Eden Cho

Senior Harry Han practices for a Science Olympiad event with his team members. Despite coming to Jefferson a year later, froshmores have found no problem joining the wide variety of clubs the school has to offer. “[Jefferson is] a great opportunity for high schoolers to be more involved in the content that they want to learn,” Han said.

Starting at a new school where bonds have already been established is difficult, but it’s even more challenging when you’re starting as a sophomore at one of the top STEM schools in the country. Students who join Jefferson during their sophomore year are informally dubbed “froshmores,” and they must adjust to the school’s unique learning environment while also navigating friendships and connections with other students.

Many students apply to Jefferson during the freshman round of applications but are not accepted. Some of these students apply again during the sophomore round for a second chance.

“Back in eighth grade, I applied for Jefferson and didn’t end up getting in,” senior and former froshmore Harry Han said. “But I still felt that [Jefferson] was such an amazing school to go to. I applied again in ninth grade [because of] my desire to attend.”

Jefferson’s specific focus on STEM was also a driving force behind reapplication.

“I knew there were such great opportunities at Jefferson,” sophomore and froshmore Jia Modi said. “I had always heard that it’s the school to go to if you’re really interested in tech and engineering, and I’m interested in both of those.”

Unlike the traditional Jefferson application, sophomore-round applications require three teacher recommendations and an increased number of personal essay questions.

“You have to write eight personal statements about yourself, why you want to come again to Jefferson [and] what senior labs you’re interested in doing,” Modi said. “For teacher recommendations, I asked my math, my science teacher and my computer science teacher because they were the teachers I knew the best, and they would write recommendations that reflected who I was.”

One challenge that many new froshmores face is fitting in and connecting with other students at Jefferson.

“At my base school, you knew everyone because they [went] to the same middle school as you,” Han said. ”But [at Jefferson], it’s completely different. I think everyone at Jefferson also faced the same [experience] back in ninth grade, but they [had] a full year [to make connections].”

In addition, the fast-paced nature of Jefferson was difficult to get used to.

“[At] Jefferson, everything moves a lot faster, so picking up everything really quickly was the hardest thing for me,” Modi said. “I think after the first couple of quizzes and tests, I got [an] idea of what it’s like to be at Jefferson [and] how hard you have to work to make sure that your time management is really [good].”

“I’m so glad I switched schools and came to Jefferson,” Modi said. “I was a little hesitant at first because Jefferson is known for its rigor, but I’ve met such great people [and made] such great friends.”

Because froshmores did not attend Jefferson during their freshman year, they must also fulfill course requirements for classes such as Design and Technology, Foundations of Computer Science, and Research Statistics 1. Froshmores in previous years were not required to take Design and Technology, but the requirement was reinforced this year for the class of 2028.

“We have a froshmore Design and Tech class, and it’s very different [from] the freshman [course],” Modi said. “There’s a different curriculum entirely. I’m kind of glad I don’t have to take [statistics] because I’ve heard it’s a hard class.”

Being a froshmore is difficult, and having a good support system is crucial for overall well-being at Jefferson. This includes counselor-supervised gatherings where students are able to connect with other froshmores. Froshmores can also be paired with an upperclassman mentor for additional support.

“[Froshmores] have monthly potlucks,” Modi said. “[They’re] a great time to talk about [how] we’re doing [and] if we’re struggling. It’s a great support system because everyone’s going through something similar.”

Due to how difficult it is to adjust to Jefferson’s environment, there is a lot of respect for froshmores at Jefferson.

“Reach out, and don’t be afraid to make new connections and try new things,” Han said. “If you’re struggling to get used to the rigor of the courses, seek help from teachers. A lot of [them] respect the hard work that you put into [being a froshmore].”