FOUNDATION

I am a student at Luong Van Chanh High School for the Gifted in Phu Yen. In my province, there hasn’t been much of a movement for taking the SAT, but some of my seniors from previous years have scored above 1550. I admired them a lot but thought it would be too difficult to achieve such a high score. Because of that, the SAT was never part of my exam plans. However, at the beginning of 2024, when a lot of news came out about changes to the national high school graduation exam and university admissions for 2k7 students in 2025, I decided to add the SAT to my plan and find a way to conquer it. 1. Registering for the Course At first, I planned to self-study to save money. But after trying out a few practice tests online, I was completely overwhelmed. The SAT was nothing like the national excellent student exams or IELTS. 🥹 So, I knew I needed guidance from experienced teachers. After researching several online courses and getting a recommendation from a friend who had studied at MADS, I enrolled in two combo courses, PRE2405 and SC2410, in May 2024 to prepare for the November 2024 exam. In my opinion, it’s best to register for both the Foundation and Sprint courses for maximum effectiveness. Even throughout my studies and up to the moment I received my 1590 score, I realized that enrolling in both courses was the right decision. If you only take the Foundation course, it’s hard to keep up with the Sprint course exercises. 2. Course Content The course covers a wide range of common SAT question types, including some that are even more challenging than actual SAT questions. Instead of memorizing answers, both teachers provided in-depth analysis, helping us develop the right mindset and confidence to tackle even the most difficult questions. Beyond the in-class lessons, there were countless practice exercises available on the system and additional resources. You can do as many as you want! If you don’t complete enough exercises, you won’t be allowed to join the EXTRA class. 🥹 3. Class Schedule The classes were entirely online in the evenings, making it very convenient—twice a week. As the exam approached, additional classes were scheduled, including 5 AM and 9 PM sessions. I still remember the night before the test—our teachers were online with us until nearly midnight. My mom even joked that we were preparing for the exam like soldiers going into battle. 🥹 4. Teachers Ms. Ánh (English) and Ms. Tuyết (Math) are simply outstanding, top-tier, and absolutely incredible! 💖 Their knowledge is deep, their teaching methods are excellent, and they are extremely dedicated. For English, Ms. Ánh provided thorough explanations, ensuring that we not only got familiar with different question types but also truly understood the language concepts. There were days when she had a cold and was coughing a lot, but she still passionately explained everything to us. For Math, Ms. Tuyết had so many amazing problem-solving tricks! Her methods didn’t just help us excel in SAT Math but also proved useful for our regular school math classes. I am deeply grateful to both of them. 💖 5. Class Management This is an area where my mom (who is also a teacher) gives MADS a 5-star rating. The study plans and students’ progress are updated weekly for parents. Besides Ms. Ánh and Ms. Tuyết, there were also support teachers who reminded us to stay on track with our assignments. If I ever missed a class, didn’t complete my homework, or didn’t score well, my mom would receive a notification immediately. So, there was no room for slacking off! These are just some of my experiences. Personally, I believe Ms. Ánh and Ms. Tuyết are truly amazing teachers who inspire and motivate their students throughout the SAT journey. 🫂 Of course, you need to be diligent, never skip lectures, and master the analysis and thinking strategies for each question type. You should also dedicate time to practice exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned. And don’t forget to pray to the heavens for a little “luck” too!

"I was truly surprised that in such a large class, the teachers still took the time to check in on someone as quiet as me." I learned about the SAT quite late—only in May of this year did I start seriously considering studying for it. Initially, I planned to self-study by finding materials online since I already had a strong foundation as an English major student with a 7.5 IELTS score (8.5 in Reading) and solid math skills. But the SAT hit me hard—I struggled with Verbal because even though I understood the passages, I still got the answers wrong, and in Math, I sometimes couldn’t even figure out what the questions were asking me to do. On June 2nd, I decided to take my first Bluebook practice test and scored 1260. That’s when I realized I needed guidance. That’s how I found MADS, thanks to a friend’s recommendation. ✨ First of all, I was incredibly impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the two teachers. Every time I had a question, they patiently explained everything in detail. A special shoutout to Ms. Tuyet for never minding my late-night, frequent (and sometimes silly) questions. 😂 I also vividly remember that after just two or three lessons, Ms. Anh personally messaged me to ask if I was keeping up and understanding the material. 🥺 I was really shocked because the class had so many students, and the teachers handled multiple classes, yet they still took the time to check in on someone as quiet as me. I’m truly, truly grateful for them. 💖
As for the quality of the course—absolutely top-tier. The price was also very reasonable. Every lesson was meticulously structured, combining theory and application effectively. The sessions were originally supposed to be 1.5 hours long, but they often stretched to 2 hours, sometimes even 2.5 hours when the teachers were on a roll. 🤣 The workload was just right for improving skills, though I did envy SC students when I saw how much more practice material they got. 😆
However, for those who are lazy, be warned—Mr. Tony will notify your parents if you don’t complete your assignments! On top of that, MADS’ Webtest platform was incredibly rich in materials. The Vocabulary Builder feature made me realize how little I actually knew, and after the PRE course, I significantly expanded my vocabulary. The teachers also frequently upgraded Webtest, making it look exactly like the real SAT, which helped with both pacing and familiarity. The highlighting feature was super cute, and Ms. Anh even bragged that Webtest had more highlight colors than College Board. 😂
After finishing the course, thanks to Ms. Anh, my ability to analyze questions and read logically improved dramatically. Ms. Tuyet helped me truly understand the essence of math and taught me faster problem-solving methods without unnecessary complexity.
I first took the SAT in October, but the Verbal section was unexpectedly difficult from Module 1, which threw me off and resulted in a score in the low 1400s. Unwilling to settle for that, I immediately registered for the November test and continued studying using MADS materials. In the end, I scored 1510. While it wasn’t exactly my dream score, it was still a safe and solid result for me.
Finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Ms. Anh and Ms. Tuyet for all their support and dedication. Thank you for the lessons, for the recorded sessions you worked so hard to create, and for providing us with the most effective and high-quality study materials. I LOVE MS. ANH, MS. TUYET, AND MADS SO MUCH! 🥺💖