PROGRAMS AND COURSES
Competitive STEM Program
Competitive STEM is an accelerated enrichment program in STEM targeted at gifted/high-achieving students in grades 1–12+. The program consists of 27 courses. All course sequences are comprised of 2 courses, except Algebra 2 & Precalculus which is comprised of 3 courses, and Discrete Math & Computing with Python, which is comprised of 4 courses. There are also two one-term courses Number Theory and Counting & Probability (cross-listed in both of our Competitive STEM and Math Olympiad programs). Each course lasts for 18 sessions (1 term) with 2.5 hours for each lesson and 3 hours for each in-class exam. For Calculus B, 5 out of the 18 sessions are reserved for 3.25-hour AP Calculus BC Practice Exams.
The topics we cover are much broader and deeper than those found in a typical STEM curriculum. Besides developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in STEM, the program provides students with a solid understanding of STEM concepts and exposes them to a variety of challenging STEM problems. Moreover, we teach students how to express their ideas and justify their steps in their writings.
Homework problems are assigned throughout each course. They are challenging and require students to show complete work to arrive at the answers. We encourage students to use our Google classrooms and/or Facebook discussion groups to ask questions about their homework problems when they need offline help. Besides homework assignments, every course in this program has one or two very challenging exams. With the exception of Number Theory and Counting & Probability, we will hold review session(s) to go over selected problems to prepare for each exam. We grade all homework and exam problems with a lot of feedback. Also, all official homework and exam solutions will be provided to the students after they are graded. Together, students can understand their mistakes, know the correct ways of solving the problems, and learn alternate solutions. Each course in Discrete Math & Computing with Python also include Python assignments and two Python projects.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and students) through emails with students' progress reports, graded students' exam papers, and official answers and solutions to the exams at the end of each marking period. Guardians can then find out how the students are doing and what they have been learning from us.
There are 10 lower-level courses applicable to students in grades 1–7: Fundamentals 1–5 AB/CD. These course sequences provide a curriculum that is both rigorous and complete as well as engaging and entertaining. To see a list of sample advanced topics covered in our Fundamentals 1-5 courses, click the middle button below.
There are 17 upper-level courses applicable to students in grades 6–12+: Prealgebra A/B, Algebra A/B, Number Theory, Counting & Probability, Geometry A/B, Algebra 2 & Precalculus A/B/C, Calculus A/B, and Discrete Math & Computing with Python A/B/C/D. These courses provide a curriculum that is necessary for success in math competitions, top universities, and competitive careers.
Calculus covers the same materials as a typical first-year university Calculus course for STEM majors. It also prepares students for the College Board AP Calculus BC Exam. Students will be able to attempt many sample AP exam questions and real AP exams published by the College Board.
Discrete Math & Computing with Python is a hybrid math & computing course applicable to students in grades 9–12+, including college students and adult learners. Discrete Math serves as the math foundation for computing. Python is a popular, general-purpose, and user-friendly language for software programming. It makes great sense to incorporate Discrete Math, Computing, and Python together into a course sequence offering a comprehensive introduction to the world of computing. This course sequence provide an alternative to standard high school AP/IB/AICE STEM courses and first year university STEM courses. Together with other upper-level courses in our Competitive STEM program, it builds a solid foundation for students to succeed in math competitions, top universities, and competitive careers. To find out more about this course sequence, please click the right button below for a PDF slideshow.
This is a very advanced and challenging program, much more so than IB Math, Saxon Math, and Singapore Math. Most contestants of the USA Mathematical Olympiad (around 500 each year) studied many of the books we use in this program.
Math Olympiad Program
Math Olympiad is an intensive olympiad training program targeted at gifted/high-achieving 4th-12th graders who are interested in preparing for major math competitions, such as CML, Math Kangaroo, MOEMS, MATHCOUNTS, NYCIML, AMC, AIME, ARML, and USAMTS. All course sequences are comprised of 2 or 4 courses. Each course lasts for 18 sessions (1 term) with 2.5 hours in each session.
