A Complete List of Real SAT Essay Prompts (March 2005 – June 2015)

A complete compilation of real SAT essay prompts administered historically by the College Board for different test periods.

SAT essay prompts contain a first part which is a passage or quote, followed by a second part which is the assignment.

For practice, you could write an entire essay on one of the prompts, or you could identify one historical, one literary, and one current event example that could be useful for each prompt.  If you have taken a course at our center, you will remember that you should research and memorize 5 literary, 5 historical, and 5 current event examples on a variety of topics before you walk into the test.  This strategy saves you valuable time and ensures your examples are detailed, accurate, and original.

For SAT Tips on the Writing section, please click: 25-Minute Essay Strategies.

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

Online SAT Mock Test

Students located outside the Washington metropolitan area can take a SAT mock test at home in an environment that resembles the testing environment as closely as possible, using the College Board’s actual SAT test booklet on May 3, 2014. Form Codes are AEKC, BWKC, CFKC. It has 10 sections, including an experimental section. Click HERE to download the test booklet.

Based on our statistical data analysis, the correlation coefficient between the questions on this test and all the questions from SAT exams from Oct. 2013 to June 2015 is as high as 0.91. Therefore, this test is the most representative of the SAT exams, and is the best one to be used to evaluate our students’ abilities.

If you wish to have another real SAT test pocket rather than this one, please click: 72 Full-length Real SATs are a Golden Resource to Our SAT Prep Program and find the test pocket that you wish to use for your mock test. Then email us at ivymocktest@gmail.com the year/form codes of the real SAT test, and we will email you the complete SAT set.

Our mock test is exactly the same as the real test provided by College Board/Educational Testing Service. Particularly, each essay is independently scored by two SAT Essay Readers on a scale from 1 to 6, according to the College Board’s SAT Essay Scoring Guide. These readers’ scores are combined to produce the 2-12 scale. Note that the two readers are randomly selected from a pool of 39 Official College Board SAT Essay Readers, who have extensive experience scoring SAT essays. So the test is exactly the same as the real test provided by College Board. The score is pretty accurate and meaningful.

We provide the following three types of score reports within 3 business days after receiving the online payment and the completed Answer Sheet (including the essay) from the student.

1. Basic Score Report:
The report contains:

  • Critical Reading: 200-800 points
  • Math: 200-800 points
  • Writing: 200-800 points
  • Essay: 0-12 points (if you actually wrote anything remotely relevant, that’s 2–12).

The report displays the number of questions for each question type (critical reading; mathematics; writing), that you answered right or wrong, or that you omitted. It also shows the total number of questions, and your raw score.

Click HERE to view a sample of the report.
$25.  Click HERE to register and make payment.
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2. Detailed Score Report:
The report is similar to the College Board’s Question-and-Answer Service. This includes a detailed table of correct answers and scoring information. For each question, it also provides information about the type, level of difficulty, what your answer was, and whether it was correct, incorrect, or omitted. This gives you the opportunity to analyze your mistakes in some detail.

Click HERE to view a sample of the report.
$50.  Click HERE to register and make payment.
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3. Individualized Comprehensive Score Report:

The report provides individualized, comprehensive comments and suggestions with each section (critical reading, mathematics, and writing).

Click HERE to view a sample of the report.
$75.  Click HERE to register and make payment.
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Read more:

Click HERE to find out more about our SAT Prep Program.

Summer Evening Intensive AIME Prep Course Starting July 20

This program has been carefully designed for the students with a busy daytime schedule for internships or other activities. These students usually have higher expectation for their American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) scores. While enriching their resume through exciting internship experience, honing the test skill for AIME becomes even more critical.

The AIME is used to determine qualification for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC → AIME → USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world.

Instructors:

Two Weeks: 7/20 – 7/31
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Tuition: $1100 (including all materials)

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874
18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Purpose: To prepare for the AIME I — Thursday, March 3, 2016 or AIME II — Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Objectives

  • Improve student scores by working on both fundamental theorems and ideas
  • Develop and foster creative problem solving strategies
  • Make the USA(J)MO!!!

