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The student news site of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

tjTODAY

The student news site of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

tjTODAY

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FCPS releases admissions data for Class of 2017

FCPS releases admissions data for Class of 2017

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) released admission statistics on the Class of 2017 on Friday. The newly admitted class includes 480 rising freshmen from Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Arlington counties plus Fairfax and Falls Church city.

With 3,121 original applicants, this year’s acceptance rate is roughly 15 percent. FCPS’s press release and additional statistics reveal admissions data based not only on residence, but by gender and racial groups as well.

Male admits make up 58 percent of the incoming class and females 42 percent. The numbers represent a slight increase in the female population, despite their minority status.

Also seeing an increase in numbers is the Asian demographic. This year, Asians make up 66 percent of the admitted class, an increase from 64 percent last year. Asians also experienced an acceptance rate slightly higher than the overall percentage, at approximately 22 percent.

Of the accepted applicants, 25.6 percent are White, a decrease from previous years, and less than five percent identify as Black or Hispanic.

The trends in the ethnic composition of the student body are not completely new. Numbers for several of the racial groups have been heading in the same direction for a number of years.

While Asians currently constitute the largest ethnic group at Jefferson, their numbers were significantly lower not long ago. Asians composed less than half, or 45 percent, of the recently graduated Class of 2012.

Class of 2010 graduate Kevin Sun admits he saw an observable rise in Asian students throughout his time at Jefferson.

“But, I do hesitate in saying that this ‘decreased diversity.’ I also can’t really speculate on the educational effects. I didn’t personally notice any changes from my classes,” he said.

Currently, the admissions committee does not take race or ethnicity into account. While this may not be a concern for some, others believe racial demographics can have a significant impact on the school community.

“When two-thirds of the freshman class is Asian, that could be problematic,” sophomore Shadin Ahmed said. “Diversity enriches the lives of the students. It allows for a different learning environment and lets people learn from each other’s cultures.”

However, the admissions process is not yet finished. Information on the summer round of admissions, designed for students who have recently moved into a participating school district, will be added by the end of June. The most up-to-date chart for admissions data can be found here.

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