Many top universities, including Caltech, CMU, MIT, Stanford, and Yale, ask for their applicants' math competition performances, among other information, in their college application forms. These Olympiad courses provide intensive training for students to maximize their scores in math competitions.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
There are 8 courses in the program: Introductory Math Olympiad (IMO) A/B, Junior Math Olympiad (JMO) A/B/C/D, and Senior Math Olympiad (SMO) A/B.
IMO is a two-part course sequence applicable to 4th-8th graders preparing for math competitions at the level of CML (Grade Levels 4-8), Math Kangaroo (Levels 3-8), and MOEMS (Divisions E & M).
JMO is a four-part course sequence applicable to 7th-10th graders preparing for math competitions at the level of CML (Grade Levels 7-9), MOEMS (Division M), NYCIML, MATHCOUNTS, AMC 8, and AMC 10. Part A covers Algebra. Part B covers Number Theory. Part C covers Geometry. Part D covers Counting & Probability. Parts B (Number Theory) and D (Counting & Probability) are cross-listed in our Competitive Math program.
SMO is a two-part course sequence applicable to 9th-12th graders preparing for math competitions at the level of AMC 10, AMC 12, AIME, ARML, and USAMTS.
Most contestants of the USA Mathematical Olympiad (around 500 each year) studied many of the books we use in this program.
Test Prep Program: SHSAT Math
This is an 18-session and 45-hour intensive prep course for SHSAT Math. The first 16 sessions are 2.5-hour sessions to be held only in the Summer term. The last session is a 4-hour session to be held in late October within two weeks before the date of the real test.
We review all topics required for SHSAT Math. And, rather than presenting students merely facts and formulas, we focus on explaining the concepts, methods, approaches, and big ideas.
After completing the review and working through some sample SHSAT questions, when students gained enough knowledge, experience, and confidence, each student will have the chance to attempt 7 full-length sample SHSATs published by the NYC Department of Education. To refresh their memories after a long break, each student will attempt an extended SHSAT sample test compiled using the most difficult questions from the sample tests in the last session.
We go over one or more efficient solutions to solve each problem, explain test-taking and problem-solving strategies, and how to discipline yourself to maximize your score on SHSAT Math.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
Test Prep Program: SAT Math
This is an 18-sessions 45-hour intensive prep course for PSAT/SAT Math.
It is a great math refresher course for PSAT/SAT math topics. And, rather than presenting students merely facts and formulas, we focus on explaining the concepts, methods, approaches, and big ideas.
Students will be able to attempt many review questions, many sample test questions, and 10 full-length PSAT/SAT tests published by the College Board.
We go over one or more efficient solutions to solve each problem, explain test-taking and problem-solving strategies, and how to discipline yourself to maximize your score on PSAT/SAT Math.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
Test Prep Program: AP Calculus Exams Prep
This course has two parts: Part 1 covers all topics in the AP Calculus AB Exam, and Part 2 goes deeper into the AP Calculus BC Exam. Attaining a score of 3 or higher out of 5 on an AP Calculus Exam may grant students valuable college credits and exemption from taking certain calculus courses, leading to both time and financial savings.
Part 1 is recommended for students enrolled in or have completed a standard AP Calculus AB course, preparing for the AP Calculus AB Exam on May 13, 2024. Parts 1 & 2 together are recommended for students undertaking or having completed a standard AP Calculus BC course, gearing up for the AP Calculus BC Exam on the same date.
Throughout these sessions, we'll cover essential concepts, definitions, facts, theorems, formulas, methods, and practice questions for the AP Exams. Students will also tackle a full-length AP Calculus AB practice exam in Part 1 and analogous full-length AP Calculus BC practice exam in Part 2, both graded using official guidelines to assess your readiness.
Test Prep Program: SAT Math Level 2 (no longer offered)
This is an 18-session and 45-hour prep course for SAT Subject Test in Math Level 2. The corequisite of this course is Algebra 2 & Trigonometry or its equivalent, which is a course taken usually by high school juniors as a required course or sophomores as an honor course.
