Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will confer confidence and open doors like no other school in this region can. It is a valuable badge to have in the wallet for a lifetime.

My TJ diploma hasn't been relevant since I was admitted to college. The contacts that have helped me in my career came from college, grad school and beyond.

And, had it really helped you getting into college? If you were top 5 at your base school, would you have done just as well?

There are kids that will benefit from TJ -- those are the kids that appear to be struggling, because they are getting A's on all the tests but 0's on the HW....they usually Ace the standardized tests, but don't see the point of doing problems just for the sake of doing problems....once they get it, they get it. They will work really hard until they understand the problem....but once they do, they stop. Albert Einstein was like this. As was Richard Feynmen. But, those kids will not be admitted to TJ....

This was my kid. But I think with the Einsteins of the world going elsewhere and much of the student body all about GPA, hitting all the marks and uber-achievement, it's not a bad thing that those who truly love learning for the sake of learning and discovery go elsewhere.

The problem is the school was designed to challenge the Albert Einstein, not the over achievers who study 50 hours a night....it was designed to capture the kids who were not being served...Now, the kids at TJ will do fine anywhere.

PP here. I completely agree. It seems like almost everything designed for the Einstein's of the world gets taking over and mainstreamed by the uber-achievers, who yes, you're right will do fine anywhere. Hopefully, the Einsteins, who don't need someone to lay out the track for them, will do better by finding their own way. One wonders how many TJ grads end up in investment banking -- now there's a good use of STEM resources.

It's no one's business what career they choose. Such jealousy....

Anonymous wrote:How about people whose kids actually attend(ed) TJ answer this question. Haters can move on. Yes, it is worth it, as long as you/your student understand it is not a golden ticket to a lifetime of success. It is a great experience in and of itself. College admissions are at least as difficult from TJ as from other FCPS high schools, but the four years there offer an unparalleled experience.

Given the acceptance rates to certain schools, college admissions are clearly easier from there than from other schools, actually. Haters gonna hate.

I'm conflicted about TJ. I am a Chinese parent, with a smart kid who is in AAP, but I'm worried that he is too good at all the geek things, and not so good at other things. We'd like him to be a well rounded person so I am not sure I'd want him to attend TJ. One thing I can't stand are the obnoxious TJ parents I've ran into. One of them is a co-worker and he was saying how his kid is smart enough to do what a senior analyst can do at our company. If my kid attended TJ, I would have to interact with those parents even more. The thought gives me goosebumps.

For the same reason, my kid goes to level 4 aap classes at his base school rather than attend the GT center. As long as he is doing well, I want him to enjoy his childhood and grow up a well rounded person.

I agree that many graduates of TJ go on to prestigious universities, which then propel them to do well in their professional careers. The movers and shakers in tech predominantly come from high end education backgrounds and TJ is a solid springboard into that system. However, for every one of Mark Zuckerberg or Sergey Brin, there are hundreds if not thousands of well educated kids who bet on the wrong startup and end up with nothing after 5-10 years of long hours and crushed dreams.

Take a look at the occupational backgrounds of the top 1%: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/newsgraphics/2012/0115-one-percent-occupations/

My son is a rising Sophomore at TJHSST. Here's the facts: he works his tail off and is up very late at night doing homework. The administration is EXTREMELY disorganized which makes me crazy. So for those two reasons, I hate the school and cringe when I hear my other kids say they want to apply. However, it is the perfect place for my son. He is not Albert Einstein junior, he's just a smart kid with a real passion for tech (particularly computer science) and is loving all of the class options he can't get elsewhere (without doing dual enrollment). He got in because he got lucky -- which is the case for every student there. There are a lot of equally smart kids at schools other than TJ. Would he be happy and do well at our local HS, absolutely! Oh, and does he or do we care about the number of Asians there -- truth be told I think it's benefitting him a lot to be in the minority (we're caucasian) for once.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, brother... You TJ parents now calling your kids "Albert Einsteins"?? This is probably the worst thing about TJ - misguided self-worth. Give me a f'king break.

I was the poster above you. I do not have a kid at TJ. I almost certainly will not have a kid at TJ. Yet, I know these kids exist and I have enough interest in education policy and my community to care that they are served.

NP here. Then you are a refreshing breath of fresh air in an area where parents seem determined to be concerned only with their kid, the heck with how that affects other kids and the community. It's too bad people more people don't care, but i guess the new ethos is get what you can for your kid and the rest be damned.

Anonymous wrote:Oh, brother... You TJ parents now calling your kids "Albert Einsteins"?? This is probably the worst thing about TJ - misguided self-worth. Give me a f'king break.

I was the poster above you. I do not have a kid at TJ. I almost certainly will not have a kid at TJ. Yet, I know these kids exist and I have enough interest in education policy and my community to care that they are served.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will confer confidence and open doors like no other school in this region can. It is a valuable badge to have in the wallet for a lifetime.

My TJ diploma hasn't been relevant since I was admitted to college. The contacts that have helped me in my career came from college, grad school and beyond.

And, had it really helped you getting into college? If you were top 5 at your base school, would you have done just as well?

There are kids that will benefit from TJ -- those are the kids that appear to be struggling, because they are getting A's on all the tests but 0's on the HW....they usually Ace the standardized tests, but don't see the point of doing problems just for the sake of doing problems....once they get it, they get it. They will work really hard until they understand the problem....but once they do, they stop. Albert Einstein was like this. As was Richard Feynmen. But, those kids will not be admitted to TJ....

This was my kid. But I think with the Einsteins of the world going elsewhere and much of the student body all about GPA, hitting all the marks and uber-achievement, it's not a bad thing that those who truly love learning for the sake of learning and discovery go elsewhere.

