Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have spoken to recruiters for Ivies. Harvard offers admission to way more students from TJ than any other school around here. That TJ kids don't go to Harvard in droves simply indicates that many get into and go to places like MIT, Stanford, CalTech, etc., based on interests. I think TJ is the one school around here that can trump the "network" issue for getting into undergrad. (Don't know about Blair).

Bingo. This thread sounds like a bunch of sour grapes. The fact is, acorss all cohorts (parent money, citizenship, first language, you name it), TJ out-performs all the privates in college placement terms.

and lots of school spirit to boot!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People do not choose a "big 3" school because they think it will get their kid into an ivy. People choose these schools mostly because they went to a private school when they were young. America, whether we like it or not, is a mosaic. We are not in any way a homogenous culture. A part of that mosaic is a group of families that make up a sub culture that send their kids to private school. It is part of their cultural identity. Many of them are quite wealthy, and don't need to worry about getting into the best school. If you have enough inherited money, it really doesn't matter what school you go to. The parents want them to get a basic education and, more importantly, to be part of their culture, to do the same things they did as kids, and have a similar set of memories. TJ and the "big 3" are not in any way competing for the same kids.

You realize rich people and trust fund babies are just as proud if their kids gets into Harvard, etc. Many of them have a tradition for attending these kinds of schools and you won't fit in as well socially if you did not go even if you went to prep school. There's always the stereotype of the "dumb preppie" who never makes it to the Ivy League and everyone knows who they are. Going to an Ivy or similar gives you immediate acceptance in certain social and professionals circles that only going to a private secondary school does not. To say that people choose a "big 3" school and not expect "Ivy" or similar is simply not true.

Look, I will identify myself as old money with a family name that would impress you. You are out of touch, if you were ever in touch. Times have changed. It's no longer the case that the old boys can automatically send their kids to alma mater, excerpt for that legacy bump, and even with legacy status you still need something else to make you stand out. There's more of a meritocracy these days, and a big 3 is no longer a guaranteed fast track to an ivy, this is a fact that most realistic patents understand. Plus you make it sound like success is when your DD marries a Saltonstall, but in fact an ivy degree carries the most weight on Wall Street and certain law firms these days, and much less weight in other professions. I know a thing or two about finance, and I'd say the majority of my aquaintances from top, ivy business schools are from working class, not upper class, backgrounds. So while a Big 3 degree will certainly buy social cachet here in Washington, and among people outside Washington who are familiar with the names, it's no longer a guaranteed entree, compared to another good private or even a top public, to the Ivy League and social standing.

Send your kid to private school if the education is better than your public option.

Our "nerd herd" TJ bound DC happens to understand advanced theoretical math, but also has been in professionally-produced plays, has won a national sports prize, loves ski-jumping (which we can't do much of around here), can participate in all sports at a decent level (including golf and sailing), and is very outgoing and friendly in personality. Hopes to attend a Western college (for the skiing) and to be an MD, architect, or astronaut (assuming some version of the space program still exists years from now). Several TJ grads have come back to this area after college ... You just don't know where they came from. I could name a surgeon, several owners of cutting edge tech businesses, etc. TJ may not be for your kid, but you don't need to insult the students or alums. It's an impressive group.

Anonymous wrote:People do not choose a "big 3" school because they think it will get their kid into an ivy. People choose these schools mostly because they went to a private school when they were young. America, whether we like it or not, is a mosaic. We are not in any way a homogenous culture. A part of that mosaic is a group of families that make up a sub culture that send their kids to private school. It is part of their cultural identity. Many of them are quite wealthy, and don't need to worry about getting into the best school. If you have enough inherited money, it really doesn't matter what school you go to. The parents want them to get a basic education and, more importantly, to be part of their culture, to do the same things they did as kids, and have a similar set of memories. TJ and the "big 3" are not in any way competing for the same kids.

You realize rich people and trust fund babies are just as proud if their kids gets into Harvard, etc. Many of them have a tradition for attending these kinds of schools and you won't fit in as well socially if you did not go even if you went to prep school. There's always the stereotype of the "dumb preppie" who never makes it to the Ivy League and everyone knows who they are. Going to an Ivy or similar gives you immediate acceptance in certain social and professionals circles that only going to a private secondary school does not. To say that people choose a "big 3" school and not expect "Ivy" or similar is simply not true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Nerd herd"?!? Seriously. You obviously didn't go to an Ivy, Stanford, Williams, etc. Last I looked, they don't take straight out nerds at these schools and if they do, they take ones like Gates and Zuckerberg... You can't get into these schools without being well rounded or if not, outstanding in some area like world class athelete... And whip smart to boot.

College admissions is no longer focused on only well rounded applicants. They are looking for kids with a specific passion. TJ is full of passionate kids.

