Virginia School Tops the Best High Schools List

To Mom of VA

Here in Fairfax County--and the other counties and cities TJHSST draws from such as Prince William, Loudon, Falls Church City, Fairfax City, Arlington, etc--we are proud that our children have the opportunity for such a high quality education WITHOUT our having to pay to send them to a private high school (which I, for one, could not afford). I have two children at TJ...and neither EVER saw a tutor--they just worked hard to get there, and are smart enough to be there. The great majority of the high schools in this region are outstanding...and from six years of attending functions at TJ, I can tell you that the kids there are exceptionally bright. Oh yes--my kids take the bus to school, too.

school

john of TX put it best. everyone thinks that their child is so great, etc, etc. lets just chill out.

TJ is pretty chill

With regard to "Mom of VA" comment (Posted Dec 05, 2008 @ 14:54:13 PM) .

I'm really surprised by your comment, especially since all your kids went to a private high school. TJ definitely is not a school for 'rich kids'. As a senior at TJ going through the college application process right now, economics plays a pretty big role in the college decisions with many students (especially those seeking to pursue graduate degrees) choosing to apply to less expensive state schools. I've found that people I know attending private schools rarely have to make these types of decisions.

Personally, I've found TJ a lot less materialistic then my middle school and base high school were. People are less worried about wearing the 'cool' clothes or driving a nice car. It's a place where people are respected for their personality more then their material possessions.

TJ, a fine and superb PUBLIC high school

With regard to "Mom of VA" comment (Posted Dec 05, 2008 @ 14:54:13 PM) .

While many parents of TJ's students are intellectuals and many of them are in the upper brackets, there are other parents who belong to working class. Yet their children are doing very well at TJ.

I do not believe being poor or rich have any thing to do with TJ's admission. The entrance test is just a beginning; once admitted, the students must continue to study very hard to succeed.

The faculty and the support staff at TJ work very hard to contribute to the academic success of its students. Drop by the school at the end of the school day and one will see the principal standing in the middle of the road directing traffic, even on a rainy day. He and his entire staff should be applauded.

GO TJ!

I'm a Student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and experience college with many students who have come from TJHST. They are brilliant! I have several friends who are currently attending TJ and they absolutely love it. They are given exceptional challenges as far as course difficulty and definitely prepared for the most challenging colleges. You should see the college acceptances list! Many if not most go to Ivy League schools. Great school.

TJ is truly remarkable

My son is a senior at TJ and it has been a pleasure to see him experience this remarkable school. He has had worked very hard dealing with the high level coursework but he has also had fun with drama, sports and student camaraderie. This is what we all hope a public school could be: an energized learning environment with mutual respect between faculty and students and no major distractions with discipline. Let's try to bring these qualities to more schools so that more young people can be inspired to take on the future.

Yes, the sky is falling (cont'd)

(..cont'd)

I do not agree with the user who criticized the schools that “steal” all the talents from normal public schools. Why should one student be kept from a better education, so a bad student can have a “role model?” Seriously, when has there been a delinquent who aspired to be like the nerds in the school? Personally, I come from a school ranked in the top 5. For privacy reasons, I will not post it. I could not disagree more with the ranking. I have not been to the other schools in the top 5 category, but from a friend that goes to TJ and my overall impressions, I feel my school does not deserve such a high rank. If my school really is the # rank then it is obvious why the US is not a leading country in education anymore. I believe like the goal of education is to help a student realize his potential, and then provide the opportunities to reach it.

My school does not provide me with the opportunities to grow. Because of scheduling constraints, I am not allowed to take AP sciences and multivariable calculus as an underclassman. I am stuck in many classes 200 minutes a week doing things I already know. I am sorely disappointed in the education system. I would say the teachers in our school are not much better at teaching than at other public schools. The lectures and classes are inefficient, and the work does not require stimulated thinking. Most of the homework is just mindless grunt work. The sky is falling. Everyone move to Sweden.

Let’s hope the president-elect is really the messiah as the media shows him as.

Discontented student

Yes, the sky is falling

Reading some of the ignorant comments left by other users has given me a week's worth of humor. Simply reading [more] carefully will reveal that all the schools listed here are public, not private. All of the schools are funded by TAX DOLLARS and NOT TUITION. Honestly, some people don't know what they are talking about. True, I come from a higher income family, I guess 250k+ would be the bracket, but I have never undergone a single day of tutoring in my life. Contrary to popular belief, not all people were born rich. My parents were low-middle class immigrants from Asia, and worked hard to get into a university here. For the first ten years of my life I have lived in apartments etc. while my parents were studying for their PhD and juggling a job working in the university cafeteria at the same time. The "rich using their money to gain an advantage" in school is a sweeping generalization. True, some do go to tutoring, but is wanting to improve your child's education because PS sucks bad? There is nothing wrong with listing TJ as #1. Yes, they have many bright kids and would probably do well without going to the school. They provide their students with a competitive environment and opportunities for extended growth. Therefore, they are listed as school #1.

For those complaining about not listing schools with special needs and high minority percentages, I don't believe there is anything worth complaining about. "Some students just aren't given the chance to do well" sure there might be some, but honestly most are not able to perform at a high level. With that said, I do support strengthening education in lesser privileged areas. In the future, I would like to see USN list schools in separate categories: minority schools, special needs schools, and top scoring schools (nationally recognized tests, competitive college acceptance rates, etc).

Football isn't the only sport in this country. TJ won the state soccer championship in 2007 and placed very high in cross country this past season

How it is possible

To put it simply, you don't take a test and if you score high enough, you are in. There is a far more comprehensive process of selecting students that are appear as though they will thrive in the TJ environment. The admissions committee looks at transcripts, teacher recommendations and an essay, so there is not single factor that will determine whether or not a student can come. In fact, several students are accepted in spite of low test scores or low middle school GPAs.

As for the number of students who are ready for college, that percentage is determined only by looking at the senior class and and the number of APs that they have taken. By the end of their senior year, literally everyone at TJ will have taken multiple APs and will have passed at least 1.