At the start of this SAT journey over two years ago, I over confidently assumed that the preparation would be rather straightforward and painless. I had always done well in my math and English classes at school, so I thought the SAT should a safe extension of my confidence. However, my first practice test with a score in the 1100’s suggested otherwise. I began to realize my proud GPA may not imply my SAT success, and I was desperate in need of help. Through the recommendation of a few peers, I decided to sign up for Dr. Li's Summer SAT prep course.

Dr. Li’s SAT Boot Camp was another great experience for me. Having already found much success with his SAT Math 2 class earlier that Spring, I knew that any of his classes would not only give me preparation for standardized exams but would also ameliorate my studying habits in my regular school as well.

Skills are learned, not inherited. Nowhere was that apothegm proven more true than at Dr. Li’s math/english SAT summer camp. I went to it for the first time in July of 2016. High school was fast approaching, and the last thing I wanted to do was tell people I went to “math” camp over the summer. My fear was palpable as I entered Dr. Li’s classroom on that summer day, but as quickly as it came, it was gone. What was cringe-worthy, soon became fun; I eventually learned to love my sessions at Dr. Li’s over the next weeks and summers.

It was Monday, June 19^th. I went to the bus stop at around 7:25 am, and there was a silver Ford van that was our “bus” waiting for me. I got in, and there were a few other people already inside. There was barely any space. It was made worse when, at the next stop, 4 more people came in, making the van at capacity. It’s going to be a long two weeks, I thought. Once we arrived, I felt even more isolated. People seemed to know each other, and were talking, while I just sat there. But the instruction from the teachers was worth it.

Last Summer, I could attend Dr. Li’s SAT Prep class for only two weeks due to my distance. This past August, about one year after I took the class, I took the SAT and received a 1590, with a 800 on math and a 790 on English. I got a 8/6/8 on the essay portion. I wish I could have a longer exposure as the learning impact goes well beyond the SAT score.

With the restructuring of the SAT and my lack of improvement to begin with, I thought I could not possibly score well. I knew I didn’t need a perfect score to enter my dream school of UC Berkeley, but I was not going to score even a 1560, the equivalent of a 2300. Dr. Li’s class gave me the motivation and strategies I needed to improve on the SAT.