For Whom?
This AIME course is aimed at those students with AMC 10/12 scores of 100+ to students who have scored around 4 on the AIME.

What?
This class will focus mostly on building strong basics in the five main pillars of Combinatorics, Number Theory, Geometry, Algebra, and Probability. The goal is for students to obtain the mental agility required to tackle these complex problems and hopefully get them within and past range of qualification for the USAMO and USAJMO, or around 9 problems.

How?
Focus on basic concepts and essential knowledge before moving on developing the skills and intuition to find and pursue good lines of attack for complex problems.

Class Outline:
In AMIE Prep Class, we will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve AIME problems as well as test-taking tactics.

Class Date Topic Homework Tutorial Handouts
1 7/27, Mon Algebraic Equations: Distance-Rate-Time Problems, Systems of Nonlinear Equations AIME Problem Set on Algebraic Equations Yes
2 7/28, Tue Combinatorics: Partitions and Bijections, Generating Functions, Combinatorial Identities, the Inclusion-Exclusion Principle, the pigeonhole principle AIME Problem Set on Combinatorics Yes
3 7/29, Wed Probability: Properties of Probability Functions, Geometric probability, Algebraic Probability, Tournaments, Socks, and Dice AIME Problem Set on Probability Yes
4 7/30, Thu Number Theory: Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, Greatest Common Divisor and Least Common Multiple, Modular Arithmetic, Divisibility Tests AIME Problem Set on Number Theory Yes
5 7/31, Fri Diophantine Equations, Systems of Diophantine Equations, Quadratic Diophantine and Pell Equations, Special Factoring Trick –– Completing the Rectangle AIME Problem Set on Diophantine and Pell Equations Yes
6 8/3, Mon Sequences and Series: Arithmetic Series, Geometric Series and the Telescope Tool, Tiling and the Fibonacci Recurrence, The Catalan Recurrence AIME Problem Set on Sequences and Series Yes
7 8/4, Tue Logarithmic and Trigonometric Functions: Putting Logarithmic, Exponential,  and Trigonometric Functions Together AIME Problem Set on Logarithmic and Trigonometric Functions Yes
8 8/5, Wed Complex Numbers and Polynomials: The Algebra of Complex Numbers, The Geometry of Complex Numbers, Basic Definitions and Facts about Polynomials, Polynomials with Complex Roots AIME Problem Set on Complex Numbers and Polynomials Yes
9 8/6, Thu Plane Geometry: Triangle Geometry, Circle Geometry, Geometrical Concepts in the Complex Plane AIME Problem Set on Plane Geometry Yes
10 8/7, Fri Spatial Geometry: Rectangular Boxes, Cylinders, Cones, Spheres, Tetrahedra and Pyramids AIME Problem Set on Spatial Geometry Yes

 Homework: At least 2 hours per day. Students are expected to complete all of the previous AIME contests in the past 10 years, which is over 60 hours of practice. Our instructors are open to questions on any previous AIMEs.

All problems from all of the previous 49 AIME contests (1983-2015) form our “big data” system. We have used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types and the frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AIME. We will show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the AMC. For all questions on the recent AIME contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AIME problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AIME problems.

 Click the following articles to read more about our competitive math prep courses:

education priceless treasure

2015 Summer – Competitive Math Prep

Summer is the golden time to prepare for the American Mathematics Competitions!
BANNER_Top_Mathletics

1. Math Olympiad Prep (for Rising 3rd to 5th Graders) Summer Weekend Course

Purpose: To prepare for the Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS) and Math Kangaroo

5 Weekends (Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm):
(1)        7/11, 7/12
(2)       7/18, 7/19
(3)        7/25, 7/26 (Midterm Mock Exam/Review)
(4)        8/1, 8/2
(5)        8/8, 8/9 (Final Mock Exam/Review)
View Course Outline

