Bergen County Academies Tutoring Courses

Only ~22% Are Accepted

BCA receives 1,200–1,300 applications annually. Around 270 students are accepted across seven academies. Only applicants who pass Phase 1 (the entrance exam and academic criteria) advance to the interview. Preparation is what separates the candidates who advance from those who don’t.

The Math Goes Beyond School

The BCA Math exam tests algebra, number theory, sequences, statistics, and advanced word problems at a level beyond the standard 7th–8th grade curriculum. No calculators are permitted. Students who start prep in 7th grade build the arithmetic fluency and algebraic reasoning BCA requires.

The Essay Is Half the Exam

BCA’s 45-minute essay tests analytical reading and structured argumentation. Students must read a passage, form a thesis, and write a 5-paragraph response under strict time pressure. This section is widely underestimated. Our prep covers organization, evidence integration, transitions, and grammar.

Proven Results Since 2014

Over a decade of BCA preparation gives us deep insight into exactly what the exam rewards. Our Socratic method — asking questions rather than handing out answers — produces deeper understanding of math reasoning and essay structure than rote memorization ever could.

My daughter had no idea how demanding the BCA math section would be — the problems are nothing like what they teach in school. After two months of summer prep she was flying through the practice tests. She was accepted into AMST and it’s everything we hoped for. This program made it happen.

We weren’t sure which school to aim for — BCA or Bergen Tech Teterboro. The tutors helped us understand both admission paths and prepared my son for the essay section in a way that really clicked. He got into BCTS Teterboro’s engineering program and loves every minute of it.

Current 8th graders who are Bergen County residents by September 1 of the application year. Students may apply to both BCA (Hackensack) and BCTS (Teterboro) but must submit separate applications. Only one BCA application is permitted — duplicates are deleted. Private, public, parochial, and homeschooled students are all eligible.

Applications open in early fall via studentadmissions.bergen.org. The admissions exam is administered in November. Phase 1 results (interview invitations) are released in late February. Interviews are held in early spring. Final decision letters arrive in mid-April.

60 minutes — 40 multiple-choice questions. No calculators permitted. Topics include pre-algebra, algebra foundations, number theory, sequences, ratios, percents, statistics, geometry, and complex word problems. Questions are significantly more advanced than the standard school curriculum and reward arithmetic fluency and structured reasoning.

45 minutes — analytical essay. Students read a short passage and write a structured 5-paragraph analytical essay. Scored on comprehension, insight, organization, supporting evidence, style, and grammar. The essay evaluates critical reading and the ability to communicate ideas clearly under strict time pressure.

Phase 1: Entrance exam + academic criteria (transcript, teacher recommendations, standardized scores). Phase 2: Individual interview by a team of teachers and/or guidance counselors (3–15 minutes depending on the academy). Phase 3: Decision letters in mid-April. No information is released by phone or email — check studentrecs.bergen.org.

Apply online at studentadmissions.bergen.org. Required materials: 400-word application essay, recommendations from your 8th-grade Math teacher, 7th or 8th-grade English teacher, and 7th or 8th-grade Science teacher, middle school transcript, and standardized test scores. Declare your first and second academy choices on the application. A sample test is available for download at bca-admissions.bergen.org under Downloads.