<p>I know that TJHSST is one of the most academically respected public schools in the US, but does it compare academically with “1st tier” schools?</p>
<p>Does anyone know of any families that have had experience with both schools?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>BUMP. 10 char.</p>
<p>Thats a tough one… TJ definitely has a great rep for a public school. I guess you could apply to both and let fate decide?</p>
<p>Most of you guys probably think lowly of TJHSST since it is public but here are the school profiles for Andover, Exeter, and TJHSST. </p>
<p>As you will notice TJHSST doesn’t send as many students to the Ivy League but it sends students at a very high rate when compared to 99% of boarding schools (besides Andover/Exeter). One thing you should pay attention to is the SAT average. TJ has more students than the other schools and still maintains a higher SATaverage. Mind you, this is drawing from the suburbs of Northern Virginia and not the entire USA. Considering, I think TJ is on par, if not better than the GLADCHEMMS schools.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tjhsst.edu/curriculum/dss/docs/tjprofile_2010.pdf[/url]”>www.tjhsst.edu/curriculum/dss/docs/tjprofile_2010.pdf</a>
<a href=“http://www.exeter.edu/documents/Profile_2010_two_pages(4).pdf[/url]”>http://www.exeter.edu/documents/Profile_2010_two_pages(4).pdf</a>
<a href=“http://www.andover.edu/Academics/CollegeCounseling/Documents/PhillipsAcademySchoolProfile2010-2011.pdf[/url]”>http://www.andover.edu/Academics/CollegeCounseling/Documents/PhillipsAcademySchoolProfile2010-2011.pdf</a></p>
<p>The difference is like night and day, literally.</p>
<p>I agree TJ is different from GLADCHEMMS in many ways, but if you ask whether one can get as much academically from TJ as from GLADCHEMMS I’d say maybe. In any case, mind you it is only an option for people “from the suburbs of Northern Virginia and not the entire USA”. If you are from that area, why don’t you add it to your list of schools to apply, visit the school and talk to students and teachers there, who knows you may end up liking it.</p>
<p>Will anyone write something like “A Separate Peace” about TJHSST, though?</p>
<p>^Never, because although TJ is FANTASTIC, the boarding aspect (of boarding schools) makes for a completely different high school experience. People who went to TJ will look back in 30 years, and say, “Man, I loved TJ. It was so challenging!” Where as someone who had gone to GLADCHEMMS (or any other BS) will look back and say, “Those were the best four years of my life.”</p>
<p>@markalex1: I agree. TJ’s stats are very impressive. And I’m sure it’s a great experience. But it’s only available to a select few in a specific geographic area.</p>
<p>That said, if we were in that geographic area I would probably research it thoroughly for the daughter who will be applying to BS this year.</p>
<p>DS was accepted to TJ and to GLADCHEMMS and chose to board (the locals gasp). He has a lot of friends at TJ and it’s a great place…very challenging. The commute time for him to attend TJ would have been hard and if you’re into humanities, BS is a better place to be. Also, if you’re into sports, BS wins, especially if the alternative is doing a lot of travelling. Add that onto the long TJ day and the tough hw load and it can add up to a really tough schedule. TJ upside…no tuition, amazing SATs, instant recognition from colleges, close-knit community, but kids are pulled from all over the big county and from next county over as well, so school friends rarely live close by. One of DS’s math teachers from his early years went on to teach at TJ and then at Exeter. According to her, the teachers at both are terrific but when you delve into really, really, really high level math, a greater percentage of Exeter’s teachers have a firm grasp. That may or may not be the case when comparing to other schools.</p>
<p>Other than the excellent academics at both schools, comparing these two is like comparing apples and oranges. TJ is an MIT-like day school. I would never send a child who loved the liberal arts to TJ. It’s filled with the most hard core, off-the-chart smart, math and science kids. The “all work-no play, balls-to-the-wall” Asian culture permeates everything. That said, if you’re one of those kids who is skilled enough to compete (and interested enough in that lifestyle), you can have the experience of a lifetime, make the greatest of friends, be a sought-after college applicant and not pay tuition.</p>
<p>I actually am trying out for TJHSST right now! My essays are due in 9 days. I also tried out for St. Paul’s, Andover, Episcopal, Blair, and Groton. Honestly, the only reason TJ kids don’t go to Ivies is because they’re not as rich as all the boarding school kids. That’s the only reason.
