Yes, you are right. I misspoke on that one, I was responding to another post regarding how other high schools in northern VA cannot compete with TJ and got carried away. My bad. I should have said anyone who is eligible can apply. But I guess my point is that it is a magnet school so there is a pre-selection process which makes TJ different from regular high schools. To label those students as average itself is very misleading on your part.
To your other point, " My students school only gets about 14 students into UVA a year with a class size of around 500. TJ gets about 200 students in a year.How is that not fair?" Let’s say, if there is another high school, not TJ, with also 500 students and got 30 students into UVA, where all 30 are equally good as your 14, is that also unfair to you? Or, if there are 300 students from TJ that are equally good or better than your 14 students, but 100 got left out because “we have too many TJ students”, is that fair to those TJ 100 students who didn’t get in? Sorry I got a bit emotional here but I am just thinking that maybe the college application process should simplify and be more transparent. I admit that I have my bias, as I am looking only thru my lens. So, like you, I am just ranting my thoughts, and am sorry for the long rant as well.
Fairfax County covers a significant part of the entire state’s income tax load, based on amounts I have seen published by Virginia. And has the most significant population (which leads to many more applicants as DeanJ pointed out). So it would only be logical that more Fairfax County students are admitted to UVA … It’s a population and revenue center for the State.
How would you simplify the college process and make it more transparent? Only look at test scores? Only look at the level of courses a student took? A college does not want a bunch of students that just do well on standardized tests. If they did, then students would do nothing but study for the tests. Why get involved with activities that you enjoy or take on leadership roles. These things can only be evaluated holistically and that is why colleges have a holistic review. How would you separate all of the students in the country with 1600 SAT’s or 36 ACT’s? There are many great leaders in this country that did not have a perfect SAT. There are great inventors and teachers in this country that did not have a perfect SAT. Colleges are not just looking for someone that can be measured with a number they are looking for someone that will contribute to the college and society one day and that is why every college in the country has a holistic approach. Are you saying that TJ kids have higher standardized test scores and so every college should admit them because of that? Or because they went to TJ every college should automatically admit all 400 seniors from TJ before they admit anyone else in the country. Maybe every TJ student should be admitted to the IVY league school of their choice because they are so much better than students at other schools.
I got waitlisted, i know i can send a letter of continued interest, but can i have a teacher email another letter of recommendation as well?
I agree whole heartily with “A college does not want a bunch of students that just do well on standardized tests. If they did, then students would do nothing but study for the tests.” And that’s probably why TJ, in my mind, got less than their fair share to get into UVA, even though they are not as nerdy as you think and do get involved with activities that they enjoy and take on leadership roles. But I think your argument is more on that just because your school has 500 students, you should get more kids into UVA since TJ only has 400 students, or any other high schools with same size and more students accepted to UVA, regardless of qualification (which I totally agree should not be solely based on test scores), which is what I think unfair to any high school students who have worked as hard as other kids.
@sydsileno I think you have a good attitude. Life happens and we’re not perfect. Make your best choice among the colleges at which you’ve been accepted and do your best. Look at the UVA admissions section on transferring and make sure you follow their guidelines and meet their deadlines for transfer students. Apply if even if you’re not sure- you can make up your mind later. Performance in college is the best predictor of performance in college. I transferred to UVA (I’m a parent) from Rice and it was a good decision for me. It is possible.
I never said that my kids school with 500 students should get more then 14 students into UVA, what I said is why should 300 students at TJ get in because they went to TJ? 2.8% get in from our school but people say TJ is at a disadvantage when 50% are excepted. Sound like a major advantage to me.
Not quite sure if they got 300 students (I think I used that number just as an example, and you said 200). But your point of they got in by simply being TJ students is just so unfair to the students. They got in because they have worked hard, studied hard, and showed holistically that they are qualified. Being a TJ student does not get you anywhere automatically, what you have done decides where you go.
REJECTED! at 12 rejections. kms
@quinntheeskimo when did you get notice of the corporate Special Scholarship (which is not technically NMS, I don’t believe)? Waiting to hear back on this and it’s March 24 so might not be looking good for my chances.
@catchastar - I think it was March 15 - got a letter and also notified on NMF portal- but they are still coming out - this one a parent has to work at the company
I don’t even attend TJHSST, but rather I attend a school in NoVa. TJ kids ARE at an inherent disadvantage because their school is so competitive. GPA is what matters most in their case because everyone has the same everything else. A kid who has a 4.1 at TJ could easily make UVA if they were at a normal high school, but a lot of these smart kids who don’t have great GPAs comparatively experience rejection with UVA. There’s no bias towards TJ; the kids who get in work extremely hard to do so and the ones who don’t—at least a lot of them—also deserve to get in.
Is there a class of 2022 facebook page?
@panicatthepilot I link to the Class FB page on the admission blog.
@17andcomingclean Please read the Waiting List FAQs. There was a link to them in your letter.
Please stop spreading this ridiculous rumor that 300 TJ students got admitted to UVA this year or that there is some target number for any high school.
There are no targets or limits for any high school, town, county, or region within Virginia in our process. A student is reviewed in the context of their high school. When a school has tremendous resources and advanced course options, the students at that school are expected to take advantage of them.
I have worked at a college (private) that did limit us a bit on how many students we could take from a school. UVA doesn’t do it, thank goodness.
This notion that TJ kids have it easy makes me cringe. I wish more people had a chance to really talk to students there so they could understand the culture.
Posters are probably citing data points from profiles like this produced by TJ:
https://fcps.tjhsst.edu/coursemgmt/media/300/resource/TJ%20Profile%202016-17%20online.pdf
While it says how many applied and were admitted, it does not say how many attend. It also says nothing about a target. It also shows TJ kids have exceptionally high standardized test scores on average, which probably helps with admissions.
And 224 is pretty far from 300.
People need to remember that every year is different. The results of last year’s process don’t drive this year’s.
May have missed this, but is there a date Financial Aid and/or Merit Information will be available to view?
I spoke with FA today - and they said it will BEGIN to release on portal and notify via email today. however, no promises on when any one applicants FA will be posted. could be later this week.
Just checked SIS and ours is up. No aid at all. Waiting to hear from Villanova and then my daughter will make a decision.