SAT Summer Camp (2020) Testimonies:
A Student’s Reflection of Summer SAT:
“……this week has been pretty intensive, but the work has certainly paid off. Throughout the entire week, I have seen improvement in all the areas that we worked on so far.
For example, before I took this class, I did not know that there were eight kinds of test questions on the reading portion of the SAT. I also didn’t know that there were many tips to help me better answer the questions. Now, whenever I take a practice SAT, I always employ those strategies to my advantage, so that I have a better chance of answering the questions correctly. In particular, I have seen improvement when answering vocabulary type-questions and evidence-based questions. In addition, during the beginning of this week, I had lots of trouble with reading speed and keeping track of time when taking the reading section of the test. Now, by reading effectively and purposefully, I am able to finish the test without rushing, and I sometimes also have extra time to check over my answers. On the other hand, I feel as though I still need to work on answering implied questions and main idea questions. For every Friday’s SAT mock exam, most of the questions I got wrong on the reading section were main idea/main purpose/inference type of questions. One way I can improve on this is to practice those types of questions more often, so that when I see them on the actual SAT, I can instantly recognize them and pay more attention to those particular questions.
Besides SAT reading, another portion of the SAT I can work on is making my essay more interesting to read. Even though I scored a perfect (4/4/4) on my previous essay I submitted, I feel as though my essay needs more vocabulary enhanced words that bump it up to a whole new level. In order to use higher vocabulary in my essay, I need to first understand more vocabulary terms and expand my knowledge of words. As a result, I created a master plan where every day, I will write down 5-10 vocabulary words on an index card and memorize them cumulatively. Each day, when I look at these index cards, I will also create a different sentence for every vocabulary term.
That way, not only will I memorize the definition of the term, but also I will understand how to apply the word in a sentence. Hopefully, doing these tasks I mentioned above will help me grasp a better understanding of the SAT by the end of next week!” — from a student (2020 summer)
College Application Essay Workshop
Your college essay workshop played a big role in my daughter’s early admission acceptance to Virginia Tech. It was very helpful for busy parents like us, knowing that we are putting one of the most important steps of our daughter’s college application in professionals’ hands. It reduced the stress and put her many steps ahead of her peers. We appreciate the results very much. Next year we are sending our younger child to the workshop too. Thank you! — from a parent of senior (Oakton HS, 2021)
“I definitely found the workshop to be very helpful. In my experience this year as a senior and watching all the seniors around me going through this college process I’ve come to realize what may have been most helpful is the timing. Everyone tells you at the end of your junior year that you want to start your essays and applications early, but you never really do. I think the workshop was a great way to get people to not only start but be able to look over their work over and over again. The open workshop where you get opinions from both professionals and other students really helps out.
Also, the workshop gives you a professional opinion on what you’re looking to write in your essays. A lot of people are excellent writers, but it’s more than just being able to write a good essay. You have to know what the colleges are looking for, and that’s hard because every college is looking for something different. ” – from a student who is currently attending NYU (2019)
College Application Essay Workshop
“…. we are so happy to share with you that my daughter got into Johns Hopkins Early Decision. It is unbelievable. We reached out to Oakton Academy in September, and your team helped us review her college application list, her transcript, and especially her essays. After three meetings, my daughter is ready to get her ED package ready for submission. We are very fortunate to find you at the critical time, and can’t imagine that we could do it on our own without your great support. Thank you again….. – From a parent, whose daughter is currently attending Johns Hopkins U. (2020)
College Application Essay (a parent, May 2018)
My son shared with me that the counselor is very knowledgeable. She told him that W&M, VT will be his safe school, he is on the borderline of UVA. It turns out to be exactly true: he got accepted by William and Mary, Virginia Tech (with scholarship), and wait listed on UVA. – a note from a parent whose son attended 2017 Summer College Essay Workshop. He is currently attending Virginia Tech.
AP Physics (a student, March 2018)
I attended Dr. Lu’s summer AP Physics Introduction class. That helped me build up a good foundation of AP Physics. So far, I am getting As in my class. This semester, I am also taking Dr. Lu’s AP Physics Review class, and am hoping to achieve 5 for my AP Physics exam. – a student who graduated from Oakton High School (2019), and is currently attending Naval Academy.
