Amid dozens of changes, thousands of media articles, and court challenges, many applicants and parents find themselves wondering where to find a complete guide to the TJ Admissions Process. In keeping with our mission of taking the guesswork out of TJ Prep, here is our summary of how it all works.
Get a comprehensive walkthrough of the TJ admissions process, including key insights on how to best prepare for success.
Understanding the evolution of the admissions process helps families prepare more effectively
Prior to the changes in 2020/2021, the TJ Admissions Process was a merit-based, two-round system:
Significant modifications were implemented by the Fairfax County Public Schools School Board, effective for the class entering in Fall 2021.
The process began considering factors like attending an "underrepresented middle school" (initially), eligibility for free/reduced lunch, participation in ESOL programs, or having a learning disability, providing a potential boost.
The top 1.5% of each public middle school's 8th-grade class (based on holistic review rank within that school) would receive automatic admission offers, filling the initial "allocated" seats.
Today, the TJ Admissions Process employs a "Holistic Review." This means application components are not individually scored. Instead, evaluators consider the entire package together to rank students within their respective pools.
Public school students are first ranked within their middle school. The top 1.5% of the 8th-grade class size from each school are offered admission.
Example: A middle school with 400 8th graders would have 6 allocated seats (1.5% of 400 = 6).All remaining public school applicants (not admitted via the 1.5% rule) and all private school applicants compete for the remaining seats based on a county-wide holistic review ranking.
The number of available unallocated seats varies significantly by county/district.An initial proposal for a lottery failed and is not part of the current admissions process. Selection is based entirely on holistic review.
These students cannot compete for the "allocated" 1.5% seats. They only compete for the smaller pool of "unallocated" seats, making their admission path statistically more challenging.
These are characteristics that make the student "more desirable" for admissions. Having an experience factor leads to higher admissions rates. These include: low income (whether or not the student is on free or reduced lunch meals), ESOL (official school English as a Second Language program) status, and learning disability status. These special experience factors are extremely controversial and widely known as 'race-proxies.' However, despite court challenges, they remain in effect today.
It is determined through a "holistic" review. The top 1.5% does not only consider a student's grades. It also considers their performance on the Student Portrait Sheet (SPS), Problem-Solving Essay (PSE), and the special experience factors.
After your "application," which is really more of a registration form, you will be invited to take the SPS & PSE at a local testing center (usually a nearby middle school). This is a completely typed or computerized exam. You can learn more about how these 2 components are structured, and how to approach them through our online, self-paced course or small group coaching.
Private school students can only compete for unallocated seats. They still complete the same application, but are only considered for around 200-250 of the 550 total seats, making it far more competitive for those individuals.
Extremely important. A strong GPA is foundational to a competitive application. Check out our "Data and Insights" page to learn more about average admitted student GPAs and other key statistics.
For detailed guidance and personalized preparation strategies, our team of TJHSST alumni is here to help.
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