The Truth Wrote:
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> 1. Favorable teacher recs don't help you..they're
> a dime a dozen. Unfavorable teacher recs can
> hurt you.
If this were true it would be fantastic. I'm not worried about favorable/unfavorable causing this particular factor to get a low "score", I'm worried that some inexperienced-with-writing-TJ-recs teacher will write a ho-hum rec that doesn't excite the reviewers to give a higher score. TJ actually gives examples of essentially the SAME rec written two different ways and says one is better than the other because it provides more color - crap, that's all I can say to that - it means the experienced rec writer "wins" to the unfortunate-not-to-hae-an-experienced-rec-writer student's dismay.
> 2. The subjective part of the admissions process
> was broadened to identify gifted and talented
> students across the spectrum in non-traditional
> areas.
Yeah, I read that letter from the Known Geek about tryhing to get around pure test results - can't argue with it!
> 3. Many students cheat their way into TJ by
> cheating on tests, plagiarizing reports,
> submitting parent-produced work. Therefore, a
> non-testing metric is necessary to be sure that
> the student is capable, not just an automated
> parent-driven robot.
It's not clear how many do this, however that Student Application essay certainly is begging for parental involvement.
> 4. Asians benefit from the extra testing provided
> by after-school tutoring mills. While your kids
> are off doing Facebook and video games, they are
> becoming test savvy. To the victor goes the
> spoils...so suck it up.
I would assume a lot of the kids do this, not just Asians. We already know w.r.t. Asians that a work-culture is present and, in some case, The Infamous Tiger Mom is very present (we actually know a couple students in JUST that situation!).
BTW - my daughter is Asian American. When she started elementary school she would come home, hit the john, have a snack, and IMMEDIATELY do all her homework. We're talking a kid barely old enough to walk. She certainly did not learn that behavior overtly from her parents (my wife and I). Perhaps there is something more subtle going on here. Or perhaps the fact she's Asian American is irrelevant.
> 5. Too many of the kids that are bound for TJ are
> socially maladjusted...most of them "find their
> way" at TJ among a common peer group. However,
> they are a few that are "on the spectrum" and
> certifiable. Look what Mommy and Daddy created.
I've seen nothing that suggests TJ students are maladjusted in general nor that the TJ student population is skewed toward maladjusted. Dont suppose you have a link to back that particular statement up, huh?
> 6. TJ is not the end all be all.
True. In fact, until the poorly-attended TJ orientation was given at her middle school, my daughter (and myself) weren't interested in the effort to try to get her into TJ (as we were not interested earlier in her educational career in trying to get her into a GT school (she's a straight-A honors middle schooler right now)). But the orientation convinced HER that maybe the effort could be worth it; she liked what she heard about TJ.
> ...Stay at your home school and excel...
That's what she's going to do if she does not succeed in getting into TJ. We - the family as a whole - have no problem with that.
> ...and you have a better chance at admissions...
That's actually probably not true. Other than minimal bragging rights (afterall, who CARES what high school you went to!) the one thing TJ pretty much guarantees is smoother sailing into the college of one's choice. BTW - I thought I read recently that TJ had some ridiculous number of admissions to the VTs, Stanfords, and MITs of the world this time around...one moment...just found it:
http://www.tjhsst.edu/curriculum/dss/docs/tjprofile_2010.pdf
Yup - ridiculous acceptance.
In any case, my daughter wishy-washily still wants to try to get admitted to TJ and we back her up (as stated today to her at breakfast - "If you want to try, try. Practice that essay writing every day, take advantage of what is offered for you to prepare. We'll support your effort"). So we're supporting her effort by spending some time NOW on message boards and a gajillion other web sites to find out what it takes to excel at the admissions process - don't delay, start today!