AP Exams
AP, or advanced placement courses, are college level courses offered at high schools for students who demonstrate an ability to handle advanced-level courses.
Q: What are the benefits of taking AP courses in high school?
A: First, good AP test scores will help you stand out in the college admissions process; secondly, if you get 4 or 5 for one AP test (some universities take only 5), you obtain college credit, therefore you do not need to take this course in college. With several course out of the way, you can save money on classes.
Q: What do you teach for AP courses?
A: If you are taking an AP course in your school and need extra help, we follow your school’s lessons and teach the topics you don’t understand; if your school doesn’t offer AP courses, we teach you the whole AP course for any AP subject. You can have one-on-one or small group lessons.
Q: How can I register for AP courses?
A: You can talk to the AP coordinator in your high school before March to register for the AP courses you want to take.
Q: If there are no AP courses in your high school, you can study an AP course on your own?
A: You can study AP courses by yourself and get help from us or take online courses or go to other schools such as community colleges to take the APs. You can call AP Services 609-771-7300 or 888-225-5427 to find an AP coordinator to arrange AP tests.
Q: How many AP courses should I take?
A: You can take as many as you can reasonably manage a score of 4 or 5. Do not take so many that you bring down your GPA or overburdens your workload.
Read MoreACT
ACT is short for American College Testing. It is a standardized test to assess high school students’ educational level for college admissions.
Q: What are the differences between ACT and SAT?
A: ACT has English, math, reading, and science, all in one test with an optional essay. The new SAT is similar to ACT now, except that the SAT has no science section, which is tested separately in SAT subject tests.
Q: What is full score for ACT?
A: Full score is 36.
Q: What do you teach for ACT?
A: We teach reading skills, grammatical usage, essay writing, math, biology, chemistry, and physics, plus practice tests that accurately reflect the test.
Q: Should I take ACT or SAT?
A: Your decision depends on which college or university you are going to apply to. Generally speaking, east-coast universities accept more SAT scores, whereas more west coast and MidWest schools accept ACT scores.
Q: What are the ACT test dates?
A: Check www.act.org for exact dates.
Q: How can I register for ACT?
A: You can register online: www.act.org.
Read MoreSAT/PSAT
The SAT is a standardized test administered by the College Board and are used by colleges and universities as a key component of their applicant selection process. There are two kinds of SATs: the standard SAT and the SATII (subject tests). All of the top universities require applicants to take the SAT and sometimes several SATIIs.
Q: What are the differences between the SAT and the SATII (subject tests)?
A: The standard SAT tests students’ abilities in reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, conventions of writing, and essay writing. The SAT subject tests test students’ knowledge of specific school subjects. The SAT is required for consideration for admission to most colleges and universities; SAT subject test scores are required for admission to the nation’s top colleges and top universities.
Q: What are the differences between SAT and PSAT?
A: The SAT and PSAT are similar in content. The SAT scores are required for college admissions, while PSAT scores are used only for the National Merit Scholarship Committee to select national merit scholars. Full score for the SAT is 1600 and for the PSAT is 1520. The PSAT is also known as the NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualification Test).
Q: Is it true that PSAT is not really important?
A: For students who are aiming for top universities, PSAT scores are extremely important. Every year the National Merit Scholarship Committee selects the 1% top scorers as candidates for the prestigious National Merit Awards. Students who receive the National Merit Awards are named National Merit Scholars. Being part of this highly exclusive and highly coveted group opens the doors to special scholarships and attracts unique attention from admissions committees in top universities.
Q: What is the cut score for the National Merit Scholarship Qualification?
A: The cut off score is usually around 1420 for NY.
Q: How many times can I take PSAT?
A: You can take it two times: one time in 10th grade, another in 11th grade. The latter is official and the result will be used for National Merit Scholarship Award competition.
Q: Where and when can I register for PSAT?
A: You register in your high school. Ask your counselor about it in the spring of your first high school year.
Q: How can I register for the SAT and SATII Tests?
A: You can register online: www.collegeboard.com.
Q: What is a good SAT score?
A: It depends on which high school you are in. In very competitive high schools, a good SAT Score will be above 1450; in other schools, above 1300 is good.
Q: When should I start taking the SAT?
A: You should first take the SAT in January of your junior year.
Q: How many times should I take SAT?
A: For some colleges and universities you can use Score Choice–which means you can choose a date with your best score. For others, these will want all the scores. Some notable schools with a “send all scores” policy include Yale, Stanford, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of California. In principle, you can take it as many times as you want, but we suggest no more than three times. It’s best to check the requirements of the school to inform your decision.
Q: What SATII (subject tests) courses do you offer?
A: We offer tutoring for all SATIIs (subject tests).
Q: How do you teach for SATII (subject tests)?
A: We offer small group class packages of 10 two-hour lessons with 10 practice tests for each SAT subject test, including 10 topics and 100 exercise questions for homework.
Q: How many SAT subject tests should I take?
A: Most colleges and universities require two, one math and one science. Some may require more. Check the university for which you plan to apply for the admission requirements.
Read MoreHunter Test
Ivy Prep offers Hunter Test prep courses for 5th graders and 6th graders. The 5th grade course teaches basic skills in essay writing, reading, and math in order to lay a solid foundation for the test content of the Hunter exam. The 6th grade course teaches a higher level of skills in reading, essay writing, and 8th grade level math with weekly practice tests. Our expert instructors and highly effective prep books and tests make us the best bet for entrance into the much coveted Hunter College High School.
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