Tough choice--Thomas Jefferson High School

Prep School Admissions
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<p>Competition is something you will see everywhere you go. If you choose to accept this fact and face it, then you will be successful.</p>

<p>I am a current TJHSST student, but I didn’t apply just because my parents forced me to, a situation many Asian students face. After I was accepted into TJ, I chose to go there myself. I had other options, as I was accepted into numerous top boarding schools, and my base school was equally - if not - better than the boarding schools. But I chose to go to TJ. Why?</p>

<p>When I was in 7th grade, I was in your situation. I got all the grades that everyone wanted, I probably had over a 4.5 GPA in all honor classes (IF I was in high school at that level), and I was active in numerous clubs, sports, and activities. But there were two reasons why I did not enjoy this when I reached 8th grade.</p>

<p>First of all, I am extremely competitive when it comes to studying and/or sports. I am a competitive swimmer, and ever since I was 4 years old, I was competing to be the top swimmer and to be the best one. When it came to studying, I strived to be the smartest in my math class, to get the best comments on my English essay, and to get all the compliments from my teachers.</p>

<p>When I was in 8th grade, things started to get a little boring. I was just excelling in all my classes, just like you are right now, and I had over a 108% in my math class. I never saw a grade below a 97%. For real. And I took all honors classes. I never studied for a test but I aced it. </p>

<p>Yes. Being the top student can be boring to an extent.</p>

<p>I knew going to my base high school or one of the boarding schools would not challenge me. I am not bragging right now, but I do believe that I would have been in your situation if I did not go to TJ and stayed in my boarding school. Currently, I have all As as a TJ student. Even though I have all As, TJ is a challenge, because I am in an environment full of people with similar intentions. </p>

<p>You might be wondering why I am writing all of this. It is because I value not only my grades, or the colleges I get accepted into, or making my parents proud. These are things that I do strive for, but I strive for something far more extraordinary. I strive for pride in myself. If I challenge myself and overcome that challenge, it never satisfies me more than getting over a 100% on a test, or even getting into Harvard.</p>

<p>This is how I feel about everything. You might think differently, but in many cases, you will come across challenges. You will be facing situations where you would just want to hide in a corner and cry until everything’s over. </p>

<p>I read a reply from someone, and although I cannot quote it, I will say what that person wrote. By the time you are in your late 20s, no one will care about what high school you went to. By the time you are 35 and above, no one will care at all about what college you went to. But people will care about what kind of person you are. If you are a person that got all As and a 5.0 overall GPA and got into Harvard, good for you! People will respect you for being smart. But if you have those characteristics as well as being someone that takes in challenges like he or she does everyday, that person will deserve a lot more respect.</p>

<p>Take whichever path you feel is the best for you. I took the route of going to TJ and getting challenged, and I do not regret it. My grades are very good in TJ, but that really doesn’t matter to me. I am getting challenged every second of my life in this school, but I take it all in and hope for the best. By the time I graduate, I will know for a fact that I survived 4 years of a high school that is well known for being “harder than many other colleges”. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>

because the tuition is free?</p>

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<p>It came down to two things, GMTplus7. Either go to private schools that cost a heck ton of money (I did not apply for Phillips Exeter or Andover) or go to a nationally top ranked public high school. Of course, if the boarding schools that I did get accepted into were of greater quality and importance, I would have taken that route. But I did not believe that it was worth the money and the time. Additionally, I would have stayed in a dorm since these schools were located in far-away states.</p>

<p>Just to give you a perspective, many boarding schools require tuitions of over 50 grand a year, higher than many top notch colleges in America.</p>

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<p>Just an update. My son made semifinalists. Still waiting to retake the essay part this Friday.
I told my son it will be his choice to choose as to go to TJ or base school. I had assumed that he would probably choose his base school. But few days ago, my son surprised me by saying, he’ll go to TJ if he made the finalists. So we’ll see.</p>

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<p>Wanting to make sure myson would make an informed decision. I told him, let’s wait to see if he made the finalists. Guess, we won’t know until sometime in March. Then if he’s in, we should make a list of pros and cons before making decision. </p>

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<p>

Not…</p>

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<p>@Annandale: That sounds like a good plan. It’s certainly a major life decision, so I’m glad you’re taking the time to think things out. </p>

<p>I haven’t updated in a while, so I suppose I should. Staying at my base school (and not applying to TJ) was the best possible decision for me. I thank everyone in this thread who ultimately helped me figure out where I needed to be. </p>

<p>In terms of academic achievement, I was able to do basically everything I wanted without having to endure hours of commute each day. When there weren’t AMCs or Chem Olympiad tests offered, I got them sponsored. When there wasn’t a strong quizbowl team at my school, I laid the groundwork for one. When there wasn’t an available local opportunity for science research, I spent my summer away researching at Michigan State. It really is true that you make of your high school education what you put into it. For what it’s worth, I scored a 2400 on the SAT and will graduate as class valedictorian later this year. </p>

<p>A few months ago, I was admitted to Harvard early. Last month, I got a likely letter from Yale. I’m also a finalist for the Jefferson Scholarship at UVA (something that probably wouldn’t have happened amidst the intense competition at TJ). My college prospects thus have turned out even better than I’d ever hoped (and I’m still waiting on a few more schools!).</p>

<p>Perhaps most importantly, I feel like I really discovered myself at my local high school. I forged some amazing friendships, honed my political and religious beliefs, and discovered a passion for independent and live music (I go to shows as regularly as I can!), among other things. Best of all, my friends are all within short driving distance–a clear advantage to staying at my base school.</p>

<p>I hope this thread serves as a resource for future students in my position. It truly was a “tough choice,” but I think I made the right one. </p>

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<p>HSHSP, 2400, wanted by Yale and Harvard?.. you’re someone everyone on CC aspires to be
It was definitely a great choice staying at your current school.</p>

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<p>Hi StudiousMaximus: I was so touched by your story/post. When I was reading the responses, I could not wait to know where you were three years later. You are truly amazing! Would you please let us know whether you received offers from other colleges you applied and which college are you going this Fall? Thank you.</p>

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<p>@adventurer68: Sure! I applied to six schools and got into four of them: Harvard, Yale, Duke, and UVA. I was waitlisted by Stanford and Princeton. I just finished up my first semester at Harvard, and it was a blast! </p>

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<p>@Studious, What are you majoring in college? Can you recommend some good public high schools in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties (NOVA area)?</p>

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<p>@rhapsody17: I’m probably going to major in CS. As for public high school recommendations, I think my story demonstrates that a high school need only be “good enough.” My high school, Loudoun County High School, is not ranked especially highly (I believe Stone Bridge might be the best-ranked in the county), but I was able to make it work. To be honest, Northern Virginia has fairly consistently good high schools. If you’re looking for some names, I have heard some particularly good things about McLean and Langley.</p>

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@StudiousMaximus‌ Thanks for posting this! Is there anything you can say to motivate students to strive to get the best grades and stand at the top of their class?