Tuition: $500 (including all materials)

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

2. AMC 8/Mathcounts Prep (for Rising 5th to 8th Graders) Summer Weekend Course

Purpose: To prepare for the AMC 8 — Tuesday, November 17, 2015 and the 2016 Mathcounts

5 Weekends (Time: 9:00 – 12:00 pm):
(1)        7/11, 7/12
(2)       7/18, 7/19
(3)        7/25, 7/26 (Midterm Mock Exam/Review)
(4)        8/1, 8/2
(5)        8/8, 8/9 (Final Mock Exam/Review)
View Course Outline

Tuition: $900 (including all materials)

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

3. AMC 10/12 Prep (for Rising 8th to 12th Graders) Summer Weekend Course

Purpose: To prepare for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 2, 2016 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 17, 2016

5 Weekends (Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm):
(1)        7/11, 7/12
(2)       7/18, 7/19
(3)        7/25, 7/26 (Midterm Mock Exam/Review)
(4)        8/1, 8/2
(5)        8/8, 8/9 (Final Mock Exam/Review)
View Course Outline

Tuition: $1200 (including all materials)

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

4. Summer Evening Intensive AIME Prep

Two Weeks: 7/20 – 7/31
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 pm
View Course Outline

Tuition: $1100 (including all materials)

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

5. Self-studying for AMC 8/10/12 Contests

Even if you cannot attend our classes, you can purchase the official AMC materials from our bookstore and, using our solutions, self-learn/study the tricks, shortcuts, tips, and strategies to solve AMC problems as well as test-taking tactics.
VIEW ALL OFFICIAL AMC MATERIALS

6. Private and Semi-private Tutoring

(1)     One-on-One Private Individualized Coaching/Tutoring:                 $90/hour

  • 1-on-1 instruction
  • Completely personalized prep
  • Books and materials included
  • Only our best and most sought after tutors
  • Tutors with the skills and style to totally meet your needs
  • The freedom to meet when you want
  • A plan to help you get into your top-choice schools

(2)     One-on-Two Semi-Private Instruction:    $60/hour

  • Specialized 1-on-2 instruction
  • Books and materials included
  • Only our best and most sought after tutors
  • Individualized attention
  • Customizable schedules

(3)     One-on-Three Semi-Private Instruction:  $50/hour

  • Specialized 1-on-3 instruction
  • Books and materials included
  • Only our best and most sought after tutors
  • Individualized attention
  • Customizable schedules

Our Uniqueness

We have a long history of close collaboration with the MAA‘s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), which are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC → AIME → USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world. We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national and math competitions. We have collected all AMC8/10/12 and AIME Official Problems and Official Solutions as shown in the article ” American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials,” which have formed our “big data” system, a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

 Featured Instructors

All of our sessions are taught by highly qualified instructors who are excellent experts on preparing students for the contests. We distinguish ourselves by the high quality of our instructors. Finding top-quality instructors is no easy task. We’ve hand-picked some of the best, including distinguished mathematicians. Meet some of them here:

Our Students

From 2011 to 2015, in total, 37 students scored above 120 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 26 students scored above 100 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 3 students qualified for the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), the highest level of math competition for high school students in the USA

Read more: Notable Achievements of Our Students

Great Benefits of Math Competitions

In an increasingly competitive college application pool, the process of mastering math skills through our courses and participating in the American Math Competitions will help students strengthen and diversify their extracurricular activities. These contests can motivate students’ interest and passion in math, and they can discover their talent through solving challenging problems different from those in the school classes. Many top colleges also request AMC scores as part of the college application process. Both MIT and Caltech have entry blanks on their official admission application forms for the applicant to enter their best AMC and AIME scores. Ivy League Colleges and Stanford ask for to the AMC and AIME scores in their Supplement to the Common Application Forms. Your children deserve the chance to list these scores on their applications! Good AMC scores will greatly enhance admission opportunities for students to elite colleges.

