Making the Grade

Worrying about what college to attend may still seem a distant concern for an incoming high school senior intent on enjoying the two-month break from school. For some, however, the summer months have been spent in intense preparation. These forward-looking students have already begun to prepare themselves for one of the most important tasks they will face in the coming school year – that of getting into the college or university of their choice.

“We really advise students to begin preparing for entrance examinations as early as possible. And since entrance examinations are administered starting August, prospective college applicants should start preparing during the summer preceding their senior year, ” says Rosanna L. Llenado, proprietor and managing director of Ahead Tutorial and Review Center.

That preparation comes in the form of review classes.

Melting pot
Organizations offering such classes may be found in areas near schools, especially those institutions known for their highly selective admission policies. Loyola Heights in Quezon City is one such melting pot of tutorial and review classes because of its proximity to schools like the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College and the Philippine School of Business Administration.

Practically unheard of 20 years ago, review classes can help a young person improve his/her chances of getting into the best universities in the Philippines. The reason for the emergence of review classes is the increasing competition for slots in the country’s premier educational institutions. In preparation for entrance examinations starting this August, review classes are offered from June to September aside from the summer classes.

The University of the Philippines, for instance, administers the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) only once a year, usually in August, and admits only those in the upper 10 percent of the batch in terms of scores. This means that of the approximately 70,000 students who are expected to take the UPCAT this year, only about 7,000 will be eligible for admission into the UP system.

“This means that you’re trying to meet a fixed standard. You’re competing with other graduating students in the Philippines who want to get into UP. It’s important therefore to score high in the UPCAT and other college entrance examinations. That’s what review classes are for,” Llenado explains.

Patterned reviews, such as those offered by Ahead, are designed to prepare students for a particular exam, not just entrance exams in general. In such reviews, the drills exercises and practice tests and test conditions that the students go through correspond closely to those of the examination they are reviewing for, such as the UPCAT or the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET). This kind of approach minimizes the surprise “factor” since the review focuses on what a student will most probably encounter in a particular examination.

“We all know that performance in examination depends on a variety of factors, one of them being the examinee’s emotional state at the time of the examination. Review classes prepare students emotionally to face the pressure of the examination. With the pressure off, the chances of scoring high are better,” says Llenado.

A review course, she explains is not meant to replace what a student learns in formal schooling. Rather, it performs a complementary function by preparing students both intellectually and emotionally for taking rigid (and usually) competitive entrance examinations.

At Ahead, review classes have been so effective that almost all of its 1999 reviewees passed the UPCAT, Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET), or De La Salle University College Entrance Test (DLSUCET).

Review classes may differ from center to center. At Ahead in Loyola Heights, a review course begins with the administration of a diagnostic exam to determine a student’s initial level of skill and learning. Participants then attend lectures, undergo drills and take practice and simulated examinations. Personal consultation is also provided.

“During my time we were about 20 in the review class,” recalls Karen Co, 17, an Ahead reviewee who graduated this year from the Immaculate Concepcion Academy (ICA) in San Juan. “We took diagnostic tests, a series of practice tests and simulated exams. Mahirap sa umpisa, pero masasanay ka rin in the process.”

For her, the review was an eye-opening experience.

“I learned a lot of things. I thought I was getting enough information already within the four corners of my classroom in regular schooling. But when I started to take the review course, I realized that there was still so much to learn,” Karen recalls.

“Iba yung feeling,” she adds. “You could feel the pressure, especially during the first few phases of the diagnostic exam. Parang actual test na. After going through a number of modular drills, and simulated exams, you get to overcome pressure or anxiety.”

Friendly instructors
It also helps when the instructors are friendly and supportive, as they were in Karen’s case. “They’re smart, approachable and very supportive of their student’s academic pursuits,” she says of her review instructors at Ahead. “Actually, they help you out more as a friend would.”

Karen knows what success means. Because of her performance in the UPCAT, ACET, DLSUCET and other college entrance exams, she has a choice of which school to attend come June. She plans to take up management engineering at Ateneo.

No second thoughts
“Thankfully, I had no second thoughts about Ahead. The Center helped me realize my dream of passing the college entrance tests of the country’s finest universities,” Karen says.

With competition expected to increase even further, more and more students are attending review classes to gain a competitive edge over others. These students, intent on attending the school of their choice are leaving nothing to chance.

Graduating from a good institution can open many opportunities for young people who are well-prepared for their chosen careers and are willing to work hard to achieve their goals.

But first they have to get in. Review classes just may be the key. Call 426-0034 to 36 and 436-3194 to 99.