Preparing for High School Admissions: Webinar Recap

Thank you to all who attended the Preparing for High School Admissions Parent Webinar! 

We were thrilled to share our expert knowledge with so many parents and students on preparing for BCA, Bergen County Technical High School, and Academies @ Englewood admissions.

If you were unable to attend, don’t worry! We’ve created a recap of the most important information to get you started on your journey to High School Admissions success!

STEM/Private High School Admissions

Q: Who should consider STEM/Private High School Admissions?

STEM and Private High Schools are a great fit for:

• Students who find their current school curriculum too easy and boring
• Students looking for a greater challenge
• Students with non-core academic interests (i.e. Computer Science, Medical Sciences, Visual/Performing Arts, Law, Business)

Q: What is the breakdown of the different High School Admissions Tests?

Essential Skills for Test Prep

Q: What skills do students need to have in order to succeed on the admissions tests?

In addition to understanding core concepts, students should have strong:

• Analytical problem-solving skills
• Ability to apply learned skills to new problems
• Work ethic
• Endurance and stamina to tackle (and solve!) difficult questions

The Test Prep Equation

Q: What courses does MEK have to support students along their High School Admissions journey?

At MEK, we believe that a headstart is essential to High School Admissions success. That’s why we have courses for students ranging from 4th through 8th grade, starting with our MEK Learning Circles program.

Our goal for students is to start them in our Exam Prep 8 program in the Spring of 7th grade, transition them to the appropriate course for their goals the Summer before 8th grade, and finish their exam prep in the Fall of 8th grade in the lead up to the test.

The graphic below illustrates the student High School Exam Prep journey with MEK for each of the different private high school admissions exams.

Key Features of Pre-High School Test Prep

Q: What skills will students acquire in MEK’s Pre-High School Test Prep classes?

Aside from the necessary skills stated above, our Pre-High School Test Prep classes also provide students with

• Tension-maintenance throughout the week, even on “non-MEK” days through Canvas exercises
• Problem-solving skills in BOTH English and Math, through literary analysis and process-driven training
• Targeting greatest areas of weakness through problem sets that exercise number sense and problem-solving skills
• Cumulative review lectures and process-driven homework problem sets

How to Succeed in Class

Q: What can students do to succeed in their Pre-High School Test Prep classes?

In order to excel in these classes, students must:

• Put in their 100% effort to solve all homework and classroom questions in the methods taught in class.
• Log into Canvas frequently to solve extra problem sets provided by our teaching team.
• Review their class notes and materials after every class–the material is cumulative!

Q: How are students assessed on their work?

Students are assessed via rubrics that breakdown what is expected of them on each assignment. Below is an example of a Math Rubric used for grading student work.

Test Prep Timeline

Q: When should my child begin test prep and what is the timeline?

Students should start preparing in Spring of 2024. Below is a graphic outlining the timeline from starting prep in Spring 2024 to the BCA Interview in February of 2024.

MEK’s BCA Prep Program

Q: How do students get started preparing for High School Admissions?

We have all our students begin with a BCA evaluation test. This exam tests students’ skill level in math and English and aligns with the BCA/BT admission test. It also helps us determine which program level in BCA Prep to place your child. When you student signs up for a virtual BCA evaluation test, we will notify you of their results, what those results mean, and what we recommend for next steps.

After students take the evaluation, we usually recommend 7th graders begin with our Pre-High School Prep courses to build a solid foundation for high school admission tests.

In the summer before 8th grade, we recommend our proven and hugely effective Exam Prep 8 course.

Then, in the fall students begin intensive test-training with our BCA Prep program.

Next Steps

Want to register your child for BCA Prep? Call us at 855-346-1410 or contact us here today!