Seminary info | Imamother

amother

Crimson

Sun, Dec 06 2020, 1:24 am

amother [ Orange ] wrote:

Crimson, as an insider, again, I can tel you you’re seeing only half the picture.
BJJ is probably one of the only seminary not swayed by that kind of thing. It’s a whole different level. In have seen them choose girls who had no Yichus or money over girls who are multi millionaires. These were all high quality, high academic girls or they would not have been directed to apply to BJJ in the first place.

What most likely happened, (from my experience in the parsha) is that the school advocated for the other 2 girls more then for your daughter. They might truly love your daughter, but the school knows just who pays the bills. They probably pushed for the other two girls more.
Based on the fact that your school only got two slots, it’s probably a smaller school or out of town

The other girls were wonderful smart girls as well but my daughter was not even given a chance because they applied.

The interviewer spent most of the interview playing "Jewish geography" with my daughter and basically discounted her when she couldn't make any "connections"

The principal claimed it was out of her hands but who knows.
Yes, it is both small and out of town

amother

Scarlet

Sun, Dec 06 2020, 4:19 am

amother [ Crimson ] wrote:

My dd is at bjj this year. We have no pull,$, or yichus and neither do my dds other friends from HS who got in with her. That being said I know her high school advocated strongly for her to go/get in so I think that likely has something to do with it.

amother

Orange

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 12:23 am

My girls first choice is always BJJ they had backups like masores rochel,chemdas , bnos sara, Tehilas, bya.
Different about Shabbos over the years but past few years they always offer an option to stay in for Shabbos. There’s a rotation of girls that stay in the dorm every week for a mini in Shabbos so that every girl who wants to stay behind won’t feel alone.
This year the schedule is different because of corona. They let the girls out for a couple of hours a day. They are really careful about COVID so trying to keep girls from going all over.
Many many Lakewood girls, then Brooklyn, and Tri state, then some out of town but more from larger oot then smaller types. Very yeshivish crowd but there is always a few that are more oot, less yeshivish in the mix.

amother

Scarlet

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 2:43 am

amother [ Burgundy ] wrote:

Scarlet and orange can you please tell me more about BJJ? Do girls have to find their own shabbos accommodation? How often? Do classes run all day? And everyday? What do girls do in their "free" time? Are all girls on same frumkeit level? (Feel free to add anything relevant!)
And where else did your DD apply beforedeciding to go there?
Tysm!!!

My dd is at BJJ this year, which is obviously different from a typical year. This year the girls spend all shabbosim either in school or away with the school, but in previous years there were always girls who stayed in the dorm for shabbos so that one never had to find a place.

In terms of the schedule classes vary per day - some days they end later than others...in a normal year Tues would be chessed day but this year that doesn’t work so the school has been taking the girls on trips. As Orange said the COVID rules are pretty strict at BJJ so the girls are only allowed to go out for short periods of time - they visit friends, go to the kosel etc. There are also activities like exercise classes, musical opportunities and more. Although classes don’t go so late the girls do have a lot of preparation and work so they are busy working on that too, even if the classes end earlier (or earlier than I would have expected).
DD is so thrilled there and is learning a ton! There are girls there from everywhere - Monsey, Lakewood, Brooklyn, Passaic, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, London, Toronto, Montreal, South Africa, and even Panama. While they are all certainly committed to a Bais Yaakov hashkafa I think that it’s actually a pretty diverse place - rebbetzin David wants multi faceted girls - there are girls there not planning to go to college, girls going to touro, and even girls going to Ivy Leagues.

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:17 am

TravelHearter wrote:

All I can feel you is that my friends who went to bnos Sarah were probably equally smart and academic as those who went to BJJ. (Mostly)
Many apply to both. I don’t think it’s 100% equal but definitely in the same ball park.

I went to BJJ and my sister went to Bnos Sarah. She wanted more relatable teachers. I'm positive that she has a higher GPA and is academically smarter than I am.

We both came from a high school with a high academic background. Both of us found seminary to be challenging but not crazy.

amother

Orange

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:26 am

Chayalle, I’m not saying whose smarter...higher gpa, the reality is that it’s way more difficult to get into BJJ. Definitely more academic. As someone who works in the field so I speak to many others in the parsha and this is not an opinion it’s just the way it is.
There’s a reason BJJ has its reputation, masores rochel, chemdas, bnos sara, those are nice options as well.
If a girl in our school is a good student, we have now worries about her getting into bnos sara or masores rochel.

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:27 am

amother [ Orange ] wrote:

Not nearly as academic. Lots of busy work in bnos sara. The teachers are also not in the same caliber.
I’m very in the parsha as an educator (and mother) for years.
You can’t compare the level of academics to get into BJJ and bnos sara. Almost all of our students with averages in the low 90s will get into bnos sara. Wouldn’t even be an option for BJJ. We would only have mid to high 90s.

Unless things changed in 25 years (and one slogan song in my year was that BJJ will never change) I can tell you that acceptance to BJJ is usually not strictly about top academics. In fact, I've had this discussion with Rebbetzin David personally.