Rather than just covering enough topics required by the SAT Subject Test in Math Level 2, we also included some dependent topics and other topics that we believe every well-prepared high school graduates should know. Instead of presenting students merely facts and formulas, we focus on explaining the concepts, methods, approaches, and big ideas. Although many of the subject test questions can be answered by computational methods using graphical calculators (ex. TI-84 Plus or TI-84 Plus CE), learning analytical methods provides a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts. Therefore, we cover both analytical and computational methods in the course.
Students will be able to attempt many review questions, 4 full-length model tests, and 4 full-length SAT Math Level 2 tests published by the CollegeBoard.
We go over one or more efficient solutions to solve each problem, explain test-taking and problem-solving strategies, and how to discipline yourself to maximize your score on the test.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
Test Prep Program: SAT Physics (no longer offered)
This is an 18-session and 45-hour intensive prep course for SAT Subject Test in Physics. It also helps students prepare for the AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 exams.
We review all topics required for the SAT Subject Test in Physics and, with the exception of fluid mechanics, all topics for the AP Physics 1 & AP Physics 2 exams. And, rather than presenting students merely facts and formulas, we focus on explaining to them the concepts, methods, approaches, and big ideas.
Students will be able to attempt many review questions, 2 full-length SAT Physics model tests, and 2 full-length SAT Physics tests published by the CollegeBoard. In all, we will go over 750 problems throughout the course.
We go over one or more efficient solutions to solve each problem, explain test-taking and problem-solving strategies, and how to discipline yourself to maximize your score on the test.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
Test Prep Program: Hunter College High School Entrance Exam Math Prep
This is a 4-day and 10-hour prep course for the math section of Hunter College High School (HCHS) Entrance Exam.
Our Hunter Math Prep course is ideal for 6th graders who want to prepare for the math section of the HCHS Entrance Exam. This course also sharpens 6th graders’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills and exposes them to some of the methods and approaches used to solve problems found in the math competitions, such as MOEMS, Math Kangaroo, and MATHCOUNTS.
In this course, students will able to attempt 4 HCHS Entrance Exam math practice tests. And, for each problem in these tests, we will go over one or more efficient solutions to solve each problem, explain test-taking and problem-solving strategies, and how to discipline yourself to maximize your score on the test.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
Test Prep Program: NY Statewide Math
This is a 4-session and 12-hour prep course for NY Statewide Math Assessment Test.
We review all topics required for NY Statewide Math Assessment Test. And, rather than presenting students merely facts and formulas, we focus on explaining the concepts, methods, approaches, and big ideas. During the review, we go over practice problems in class.
Students will be able to attempt review questions, 2 full-length sample NY Statewide Math Tests (two sets of 3 books: Books 1, 2, and 3), and released questions from 3 sample NY Statewide Math Tests published by NYSED.
We go over one or more efficient solutions to solve each problem, explain test-taking and problem-solving strategies, and how to discipline yourself to maximize your score on the NY Statewide Math Assessment Test.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
Test Prep Program: NEST+M Entrance Exam Prep
(no longer offered)
This is a 4-session and 12-hour prep course for NY Statewide Math Assessment Test.
We review all topics required for NY Statewide Math Assessment Test. And, rather than presenting students merely facts and formulas, we focus on explaining the concepts, methods, approaches, and big ideas. During the review, we go over practice problems in class.
Students will be able to attempt review questions, 2 sample NY Statewide Math Tests published by NYSED, and 2 full-length sample NY Statewide Math Tests (two sets of 3 books: Books 1, 2, and 3).
We go over one or more efficient solutions to solve each problem, explain test-taking and problem-solving strategies, and how to discipline yourself to maximize your score on the NY Statewide Math Assessment Test.
We believe that communication between teachers and guardians about students' performances is essential. As a result, we will communicate to guardians (and also students) through emails with students' progress reports throughout the course.
