FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

HS2 Academy has a standardized curriculum for grades 4 through 12. We offer a complete range of classes and private tutoring to cover all of a student's possible academic needs, including standardized test classes such as the AP Tests.

HS2 also provides a Homework Club to help students excel at their homework and to help parents make sure that their child is completing all of their homework in a timely fashion. Homework Club is a schoolwork counseling class where students do their homework in an environment supported by our instructors, allowing students to ask questions and seek help on particularly difficult subjects.
The teachers at HS2 Academy are all graduates from the top schools around the United States, such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, and so on. In addition to their degrees from America's top universities and research institutes, they also have many years of teaching experience.

HS2 Academy provides much more than our high-quality classes. Our custom-made college counseling program and college application plan makes sure that our students' dream schools aren't just dreams anymore!
A College Application Counselor provides students with the personal training needed to enter their ideal universities, providing academic and extracurricular guidance based on the student's interests and needs. Counselors work with students to develop daily time-management skills, study skill training, and a comprehensive four-year high school strategy to maximize GPA and participation in extra-curriculars and community service. Over four years, counselors compose a splendid individual profile that will attract the interest of the university application officers.

In short, counselors work with students to develop their short and long-term education and career paths, and they provide the support necessary to follow those paths.

The primary benefit of the college application package is the face-to-face discussion with the counselor, including a monthly conference and ability to immediately consult with your counselor via email or telephone. Not only does the counselor guide the student through each step of the university application process, but he or she also provides complete support and serves as a role model for the student.

Applying for college is a long and tedious process. Both parents and students are under an enormous amount of pressure, and there are many complicated steps that need to be completed. Sometimes this can lead to disputes and misunderstandings that might impede the student's growth and success.

This is when a private college application counselor enters the picture. The counselors at HS2 Academy have specialized knowledge about the college application process and provide a personal touch that will help students stand out from the thousands of other applicants. The modern college application process is much more complicated than just filling out forms before the deadline approaches. Counselors will guide their students step-by-step through the actual application process, from application forms to personal statement essays. Each student has a unique background and goals, and our college counselors believe in getting to know each of their students so that they can provide the best counseling service possible.
College counselors provide the guidance students and parents need to make it through the rigorous college application process. If a student needs help with schoolwork, HS2 Academy has a complete range of classes to address those needs, as well as private tutoring.
,br/> What are the qualifications for the college application counselors from HS2 Academy? The college application counselors at HS2 Academy are all graduates from famous and respected schools around the United States, such as Harvard and so on. Our counselors have the professional knowledge and years of experience to maximize a student's potential and to guide students towards the most outstanding universities.
The average high school counselor is responsible for 400 to 500 students. They do not have the time and energy to carefully consider each person's individual case and needs. Moreover, the primary mission of a high school's student counselor is to make sure that these students graduate from high school. For this reason, school counselors may not be able to provide the specialized information and guidance necessary to get into the top schools of the United States.

Can parents be their children’s college application counselors?

Parents love and care for their children, but for the most part do not have the specialized knowledge that is needed to apply for the top universities. Under some conditions, instructions from parents about the application process may be incorrect and lead to unnecessary difficulties for both parent and child. It is also common for young people and parents to disagree or miscommunicate about an issue. A high school counselor may not catch those problems or might not have the opportunity to help with those sorts of issues.

How early should college application counseling start?

The college application process DOES NOT only refer to the few weeks before the college application deadlines. From the moment a student enters high school, everything they do—or fail to do—affects their likelihood of making it into a good college. Generally speaking, the college application counseling process should begin when a student is in the 8th grade. This allows the counselor to plan the student's entire four years of high school and to guide the student from the very beginning of the college application process. The college counselors at HS2 Academy are also able to guide students that are recent immigrants to the United States toward the schools of their dreams. Students that are aiming for medical colleges and the famous Ivy League schools should definitely start college counseling as soon as possible.
HS2 Academy has assisted over 500 students gain admission to the highest-ranked universities in the US. 80% of students received admission to UCI or better, and 60% were accepted by top schools such as UC Berkeley, the Ivy League schools, and other famous and renowned schools. Many students even obtained scholarships to these top-ranked schools.

