<p>Im a froshie and I am planning to take the Columbia entrance exam for SHP in April. Is there anyway I can prep for the science part of the exam. Also as far as math goes is the math level section on the test like AMC 12 level or is it much easier? Do recommendations and grades make a difference when applying to the SHP? Or is it just the exam? For anyone who has taken the exam and got in or not was it extremely difficult or moderate? Sorry for all the questions just very nervous.</p>
<p>much easier. don’t bother.
learn some basic chem/ physics instead.
it’s pretty much the exam that determines everything.
imo it was easy when i took it junior year, but by then i already have my foundations in bio, chem, and physics.
The math is like the level of most basic questions in amc 10 for the “challenge” questions</p>
<p>thanks antiflamer. do you know how many people get in?</p>
<p>I’m really late but in case you check this: last year’s letter said something like over 2,000 applicants, and around 400 acceptances.
Also, I agree with Antiflamer that the test is not NEARLY as hard as AMC 12. I just took AMC last week and let’s just say it was a fail. 
The SHP test was much, much easier. (I took AMC 10 last year and the SHP test was definitely easier than most of that too.) Don’t freak out on the challenge part and you’ll be fine.
I remember the science part of the test being split pretty evenly between bio & chem (maybe favoring bio a little) with some physics and earth science questions thrown in. They probably take account the fact that you probably haven’t had at least one or two of these subjects, since you are a freshman. If you really want to prep that badly, learn Ohm’s law (has to do with circuits), review earth science if you had it in middle school, and maybe glance through an AP Chem review book (learn moles, maybe radiation, especially basics about atoms & periodic table). I wouldn’t really suggest prepping though.
The easy math part is easy (but you probably know that).
I also just want to commend (ew, that’s a fancy word) you for applying as a freshman! (: I would have too if I had known about the program. However, know that very few freshman get in each year (but this could be because fewer freshman apply). If you don’t get in, make sure you apply as a sophomore - the program really is great and you’ll have already survived the test!
Overall, chill out! Pretend the test is fun (btw, this applies to the SAT/ACT too) and remember you have 2 more shots at it! It really works, trust me. ;)</p>
<p>no it isn’t too late; thanks for all the information neon321. the program from what you say and from what others say seems to be a very interesting program with a variety of classes. is there a curve for grade level?</p>
<p>I hear there is a curve (it would make sense for there to be a curve) but since none of us is involved in admissions we can’t say for sure.</p>
<p>i applied as a freshman and got in (that was two years ago, so i don’t remember much now) so there must have been a curve, because i really only knew earth science and a little bit of bio and I was in geometry at the time, unlike all the other froshies from my school who got in that year who were 2 years+ ahead in math. I only answered 10 of the challenge questions correctly, so I thought I wouldn’t get in but apparently that was enough. I wouldn’t say those questions are hard now, but at the time i found them to be genuinely challenging. They’re probably equivalent to the first seven questions or so on the AMC10.
As for the program, I think it’s a lot of fun and I’m very, very glad that I applied when i did, but you may not find it to be as “academic” an experience as you expect. A lot of people nap through classes, go on fb if there are computers available (achem, Programming), or do other homework during lectures. However, you will meet a lot of cool, like-minded people who are just as competent and into nerdy things as you (probably) are and you’ll probably run into them at a lot of competitions like SciOly and Science Bowl. In every class you take, there will probably be at least one kid who claims s/he has cured cancer (& won a major award for said research) or one who can look at log(base2) of 4096 and tell you instantly that it’s 12. you might not learn too much at first (i was completely lost in both Astrophysics and Cosmology) but it may end up being useful in strange ways later on. I used some astronomical history on the World History regents essay (“describe a great thinker and his or her ideas from the Scientific Revolution”) and I’ve used a lot of random knowledge since then in Scioly and Science Bowl. it probably looks good on college apps-- it almost seems to be something of a columbia “recruitment” program-- but I can’t say for sure. It did appear that half of my spring semester cosmology class was going to MIT, Harvard, or Yale, though.
