Hardworking, high-achieving students come to TJ, a school of fewer than 90, where their ideas are heard every day and learning becomes a joy. They graduate with the confidence to lead a discussion at any university in the world and the self-discipline to thrive there.
They are ready to learn beside classmates from around the world
We know these students well, because they make up our school. Many come to TJ with excellent preparation and high expectations of themselves. Here, teachers follow each student's progress closely, and classmates from many countries bring new perspectives to every discussion, so students soon discover how much they have to say.
Breadth and depth
At TJ, every student is on the team and in the play.
The best universities look for students with deep knowledge and wide interests. TJ builds both, so every student goes deep in mathematics and languages and also takes part in sports and the arts.
In a school of 88, every student is needed. About nine in ten students play on a team, and the whole school takes part in the school play, so students discover talents they did not know they had. These are often the moments they remember most.
“TJ has helped me figure out what I want to be in life and has shaped me into the person I am today.”
MAYA ALBANO '22
Academic Excellence
When class ends, nobody wants to leave.
Classes at TJ are discussion based, and every student takes part every day. Teachers guide each conversation carefully, so students prepare before class and learn to support their ideas with evidence. The work is demanding, and students enjoy it.
01
A shared liberal arts core
Every student studies English, mathematics, science, history, classical and modern languages and the arts. Because everyone shares the same core, there is always a classmate to study with.
02
Discussion around the table
About ten students sit around one table with their teacher, and everyone contributes. Quieter students speak up more each week, because the group is small and supportive.
03
Short, focused mornings
Classes last 35 minutes, with breaks between them, so students stay focused. Afternoons are open for study, help from teachers, sports and personal interests.
04
Accelerated pacing
Courses move quickly, especially in mathematics, and by grades 11 and 12 students are working at the AP (Advanced Placement) level in every class.
Outside Reading
Read, reflect, and write something you can be proud of.
Tuesday through Friday, by 8:30 in the morning, every TJ student hands in a short handwritten summary of what they are reading: about forty words, with space left for the teacher's comments. The notebook goes back and forth all year, and corrections are always welcome.
Over six years, this daily practice makes students careful readers and precise writers, with a teacher's personal attention every morning. Graduates often name it as one of the most valuable parts of their TJ education.
Follow one notebook through the year
September · The Odyssey, Book 9
1 · First draft, 7th grade
In this part Odysseus and his men go to the island of the Cyclops and it is very scary because the Cyclops eats some of the men and then Odysseus tricks him by saying his name is Nobody and they escape.
September · returned✗
2 · Teacher’s notes
In this part, Odysseus and his men go to the island of the Cyclops and it isvery scary…
One breathless sentence - how can you break it into two? “Go” and “is” are verbs you could replace for greater precision and impact. How can you replace "very" scary with a single adjective that achieves the same thing? What does the name “Nobody” actually accomplish for Odysseus?
The next morning✓
3 · Revision
Trapped in the Cyclops’s cave, Odysseus watches his men devoured one by one. Calling himself “Nobody,” he blinds the giant, so that when Polyphemus cries for help, his neighbors hear that Nobody is hurting him.
Now the verbs help you picture the scene. Was the hero's boast at the end wise?
April · Frankenstein✓
4 · By spring
Victor flees the creature he has made, yet its eloquence unsettles him more than its face. Shelley lets the creature tell its own story, and the reader begins to wonder which of the two deserves the name of monster.
A real turn in that last clause, well done. Bring this question to class on Friday.
boarding Life
Fully at home in an American school.
International students at TJ are seven-day boarders, living with classmates from across the United States and around the world, about 30 minutes from St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
Care in every cottage. Students live in seven cottage-style dorms, each with a Resident Assistant, and the school nurse and counselor are always close by.
Support that grows with them. Younger students have supervised evening study hall, older students learn to manage their own time, and teachers are nearby at meals and in the evenings.
Part of American life. Boarders make American friends every day, explore St. Louis on weekend outings and are often invited home by local TJ families.
TJ graduates are ready for the world, from New York to Seoul, Amsterdam or Cambridge.
College counseling begins in seventh grade. Our counselor knows each student well and guides every step of the university application, so each student's list of universities fits who they are.
Pomona, Bowdoin, Carleton, Grinnell, Macalester, Smith
Universities abroad
Cambridge, Seoul National, Amsterdam, Groningen, University College Dublin
Distinctive paths
NYU, Tufts, St. John’s College, Bennington, Morehouse, UNC-Chapel Hill
Recognized nationally
Ranked #2 in Best Private High Schools in Missouri by Niche.com
BEGIN THE CONVERSATION
We would be glad to meet your family.
The best way to learn whether TJ is right for your child is to talk with our admission team. Submit an inquiry or write to us at admissions@tjs.org, and a member of our team will reply personally. We are happy to arrange a video call and to introduce you to a current TJ boarding family.
![[Describe the photo, for example: TJ seniors celebrating their college acceptances]](https://thomasjeffersonschool.static.amais.com/03_Prepared_for_leading_universities_worldwide-944-optimized.webp?version=639270262118730000)