Read more:

Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874
18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Click the following articles to read more about our competitive math prep courses:

education priceless treasure

3

4

Math Olympiad Prep (for Rising 3rd to 5th Graders) Summer Weekend Course Starting July 11

Instructors:

5 Weekends (Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm):
(1)        7/11, 7/12
(2)       7/18, 7/19
(3)        7/25, 7/26 (Midterm Mock Exam/Review)
(4)        8/1, 8/2
(5)        8/8, 8/9 (Final Mock Exam/Review)

Tuition: $500 (including all materials)

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874
18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Purpose: To prepare for the Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS) and Math Kangaroo

Description:
This Math Olympiad Prep course is designed to teach the major strategies of problem solving, to foster mathematical creativity, and to stimulate enthusiasm and love for the types of problems that students encounter in competitive mathematics. Each class students explore a different math topic or problem-solving strategy in depth and practice non-routine contest problems. This course provides interactive experiences for students. Students and instructors work on problem solving, clarification of concepts, and group sessions.

The main feature of this course is the use of the concrete → pictorial → abstract approach. This method enables us to introduce simple algebra and geometry as early as in third grade and encourages active thinking processes, communication of mathematical ideas, and problem solving. The emphasis is placed on development and complete understanding of mathematical concepts and their interesting applications, as well as on proficiency in multi-step problem solving, non-routine approach, mathematical reasoning, higher order thinking, and creative thinking.

Grade Levels: Rising Grades 3-5

Class Outline:

In Math Olympiad Prep Class, we will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems as well as test-taking tactics.

Class Date Topic
1 7/11, Sat Mental Math — Best techniques to count faster in your head. Students will learn arithmetical calculations using only the human brain, with no help from calculators, computers, or pen and paper.
2 7/12, Sun Drawing a Picture or Diagram: Both theoretical and applied problems will be used to show how a sketch helps to make sense of and model a problem.
3 7/18, Sat Using Deduction: Students will apply principles of logic to solve classic riddles, such as those involving colored hats and identity of the truth-teller, in addition to non-routine math problems.
4 7/19, Sun Simplification: Students will learn techniques for decreasing the number and complexity of calculations for simplifying problems involving whole number operations, complex fractions, factorials, and exponents.
5 7/25, Sat Finding a Pattern: Students will investigate patterns involving time, additive number sequences, and repeated multiplication.
6 7/26, Sun Making a List: This topic expands on strategies for making lists for counting and arrangements, along with divisibility and remainders, laying a solid foundation for later work with more formal concepts in modular arithmetic, number theory and combinatorics.
7 8/1, Sat Making an Organized Table: Students use tables to compare unknown quantities in an organized way to test possible solutions, which serves as a basis for more algebraic methods in subsequent coursework.
8 8/2, Sun Using Number Operations: Students will broaden their understanding of number operations and factors as they apply methods to solve for unknown digits and complete magic squares.
9 8/8, Sat Working Backwards: This topic exposes students to various situations for which beginning at a given result and working backwards is the best strategy.
10 8/9, Sun Estimation and Elimination: Strong estimation skills are often required in making sense of problems and checking reasonableness of solutions. In this topic, students apply their number sense to make estimates as they narrow the number of possible solutions to problems involving exponents, divisibility, and remainders.

Our class will mainly focus on preparing for the following prestigious national elementary school mathematics competitions

  • Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS): This is a large and popular mathematics competition for students in grades 4 through 8. The goal of MOEMS is to expose students to elementary methods of mathematical problem solving.
  • Math Kangaroo in USA: This is the world’s largest mathematics competition with students in grades 2-12 competing from many nations around the world.
  • Math League: This is a well-known mathematics competition for elementary, middle, and high school students in the United States.
  • Continental Mathematics League (CML): This is an important mathematics contest for students in grades 2 through 12.