The problem is the school was designed to challenge the Albert Einstein, not the over achievers who study 50 hours a night....it was designed to capture the kids who were not being served...Now, the kids at TJ will do fine anywhere.

PP here. I completely agree. It seems like almost everything designed for the Einstein's of the world gets taking over and mainstreamed by the uber-achievers, who yes, you're right will do fine anywhere. Hopefully, the Einsteins, who don't need someone to lay out the track for them, will do better by finding their own way. One wonders how many TJ grads end up in investment banking -- now there's a good use of STEM resources.

Anonymous wrote:Oh, brother... You TJ parents now calling your kids "Albert Einsteins"?? This is probably the worst thing about TJ - misguided self-worth. Give me a f'king break.

I am the one who initially referenced Einstein, in the idea that he would not be admitted....it was students like Einstein, Feynman, etc that was the initial focus. Frankly, and pompously, I will put myself in that group. I went through FCPS before TJ existed...it was being formed. I was told at the time, by multiple people (including high level math specialists, science specialists) that I was the target student....the kid that was not excelling in school in spite of being smart.

I regularly got A's on tests, but lost points for notebooks and homework. I did not need to do it, and didn't.

Instead of doing sheets of 100 problems for a class, for example, I would rather write a computer program to help teach kids about things. Instead of graphing 1000 points in radial coordinates, I did it on a computer -- got a zero on that assignment.

Oh, and at my high school -- a top FCPS school, I was the only student to get a 5 on the AP test for calculus. But, my GPA was 2.4, and I was in the bottom half of my class.

Like I had mentioned, I went to TJ and left (ran away) as a sophomore. It wasn't a great fit for me and I think the craziness around TJ is this desire to be the best of the best instead of your best self. I ended up at an elite college and really saw the effect the rat race had once we had to decide for ourselves who we want to be in life. I think TJ is an amazing school if you are STEM and very focused. It is a horrific school if you are into the arts or want to pursue things beyond STEM because it is challenging to stay above the heap of crazy motivated STEM students while writing a literary journal or playing oboe competitively or taking advanced dance, etc. It's too much.

Oh, brother... You TJ parents now calling your kids "Albert Einsteins"?? This is probably the worst thing about TJ - misguided self-worth. Give me a f'king break.

But what will serve the "Albert Einsteins"? Just like the watering down of AAP, these kids are left without a public way to get an appropriate education. It is just sad to see the programs that were designed to serve this population change so drastically.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will confer confidence and open doors like no other school in this region can. It is a valuable badge to have in the wallet for a lifetime.

My TJ diploma hasn't been relevant since I was admitted to college. The contacts that have helped me in my career came from college, grad school and beyond.

And, had it really helped you getting into college? If you were top 5 at your base school, would you have done just as well?

There are kids that will benefit from TJ -- those are the kids that appear to be struggling, because they are getting A's on all the tests but 0's on the HW....they usually Ace the standardized tests, but don't see the point of doing problems just for the sake of doing problems....once they get it, they get it. They will work really hard until they understand the problem....but once they do, they stop. Albert Einstein was like this. As was Richard Feynmen. But, those kids will not be admitted to TJ....

This was my kid. But I think with the Einsteins of the world going elsewhere and much of the student body all about GPA, hitting all the marks and uber-achievement, it's not a bad thing that those who truly love learning for the sake of learning and discovery go elsewhere.

The problem is the school was designed to challenge the Albert Einstein, not the over achievers who study 50 hours a night....it was designed to capture the kids who were not being served...Now, the kids at TJ will do fine anywhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will confer confidence and open doors like no other school in this region can. It is a valuable badge to have in the wallet for a lifetime.

UVA rejects tons of kids from TJ. It is better to be at the top of your local high school than middle of the road at TJ. My son is advanced, has a very high IQ, loves STEM and has received two major science awards. He is in 6th grade and three teachers have already mentioned TJ, but I would NEVER let him go there. First because there will be tons of other kids like him there and he will have to work too hard to be top. I want him to continue to play his sports and enjoy high school. At our local high school he can take advanced classes, play sports and excel without all the TJ pressure. Second, I don't like the demographics at TJ. I want him to go to a more diverse school, like his current elementary.

What do you mean?

NP -- I am sure PP meant too many Asians at TJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will confer confidence and open doors like no other school in this region can. It is a valuable badge to have in the wallet for a lifetime.

UVA rejects tons of kids from TJ. It is better to be at the top of your local high school than middle of the road at TJ. My son is advanced, has a very high IQ, loves STEM and has received two major science awards. He is in 6th grade and three teachers have already mentioned TJ, but I would NEVER let him go there. First because there will be tons of other kids like him there and he will have to work too hard to be top. I want him to continue to play his sports and enjoy high school. At our local high school he can take advanced classes, play sports and excel without all the TJ pressure. Second, I don't like the demographics at TJ. I want him to go to a more diverse school, like his current elementary.

What do you mean?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will confer confidence and open doors like no other school in this region can. It is a valuable badge to have in the wallet for a lifetime.

My TJ diploma hasn't been relevant since I was admitted to college. The contacts that have helped me in my career came from college, grad school and beyond.

And, had it really helped you getting into college? If you were top 5 at your base school, would you have done just as well?

There are kids that will benefit from TJ -- those are the kids that appear to be struggling, because they are getting A's on all the tests but 0's on the HW....they usually Ace the standardized tests, but don't see the point of doing problems just for the sake of doing problems....once they get it, they get it. They will work really hard until they understand the problem....but once they do, they stop. Albert Einstein was like this. As was Richard Feynmen. But, those kids will not be admitted to TJ....

This was my kid. But I think with the Einsteins of the world going elsewhere and much of the student body all about GPA, hitting all the marks and uber-achievement, it's not a bad thing that those who truly love learning for the sake of learning and discovery go elsewhere.