Children studying at MathProject, whether they’re behind in math or would like to get ahead of their classmates, begin to not only excel in math but develop a passion for it as well. Their strong knowledge in math opens new learning opportunities, which has happened for many of them that have successfully pass the entrance exams into competitive programs like AP, IB, IBT, and Sci-Tech.
We recently interviewed four of our students (Waleed, Zain, Maheen, Asad) who passed the AP, IB, IBT, and Sci-Tech entrance exams with flying colours! We have showcased their journey on the path of success into these programs in order to help other students and their parents who are aiming high.
(Images from left to right: Zain, Maheen, Asad, and Waleed)
Question 1: When did you join MathProject and what did you enjoy about it?
Waleed (Current IB Student): I joined MathProject in Grade 5 about 4 to 5 years ago. The things that I’ve enjoyed about studying under MathProject is their approach to learning and the tutors themselves. The tutors helped me a lot with my learning, and they gave help whenever I needed it. Their support and dedication to my learning really helped me excel at my math grades in school.
Zain (passed IBT, AP and SciTech entrance tests / Upcoming AP Student):
I’ve been in MathProject since Grade 1, and I’ve really enjoyed learning about new things about math in general. It’s one of my favorite subjects!
Maheen (passed IB, IBT and SciTech entrance tests / Current SciTech Student):
I joined in Grade 3 and I’m currently in Grade 9, so it’s been about 6 years since I’ve joined MathProject. I believe MathProject has helped me gain confidence in my answers because of the repetitive worksheet practice. The worksheets seem tedious at first, but it was clearly evident that I had improved by a lot after a couple of years.
I think the most important thing I gained from tutoring was the one-on-one learning. It’s really helpful to be treated as an individual because you can work at your own pace without being rushed.
Asad (passed IB, IBT and SciTech entrance tests / Current SciTech Student):
I joined MathProject when I was in Grade 6 when I was about 12 or 13 years old. MathProject’s always been an extremely fun experience for me. From the work I was assigned to the strides and goals I set for myself, it really helped me in my school studies and getting much better. I’m actually looking forward to coming back soon to prepare for my Advanced Functions and Calculus courses I’m taking in Grade 12.
Question 2: How has gaining a strong foundation in math helped you in your entrance exams (for IB, IBT, SciTech and/or AP)?
Waleed: Although math wasn’t really involved in the application, MathProject did help me sharpen my mind and my thinking skills overall because there’s a lot of vocabulary and grammar skills that you need to do a good IB application.
Zain: Being in MathProject has really improved my grades enough so that I can be selected for the criteria. The part of the criteria requires you to have good grades, since they look at your math marks and your report card for your skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, how well you work in a team – your learning skills in general.
Maheen: So when I was doing the entrance exams, most of the questions had word problems, and, as you know in MathProject, their primary focus is on word problems. It’s really helpful. There’s lots of calculations, formulas, and stuff like that involved, but you aren’t allowed to use a calculator. In MathProject, that’s what they teach us – they help us use our brains rather than a calculator. It helped boost my speed and increased the number of questions that I could do in a short amount of time. In my first semester, we were doing lots of assignments that involved formulas and calculations, like making a Desmos graph. Basically you input formulas that you learn in school, and then it creates a piece of artwork.
(Image: Maheen’s Desmos Project)
Asad: I’d say in particular the worksheets and the schedule that were set by my specific teachers at MathProject really helped me. I just learned things much easier compared to my friends who are just studying from our teachers in school. Our teachers in school couldn’t really explain much of the stuff that we’re doing in math in a “good way”. It’s good, but it’s not up to standards. When I joined MathProject, a lot of the math I learned here really helped develop my base. That way, I just had to stay ahead. I had to maintain myself. Through that, I was able to get over 98. I’m pretty sure I got 98 in Grade 8, which made passing my entrance exams much easier. It was really smooth for me.
Question 3: What skills have you learned that helped you take the entrance exam and get into these competitive programs?
Waleed: Since a lot of the work we do involve word problems, MathProject has enabled me to enhance my writing and vocabulary skills. I’ve also gained a lot of critical thinking skills that have helped me pass the entrance exams.
Zain: Since I’ve been in MathProject for so long, I’ve gotten pretty good at math. I’m not really struggling in math anymore, the concepts are not very hard and I’m pretty much ahead of what we’re doing. Any math things we have to do like problem-solving and critical thinking, I pretty much got it.
Maheen: Motivation and my attitude would be the most important skills I’ve learned from this tutoring, because they’ve helped me think critically about problems and how to solve them. Because of this, they’ve helped me overcome challenges in the classroom, as well as in the regional programs.
Asad: Problem-solving for sure – MathProject does that very well, as it helps you understand things much better. Personally, I’d say that time management was something I was really lacking back then. MathProject really helped me develop time management skills and complete questions quite fast. I just became much more rapid.
Question 4: What advice would you give to other students who want to pass these entrance exams?
Waleed:
My advice to other students who are applying would be to find extracurricular help, just like MathProject. You have to learn things quickly in programs like the IB, so you need to be prepared in order to be successful in school. MathProject has been helpful in that, so I feel very prepared and confident in getting good grades during my high school career.
Zain:
You need above 80s in your report cards and progress reports to pass the entrance exams. In order to accomplish that, you just gotta try your best and work hard. You gotta practice your math, no matter what. When I start off in a certain thing, I may not be good at it. As I do it more and more, I just keep getting better at it until I’m confident in my skills and knowledge!
Maheen:
Math for competitive exams is usually based on high school or middle school mathematics, depending on your grade level. This is why the subject needs to be studied thoroughly when you wanna clear exams like Sci-Tech, IBT, IB, AP, or any other entrance exams. I guess my advice to other students would be to just try your best and practice. I know it’s a little cliché, but practice makes perfect, right? The worksheets MathProject really helped me practice and study, as it’s really easy to get an idea of what’s going to be in these regional program entrance exams.
Asad:
I’d say just practice, practice, practice. It’s the most important thing in math. I used to do 100-200 questions every week, anything about math and I just personally love math, so it was really easy for me to get through.
I have a bunch of friends who didn’t really like math back then. They didn’t really pay much attention to it and weren’t as focused as me. Their base wasn’t as good, so now they’re in my computer science class and they’re really struggling to grasp a lot of concepts involving math operations. It’s really giving them a hard time because of their lack of knowledge for a better base in math. With math, it’s just a lot of practice – that’s pretty much it to get a solid foundation in math.
Check out what other parents have to say about us, here!
Conclusion
Thank you, Waleed, Zain, Maheen, and Asad, for taking the time to chat with us about your MathProject and entrance exam experience! See more about our students and their experiences with MathProject at ‘Our Results’ page on our website!
MathProject’s mission is to empower children with math knowledge so that they are more confident in key skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and motivation to challenge themselves to do better. This can lead to avenues of success in entering competitive programs, getting accepted into university, and, later on, living their dream careers. Do you think your kids need help to improve math? MathProject offers math tutoring programs in Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, and even online. Contact us today at 1-844-628-4243 to book a free assessment!
Book a free assessment