Click the following articles to read more about our competitive math prep courses:

AMC 8/Mathcounts Prep (for Rising 5th to 8th Graders) Summer Weekend Course Starting July 11

Instructors:

5 Weekends (Time: 9:00 – 12:00 pm):
(1)        7/11, 7/12
(2)       7/18, 7/19
(3)        7/25, 7/26 (Midterm Mock Exam/Review)
(4)        8/1, 8/2
(5)        8/8, 8/9 (Final Mock Exam/Review)

Tuition: $900 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $40 for returning students.

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874 (The class is FULL!)
18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841 (A few spots are available!)

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Purpose: To prepare for the AMC 8 — Tuesday, November 17, 2015 and the 2016 Mathcounts

Description:
Our curriculum focuses on advancing the mathematical skills of rising 4th-8th graders to prepare them for the AMC 8/MathCounts Contest. A variety of AMC 8/MathCounts Contest questions are used to teach students strategies to solve problems and help students prepare for the competitions. These problems stimulate their interest and enthusiasm for critical thinking and problem solving, broaden their mathematical intuition, and develop their brainpower. The topics taught in this class are not covered in regular school math classes, allowing our students to stay one step ahead.

Benefits:

  • 10 tutorial handouts (250 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 500 new problems similar to AMC 8 level from the licensed AMC Database
  • 2 FREE mock tests (midterm and final), each of which has 25 questions taken from the licensed AMC Database
  • Registration for free for the AMC 8 Contest on Tuesday, November 17, 2015. 

Grade Levels: Rising Grades 5-8

Class Outline:
In AMC 8/Mathcounts Prep Class, we will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems as well as test-taking tactics. The emphasis of this class will be on problem-solving which is the most important to competitive math.

Class Date Topic Homework Tutorial Handouts
1 7/11, Sat Fundamentals: Arithmetic AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Arithmetic, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
2 7/12, Sun Proportional Reasoning AMC 8 Problem Set on Proportional Reasoning, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
3 7/18, Sat Variables, Expressions & Equations AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Variables, Expressions & Equations, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
4 7/19, Sun Radicals and Exponents AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Radicals and Exponents, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
5 7/25, Sat Number Sense & Patterns AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Number Sense & Patterns Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
6 7/26, Sun Sequences and Series AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Sequences and Series, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
7 8/1, Sat Plane Geometry AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Plane Geometry, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
8 8/2, Sun Coordinate Geometry AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Coordinate Geometry, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
9 8/8, Sat Transformations, Similarity, and Solid Geometry AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Transformations & Similarity, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes
10 8/9, Sun Counting and Probability AMC 8/Mathcounts Problem Set on Counting and Probability, Plus some new problems from the licensed AMC Database Yes

Mock Test: Two simulated tests (midterm and final) help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. The test consists of 25 questions similar to AMC 8/MathCounts level from the licensed AMC Database, and is intended to mimic an actual math competition exam. After attempting the test, students get answers, explanations, and a detailed score report and wise performance summary.

Homework: On average, at least one hour per day. We will carefully review and check each student’s homework, and correct any mistakes. Based on his/her work, we will provide the student with individualized proposal and support.

The only way to learn mathematics is by doing mathematics. Homework assignments are a fundamental part of a mathematics course. Homework is also seen as a welcome challenge and an opportunity for further learning. Homework given prior to a lesson can aid in understanding later during class. Homework also provides opportunities for reinforcement of the material learned in class.

We have to face the simple truth that to do well on these grueling contests, we will need to practice. Just like it is for sports and music, the key to success is repetition and practice. We strongly believe in effort and the malleability of intelligence. Intelligence can be enhanced through effort. People can develop impressive levels of expertise through hard work and practice. Effort and persistence are the keys to success. Hard work always pays off: practice makes perfect!