HS2 Academy has helped thousands of students over the past two decades gain admission to the highest-ranked universities in the United States and abroad. 80% of our students received admission to UC Irvine or better, and 60% were accepted by top schools including UC Berkeley, the Ivy League Schools, and USC. Many students even obtained scholarships to attend these schools!
As opposed to the un-weighted GPA, a weighted GPA gives extra weight to certain courses like AP, IB, and community college courses. Most Honors courses are not weighted (see the UC Doorways website to view which Honors courses at your high school are weighted). For weighted classes, for every ‘A’ you receive, you earn a 5.0. For every ‘B’ you earn 4.0; ‘C’ you earn 3.0; ‘D’ you earn 1.0; and ‘F’ you earn 0 (you do not earn a weighted grade for a ‘D’ or ‘F’).
When calculating GPA, it is important to note that AP class grades count for one additional point. If you score an A in an AP class, you will receive a 5.0 instead of a 4.0. If you get a B, you will still receive a 4.0, which is the equivalent of an A in a regular class. This means that AP classes can pull up a high school student's GPA.
,br/> An AP class contains university level curriculum. Students that take AP classes and AP tests can sometimes apply these tests and courses toward their college degree. This may allow a student to skip general requirement courses and replace them with higher level courses, or it may even let a student graduate early. AP classes demonstrate dedication to learning; it is one more indication that a student can succeed at the university level.
The SAT and the ACT are national standardized tests. Because each high school has its own curriculum and its own level of academic demand, universities use SAT and ACT scores to compare an applicant to other applicants instead of simply taking a given student’s ranking from his or her respective high school.
Extra-curricular activities can prove a student's ability in areas such as leadership and organizational ability, and can also display a dedication to improving society. These are the sorts of special characteristics that the top schools are looking for in their ideal candidates. Academic achievement is one of the key factors in college acceptance, but extracurricular activities can definitely add a bonus point or two.
Universities want to understand more about their applicants by looking at the way these students spend their time outside of school. There are students that waste their summers and there are students that diligently work to enrich themselves by taking classes, whether to get in extra studying or to get ready to take more advanced courses during the year. Therefore, summer vacation is a great time to add points to your application profile.
,br/> Each student is different. The college counselors at HSAcademy will help you customize your class schedule and will make sure you are making the right choices to guide you toward your goals.
These are course requirements for entrance into the Cal State, UC, and in general, any 4-year college or university system:

a) l History/Social Science – 2 years required
Two years of history/social science, including one year of world history, cultures and geography; and one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government.

b) l English – 4 years required
Four years of college-preparatory English that include frequent and regular writing, and reading of classic and modern literature. No more than one year of ESL-type courses can be used to meet this requirement.

c) l Mathematics – 3 years required, 4 years recommended
Three years of college-preparatory mathematics that include the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry. Approved integrated math courses may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement, as may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades that your high school accepts as equivalent to its own math courses.

d) l Laboratory Science – 2 years required, 3 years recommended
Two years of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge in at least two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry and physics. Advanced laboratory science classes that have biology, chemistry or physics as prerequisites and offer substantial additional material may be used to fulfill this requirement, as may the final two years of an approved three-year integrated science program that provides rigorous coverage of at least two of the three foundational subjects.

e) l Language Other than English – 2 years required, 3 years recommended
Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition and culture. Courses in languages other than English taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part of this requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses.

f) l Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) – 1 year required
A single yearlong approved arts course from a single VPA discipline: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art.

g) l College-Preparatory Electives – 1 year required
One year (two semesters), in addition to those required in “a-f” above, chosen from the following areas: visual and performing arts (non-introductory level courses), history, social science, English, advanced mathematics, laboratory science and language other than English (a third year in the language used for the “e” requirement or two years of another language).
You can take the test as many times as you want and only forward your highest scores to colleges. However, we strongly suggest that you don't waste your money and time, and only take the real SAT test when you're ready. At HS2 Academy, we administer a practice SAT test every single Saturday. After a student starts scoring in his or her goal range on those practice tests, then he or she is ready to register for the real SAT test!