Getting into medical school, law school, business school or graduate school is no walk in the park these days — but Leon Hardy, associate professor of mathematics at N.C. Central University, has worked for 14 years to help graduating seniors make the transition.

Hardy has spearheaded the effort to help seniors prepare for MCAT, LSAT, GRE, and GMAT entrance exams.

Hardy started working with The Princeton Review in 1995 to bring test preparation courses to campus.

“During the Fall of 1995, The Princeton Review came and challenged me to get these testing materials on the campus of NCCU,” Hardy said. “Thinking about the students, that’s exactly what I did.”

Hardy coordinates the testing schedule and arrangements with The Princeton Review.

Hardy also convinced The Princeton Review to offer its courses at up to half the retail price.

The courses can be expensive: Hardy said he paid $1,600 for his son to prepare for the Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT.

The Princeton Review, founded in 1981, provides preparation for college entrance exams, including the SAT and the ACT, and graduate admission exams including the Graduate Records Exam, the Medical College Admission Test, the Graduate Management Admission Test, and the Law School Admission Test.

The Princeton Review program includes a practice exam to target problem areas and an interactive review of the exam that can last more than two hours.

The company also offers a $90 math refresher tutorial.

According to Hardy, about 45 NCCU students took the LSAT prep course last summer, about 20 took the GRE prep course and about 15 took the MCAT.

He said students can get funds to help pay for the prep course from department grants, from the Office of the Provost and from employer reimbursements.

Sign-up deadline for the for the MCAT is May 9; for the math refresher tutorial is May 16; and for the GMAT, GRE and LSAT is June 6.

Further information about course fees and dates call Leon Hardy at (919) 530-5109.