Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (a.k.a. TJHSST) is a public magnet school located in Alexandria, Virginia. This highly selective institution has a reputation for sending a high proportion of its students to elite colleges and universities. In fact, Ivy Coach is proud to say that one of our clients, an alumnus of TJHSST, made national news in 2015 for being accepted into all eight Ivy League schools along with Stanford (we can say as much because it made headlines)! With its specialized STEM-based curriculum and rigorous standards for admission, it should come as no surprise that TJHSST produces top academic achievers. After all, the school ranks in the 14th spot in the 2024 list of U.S. News & World Report’s top public high schools in the nation.

Let’s take a look at the admissions criteria at this elite public school and unpack the recent controversy that has followed in the wake of its overhaul of its admissions process.

What Does Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Look For in Applicants?

Admissions criteria for first years at TJHSST are laid out by the Fairfax County Public Schools website as follows (although a limited number of sophomores and juniors are admitted each year): 

“The admissions process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology utilizes a holistic review. Current 8th grade students from participating jurisdictions will apply for admissions to 9th grade. 

A holistic review will be done of students whose applications demonstrate enhanced merit; 550 seats will then be offered to the highest-evaluated students. Students will be evaluated on their grade point average (GPA); a student portrait sheet where they will be asked to demonstrate Portrait of a Graduate attributes and 21st century skills; a problem-solving essay; and experience factors, including students who are economically disadvantaged, English language learners, or special education students.”

Do these criteria sound familiar? Words like “holistic” often crop up on admissions office websites for highly selective colleges and universities, and this same process is touted by TJHSST. Essentially, this holistic review takes into account the context of a student’s middle school academic performance and a variety of supplemental information. Perfect grades are not the only factor determining a promising student’s admission! But this was not always the case at TJHSST.

The Legal Controversy Surrounding Admission to TJHSST

Prior to 2020, TJHSST’s admissions practices looked very different. The school has been mired in legal controversies for several years due to the racial composition of the student body. For many years, the majority of students were Asian Americans, while historically underrepresented African American and Latino students made up a slim minority of students disproportionate to their representation in the state of Virginia. The school sought to remedy these issues in 2020 by implementing the admissions criteria stated above, which make no reference to an applicant’s race but do take into account such factors as socioeconomic status and attendance at a historically-underrepresented Virginia middle school. As part of this suite of changes, TJHSST also phased out standardized testing and its $100 application fee. 

These changes, which helped to boost the enrollment of historically underrepresented groups, didn’t come without criticism. After a series of legal challenges, in 2024 the Supreme Court declined to hear a case that sought to undo the new admissions criteria on the basis of anti-Asian discrimination. Experts are looking to TJHSST as a model for how other highly selective public schools can still tacitly consider race in the wake of the fall of Affirmative Action.

Ivy Coach’s Reaction to the TJHSST Lawsuit

We at Ivy Coach were pleased to see that TJHSST was able to implement more equitable admissions practices without, ultimately, drawing the ire of the Supreme Court. As the court’s ruling on Affirmative Action indicates, fighting educational battles in the legal arena is a fraught, highly-politicized process that doesn’t always produce the change some would hope it would (see the Roberts Loophole). Real, enduring change tends to arise from the people, not the courts. 

We applaud TJHSST for expanding its accessibility, but we also acknowledge that Asian American applicants could very well face unjust discrimination in this new process. It’s a complicated issue, but endless legal challenges won’t solve it!