All problems from past AMC 8 exams (1985-2014) and MathCounts (1990–2015) form our “big data” system. We have used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types and the frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC 8 and MathCounts. We will show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the AMC and MathCounts. For all questions on the recent AMC/MathCounts contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AMC/MathCounts problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AMC/MathCounts problems.

Small-sized Class Teaching Model:
We utilize the highly effective small-sized class teaching model. For the class size, we will maintain a size of less than 8 students. Smaller classes lead to pupils receiving more individual attention from teachers, and having more active interactions with them. We focus on every individual, not the whole class. Students will thrive from the smaller class sizes that allow them to reach their full potential. Particularly, students can benefit tremendously from high-frequent individualized student-teacher interactions leading to establishment of a stronger foundation for lifelong learning.

Main Purpose:
Our main purpose is to help our students gain deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are so valuable to success in any career. We are big believers in the FUNDAMENTALS! Our students will receive the LIFELONG BENEFITS from learning math.

Regardless of his/her math level, each student will have the opportunity to learn math in a fun, friendly, cooperative, supportive learning environment. The most important thing is to have fun.

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our tutoring model is very unique. We ask that all students complete all the required problems at home, and then email their work to us before come to the class. We will carefully review and check the students’ work. Based on their work, we can detect what are the student’s specific weaknesses and use those problems in class to teach the students all the tricks, shortcuts, strategies, and tactics for taking the contest. The entire two hours are used for instructional teaching only. We firmly believe that learning is extremely important, and that a student should not waste time doing problems with our supervision if they can do those problems at home. So our 3-hour session is equivalent to a regular 6-hour session, and thus our hourly rate is equivalent to $15 per hour.

Click the following articles to read more about our competitive math prep courses:

education priceless treasure

3

4

AMC 10/12 Prep (for Rising 8th to 12th Graders) Summer Weekend Course Starting July 11

Instructors:

5 Weekends (Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm):
(1)        7/11, 7/12
(2)       7/18, 7/19
(3)        7/25, 7/26 (Midterm Mock Exam/Review)
(4)        8/1, 8/2
(5)        8/8, 8/9 (Final Mock Exam/Review)

Tuition: $1200 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $50 for returning students.

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.

Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874 (The class is FULL!)
18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841 (A few spots are available!)

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Purpose: To prepare for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 2, 2016 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 17, 2016.

Specific Goal: To earn a score of 120 or more out of 150 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10), or a score of 100 or more out of 150 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12), and then qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), which is used to determine qualification for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC → AIME → USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world.

Who should take this class: This class is very appropriate for 7th-11th grade students who are hoping to qualify for the AIME.

Mock Tests: Two simulated tests (midterm and final) help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. The test consists of 25 questions similar to AMC 10/12 level from the licensed AMC Database, and is intended to mimic an actual math competition exam. After attempting the test, students get answers, explanations, and a detailed score report and wise performance summary.

Weekly Homework: At least 6 hours per week. We will carefully review and check each student’s homework, and correct any mistakes. Based on his/her work, we will provide the student with individualized proposal and support.

The only way to learn mathematics is by doing mathematics. Homework assignments are a fundamental part of a mathematics course. Homework is also seen as a welcome challenge and an opportunity for further learning. Homework given prior to a lesson can aid in understanding later during class. Homework also provides opportunities for reinforcement of the material learned in class.

We have to face the simple truth that to do well on this grueling contest, we will need to practice. Just like it is for sports and music, the key to success is repetition and practice. We strongly believe in effort and the malleability of intelligence. Intelligence can be enhanced through effort. People can develop impressive levels of expertise through hard work and practice. Effort and persistence are the keys to success. Hard work always pays off. Practice makes perfect!

All problems from past AMC 10/12 exams (2000-2015) and AHSME (1983–1999) form our “big data” system. The AHSME (American High School Mathematics Examination) was the former name of the AMC, before 2000. We have used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types and the frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC 10/12. We will show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the AMC. For all questions on the recent AMC contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AMC problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AMC problems.

