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TJ Eligibility Checker
Can your child apply to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology this fall? Answer five questions and we will check them against the FCPS eligibility rules for the Class of 2031. It takes about a minute.
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TJ Eligibility Requirements for 2026-27
To apply for 9th grade admission to TJHSST, a student has to clear five checks. Residency comes first. The four academic requirements are checked when the application window opens on Monday, October 5, 2026.
- Residency
- The student lives full time with a parent or legal guardian in a participating division: Arlington, Fairfax County (including the City of Fairfax), Falls Church City, Loudoun, or Prince William. The family must keep living there through the admissions process and while the student attends TJ.
- 1. Algebra 1
- A completed full-year Algebra 1 course, or current enrollment in full-year honors Algebra 1. If the school does not offer honors Algebra 1, the student must have completed or be enrolled in the highest level of Algebra 1 it offers. Our guide to the math level TJ expects covers the pathway.
- 2. Honors science
- Current enrollment in honors science. If the school does not offer honors science, the highest level of 8th grade science it offers counts.
- 3. Honors English or social studies, or Young Scholars
- Current enrollment in an honors English or social studies course (or the highest level offered in either), or identification as a Young Scholar or through a similar program that nurtures advanced academic potential in students from underserved backgrounds.
- 4. 3.5 core GPA
- An unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher in math, science, English, and social studies, plus world language if taken for high school credit. It uses 7th grade final marks at a full credit and 8th grade first quarter marks at a quarter credit, and it is never rounded. The TJ GPA calculator works it out from the report card.
Source: FCPS, TJHSST Eligibility Requirements.
Who Can Apply to TJ
TJ is a regional Governor’s School run by Fairfax County Public Schools. Only students from the divisions that participate in it can apply.
- Participating
- Arlington County, Fairfax County (including the City of Fairfax), Falls Church City, Loudoun County, and Prince William County.
- Not participating
- The City of Alexandria, the City of Manassas, the City of Manassas Park, and Fauquier County. Students who live there are not eligible to apply to or attend TJ.
- Private school and homeschool students
- Eligible if they live in a participating division and meet the same four requirements. They submit proof of residency with the application, and homeschooled applicants also describe every middle school math course, including the textbook used. Private and homeschool applicants are considered for the seats that are not allocated to individual public middle schools.
- Families moving to the area
- The student and a parent or legal guardian must actually live in a participating division at the time of application. Owning a home here is not enough. Active-duty military and some other federal families on orders should contact the TJHSST Admissions Office, which requires orders between April 1 and April 15.
Key Dates for the Class of 2031
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Mon, Oct 5, 2026 | Application opens at 4 p.m. Course requirements are checked as of this date. |
| Fri, Oct 30, 2026 | Application deadline at 4 p.m. Requests for testing accommodations or an alternate test day are due with the application. |
| By Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | FCPS notifies applicants who do not meet the honors course or GPA minimums. |
| Sat, Jan 9, 2027 | Student Portrait Sheet and Problem-Solving Essay. |
| Thu, Jan 14, 2027 | Test day for approved accommodations and alternate test requests. Snow dates are Jan 23 and Feb 4. |
| By Fri, Apr 30, 2027 | Admission decisions: Offer, Waitpool, or No Offer. |
FCPS notes that dates may change. See the full 2026-27 TJ admissions calendar.
Eligible Is Where the Application Starts
Meeting the requirements lets a student apply. It does not rank them. TJ enrolls about 550 freshmen, and FCPS reviews each eligible applicant’s core GPA together with the Student Portrait Sheet, the Problem-Solving Essay, and experience factors. FCPS does not publish a formula or a GPA cutoff above 3.5.
Experience factors (such as being economically disadvantaged, an English learner, or a student receiving special education services) are context FCPS considers, not a checklist. For most eligible families, the Student Portrait Sheet and Problem-Solving Essay are the part of the application still ahead and still in their control. The full TJ admissions overview explains how the pieces fit.
TJ Eligibility Questions, Answered
A student must live full time with a parent or legal guardian in a participating school division (Arlington, Fairfax County including the City of Fairfax, Falls Church City, Loudoun, or Prince William). When the application opens, the student must also have (1) completed full-year Algebra 1 or be enrolled in full-year honors Algebra 1, (2) be enrolled in honors science, (3) be enrolled in honors English or social studies, or be identified as a Young Scholar, and (4) have a 3.5 or higher unweighted core GPA. Schools without honors courses use their highest level instead.
No. FCPS says Fauquier County Public Schools and the cities of Alexandria, Manassas, and Manassas Park do not currently participate in TJHSST, so students who live there are not eligible to apply to or attend TJ. Questions about non-participation go to your own school division.
Only if Algebra 1 is still in progress. A student who has already completed a full-year Algebra 1 course, at any level, meets the math requirement. A student taking Algebra 1 now must be in the full-year honors course. If the school does not offer honors Algebra 1, the highest level of Algebra 1 it offers counts.
FCPS accounts for that. Without honors Algebra 1, the highest level of Algebra 1 offered counts. Without honors science, the highest level of 8th grade science offered counts. Without honors English or social studies, the highest level course offered in either subject counts. The school counselor can confirm which courses qualify.
Yes, if the family lives in a participating division. They must meet the same course and GPA requirements and submit proof of residency. Homeschooled applicants must also describe every middle school math course, including the textbook used. Private and homeschool applicants are considered for the seats that are not allocated to individual public middle schools.
Young Scholars is an FCPS program that identifies and nurtures advanced academic potential in students from groups that are often underrepresented. For TJ, being identified as a Young Scholar, or through a similar program in another division, meets the same requirement as an honors English or social studies course. It does not replace the math, science, or GPA requirements.
The course requirements must be met when the application opens on Monday, October 5, 2026. The GPA uses 7th grade final marks plus 8th grade first quarter marks. FCPS confirms eligibility during the admissions process and notifies applicants who do not meet the course or GPA minimums on or before December 31, 2026.
Rarely. FCPS says it is highly unlikely that first quarter 8th grade marks will lift a GPA that was below 3.5 at the end of 7th grade, because each first quarter mark carries only a quarter credit. The TJ GPA calculator shows the exact first quarter average your student would need.
At the time of application. FCPS says the student and a parent or legal guardian must actually live in the participating division when they apply, and keep living there through the admissions process and while the student attends TJ. Owning property here is not enough. Active-duty military and some other federal families on orders should contact the TJHSST Admissions Office, which requires orders between April 1 and April 15.
Eligibility only means your child can apply. FCPS then reviews the core GPA together with the Student Portrait Sheet, the Problem-Solving Essay, and experience factors, and it does not publish a formula or cutoff. For most eligible applicants, the Student Portrait Sheet and Problem-Solving Essay are where applications are won or lost.
Source. This checker follows the FCPS TJHSST Eligibility Requirements page and the 2026-27 admissions calendar. It reflects what you tell it; FCPS makes the official eligibility determination during the admissions process, and the TJHSST Admissions Office can answer questions about a specific student. TJ Test Prep is an independent prep program and is not affiliated with FCPS or TJHSST. Last reviewed September 25, 2026.
Eligible? The next step is the Student Portrait Sheet and Problem-Solving Essay.
The free TJ diagnostic gives your student one Student Portrait Sheet response and one Problem-Solving Essay, with a parent-friendly readiness report.