+1. When we did the college tour last spring, all the colleges were saying "we want passion today; the well-rounded kid is so last decade." The most selective schools are getting 30,000 applicants, and most of these are very qualified, with great GPAs and SATs. Thus, the criteria of "passion" has emerged as yet another way to pull out kids from the big pile of applicants. One example that comes to mind is Tufts, which is selective but not among the most selective, which asked kids to "geek out!" on the essay last fall. FWIW, I'm familiar with one top ivy that has taken 4 kids from Blair so far this year, and this is before regular decision acceptances come out in another few weeks.

Here's the rub, though: the most selective colleges, which have 20-30,000 applicants, can in fact fill a class of 2,000 with kids who are, at the same time, (a) passionate about something, (b) well-rounded, because they play an instrument or do a sport, (c) leaders of clubs or teams, and (d) who possess good social skills. The bar is really high today. It seems unfair, I know.

Anonymous wrote:I have spoken to recruiters for Ivies. Harvard offers admission to way more students from TJ than any other school around here. That TJ kids don't go to Harvard in droves simply indicates that many get into and go to places like MIT, Stanford, CalTech, etc., based on interests. I think TJ is the one school around here that can trump the "network" issue for getting into undergrad. (Don't know about Blair).

Bingo. This thread sounds like a bunch of sour grapes. The fact is, acorss all cohorts (parent money, citizenship, first language, you name it), TJ out-performs all the privates in college placement terms.

TJ is an unbelievably great option if (a) you live in district; and (b) your smart child happens to be very smart in math and science. On the second point, they've made it clear that it is not just a "gifted" school -- a humanities star who is not great in math and science is not what they are looking for. If you don't live in district or your child's strengths are in the humanities, it's not the solution, obviously.

Anonymous wrote:Keep making yourself feel better by believing that the kids who go to a free public high school will beat out your kid and attend Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc, Oh, they are all so awkward with no social skills. NOT! Have you ever met the kids that go to TJ? They are an exceptionally well rounded, brilliant group as is obvious by their college admissions.

One of the nicest women I know in DC graduated from TJ. She is just lovely and generous, and really smart and successful too (although you wouldn't know that, because she never does the DC bragging thing.) If she is at all representative of TJ, it is a wonderful place. And free!!

People do not choose a "big 3" school because they think it will get their kid into an ivy. People choose these schools mostly because they went to a private school when they were young. America, whether we like it or not, is a mosaic. We are not in any way a homogenous culture. A part of that mosaic is a group of families that make up a sub culture that send their kids to private school. It is part of their cultural identity. Many of them are quite wealthy, and don't need to worry about getting into the best school. If you have enough inherited money, it really doesn't matter what school you go to. The parents want them to get a basic education and, more importantly, to be part of their culture, to do the same things they did as kids, and have a similar set of memories. TJ and the "big 3" are not in any way competing for the same kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Nerd herd"?!? Seriously. You obviously didn't go to an Ivy, Stanford, Williams, etc. Last I looked, they don't take straight out nerds at these schools and if they do, they take ones like Gates and Zuckerberg... You can't get into these schools without being well rounded or if not, outstanding in some area like world class athelete... And whip smart to boot.

College admissions is no longer focused on only well rounded applicants. They are looking for kids with a specific passion. TJ is full of passionate kids.

Or passionate parents.

Anonymous wrote:"Nerd herd"?!? Seriously. You obviously didn't go to an Ivy, Stanford, Williams, etc. Last I looked, they don't take straight out nerds at these schools and if they do, they take ones like Gates and Zuckerberg... You can't get into these schools without being well rounded or if not, outstanding in some area like world class athelete... And whip smart to boot.

College admissions is no longer focused on only well rounded applicants. They are looking for kids with a specific passion. TJ is full of passionate kids.

"Nerd herd"?!? Seriously. You obviously didn't go to an Ivy, Stanford, Williams, etc. Last I looked, they don't take straight out nerds at these schools and if they do, they take ones like Gates and Zuckerberg... You can't get into these schools without being well rounded or if not, outstanding in some area like world class athelete... And whip smart to boot.

Keep telling yourself that.

TJ is nothing but a school for the nerd herd. Those types do not become the power brokers folks. That is a myth. People with actual social skills, who learn team work through sports and social graces from their parents and teachers, do. Getting into Harvard or MIT does not equate success in a vacuum. One needs other life skills to to truly be successful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I'm talking about a nation of people where it's not considered "strange" to be able to recite the top 10 US World and News rankings of schools in another country and where people are willing to move their kids to another country whose language they don't speak and separate families for the sake of your child's education. Not college but high school and earlier. Crazy. .

Actually, international childhood is the new norm.

It is not.