning it down in favor of the IB program at Marshall, almost entirely due to the fact that my DC doesn't want to go to a school where the supposedly smartest kids in the county/country need remedial English lessons. DC has many friends who should have been shoo-ins get rejection letters. Here's the hard facts - Fairfax[i] County is only 17% Asian. TJ is now 57% Asian. 224 African American students applied and they took only 6, rejecting two AA students at my DC's GT Center School who are straight-A award winning students. So please don't bash the parents on this thread. Facts are the facts, and lots of folks in the media and local government are focusing on this now.


links to the three WaPo stories? tks!
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 09:03     Subject: Re:TJ Admissions
Anonymous wrote:...a school full of absolutely driven, competitive students who can't even fully comprehend instruction in English...


i agree it's problematic that TJ accepts kids who need ESL, but the above is a bit of a stretch, don't you think? i believe the facts are, that there's only a handful students who need ESL.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 08:55     Subject: TJ Admissions
Anonymous wrote:To be fair, PP, the Wash Post has done at least three negative articles on TJ in the last month (each one centering around the lopsided Asian admittance) and has also run a whole series on the pressure Asian parents put on their kids re: Math and Science, especially in Korea where a huge majority of parents pay for extra tutoring to increase the child's score on tests. It's not just this thread. Personally, my DC got in to TJ this year and we are probably turning it down in favor of the IB program at Marshall, almost entirely due to the fact that my DC doesn't want to go to a school where the supposedly smartest kids in the county/country need remedial English lessons. DC has many friends who should have been shoo-ins get rejection letters. Here's the hard facts - Fairfax[i] County is only 17% Asian. TJ is now 57% Asian. 224 African American students applied and they took only 6, rejecting two AA students at my DC's GT Center School who are straight-A award winning students. So please don't bash the parents on this thread. Facts are the facts, and lots of folks in the media and local government are focusing on this now.


as in, George Marshall HS on Rt 7 in Falls Church? you're out of your mind.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 08:53     Subject: Re:TJ Admissions
^ That should have been IITs in India. See:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Institutes_of_Technology
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 08:50     Subject: TJ Admissions
Anonymous wrote:Jay matthews did not write the most recent front page story, nor the series on Koreans and the addiction for private tutoring.

My tax dollars support TJ, and the charter of the governor's School is that it's supposed to be somewhat representative of the County, even the state. Not sure why PP is so defensive -if the English teachers at TJ are complaining about having to teach remedial English, then something in the admissions formula re: essays and statement has not been graded fairly. TJ will get known as an Asian school, and, trust me PP, it will get shut down in a few years if that happens. Especially if they are accepting kids whose citizenship or residency is temporary or questionable, as it appears they have been.


I don't think it will be shut down. It's a source of great pride for the FCPS, as it should be. You'd shut down the number one high school in the country because it is predominantly Asian? Not gonna happen.

On the other hand it is quite fishy how the Korean embassy has instructions on its website to assist Koreans to get into TJ. I think there is more going on here thana meets the eye. Some interests, govt./commercial may view it as training ground for future employees to rival the ITT's in India.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 08:40     Subject: TJ Admissions
Jay matthews did not write the most recent front page story, nor the series on Koreans and the addiction for private tutoring.

My tax dollars support TJ, and the charter of the governor's School is that it's supposed to be somewhat representative of the County, even the state. Not sure why PP is so defensive -if the English teachers at TJ are complaining about having to teach remedial English, then something in the admissions formula re: essays and statement has not been graded fairly. TJ will get known as an Asian school, and, trust me PP, it will get shut down in a few years if that happens. Especially if they are accepting kids whose citizenship or residency is temporary or questionable, as it appears they have been.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 08:23     Subject: Re:TJ Admissions
I'm coming around to the view expressed above: why not just let the Asians have it? Would it be that good for my kid to start prepping for the test in 7th grade? And then what? You get into a school full of absolutely driven, competitive students who can't even fully comprehend instruction in English? Cultural thing maybe, but I'm just not sure putting that much stress on the kid is worth it.

Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 08:05     Subject: TJ Admissions
Anonymous wrote:To be fair, PP, the Wash Post has done at least three negative articles on TJ in the last month (each one centering around the lopsided Asian admittance) and has also run a whole series on the pressure Asian parents put on their kids re: Math and Science, especially in Korea where a huge majority of parents pay for extra tutoring to increase the child's score on tests. It's not just this thread. Personally, my DC got in to TJ this year and we are probably turning it down in favor of the IB program at Marshall, almost entirely due to the fact that my DC doesn't want to go to a school where the supposedly smartest kids in the county/country need remedial English lessons. DC has many friends who should have been shoo-ins get rejection letters. Here's the hard facts - Fairfax[i] County is only 17% Asian. TJ is now 57% Asian. 224 African American students applied and they took only 6, rejecting two AA students at my DC's GT Center School who are straight-A award winning students. So please don't bash the parents on this thread. Facts are the facts, and lots of folks in the media and local government are focusing on this now.


