What Is tjSTAR? A Look at TJ’s Senior Research Symposium

tjSTAR (Thomas Jefferson Symposium to Advance Research) is a school-wide research day at TJHSST that takes place near the end of each school year. It’s the culminating event for seniors in their research labs or mentorship programs, where they present the work they’ve spent all of senior year developing.

Seniors have time slots and rooms to give a formal research presentation. Some are solo, some are in pairs or small teams. Topics span all of TJ’s labs—like Computer Systems, Neuroscience, Quantum Physics, Oceanography, and more. Every project is unique, and presentations often include results from experiments, codebases, prototypes, or mentorship work conducted at universities and research institutions.

A Full-School Research Experience

While only seniors present, every student at TJ participates in tjSTAR as an audience member:

• Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors attend sessions of their choosing

• Students get a chance to see what senior research looks like, how projects are developed, and how real scientific work is communicated

This makes tjSTAR more than just a presentation day—it's a rare chance for underclassmen to:

• Explore different research labs before senior year

• Learn how to structure and explain a long-term project

• See what opportunities lie ahead—and start thinking about their own interests early

Why Is tjSTAR Important

tjSTAR represents the academic culture that sets TJ apart. Instead of just turning in a paper or taking an AP exam, seniors finish their year by publicly presenting original work to the school community. That level of independence, depth, and rigor is rare in any high school—and it gives TJ students a real head start in research.

This event also reinforces how research isn’t isolated to one grade or class. Everyone at TJ, regardless of year, is involved in learning from it, supporting it, and building toward it.

Final Thoughts

tjSTAR is one of the clearest examples of what makes TJHSST different. It’s not just a research assignment—it’s a celebration of the work TJ students are trusted to do. It reflects the kind of responsibility and depth students can take on here.

If you care about research, scientific thinking, or solving real problems, this is the kind of environment where that work isn’t just encouraged—it’s expected.