Admissions FAQ

List of 9 items.

• Major Dates for the 2020-21 School Year

  Does TJ plan to open on-campus in the fall of 2020?

  Yes. Faculty and staff are planning for Opening Day as scheduled.

  
  

  What are the major dates I should be aware of for the 2020-21 school year?

  Q1 

  Move-in day                       Mon., 8/24

  Boarding Orientation         Tue., 8/25

  Opening Day                    Wed., 8/26

  Classes begin                   Thu., 8/27

  Required school trip          Wed.-Fri., 9/2-4 

  Labor Day                         Mon., 9/7

  Exams                              Thu.-Fri., 10/15-16

  Fall break                        Mon-Tue., 10/19-20 

  
  

  Q2      

  Advisory Reflection Day                                                   Wed., 10/21 

  Classes begin                                                                  Thu., 10/22

  No classes: Faculty professional days                               Thu.-Fri., 11/5-6

  Thanksgiving break — Students may leave after lunch on Tue., 11/24

  Boarders return                      Sun., Nov. 29

  Exams                                   Wed.-Tue., Dec. 9-15

  Travel day                            Wed., 12/16 

  
  

  Q3 

  Boarders return                        Tue., 1/12

  Classes resume                      Wed., 1/13

  No school (MLK Day)           Mon., 1/18

  No school (President’s Day)     Mon., 2/15

  Exams                                      Thu.-Mon., 3/4-8

  Travel day                            Tue., 3/9 

  
  

  Q4 

  Boarders return                        Tue., 3/30

  Classes resume                        Wed., 3/31

  Exams                                      Mon.-Thu., 5/24-27

  Graduation weekend               Fri.-Sat., 5/28-29

• What does is mean to be a Boarding and a Day School?

  TJ has three categories of students:

  • Day Student: A day student typically lives in the St. Louis metro area. They come to TJ every day for school and go home at night to their own house. Our day students have access to a number of Boarding School amenities like having a desk in a dorm room for use during the day, staying for dinner or spending the night when appropriate (and approved).
  • 5-day Boarding Student: A 5-day boarder typically lives within driving distance from TJ (3-6 hours). They live on campus during the week and go home on the weekends. This program is a great option for a student who is performing above what their local schools can offer, and whose parents enjoy the comfort of having them close-by. 5-day Boarders have the option to stay for the weekend when appropriate (and approved).
  • 7-day Boarding Student: A 7-day boarder typically lives too far away to go home on the weekends. TJ has 7-day boarders from all over the U.S. and from many countries including Albania, Poland, Mexico, China, Japan and South Korea.

• Is TJ the right size for me?

  Bigger is not always better. In fact, if what you want is an environment where you are truly known and appreciated for who you are, then this is it. Whether you’re a day student or you board, TJ is your home away from home. It’s personal. You know everyone, and everyone knows you. Can the same be said if you’re just one of hundreds?

• What does “classical liberal arts” education mean in the 21st century?

  For us, it’s the process of developing a truly educated mind. It’s at once traditional and modern— a bridge to the past that leads to the future. It’s both wide and deep, opening the door to an extraordinary range of human experience and expression. The term “classical” refers broadly to two thousand years of thought about what a person needs to know and be able to do in order to lead an effective, fulfilling life. An excellent liberal arts program builds, challenges, and nourishes the intellect. It teaches the skills of close reading and effective argumentation, and speaking and writing well. People educated in this way have a sense of history and are able to envision situations and imagine responses. This is great preparation for college work, but more, it lays the foundation for making sound decisions and choices in an increasingly complicated world. 

• How does technology fit into a classical education?

  Technology provides essential tools for inquiry, exploration, communication, and creativity. Inside the classroom, it enhances instruction and discussion. Outside the classroom, it enables research, collaboration, and continued learning, all of which are fundamental to the high level of engagement that is the hallmark of our program.

• How many students and adults live on campus?

  The number can vary slightly from year to year. Currently, six Resident Assistants and the Director of Residence Life make their home here. They live in the campus home and in apartments attached to the student cottages. Boarding capacity is between 50 and 60. A small number of those students are five-day boarders from nearby areas who return to their homes on the weekend. 

• What do boarding students do on the weekends?

  For starters, they do what most teens do: sleep. Hang out with friends. Skip breakfast. Study. Watch TV. Do laundry. Have sleep-overs. Shop. Shoot hoops. Skype. Work out. Play video games. Play the piano. Go out to eat. Party. Go to movies, concerts, and plays. Text. Talk. Work on art projects. Visit their local day-student friends. Study some more. Relax.

• Do day students ever get to spend the night on campus?

  Yes. Periodically, there are school events in the evening that might make it difficult for parents to return to campus for pick-up. On such occasions, we can arrange for day students to stay in a dorm room. There are also times when a day student may board for a short period of time to accommodate parent obligations or emergencies.  

• Where do TJ graduates go to college?

  We’re extremely proud of TJ’s distinguished college record. Our graduates compete with the best of them, gaining acceptance to top-notch colleges and universities throughout the US and abroad. Many of our graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees, mostly in the US but sometimes in other countries. The goal of our college guidance program is to help every individual student make the best personal choice, in terms of program, size, location, and institutional “personality.”