Since 2021, our BCA cohorts have delivered strong results — the 2025 cohort saw about 90% of students receive BCA interview invites. Book a free assessment and see where your child stands.
Bergen County Academies' main campus is in Hackensack — so Hackensack families are, in a sense, applying to their own hometown school, even though BCA draws from all of Bergen County and admission isn't easier or harder based on which town a student lives in. MindzQ Education's center is about 8 miles, a 10-15 minute drive, from Hackensack Middle School (360 Union Street) specifically, where most Hackensack public-school BCA applicants are currently enrolled (measured school-to-center; other parts of Hackensack may vary slightly). Because BCA is countywide and academy-specific rather than a typical district high school, Hackensack students competing for a seat are up against the same applicant pool as students from every other town on this list — proximity to campus isn't a factor in admissions, only in the day-to-day commute once accepted.
No. BCA draws applicants from all of Bergen County on equal terms; a Hackensack student's application is evaluated the same way as a student from any other eligible town. Proximity only affects the commute after acceptance, not the odds of getting in.
About 10-15 minutes by car, roughly 8 miles, measured from Hackensack Middle School — most of that overlaps with the commute Hackensack students already make once enrolled at BCA; distance from other parts of town may vary.
Hackensack Middle School (360 Union Street) — most Hackensack public-school 8th graders applying to BCA are enrolled there.
Yes — Hackensack applicants target specific academies (science, art, technology, music, theatre, culinary, finance) just like every other applicant; there's no separate track for students who live in Hackensack.
MindzQ Education offers a unique Bergen County Academies Prep program tailored for competitive students aspiring to attend a prestigious magnet school in Bergen county NJ. Our BCA prep program is available to all rising 8th graders who intend to apply to BCA/BT. Applicants are required to take a diagnostic test for evaluation.
Bergen County Academies (BCA) is a public magnet high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey.
BCA serves students in the ninth through twelfth grades from Bergen County only. Bergen County Academies is a public high school that accepts students at no cost; the expenses are covered by the student's home district. The school features seven specialized college-preparatory programs, each known as an "academy."
The Bergen County Academies offer seven distinct specialized high school programs, each focusing on a different career path. Students can explore their passion for science, art, technology, music, theatre, cooking, design, or finance. BCA allows students to complement their studies with electives and clubs that cross academy boundaries, enabling them to explore multiple fields of study.
Known for their rigorous academic environment and broad opportunities, BCA and BCTS set the stage for a successful academic career for their students.
The BCA application process is completed in three phases.
Register online; the application portal will open in the fall.
In late February, all applicants to the Bergen County Academies will be notified of their application status. Interview invitations will be sent to students who are progressing to Phase 2.
Students who interview receive decision letters in mid-April.
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MindzQ Education has structured BCA test preparation into two distinct sessions — a Spring Warm-Up Session and a Summer-Fall Stimulation Session. Each session is meticulously designed to cover all the necessary topics and strategies crucial for achieving success in the BCA entrance exam.
Our spring classes focus on remediation and building a solid foundation in English and essential math concepts. By addressing and reinforcing these core topics in the spring, we help students solidify their grasp of essential algebraic principles and more, thus eliminating the need for reiteration during the summer sessions.
Students planning to apply to BCA or BCTS who have uncertainties about previously studied concepts. These sessions comprehensively cover foundational areas, from divisibility rules in math to grammar rules in English, so students are confident heading into Summer-Fall stimulation test prep.
View BCA Spring Class Schedule 2026Rigorously designed to delve deeper into the complexities of the exam materials. Our comprehensive BCA preparation course begins in the summer and extends through the end of November, ensuring students are well-prepared and confident.
Advanced math topics that frequently appear on past BCA entrance exams — number systems (base 10 and base 2), functions and their operations, expressions and polynomials, and the fundamentals of statistics — to build a robust mathematical foundation.
Enhancing critical reading and thinking skills, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and proficient writing, plus logical reasoning and comprehension — skills that also help with the application essay.
From September to December, students take a series of weekly simulated tests to get comfortable with the pressure and format of the real exam.
Every student planning to sit for the entrance exam. We recommend joining from the start of summer right through fall — continuous preparation is key to mastering the exam's challenges.
Bergen County Academies (BCA) is a public magnet high school in Hackensack, NJ, serving grades 9–12 from Bergen County only. There's no cost to attend — expenses are covered by the student's home district. BCA offers seven specialized college-preparatory programs, called "academies," each focused on a different career path such as science, art, technology, music, theatre, cooking, design, or finance. Read more about BCA.
Only students currently in 8th grade who are Bergen County residents (as of September the year prior to enrollment) may apply. Each applicant may submit only one application to BCA and/or BCTS, and the application window closes November 30th of the year before the intended enrollment. Full eligibility criteria.
The BCA application is completed in three phases: (1) register online when the portal opens in the fall, (2) in late February, applicants are notified of their status and interview invitations go out, and (3) students who interview receive decision letters in mid-April. See the full application timeline.
The BCA/BCTS entrance exam takes place on the first Saturday and Sunday of December and takes about 2 hours. The Math test has 40 multiple-choice questions; the English test involves reading a passage and writing an essay in 45 minutes. Exact calendar dates are set by Bergen County Academies each year — check the official BCA admissions site for this year's dates.
Applicants write an essay explaining their academy choice (up to 400 words) and highlighting personal achievements (up to 100 words). Students applying to both BCA and BCTS need two distinct essays, and it's best to start drafting early in the admission process. Full essay guidance.
MindzQ's Spring Warm-Up classes focus on remediation and building a solid foundation in English and essential math concepts, ahead of the Summer-Fall Stimulation session. View the BCA Spring Class Schedule 2026 (PDF).
MindzQ's Summer-Fall Stimulation classes run from summer through the end of November, covering advanced math (number systems, functions, expressions/polynomials, statistics), English (critical reading, writing, grammar), and weekly simulated tests from September to December. See the full topic breakdown, or contact us for the current schedule.
