Frequently Asked Questions/ Important Dates
Q. I’ve never heard of you guys. Do you have other locations? How did you get started?
A. A+ Advanced Learning has only the location in Mason at present, though we are known to tutor throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. We were started as a reinstitution of Mr Sanakari’s Mathematics classes when Mr DiSalvo joined the team in 2009 to provide Verbal skills to the students.
Q. Isn’t it kind of extreme to have kids get ready for the PSAT and SAT in the 6th grade?
A. We don’t want to give the false impression that our classes are only about PSAT and SAT skills or that these tests are some sort of end in themselves. It is true that we are preparing for these very important tests long-term, but we are also preparing for standardized tests in general and building Math, Reading Comprehension, Grammar and Writing skills that are the proactive way to give our students an advantage in a very competitive world that is becoming more competitive every day. Our classes have a link with the Greek academics as well as the Roman academic formation. Truly, Plato had it inscribed on his Academy, “Let him who does not know Geometry not enter this place”. We can learn much from the scholars of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance who had a complete education of Latin, Greek, Calculus and Philosophy by the age of fifteen. We are striving to have our students consider it a prerequisite to be well formed, if possible, even before they enter college, or even high school.
Q. Is it true that the first class is free?
A. We offer a trial session for parents and students to see if they are comfortable with Mr DiSalvo and Sanakari’s teaching style, as well as the classroom experience. We offer a free diagnostic test before of after the session (this must normally be arranged beforehand), but do not charge for the first session unless parent and student want to follow through with enrollment.
Q. How do your fees work? Do you take credit card?
A. The fees are paid monthly, at the beginning of the month, unless it is the student’s first class. There are no long term obligations. Mr Madhu Sanakari is the treasurer and can provide you a receipt, though we currently take only cash or a check made out to either him or A+ Advanced Learning Center.
Q. What is your class size?
A. Our typical class size is 4-8 students. Whenever our class size reaches 12, we divide our groups (usually by ability level) by adding an extra session so our students can receive the maximum attention from their teachers and get the most out of the class.
*Q. What books or materials should my child bring to class?
A. Students should always have their Gruber’s Preparation for the SAT and their Bedford Handbook, along with a pencil, calculator, and a notebook (if they do not want to take excessive notes in their text). Students are strongly encouraged to show their work in their texts (the Underlining Strategy is essential to a strong score on their test). CollegeBoard SAT practice tests are also regularly required.
Q. What if it is only a partial month because of holidays or my child gets sick, etc.? Do I still pay for the full month?
A. The fees are the same for every month, even those abbreviated by vacation days or sickness, though we charge only for the next month if a student happens to join on the last day of the month. We keep the fees low to compensate for any missed time and to encourage student attendance which helps with continuity in the learning process. We are happy to email parents and students with any assignments that they missed we post weekly homework assignments that are due online (see tabs on top of this page). Students who give us a 24-hour notice that they will be absent will be given one-on-one attention for fifteen minutes for every hour missed, so they can stay on par with the class.
Q. Which class should my child be in?
A. This will be determined by their grade level, their score on the diagnostic test and whether they have a short-term or long-term plan to take the SAT. We should be able to tell you after the test, but feel free to call us beforehand.
*Q. Does my child receive a grade? How do I know about what sort of progress they are making?
A. Students receive a grade first and foremost by class participation and homework completion by receiving a 0, 50, 100 % for the day . If a student has not performed the essential steps outline by the instructor, they receive a zero in their homework for the day. If they have done these steps on at least 70% of their work, they receive a 100% in HW for the day. Similarly, students should ask and answer in the classroom at least 70% of substantial questions to get a 100% for the day in the classroom work. Grades are averaged out at the end of the quarter and parents are invited to a conference to cover class progress. This being said, students’ progress is also given an objective score by their proctored practice SAT tests. This score is gauged by the instructor compared to what he believes the student is capable of to give parents realistic expectations of their child.
Q. When are the proctored exams? What if my child misses one of them?
A. Proctored exams are as scheduled on our main page, and are listed in our Important Dates below. If a child misses a proctored exam, we recommend he finds time (preferably the 3 hrs and 50 mins to do the entire test at once) to do it himself and then grade it (answers are in the College Board book) so the teacher can record the score.
Q. When should my child take the real SAT?
A. There is a general rule now that one can take the SAT as many times as one wishes. Obviously a student normally cannot wait until Spring of their senior year to take the test. Students usually take the PSAT twice, the SAT twice, and the ACT twice. It is a good idea to take both the SAT and ACT at least once to get an idea which test one naturally performs better on. More competitive students take the test early and often, but junior year (11th grade) is often considered the “do or die” year where students should be most serious about it.
IMPORTANT DATES
July28th : Proctored exam at Learning Center 9am-1pm. Bring College Board SAT book.