Thomas Jefferson's curriculum provides depth and strength in all of the main college preparatory areas, to give you the best possible educational background and leave you well prepared for whatever you want to study in college. Our emphasis is on discussion and ideas, within a framework of knowing your facts thoroughly. At TJ, more than in practically any other school, the responsibility for learning lies with you, the student -- to do your work either on your own or with your frie nds, and to seek help from teachers who are around and accessible nearly all the time. (See A Typical Day for how this fits into your day.)

To get yourself ready for top colleges, you need a strong background in English, math, foreign languages (both classical and modern), science, and social studies. In addition, colleges look for some exposure to the fine arts. Every thing you study at TJ is solid and fundamental — a kind of "core curriculum," with some electives — and helps you along toward the goal of complete, broad-based preparation for college work. The challenging work load limits the number of courses a student takes, either to five (7th-9th grades) or to four (10th-12th grades).