Course Preparation
- AP Chemistry
- AP Biology
- IBET/Honor Biology
- Honor Physics
- Honor/TJ Summer Chemistry
Olympiad Preparation
- Biology Olympiad (USABO)
Test Preparation
- AP Chemistry
- AP Biology
CHEMISTRY: AP & SUMMER/HONOR
From experience, I can say that chemistry requires a lot of running through problems over and over again. As I tell my students, “Chem is try”: if you don’t try, it turns to “chemystery”; if you do, it turns to “chemisfun.”
(a) AP Chemistry (for students who took summer chem or regular chem during the semester)
No longer offered.
May have review class for May exam from Mid Feb to April. ~22 hours if there are enough student.
The review class for May/2024 exam class will start from mid Feb.
Total ~22 hours.
AP Chem During Summer
If there are enough students, the class will start from mid June to mid Aug.
Total ~50 hours (25 sessions). 2-3 classes a week
(b) Summer Chemistry for rising TJ sophomores, other school high school students, or aggressive MS students (Jan 14, 2024 to June 2024. Every Sun 12-2 pm EST)
One advantage of taking TJ’s summer chem is that students can take AP bio and/or AP chem in 10th grade. Since AP bio's first unit is about chemistry, taking AP bio is very challenging if not have a strong chemistry background.
TJ summer chem covers about 85% of AP chem.
Since TJ’s summer course squeezes a year-long courses of honor and AP chem into 5-6 weeks, this course is extremely/notoriously challenging. Teachers also teach many AP-level content. Teaching time is also limited because students must go through the required experiments. Some chapters like acids/bases take about 4 weeks in the regular honors class, but the summer school completes the unit in only a few hours. Many students’ averages therefore drop after the acid/base exam. Many summer chem students get over 90’s during the first two weeks; then, less students get over 90 in the third week; and still more students are disappointed after the fourth or fifth weeks. After the final test, a fair amount of students receive B’s or B+’s.
I’ve found that even students who did not take my summer chem and received B’s in TJ summer chem could do well in AP bio and AP chem courses after taking my AP courses. Their low grades in TJ summer chem came not from their capability, but their unpreparedness for this difficult course. The only way to overcome such difficulty is to prepare early and study hard before summer school begins.
My summer chem class for rising TJ sophomores starts from February before summer chem starts every year. However, other school HS and aggressive MS students take this course. Some aggressive 7th graders took this course and could start Chem Olympiad early. TJ students who plan to take hoor chem in 10th grade get a lot of benefit, too.
Usually, 130 to 150 students took summer chem. Many receive their first B or C grade until 2015. In 2016, due to the hardness, the lowest number of students registered. Only 80 students! Several students dropped. In 2016, the average GPA was higher because the exam/homework were easier than ever after a tough teacher retired. So, the registered students for 2017 summer chem in school are full. 2018 summer chem homework and test were the easiest ones because teachers became generous and many ap topics were not taught. 2019 summer chem may be affordable. However, the easier summer chem means that students must study more in AP chem.
* In short, I express summer chem as follow. Capital letters are hard/more content and small letters are eas/less content.
Home school's honor chem A b c d e
Honor Chem in TJ: A B C d e f
Summer chem in TJ: A B C D E f g
AP chem: A B C D E F G
The class occurs once a week. I need about 50 hours to finish 25 chapters.
Other school students can attend and prepare honor chem and ap chem.
(c) Honor Chem for 2024-2025 for rising 7, 8, 9, 10th graders
Students who did not take summer chem must take this TJ honor chem course during the sophomore year. Even slower teaching rate than summer chem, still getting "A" is not easy. Especially, in the third/fourth quarters, the conceptual understanding is harder. Reading and understanding are not enough. They should solve many types of problems to complete their understanding. I provide problems and help students solve them.
If do well in summer chem and honor chem, students can take AP Chem in 10th or 11th with ease. Unfortunately, many students give up taking AP chem due to low grade. If goes college without taking AP chem, students can be behind other students in college. So, preparing summer/honor chem well and showing excellence performance in AP chem will help student study science and prepare MCAT later.
If cannot afford this schedule, taking TJ summer chem course is another strategy.
Honor Chem During Summer, Online session (all school students can attend)
If there are enough students, the class will start from mid June to mid Aug.
Total ~40 hours (20 sessions). 2-3 classes a week
Finish one year course. TJ Honor chem textbook.
Practice problems/answer
Start from Mid June week to Mid Aug.
Class video is recorded. Students can review when they take each chapter at school till June/2024
(Weekday will be determined after hearing student's plan. If cannot attend, can review the
recorded video)