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The TJHSST Admissions Website will be updated for the 2009-2010 admissions year in August 2009. For current news and information until that time, please refer to this News page.

Welcome to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Admissions Website.

TJHSST is a unique Fairfax County public high school that provides an innovative, specialized learning environment for highly motivated students who have a genuine interest in the biological, physical, mathematical, technological, and computer sciences. For more information about TJHSST, go to About TJ on this website, or to the TJHSST website, www.tjhsst.edu.

Students are selected for TJHSST through a competitive admissions process. The majority of students enter TJHSST in their freshman (9th grade) year, during the winter round of freshman admissions which, for the Class of 2013, will begin in October 2008. A second summer round of admissions for the Class of 2013 is available in June 2009 only for students who move to a participating school division after September 30, 2008.

A limited number of students are admitted to the sophomore (10th grade) and junior (11th grade) classes each year as well. That process will take place in June 2009. TJHSST does not admit students to its senior (12th grade) class.

NEWS

SOPHOMORE & JUNIOR ADMISSIONS 2009 INFORMATION

Final admissions decisions for applicants to the 2009-2010 sophomore and junior classes at TJHSST will be mailed by Friday, June 26, 2009.

The Admissions Office does not provide information regarding final admissions decisions via telephone or e-mail. The Admissions Office also does not provide early notification to any applicants.

If you have not received your notification letter by Wednesday, July 1, 2009, the parent or legal guardian listed on your application form (NOT the student/applicant) may call the admissions office (703-876-5265) on Wednesday, July 1, 2009, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Please do not call before that date. If you must leave a voice mail message, please provide the following information: (a) your name; (b) student's name; (c) student's I.D. number; (d) school student attends; and (e) telephone number where you can be reached during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Please be aware, if you are traveling in July, that we cannot return long distance calls.

The parent/legal guardian also may e-mail the Admissions Director at that time. DO NOT send your e-mail before July 1, 2009. Please provide the following information: (a) your name; (b) student's name; (c) student's I.D. number; (d) school student attends; and (e) telephone number where you can be reached during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Please be aware, if you are traveling in July, that we cannot return long distance calls.

SUMMER ROUND ADMISSIONS 2009 INFORMATION

Final admissions decisions for summer round applicants to the 2009-2010 freshman class at TJHSST will be mailed by Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

The Admissions Office does not provide information regarding final admissions decisions via telephone or e-mail. The Admissions Office also does not provide early notification to any applicants.

If you have not received your notification letter by Monday, July 6, 2009, the parent or legal guardian listed on your application form (NOT the student/applicant) may call the admissions office (703-876-5265) on Monday, July 6, 2009, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Please do not call before that date. If you must leave a voice mail message, please provide the following information: (a) your name; (b) student's name; (c) student's I.D. number; (d) school student attends; and (e) telephone number where you can be reached during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Please be aware, if you are traveling in July, that we cannot return long distance calls.

The parent/legal guardian also may e-mail the Admissions Director at that time. DO NOT send your e-mail before July 6, 2009. Please provide the following information: (a) your name; (b) student's name; (c) student's I.D. number; (d) school student attends; and (e) telephone number where you can be reached during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Please be aware, if you are traveling in July, that we cannot return long distance calls.

FRESHMAN ADMISSIONS - WINTER ROUND 2009-2010 INFORMATION

Detailed information regarding the 2009-2010 admissions process will be posted on this website in August 2009. Some early dates you may wish to put on your calendar are:

Late September 2009		Applications available
Late October 2009		Applications Deadline
December 5, 2009		Test Day

The admissions test is always the first Saturday in December.

Please Note: Applications will NOT be available until late September 2009. If you attend a public middle school in a participating school division, you must pick up an application from your school's designated TJ liaison counselor at that time. Many private schools also will have applications. If your school does not have applications, or you are home schooled, you should contact the Admissions Office to request an application once we have posted on this website that applications are available.

TEST PREPARATION FOR THE TJ ADMISSIONS EXAMINATION

The admissions examination for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology begins with a two hour standardized test, the TJ Admissions Test. Students take a short break and then are given one hour to write two essays to provide a writing sample. Total testing time, with instructions, break, etc., is approximately four hours.

The best preparation for the admissions examination is to take, or have taken, challenging courses in elementary and middle school; to read a great deal; to do math problems beyond those required in class; and to practice your writing skills. A good night's sleep the night before the test, and a good breakfast on test day, also are important.

The Student Handbook for the Admissions Test: Your Best Resource

For students who wish to learn more about the test, there is a test preparation handbook for the TJ Admissions Test, the Student Handbook for the Admissions Test for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which was prepared by the testing company that produces the admissions test. The Student Handbook for the Admissions Test is available for you to read online and print. (Note: An updated version of the handbook, which includes some minor revisions, has been posted in June 2009.) You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer to read the file. If you do not have access to a computer, ask your middle school TJ liaison counselor to print a copy for you.

The Fairfax County Public Schools Student Handbook for the Admissions Test for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology © NCS Pearson, Inc. is posted on the TJ Admissions website with the permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

The Student Handbook describes the test and includes a Study Guide that offers advice on test preparation and test-taking strategies. The handbook also includes a complete sample test (with answer sheet) that you can use for practice. Answers to the sample test also are provided so that you can check your work and identify areas on which you may want to focus as you prepare for test day.

Please Note: The Student Handbook is not available at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology or at the Admissions Office.

Preparing on Your Own for the TJ Test

You can find more information on preparing on your own for the TJ Test, along with Practice Tips, on the Resources Page of the Admissions Website.

Test Preparation Classes

Fairfax County and some of the participating school divisions offer TJ test preparation classes in the summer and fall. For information regarding test preparation courses offered by Fairfax County Public Schools, go to www.fcps.edu/aceclasses.

The Admissions Office does not recommend, or not recommend, test preparation classes. We do not collect information or data regarding the efficacy of such classes.

The Admissions Office does not administer any test preparation programs or classes. Please address your inquiries about test prep classes to the appropriate institution or organization.

DECLARATION OF NONDISCRIMINATION

No student or employee in Fairfax County Public Schools shall, on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, national origin, marital status, or handicapping condition, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Compliance with Section 504 is coordinated by the Director of the Office of Design and Construction Services (703-246-6270) when it concerns access to facilities, by the Director of the Office of Equity and Compliance (571-423-3050) when it concerns employment and personnel policies, and by the Coordinator of the Office of Monitoring and Compliance (571-423-4210) when it concerns programs for students with disabilities.