Yes, TJ AP classes often go beyond AP curriculum. AP by itself is a bit too easy in many cases, and is used at TJ as just a way to label a course that colleges will all understand.

Dual enrollment Multivar is also much harder at TJ than at base schools and this year they will have a harder final, too (it's no longer offered through George Mason). TJ families want the students to have exposure to academic rigor & students come to TJ seeking this "extra" piece. It might mean lower grades at TJ but it also means students are very well-prepared for difficult STEM college courses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the typical TJ student graduated with 8-10 APs I expect the class of 2028 forward will have one or two more. I know some kids get a lot more though but just collecting APs for the sake of collecting APs doesn't seem to impress admissions officers.

8 to 10 APs is average for a regular FCPS high school.

The level of rigor of the courses might not be the same though. It’s not uncommon at TH for some courses to have mostly kids with 5s on AP but not As in the course.

If TJ ever implemented a rule that a 5 on AP exam meant an A in the course, the students would take all or almost all AP classes until they ran out. The AP test is easier than pretty much any final in that building.

This is by design. As a TJ parent, I like this. After watching my kid faceroll his way through K-8, I knew my kid was going to hit a wall when they ran into challenging coursework. Much better that this happens in high school when I can scaffold him than in college where he is on his own. I don't care if he goes to rank 10 school or a rank 100 school as long as he is prepared to succeed in college (if he could get into HYPSM then the extra rigor at TJ wouldn't make a difference either way). High school these days do not prepare students to succeed in college and beyond but places like TJ do.

He likes it because he is making so many friends that he can engage with and aside from a few neighborhood partners in crime, all of his friends are now from TJ.

Anonymous wrote:TJ is adding a bunch more AP classes (but they are the easy AP classes; not as difficult as the TJ classes they are replacing so it will really be the AP material plus some more challenging content.)
A TJ 2026 grad would have around 12 AP classes but a 27 or later TJ grad will have more APs than that, because of all the new ones being added for lower grades.
Don’t understand why FCPS wants to pay all this money to College Board…those easier AP classes don’t count for credit replacement in top colleges anyway. The county seems to have forgotten that College Board/AP is a business, with an agenda that is primarily about making $. Sigh.

They covered the AP pre-calc material in the first 6 weeks or so.

Anonymous wrote:My child will take AP Calculus BC, AP Bio, AP Chem, and AP Physics as a 10th grader. Honors English/History and PE. (Foreign language over the summer).

Your kid is taking Spanish?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the typical TJ student graduated with 8-10 APs I expect the class of 2028 forward will have one or two more. I know some kids get a lot more though but just collecting APs for the sake of collecting APs doesn't seem to impress admissions officers.

8 to 10 APs is average for a regular FCPS high school.

The level of rigor of the courses might not be the same though. It’s not uncommon at TH for some courses to have mostly kids with 5s on AP but not As in the course.

If TJ ever implemented a rule that a 5 on AP exam meant an A in the course, the students would take all or almost all AP classes until they ran out. The AP test is easier than pretty much any final in that building.

Anonymous wrote:Plus they are $100 each after 6!! It’s quite expensive and APs are for getting into college, not replacing it. Not needed for TJ students.

$100 per exam and decent score not only improved admission chances, but also saved a full 3 credit hour course fee of $1500+ in college.

Plus they are $100 each after 6!! It’s quite expensive and APs are for getting into college, not replacing it. Not needed for TJ students.

TJ is adding a bunch more AP classes (but they are the easy AP classes; not as difficult as the TJ classes they are replacing so it will really be the AP material plus some more challenging content.)
A TJ 2026 grad would have around 12 AP classes but a 27 or later TJ grad will have more APs than that, because of all the new ones being added for lower grades.
Don’t understand why FCPS wants to pay all this money to College Board…those easier AP classes don’t count for credit replacement in top colleges anyway. The county seems to have forgotten that College Board/AP is a business, with an agenda that is primarily about making $. Sigh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given its TJ, my expectation is that the course prepares the kids for more than the AP exam.. As I read elsewhere, the kids excel on the AP, and still struggle with the class grade. Can existing parents please comment?

I have heard that students that have gotten 5s on AP exams have ended up with a C in the class. I don't think Cs are common but Bs are not uncommon.

This seems counter-intuitive, how exactly?

Awkward phrasing. Read it again

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child will take AP Calculus BC, AP Bio, AP Chem, and AP Physics as a 10th grader. Honors English/History and PE. (Foreign language over the summer).

Wow. When does your kid sleep?
Mine did BC calc, AP Physics (normal TJ course not the new replacement for honors), AI and APUSH last year in junior year and it about did them in.

Currently a freshman, this is for next year. The bus ride is pretty long so there is time before and after school every day. Plus there should be plenty of time on weekends and after school on nights without sports.

So your kid just started at TJ last week? Come back to us in a year and tell us whether they'll be taking three AP sciences at the same time.

My kid has friends at his base school who are swinging more APs than he is at TJ because TJ APs are just more time intensive.

Anonymous wrote:Given its TJ, my expectation is that the course prepares the kids for more than the AP exam.. As I read elsewhere, the kids excel on the AP, and still struggle with the class grade. Can existing parents please comment?

True story.

You can get a 5 on the AP exam and still get a C in the class.

It's not the AP label that makes the class hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given its TJ, my expectation is that the course prepares the kids for more than the AP exam.. As I read elsewhere, the kids excel on the AP, and still struggle with the class grade. Can existing parents please comment?

I have heard that students that have gotten 5s on AP exams have ended up with a C in the class. I don't think Cs are common but Bs are not uncommon.

This seems counter-intuitive, how exactly?