If you take it just to get into college, you will be miserable. Take it because you really like science and hanging out with fellow science nerds. If you’re like me, you’ll find it very rewarding even if the person next to you is snoring (yet again).</p>
<p>thanks for all the info Baltic. I am interested in the sciences and so I do look forward to going that is if i get in. Do you know if there is a guessing penalty?</p>
<p>Hey, I’m in the same situation as you! except I’m a sophomore 
I missed AIME by 1.5 points this year, so I can easily ace the math sections, but I’m really worried about the science section. I know enough about Chemistry and took Biology in 8th grade, but never learned anything about physics and Earth Science. What I’m doing in preparation for the exam is studying my Biology and Earth Science Regents books. I’m trying to cram as much as possible within the next 21 days. In the last 3 days before the 16th, I’m just going to take a break and review everything I’ve learned up to that point. Hopefully there are a lot of Chemistry and Biology questions; if there are a lot Physics or Astronomy questions, I’m screwed. :</p>
<p>ahah, we seem to be having a two-thread conversation here. no matter!</p>
<p>masterofpuppets, please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and STOP STUDYING. Your lack of E.S./physics knowledge is no big deal. if you missed aime cutoff by a little bit, you are in an excellent place. rumor has it that the math challenge section counts the most and i guarantee it will be a piece of cake for you. so long as you sound like a reasonably sane person according to your essay and rec., you’ll be fine.<br>
on the other hand, i would be omitting relevant information if i didn’t mention this too: i know a couple of sophomores-- one of whom is much better at math than i am-- who I thought would get in last year no problem. but they didn’t. some of their seemingly less intelligent classmates did, though, and i can’t say for sure why that is. my guess would be that they (especially the kid who was our school’s amc10 winner) went a little soft and became careless.
i think the key is to be neither panicked nor cocky. you clearly have the ability-- just don’t do anything needlessly silly.</p>
<p>is there a guessing penalty?</p>
<p>baltic sea, i took the exam today and i think i got 10 right on the challenge but i guessed on like 3 so probably if i get these 3 wrong will it show up as a 7/15? do you know what the guessing penalty is. did you guess on any of yours? please im so nervous!!!</p>
<p>I think the guessing penalty is 1/4, no? I forget how many m.c. answers there were for each question, but i vaguely remember a through e. If you got those 3 wrong, that would show up as roughly a 9. I didn’t guess on any questions, I only answered the ones I was sure of. Even still, if you get a 9/15 that might be enough… probably borderline? It might depend on the applicant pool/acceptance rate this year. I think it’s usually ~17%</p>
<p>Edit: do you mean you guessed on 3 of the 10 or another 3 in addition to the 10 you got right?</p>
<p>sorry I think i got the first 11 right I think but I guessed on the last 4.</p>
<p>oh, you should be fine.</p>
<p>next year i’ll see you all milling around in front havermeyer on the first day and talking about how incredibly easy the test was. ;)</p>
<p>i hope; thanks for all the confidence but i am very unsure. Hopefully i’ll get in and see you BalticSea. But I really want to thank you for talking abpit your opinion of the program. Thanks Baltic Sea and neon123 and everyone else. It seems very interesting and I would love to get in this year but there is always next year.</p>
<p>Sooo… How 'bout that test? lol, how heavily do they weigh the Science section, 'cause I think I bombed that…</p>
<p>yeah, i’m wondering the same thing as gyuki because i aced the easy math, got 13/15 on challenge math but only got 45-50 on the science… :'(</p>
<p>Word! Hahaha I didn’t even expect to see that random question on quasars and stars and whatnot. Plus the Rh- question screwed me over too lol</p>
<p>oh yeah, i think i either omitted or guessed on the Rh- question… what was the question about again? x_x</p>