So just because jay matthews engages in race-baiting in the wash post it is now well-established that similar arguments are legitimate to express anti-asian stereotyping and derogatory caricatures
The issue if racial balance at TJ can be discussed without accusing asian kids or parents of cheating or working too hard or being generally undeserving. If you want more trnaparency or a change in criteria for admission - just state the criteria, no nned to couch it by denigrating asian admits.

Anonymous
Post 04/12/2011 07:52     Subject: TJ Admissions
To be fair, PP, the Wash Post has done at least three negative articles on TJ in the last month (each one centering around the lopsided Asian admittance) and has also run a whole series on the pressure Asian parents put on their kids re: Math and Science, especially in Korea where a huge majority of parents pay for extra tutoring to increase the child's score on tests. It's not just this thread. Personally, my DC got in to TJ this year and we are probably turning it down in favor of the IB program at Marshall, almost entirely due to the fact that my DC doesn't want to go to a school where the supposedly smartest kids in the county/country need remedial English lessons. DC has many friends who should have been shoo-ins get rejection letters. Here's the hard facts - Fairfax[i] County is only 17% Asian. TJ is now 57% Asian. 224 African American students applied and they took only 6, rejecting two AA students at my DC's GT Center School who are straight-A award winning students. So please don't bash the parents on this thread. Facts are the facts, and lots of folks in the media and local government are focusing on this now.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2011 21:33     Subject: TJ Admissions
Wow, the Asian-bashing on this thread is terrible. You people should be ashamed of yourselves. If you are that afraid that your white children are losing their status at the top of the pecking order in this country, you should tell them on to work harder instead of wasting your energy trying to knock others down. Your sense of entitlement is disgusting; your bitterness palpable. I can smell your fear from a mile away.



Anonymous
Post 04/11/2011 20:48     Subject: Re:TJ Admissions
Anonymous wrote:The labs/equipment at TJ should be divided equally between each FCPS high school so every fcps student may have the opportunity for higher learning in the sciences. It is not right that public funds are used to provide for an 'elite' education for a select few. Also, GT centers should be closed and honors courses should be offered at each elementary/middle school for qualified students. There is a problem with the system when parents can pay between $500-800 for a course to increase the odds of their child's acceptance into TJ and/or GT centers by 90%.

The insane busing of students from one end of the county to another needs to end. I have between 5-7 buses stop near my home each morning. I am sure in this economy this money could be better spent.


yeah time's tough so let's strive for mediocrity.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2011 20:42     Subject: TJ Admissions
Have you been to TJ for a visit? You should. The building is falling apart. The school does not get extra public funds for the labs. There is a very active fund-raising group (parent driven) that provides the money for all the extra stuff the kids need. And most of the kids there did not take the $600 course to be admitted. My son reviewed the test that FCPS provided and that was it.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2011 18:45     Subject: TJ Admissions
"TJ will become a school with majority of Rich Asians that cheat?"

Cheating in what way? You can not accuse someone with cheating without any evidence.

Anonymous
Post 04/11/2011 17:39     Subject: Re:TJ Admissions
The labs/equipment at TJ should be divided equally between each FCPS high school so every fcps student may have the opportunity for higher learning in the sciences. It is not right that public funds are used to provide for an 'elite' education for a select few. Also, GT centers should be closed and honors courses should be offered at each elementary/middle school for qualified students. There is a problem with the system when parents can pay between $500-800 for a course to increase the odds of their child's acceptance into TJ and/or GT centers by 90%.

The insane busing of students from one end of the county to another needs to end. I have between 5-7 buses stop near my home each morning. I am sure in this economy this money could be better spent.
Anonymous
Post 04/11/2011 16:12     Subject: Re:TJ Admissions
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is it fair to use 45% writing skills vs 35% academics. Does this point to messed up admissions process letting parents & professionals compete in the SIS space? Applicants get 3 weeks complete the SIS.

Does it sound fair to anyone? I totally agree reading and writing skills are a very important part of everything, but they shouldn't rank higher than Math & Science achievements, passion or their ability to do Math & Science.

Are persuasive writing skills more important than math and science abilities for scientist or mathematician? We do want scientist to be able to express, but also have meaningful material to express.

No, my daughter is not waitlisted.


Of course it is not fair. Well, most things are not fair for most people. So no biggie there.
Should something be done about it? Yes. Certainly.
The Essays and SIS are just way too subjectively rated...and to what end??
ESL at TJ?
TJ will become a school with majority of Rich Asians that cheat?
For very bright, and hard working kids, it is just a lottery?