From 1190 to 1490: A Remarkable Student’s Journey to Master the SAT

It was June 2025 and A.T. (initials of his real name) just received his SAT results. It was

not good news – he got 1280 (Reading & Writing 630; Math 650). The score was average – the average of Asian students taking SAT; only a 90-point increase from his Dec 2024 SAT score of 1190. He thought, “Anybody can get 90 points improvement without much work.” But he has been studying with his SAT trainer since August 2024, and a 90-point improvement was disappointing. The June 2025 results brought a complex mix of little progress and much frustration. It felt more like a letdown than a victory.

This meagre score improvement served as a sobering wake-up call; it was not high enough

to unlock his target universities. This moment of disappointment became the ultimate catalyst for change. Recognizing that his heavy commitment to basketball was leaving him with only "leftover" time and energy for prep, he made the difficult decision to pivot his priorities. He realized he had to trade time on the court for disciplined focus on his college applications and SAT mastery, marking the transition from a casual learner to a dedicated student. Furthermore, he saw a need to change his environment: he knew he need to spend less time on sports and focus more on his academics.

Assessing his situation, he realized that it was not a level playing field for him. His

academic journey was shaped by a diverse, multicultural background: moving between public and international school systems in both Mongolia and Hong Kong. While this exposure granted him a global perspective, the frequent transitions between different curricula exposed significant gaps in his foundational English proficiency, particularly in the academic rigor required for the SAT. Beyond the linguistic hurdles, he struggled with a lack of "testing stamina" - the ability to maintain high-level concentration for the duration of a two-hour exam. He realized that his habit of working in short, fragmented bursts was insufficient for the longer focus required by the SAT, in which intense focus and frequent changes in context are necessary.

The summer of 2025 marked the definitive turning point in his preparation, as he transitioned from passive learning to active and deliberate practice. He began putting his phone aside during his lessons so that he would have fewer distractions. Furthermore, he started taking and reviewing notes for his lessons, which proved to be instrumental in reinforcing his memory and helping him to learn from his mistakes. He and his SAT trainer began going through vocabulary lists, which later proved to be very helpful not only in the reading comprehension passages but also in his schoolwork. Under the advice of his SAT trainer, he started to immerse himself in reading books and newspapers, a habit that will benefit him even more in the college and career years. This independent study was paired with a rigorous regimen of question bank practice and more intensive SAT lessons, where he moved beyond simply answering questions to using the right approach for each type of question. Targeting his lack of stamina, his SAT trainer began practicing on larger “chunks” of questions and strictly timing the practice test modules, which allowed him to understand and refine his pacing and test-taking strategies. The result was a dramatic transformation: the mental fatigue that once hindered his performance was replaced by a stable and consistent execution, leading to the breakthrough scores he had previously thought were out of reach – in the 1400’s during the practice tests. In addition, his school GPA also increased, from 3.7 to 4.0.

The final stretch of 2025 saw his hard work culminated in a series of triumphant milestones.

In September, the momentum from his intensive summer study bore fruit when he broke into the 1400s, securing a 1440 in his September SAT. Rather than becoming complacent with this initial success, he maintained a steady, disciplined rhythm of lessons and practice over the following two months, fine-tuning the remaining nuances of the test strategies. By the time he sat for his final SAT in November 2025, his confidence and stamina were at their peak, resulting in a remarkable score of 1490. This final leap represented a total improvement of 300 points from his starting baseline of 1190 - a rare and life-changing achievement that fundamentally shifted his trajectory for college admissions.

As 2025 draws to a close, the frantic pace of the past year has finally given way to a

profound sense of peace and relaxation for him. Spending the Christmas vacation with his family, he is no longer burdened by the looming pressure of score reports or application deadlines; instead, he is enjoying a hard-earned period of rest and reflection. The ultimate validation of his hard work arrived with an acceptance letter from the University of Chicago, his first-choice institution, where he will begin his studies in Economics in the coming year. For a student who once struggled with focus and linguistic barriers, the realization that he is headed to one of the world's most prestigious academic institution has lifted a heavy burden from his shoulders. He can finally look toward his future with genuine excitement, knowing that his 300-point climb was the key that unlocked his dream and changed his life.

Major Takeaways:-

1. Change in Mindset and/or Environment

Significant score improvements often require a fundamental shift in mindset and environment. This student’s 300-point jump wasn't possible until he made the difficult choice to deprioritize sports in favor of his college applications. True progress begins when you are self-motivated and self-disciplined and your schedule reflects your goals. Success on the SAT isn't just about “studying more”; it’s about creating the mental and physical space necessary for high-level cognitive work. This is especially true for online lessons, where distractions are plenty. But in this case, A.T.’s lessons are almost exclusively all online. This further shows that the format of the lesson may not be very important. It is the mindset and the environment that are most important. As the saying goes, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” As an SAT coach, I will continue to remind students before the start of each lesson to put their phones out of sight, take notes, and do homework as necessary for further practice.

2. Test Strategies are Vital

Many students fail not because they don't know the contents or the techniques, but because they don’t know how to manage their time and other resources. The SAT is more like a marathon than a sprint – test strategies that prioritize activities and manage resources are critical to success. More importantly, Strategies is the final and vital part of our 3 Pillars Framework of Concepts, Techniques, and Strategies. This is evidently supported by my experience that most students tend to improve their performance much faster when they have mastered the test strategies. Unfortunately, most test prep lessons focus only on teaching the basic contents without spending much time on the right test strategies.

3. Consistent and Persistent Effort Matters

His success in the final months of 2025 demonstrates the power of incremental (exponential) gains over a longer period. It’s unrealistic to expect a 300-point improvement within 3 months or from one SAT test to the next. Consistent and persistent effort is needed to turn an average score into an elite one that secured admission to a top-tier university. Therefore, planning and scheduling for the lessons and spacing of time between each SAT test are crucial to the final success of the journey. When I asked A.T. that if he were to prepare for SAT again, what would he do differently, his answer is that he should have prepared even earlier. How true! The SAT is truly a journey that can last anywhere from 6 months to more than one year. My advice for most students is to start preparation once they finished their sophomore year.