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No gimmicks. No “write this many fancy words.” Just preparation that works. What the PSE really is The PSE is not  a typical essay about your life or your opinions. According to preparation guides, it’s a timed writing task in which the student is given a math/science/logic word problem , must reason through multiple steps, show assumptions, explain their thought process, and communicate clearly. Example prompts have included: A helicopter-boat problem (fuel, speed, distance)

AI tools such as Bridget, the virtual counselor, help students notice the significance in the small things, connect emotions to experiences, and ultimately, understand themselves a little better.

A brutally honest (but loving) checklist from a TJ parent First, a mindset reset TJ is not a trophy. It’s a platform —a high-power launch pad with its own culture, rhythms, and trade-offs. Students don’t “win” by getting in; they thrive by using TJ as a laboratory to grow skills, habits, and relationships they’ll carry into college labs, internships, and real-world projects. (As a dad of two TJ students, I’ve seen both the magic and the mileage.) Below are 10 concrete fit sig

A refreshingly honest guide for parents and students—no “hooks,” no rhetoric drills, just real reflection. If you’ve heard someone teach the rhetorical triangle  or “craft a killer hook” for TJHSST, please… back away slowly. That advice confuses the SPS with a debate essay. The Student Portrait Sheet  exists so admissions can see how a student thinks about their own experiences  through Fairfax County’s Portrait of a Graduate (POG)  lens—Communicator, Collaborator, Ethical &