1. What's about Montgomery Blair Magnet Program, Richard Montgomery International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, and Thomas Jefferson Science Magnet High School?
Each of these three prestigious high schools houses a rigorous academic program that is designed for highly motivated and talented students. These competitive programs provide an excellent environment for student to learn and explore far beyond what a regular high school usually can provide. For more information about their curriculum and courses, students and parents are encouraged to visit their web site or call the school for more information.
Richard Montgomery HS IB: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rmhs/
Montgomery Blair HS: http://www.mbhs.edu/departments/magnet/
Thomas Jefferson Magnet: http://information.tjhsst.edu/admissions/
Poolesville Science Magnet: http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/poolesvillehs/
2. How to apply to these schools?
The application process is very similar to college application and students need to submit (1) application form, (2) middle school grade report, (3) teacher recommendations, and (4) passing a very competitive battery test that covers mathematics, verbal and reading comprehension, and an essay. The entrance test is usually held in the early December (the first Saturday in December).
Thomas Jefferson Science Magnet accepts approximately 400 ― 430 students in total, while Montgomery Blair Magnet, Richard Montgomery IB and Poolesville Magnet accept 100 students each. The average acceptance ratio is about 10% of total participating students.
3. About APLUS Magnet/IB Prep.
Class Schedule
This prep course runs 16 weeks long, plus five (5) full practice tests that usually are held on Sunday. The class meets on Saturday afternoon for three hours. The class time is equally divided for Mathematics and Verbal, i.e. 1.5 hours for Mathematics and 1.5 hours for Verbal and writing.
Homework
Homework is an important part of the prep program and will be assigned weekly. Students are expected to complete their homework prior to the next class.
Placement Test
All students are required to take a placement test on the first day of the class (check the calendar for the time and date of placement test). The placement test is not a prerequisite to enroll but an assessment of studentˇ¦s ability level.
Practice Test
Practice test is a critical part of this prep class and also serves as a tool to track students' progress. Students are expected to attend all practice test session as scheduled.
Fee
The total tuition is $1,250 for high school magnet prep and $1,100 for middle school magnet prep. Tuition fee covers all materials and instruction. Any textbook given is on a loan basis.
Location
Montgomery County: 215 West Montgomery Ave., Rockville, MD 20850
Fairfax County: 11425 Isaac Newton Square, Sourth, Suite 200, Reston, VA 20190
Class size
One average, 12 students per class
Instructors
The following teachers will be in charge of the prep class instructions. They all have many years of experience in teaching preparatory courses and have been teaching the APLUS Magnet/IB prep courses for many years.
- Ms. Twomey, Ph.D., APLUS Prep teacher
- Ms. Parker, APLUS English Director
- Ms. Lloyd, APLUS English Director
- Ms. Wang, Ph.D., MCPS AP teacher
- Mr. Kim, Ph.D., MCPS teacher
- Mr. Davis, Ph.D. candidate, English literature
- Mr. Yeh, Actuary
- Mr. King, FCPS teacher
- Ms. Paul, MCPS English resource teacher
- Ms. Counihan, MCPS Magnet teacher for more than 20 years, recipient of Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics teaching
4. Benefits of participating APLUS Magnet/IB Prep
- A very competitive learning environment where students can develop their potentials
- Extensive coverage of materials and practices that provides 8th grade student a great opportunity to review Algebra 1/Geometry, vocabulary and reading comprehension
- Structured curriculum and exclusive data bank that aims to provide students a competitive edge in test taking
- Help students in taking standardized tests such as SAT, SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test), ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination), or Johns Hopkins University CTY qualification test