Their average SAT is 2155. I would have a lot of friends at TJ, but I hate math and science…haha, which is why I want to go to a BS.</p>
<p>What do you mean by not as rich, you realize that Andover has nearly half of it’s student body on financial aid, and just because you can pay full tuition, it doesn’t make you rich.</p>
<p>both schools are fantastic but in the end it depends on what the student’s strengths/interests are in.</p>
<p>"just because you can pay full tuition, it doesn’t make you rich. "</p>
<p>perhaps not the in the boarding school world, but in most circles making 200k+ a year and/or having the capacity to pay 45k a year in tuition is rich. </p>
<p>then again, alexandria VA (home of TJHSST) is a pretty rich town …</p>
<p>TJHSST - The average SAT is 2200</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.fcps.edu/mediapub/pressrel/sat_table2_2010.pdf[/url]”>http://www.fcps.edu/mediapub/pressrel/sat_table2_2010.pdf</a></p>
<p>Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but I had to respond to markalex1’s post about the experience of TJHSST vs. top boarding schools. I graduated from TJ last year, with the class of 2010. I can guarantee that in 30 years, I will not remember TJ only for its challenging academics. Yes, I worked hard, but TJ’s most amazing resources come from its students. Many of my classes were challenging and engaging, but some were not. However, I was always surrounded by exceptional peers. My peers at TJ were, on average, brighter than my peers are at college. This type of intellectual environment only provided TJ with an equally exciting culture. For example, many students spent the entire weekend before Homecoming designing and creating elaborate costumes for each spirit day. Students at TJ LOVE the school. I’m really bothered by people who claim that academics are TJ’s only memorable quality. I will remember TJ for how much fun I had being surrounded by the smartest group of people I’ll ever encounter.</p>
<p>It’s great that you had a memorable high school experience. I’m sure those in the DC area will find your school a strong alternative. That said, boarding schools are fundamentally different from day schools, so the premise of this thread is fundamentally flawed. The BS admissions process also stresses different characteristics from many day schools. In New York, Hunter High School and schools such as Stuyvesant have a testing-driven application process. This yields a different type of student, and should, ceteris paribus, lead to higher outgoing SAT scores. Like a business, a school’s job is to add value to its inputs. Even if you focus exclusively on standardized test performance, an analysis of a schools performance must focus on the value added, not simply the outbound test scores. Those speak to the ability of the students, but not necessarily to the value added by the school.</p>
<p>I agree “the premise of this thread is fundamentally flawed”. There are so many reasons TJ shouldn’t be compared with a top BS. Don’t believe it? Visit! They are just so - DIFFERENT! So, let go of it. Comparisons (or even competitions?) here are meaningless.</p>
<p>kraordrawoh, great post. Although I do love TJ, it’s still a public school with big classes and several mediocre teachers. I often wonder if I might have benefited more from the intimate classes and individual attention that private schools offer. Nevertheless, I absolutely loved TJ because of the students. TJ is fantastic because it attracts only the brightest kids. The actual impact of TJ itself (the faculty, counselors, administrators, etc.) is debatable. </p>
<p>However, one of the few concrete advantages the school does offer is access to high level science and math courses. I definitely didn’t take advantage of everything the school had to offer, but I did take multivariable calculus, linear algebra, DNA science, and organic chemistry. I spent all senior year working with researchers at NIH studying HIV. And in college, my math and science classes are comparatively easier and less work than what I encountered in high school. Humanities classes, on the other hand, are much harder in college.</p>
<p>I also agree with what you said about the admissions processes. Both types of schools look for different types of students. Unlike other magnet schools, TJ considers essays, grades, extracurriculars, and teacher recommendations in addition to its own test. However, what sets it apart from private schools is its sole focus on academics. The private schools, like the top colleges, also consider factors such as diversity, legacies, and sports recruiting. TJ does nothing of the sort. Only the most academically gifted students are admitted, and TJ does not practice affirmative action. Although this policy has led to a school dominated by asians and whites, TJ continues to select only the most deserving students. And TJ does have an incredibly smart student body - my friends and I all feel that our peers at TJ were smarter than they are at our colleges.</p>
<p>ANYWAY, I’m not trying to insult any of these private schools. I just love TJ and love to talk about the school.</p>