Benefits:

  • 10 tutorial handouts (>300 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 500 new problems similar to AMC 10/12 level from the licensed AMC Database
  • 2 FREE mock tests, each of which has 25 questions taken from the licensed AMC Database

Course Description:

This course is designed to extend skills in problem solving and critical thinking, to foster mathematical creativity, and to introduce the fundamentals of proof. Students learn to think at an advanced level as they tackle challenging problems.

Topics addressed in this course will draw from: number theory, set theory, algebra, geometry, combinatorics, graph theory, and probability. The class will also discuss problems from all past AMC 10/12 exams (2000-2015), as well as efficient strategies for taking the test.

Each week, students explore a different math topic or problem-solving strategy in depth, and practice both non-routine and contest problems. In tackling non-routine problems whose solutions are not immediate, students are encouraged to approach problems from different angles. Additionally, they will learn to create inductive and deductive proofs, with a focus on the proper use of notation and terminology and precision in their writing. Our classroom provides interactive and team-building experiences for students.

Each topic covered in the course is independent of the other topics.  One topic is taught a week on a continuous repeating basis. Students will not necessarily start with “Topic 1” in their first week of enrollment.

Class Outline:

In AMC 10/12 Prep Class, we will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve AMC problems as well as test-taking tactics.

AMC 10/12 Prep Class

Class Date Topic Homework Tutorial Handouts
1 7/11, Sat Arithmetic ratios AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Arithmetic ratios, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
2 7/12, Sun Statistics AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Statistics, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
3 7/18, Sat Counting, combinatorics, and graph theory AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Counting and combinatorics, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
4 7/19, Sun Probability AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Probability, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
5 7/25, Sat Prime decomposition AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Prime decomposition, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
6 7/26, Sun Modular arithmetic and bases AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Modular arithmetic and bases, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
7 8/1, Sat Number theory AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Number theory, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
8 8/2, Sun Patterns, sequences, and series AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Patterns, sequences, and series, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
9 8/8, Sat Triangle geometry AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Triangle geometry, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes
10 8/9, Sun Three-dimensional geometry AMC 10/12 Problem Set on Three-dimensional geometry, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database Yes

 Our main purpose is to help our students gain deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are so valuable to success in any career. We are big believers in the FUNDAMENTALS! Our students will receive the LIFELONG BENEFITS from learning math.

Regardless of his/her math level, each student will have the opportunity to learn math in a fun, friendly, cooperative, supportive learning environment. The most important thing is to have fun.

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our tutoring model is very unique. We ask that all students complete all the required problems at home, and then email their work to us before come to the class. We will carefully review and check the students’ work. Based on their work, we can detect what are the student’s specific weaknesses and use those problems in class to teach the students all the tricks, shortcuts, strategies, and tactics for taking the contest. The entire two hours are used for instructional teaching only. We firmly believe that learning is extremely important, and that a student should not waste time doing problems with our supervision if they can do those problems at home. So our 3-hour session is equivalent to a regular 6-hour session, and thus our hourly rate is equivalent to $20 per hour.

Click the following articles to read more about our competitive math prep courses:

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Online SAT Critical Reading and Writing Tutoring/Coaching

Most SAT test prep courses are far more helpful when it comes to helping students raise their math section scores and have far less to offer students seeking to raise their scores on the writing or the critical reading sections of the exam. This is because shortcuts and test-taking strategies can only take you so far: developing students’ critical reading and writing skills requires a higher level of expertise and more personalized instruction and feedback than most test prep courses and instructors can provide. We have greatly helped students increase their SAT writing and critical reading scores as much as 200 points per section. Please view here: Notable Achievements of Our Students

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How one-on-one individualized tutoring with us works:

  • Before the first tutoring session, the student will be required to take and submit a timed SAT test for diagnostic purposes (e.g., the three critical reading sections or the essay and two multiple choice writing sections of one SAT exam). Based on the student’s strengths and weaknesses and the number of scheduled meetings, we will develop a tutoring plan outlining the focus of and homework due for each session.
  • Tutoring sessions are conducted live, online through the use of a third-party webconferencing site (Google Hangouts) that allows students to see and speak directly with out tutor. While a webcamera is not required, students must have a computer with an internal microphone or us microphone and a pair of earbuds/earphones.

