My daughter is in 8th grade and applying to TJ this fall. She's strong in math — took Algebra 2 as a 7th grader and got a 98 — but we're not sure how the admissions process works now that they've moved away from the old SIS exam. From what I understand it shifted to a Problem Solving Essay and a Student Portrait Sheet, though I've also heard there's still a quantitative component depending on the year.
We've been doing about 45 minutes of problem-solving practice three days a week since January, mainly AMC 8 and MATHCOUNTS problems. Her AMC 8 score from this past November was 19/25, which feels solid, but I'm not sure that kind of competition math prep is still what TJ's process rewards.
The part I'm most uncertain about is the Problem Solving Essay. It sounds like they give students a novel problem they haven't seen before and want to see their thinking process, not just the answer. That's a different skill than drilling competition math and I don't know how to coach for it without over-structuring her approach.
Has anyone navigated the current TJ process recently? Any insight on whether quantitative prep matters as much as it used to, or if the shift toward holistic review means something different needs more emphasis?
We did regular "novel problem" sessions where I'd give my kid something from a totally different domain — logic puzzles, spatial reasoning, word problems with missing info. Getting comfortable with ambiguity and showing your work is the real skill.
We went through this two cycles ago. The problem-solving essay is real and it's genuinely novel — they don't want a polished answer, they want to see how your kid thinks when they're stuck. Practicing talking through problems out loud helped my son more than any drill.
The process has changed enough that advice from parents 4+ years ago may not apply. Check the FCPS TJ admissions page directly and look for anything specifically from the current or last cycle.
A 19/25 on AMC 8 is strong. I wouldn't worry about the quantitative preparation. The current process weights the portrait sheet and essay heavily — make sure the student portrait actually sounds like your daughter and not a resume.