Launching MEK’s New Full-Year SpearHead Program (FYSH)

Since 2015, MEK Review has developed a philosophy of continuity and comprehensiveness in education, called the 40-Month Project. This 40-Month Project is the summation of the test prep, GPA-boosting academic enrichment, school support tutoring, academic counseling, and college admissions counseling that students receive at MEK–with the mantra that “every day counts.”

From the moment students step into high school to the submission of their last college application, students spend 40 months grinding away at school and in their extracurricular activities. During those 40 months, it is essential that they stay focused and supported.

To stay ahead of the curve, they need to make sure they aren’t spending crucial time trying to catch up with classroom learning, but rather, staying ahead of the classroom curriculum to make time to focus on actually doing well on assignments, tests, and projects.

So how do we do that?

To help students stay ahead of the curve at all times in their science and math courses, MEK has developed a new program: the Full-Year SpearHead (FYSH) Program. Through this program, which launched in Fall 2024, students will always be weeks ahead of their school curriculum. This will allow them to build strong foundations of understanding and focus on doing well in school, as opposed to just keeping up.

Full-Year SpearHead (FYSH) Program

Subjects

In fall 2024, we launched the program with the following subjects (note that AP courses start in December):

• • Honors Algebra 2 – Virtual & In-Person Group Classes
  • Honors Geometry – Virtual & In-Person Group Classes
  • Honors Analysis – In-Person Group Classes only
  • Integrated Math Modeling 1 (designed for Dwight-Englewood School students) – In-Person Classes only
  • AP Calculus AB – Virtual & In-Person Group Classes
  • AP Calculus BC – In-Person Group Classes only
  • AP Physics 1 – Virtual & In-Person Group Classes
  • AP Physics C – Virtual & In-Person Group Classes
  • AP Biology – Virtual & In-Person Group Classes
  • AP Statistics – Virtual Group Classes only
  • AP Capstone: Research – Virtual One-on-One Mentoring
  • AP Capstone: Seminar – Virtual One-on-One Tutoring

Additional Support: Private Tutoring

We know that every school is different! Every school has a different vacation schedule, and tests and major assignments will often be at different times of the year. To help your student with their individual needs, our tutoring department will always be on standby, ready to give your student the individualized attention they need to supplement their group class curriculum.

FYSH Honors Math Courses

ALGEBRA 2 | GEOMETRY | ANALYSIS 1 | INTEGRATED MATH MODELING 1 

The curriculum for the FYSH Honors Math Courses consists of weekly group lectures: live virtual or in-person. These lectures are designed to be weeks ahead of the math curricula at any and all schools, using our counseling and teaching teams’ 25+ years of expertise. Through these courses, students will always have the tools to stay ahead of the curve and to stand out in the classroom–crucial in laying the groundwork for good letters of recommendation!

HOMEWORK

Homework assignments will be provided as resource material: recommended, but not required. These assignments will act as extra problem sets for students to hone their understanding of the course material.

LECTURE RECORDINGS

All lectures will be recorded and posted to the Canvas Learning Management platform for students to review at any point within the course. With these recordings and the homework assignments, students will also have the opportunity to have an asynchronous learning experience to supplement their in-class time.

CUMULATIVE TESTS

To keep students sharp and engaged, they will be assigned a cumulative test every 4-5 weeks as a mandatory homework assignment. These tests will be graded and reviewed in class. Virtual class students are provided the opportunity to join the in-person class for these test reviews by request.

COURSE & LECTURE STRUCTURE

Every 1.5-hour lecture will consist of a topic (or set of topics) of the day, in-class practice, and a review of important rules/strategies/concepts. The full course consists of 33-38 weeks, but students may join at any point in the course.

COURSE ENTRY

The minimum requirement for entry into the course will be that the student is to take the corresponding course in school. Before entry, students must go through the following steps in order to make sure that this course is right for them:

1. Evaluation test
2. Entry consultation
3. (For students entering after the first cumulative test) The most recent cumulative test

FYSH AP Courses

CALCULUS AB | CALCULUS BC | PHYSICS 1 | PHYSICS C | BIOLOGY | STATISTICS

The curriculum for the FYSH AP Courses is directly modeled after the CollegeBoard AP curriculum–just weeks in advance! Just like the FYSH Honors Math courses, these lectures are designed to be weeks ahead of the AP curricula at any and all schools. During the second half of the program (starting in mid-January), students will have test-prep-centric lectures, which will help them achieve high AP test scores in May. This curriculum will provide students with the tools for BOTH a high GPA AND a high AP test score.

HOMEWORK, LECTURE RECORDINGS, STRUCTURE, & COURSE ENTRY

All of these components will have the same form as the FYSH Honors Math courses:

• Recommended, but not required homework assignments
• Lecture recordings available for all lectures
• Course & lecture structure
• Evaluation test, entry consultation, and most recent cumulative test required for entry

CUMULATIVE TESTS

During the first half of the course, students will take cumulative tests every 4-5 weeks (as mandatory homework assignments) to hone and test their understanding. During the second half of the course (starting in mid-January), students will take full-length AP simulation tests, testing a much more cumulative and comprehensive scope of the AP topics and exercising test-taking strategies.

FYSH AP Capstone

RESEARCH | SEMINAR

The AP Capstone is an incredible opportunity provided by many public and private high schools. It provides students with research experience and a great portfolio item for their college applications, setting them apart from the tens of thousands of other applicants applying to top tier colleges and universities.

However, as incredible of an opportunity it is, it also poses a great challenge to many students, which often poses a great risk to their GPA.

With the FYSH program, MEK is also launching private mentoring for AP Research and AP Seminar students. Through this program, students will have a one-on-one research mentor, who will give them direction and reachable milestones to achieve great heights with their research project. With their mentor, students can also build the confidence in their research topic that will let them stand out in front of their AP Research or Seminar teacher at school.

SUMMER WORKSHOP

MEK hosted workshops this past summer (2024) to kick off the mentorship program and introduce students to the AP Capstone program. During this two-hour workshop, students were provided with an overview of the AP Capstone program that they will start in school, and were given 2 practice prompts to give them a taste of what their AP Research or Seminar course will look like. If your child didn’t get the chance to attend one of our workshops, our research mentors will review it with them and teach students the essential skills and tips to start the AP Capstone program on the right foot.

How to Get Started

Learn more about the Full-Year SpearHead Program at one of our hybrid seminars this month! Our 40-Month Project Seminars will provide you with the information you need to plan your student’s high school years strategically and set them up for college admissions success–including more information about FYSH and how MEK can help you along the way.

Sign up here: https://mekreviewnj.com/40month

You can also sign up for a consultation to kickstart your entry into the course: https://link.brandyoufunnels.com/widget/bookings/mek-book-a-consultation

We hope to speak with you soon!