Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology("TJ" for short) draws applicants from across five counties and two cities in Northern Virginia, selecting 500 students from a pool of several thousand applicants. Admission is based primarily on a general achievement test and prior grades. To give a sense of student caliber: Of the 432 seniors in the Class of 2007, 158 were National Merit semifinalists, more than any other school in the nation. And the average student SAT score was a 2155 (on a 2400 scale). When they aren't shouldering their science-heavy course load, TJ students participate in a slew of extracurriculars, choosing from some 25 varsity sports and 85 clubs, including the Investment Club, the Neuroscience Society, the Entomology Club, and the Forensics Sciences Society.
After they've graduated, many TJ alums keep up a network, and even if they lose touch, they say they know where to find one another. "Lots of TJ kids are running around elite academic institutions and also major new economy centers like Silicon Valley, New York, Washington, and Boston," says alum Andrew Winerman, class of 2000. He explains that TJ connections are like college connections, only perhaps deeper, because high school is even more formative and emotionally weighty than college for a lot of people.
Whatever the criticisms of TJ's admissions process, one thing is true: Once they get in, these kids work hard. And there's no better example of this than in their athletic programs. Unlike some private high schools that recruit athletic as well as academic talent, TJ can't rely on stars. The students find ways to win nevertheless. TJ particularly excels in endurance sports like cross country, crew, and swimming. ...Read full report here...
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