Our one-on-one individualized tutoring/coaching model is very unique. We ask that our student complete all the required problems at home, and then email his/her work to us before the class. We will carefully review and check the students’ work. Based on his/her work, we can detect what the student’s specific weaknesses are and use those problems in class to teach the student all the tricks, shortcuts, strategies, and tactics for taking the test. The entire two hours are used for instructional teaching only. We firmly believe that learning is extremely important, and that a student should not waste time doing problems with our supervision if he/she can do those problems at home. So our 2-hour session is equivalent to a regular 4-hour session.

Each tutoring package includes:

  • A detailed feedback report on the diagnostic test.
  • Review of and comments on homework exercises, including feedback reports on practice essays (for those students focusing on essay writing).

Featured SAT Instructors

All of our sessions are taught by highly qualified instructors who are excellent experts on preparing students for the exam. We distinguish ourselves by the high quality of our instructors. Finding top-quality instructors is no easy task. We’ve hand-picked some of the best, including graduates of Ivy League institutions. Meet some of them here:

Registration and PAYMENT

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register and make payment.

1 Hour (including 2 real SAT packets extracted from the College Board; only reading and writing sections)

$120

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5-Hour Package (including 12 real SAT packets extracted from the College Board; only reading and writing sections)

$550

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10-Hour Package (including 30 real SAT packets extracted from the College Board; only reading and writing sections)

$1000

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Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials

Summer is the golden time to prepare for the American Mathematics Competitions!
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All problems from past AMC exams form our “big data” system. We have used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types and the frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC. For all questions on the recent AMC contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AMC problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AMC problems.

Click the following articles to read more about the American Mathematics Competitions:

You can find some problems on the AMC and their solutions on the internet. However, it is imperative to know that these solutions are not reliable, as they are not written by professionals. Most of the answers found on the internet are written by students, and lack expert (peer) review. They contain many mistakes and may be incomplete. Thus, they are not a good source for learning the strategies and shortcuts for solving AMC problems.

We provide all AMC Problems and Solutions. Each solution was developed by 20 famous mathematicians. At least one solution was provided for each problem and all problems were solved without the use of a calculator. When more than one solution was provided, this was done to demonstrate an important contrast in approaches, e.g., algebraic vs geometric, elementary vs advanced, computational vs conceptual, explicit vs implicit, analytic vs discrete.

The MAA‘s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC AIME USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world. We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national and math competitions. We have collected all AMC8/10/12 Problems and Solutions as shown below, which have formed our “big data” system, a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

Exercise your mind daily with a problem from the AMC-8, AMC-10, or AMC-12.

For more information, please visit: Our Bookstore

All materials above are offered free for low-income students who are enrolled in or eligible to participate in the free and reduced lunch program or the federal  National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at school.

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Chief English Instructor: Dr. Susan Henson

Susan Henson received a B.A. in English from UVA and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has more than 20 years of experience teaching composition and literature courses at universities across the country. Over the years Dr. Henson has helped hundreds of college students develop their critical thinking, reading, and writing skills.

Most SAT test prep courses are far more helpful when it comes to helping students raise their math section scores and have far less to offer students seeking to raise their scores on the writing or the critical reading sections of the exam. This is because shortcuts and test-taking strategies can only take you so far: developing students’ critical reading and writing skills requires a higher level of expertise and more personalized instruction and feedback than most test prep courses and instructors can provide. A college writing and literature professor for more than 15 years, Dr. Henson has helped students increase their SAT writing and critical reading scores as much as 180 points per section. She has also been a College Board SAT essay reader for 12 years.