Often a student would be accepted because something about her hashkafa and outlook appealed to Rebbetzin David. This student would be accepted before and above someone with a 99.9 average.

My aunt went to BJJ having never gone to a Jewish school before (there wasn't one where she grew up.) Rebbetzin David accepted her because of her thirst to go to a Jewish seminary (and there weren't many back then.) The letter she wrote opened doors for her.

Rebbetzin David was always looking for students who want to be students, who want to learn from her the hashkafa she presents. And there has always been something of a mix of students there, both in types, and even among highly academic students, those who are absolutely top academically and those who are not. (yes, all of the students usually are at least of a somewhat higher academic standard, otherwise how would they cope with the curriculum? OTOH, it's not like they accept the top academic girls from a school. Everyone knows, there are always surprises. I know girls who are absolutely brilliant and didn't get in, while their 90 student classmate got in instead of them. Yes, recently as well.)

I agree with all of vermillion's posts here.

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:30 am

amother [ Orange ] wrote:

Right. But even if she's the top student in your grade, she might not get into BJJ. So it's not only about academics.

I remember a girl who was a pretty smart-to-average student (probably more capable than she was bothering to be, in high school) but with personality to hit the roof. She decided she really wanted to go, and she got in. The whole school was buzzing about it. It happens.

I know brilliant, top students who everyone thought was a shoe-in, who didn't get in.

BTW, I also know top students who were turned away from BS.

I'm not so familiar with acceptance at MR.

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:53 am

amother [ Orange ] wrote:

I can tell you, I know a girl who went to BJJ after her parents knew that the school was advocating for someone else. They had their own pull. After that, they took their younger daughters out of that school. But at the end of the day - BJJ didn't take the girls the school was pushing. They took this girl.

This happened in my year as well - the school was shocked about who they took and who they didn't. Including the daughters of some teachers, who didn't get in.

So I wouldn't rush to say the school was advocating for someone else.

I'd say that something about the girl's application made them decide to pass over her. Or her interview. Or her school had two slots, and something about the other two girls' applications and interview pushed them ahead. A whole mix of things, types they wanted that year, whatever. I wouldn't say it's the school.

amother

Burgundy

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:55 am

cat81 wrote:

Yes, the principal doubles as seminary advisor. all I was given was Masa and to ask the individual schools, nothing else

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
Check out if you are eligible.
This is what a lot of girls have been doing. They register in college right after school. Take a few classes over the summer and then go aboard as part of their college courses. They get credits for the year of seminary too. That works only if your daughter is interested in pursuing a college degree! They have a few options in ny/ nj but I'm not sure how it works oot, I'm sure you can find out by calling TTI or simikar college!

amother

Royalblue

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 9:59 am

Chayalle wrote:

Did you find that there was a tangible difference in what she got out of seminary vs you due to the relatability of the teachers? Did she end up forming friendships with more open minded girls in Bnos Sara than you did in BJJ?

My daughter is really nervous about ending up with roommates or friends in BS who are going to have a less than positive impact on the husband-in-learning high level of ruchniyus home she wants to have in the future.(She is very well read- she read plenty of secular books when she was younger-and a thinker but intentionally surrounds herself with almost all yeshivish friends and just a handful of solid girls who are more out of the box deep thinkers.)

OTOH she is concerned about missing out on the relationship to her teachers that going to BJJ would entail.

Chemdas is her third option but she is not sure if that would mean going to a place where she will not find any out of the box thinking type girls at all and would miss that dimension. For example she will discuss the quality of Jewish literature vs secular, the factors that play a role in the disparity, and what potential resources could change the dynamic with her more broad friends. Some of the most yeshivish of her friends would simply have no interest, and no frame of reference.

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 10:08 am

amother [ Royalblue ] wrote:

I do think she has had an ongoing connection with the teachers, in some ways more than I had (and I did have a connection to the teachers when I was there.) In terms of friends, I would say the same. I mean, we each made great friends with those we relate to. I would say similar types.

I'm puzzled that your DD is concerned about her friends/roommates impact on who she will marry or level of ruchniyus. I think you mostly attract friends that are like yourself, wherever you are, and there are plenty of girls of different types in all of these seminaries. But I would say that if your DD is on a track that is headed to being much more yeshivish, then Chemdas is a great choice for her, maybe more than BJJ or BS.

I think that BJJ was much more mixed when I was there than it is now, and BS is for sure more diverse. To some extent, I almost think that BS has some of the diversity that BJJ used to have. But Chemdas I think is less of a mix.

My niece who is more yeshivish even than my sister or me, went to Chemdas, and her SIL, who got into BJJ and Chemdas, opted to go to Chemdas as well. I think it's more sheltered, more yeshivish. That might be a good option for her.

amother

Royalblue

Mon, Dec 07 2020, 10:10 am

Chayalle wrote:

Please see the last paragraph I edited for more context.