College Application Workshop
“My son got the ED offer for his dream school – NYU Stern Business School. Thank you all at Oakton Academy for the help in the past two years, the summer SAT program, and the summer College Essay Writing. The great work gave K. a solid foundation for his college application. We really appreciate every help you offered to him. ” – a parent of 2017, whose student is attending NYU
My daughter takes Mrs. Jenn’s Literature class. Ms. Jenn truly make the class engaging and interesting. The guiding questions Mrs. Jenn asks at the beginning of each class improve my daughter’s critical thinking and allows her to see the underlying message in passages more easily.
I feel so thankful for Mrs. Jenn’s class because the activities Mrs. Jenn assigns have deeply improved my daughter’s analytical and writing skills. My daughter feels very excited and motivated to learn every time she is with Mrs. Jenn, because of her enthusiastic energy. I could not be more grateful, and I heavily recommend Ms. Jenny’s class! Thank you. — from a parent, February 2021
Moreover, with taking a section of a practice test each week, I began to identify my weaknesses and could now focus on addressing the specific types of problems and concepts with which I struggled the most. Each week’s homework consisted of series of problem sets, with each set containing only five problems: far from overbearing yet providing a practice opportunity critical to understanding specific concepts. The teacher is extremely knowledgeable, and can address students’ individual questions and
concerns.
Oakton Academy’s SAT Math class effectively strengthens students’ math skills and extensively prepares them for the math section on the SAT. I highly recommend this class for anyone seeking help with SAT Math. – a student attending UVA (2018)
“The SAT classes really helped me not only prepare for the SAT but improve my English and math abilities in general. I got all A’s first quarter this year, and I believe that these classes definitely helped contribute to that. In the past I’ve never seen English as a strength, but I’ve decided to enroll in AP Language and Composition this year, and I’m doing well in it because of the things I’ve learned in SAT English. Also, I currently have a 101.9% in my math class because a lot of the things we’re being taught I’ve already learned from the SAT math class.” – a student attending Duke (2018)
AP Physics
“This AP Physics class was the only one I’ve taken in which I did not waste any time during the class. Everything Dr. Lu taught helped me learn and understand AP Physics. I received A and also got 5 for AP Physics, and 770 for SAT Physics. Dr. Lu is the best teacher I have ever had. He explains the Physics concepts clearly and thoroughly. — from a student attending Cornell (July 2017)
Summer AP Physics Prep Class
“The class helped me understand the difficult concept in AP Physics 1. Each week, we reviewed challenging questions and problems, and learned together as a group with Dr. Lu’s strategy, coaching, and guidance. I got an A in my AP Physics class. I am thrilled with my progress and can’t believe how much I’ve learned.” – a student from TJ, who is currently attending Stanford (2016)
Summer SAT Camp
J. Chang. took Ms. Murphy’s SAT summer camp last year (2016), she just received 1570 from the May SAT test (2017). We are thrilled and would like to thank Ms. Murphy and Oakton Academy for the excellent SAT program. J. took the mock exam last summer when she was a sophomore, and she receive 1470 at that time. During her 1:1 review with Ms. Murphy, the teacher told J that she should be able to gain 100 points, and J actually made it happen and received 1570 in her SAT Exam (2017)! We are very grateful for the high quality of the program, and the most experienced teachers. They are the experts in SAT, the positive and friendly learning environment that Oakton Academy has created. My daughter J. loved it so much, and thank you again! – a note from a parent whose daughter attended McLean HS (2017)
Comments from 5-8th Grade Classic Reading and Writing Class:
My child likes the class a lot. First, the book list is attractive. Usually, kids at this age wouldn’t think of reading the classic books and parents might also think that they are too advanced (or boring) for them. However, the teacher prepared my child very well and he actually enjoys reading the selected books in this class. Ms. Jen is very knowledgeable about the books and their writers, especially the writing techniques. She explains the background of the books and the writers’ life so that the kids can better understand the books and why the writers wrote in certain ways. – from a current parent (5th Grade, 2020)
“The teacher is very knowledgeable on each classic book. My daughter Teresa learned Shakespeare’s drama on the first day, and on the way driving back, she kept on telling me about the story. The class also had a play performance on the 4th week, which engaged them into the novel. My daughter hardly read classics before. But now she began to like reading it. We love the program so much, and would like to recommend it to anyone at this age .” – from a parent (2019 Spring class)
“The teacher is very knowledgeable on each classic book. My daughter learned Shakespeare’s drama on the first day, and on the way driving back, she kept on telling me about the story. The class also had a play performance on the 4th week, which engaged them into the novel. My daughter hardly read classics before. But now she began to like reading it. We love the program so much, and would like to recommend it to anyone at this age .” – from a parent (Spring 2018)
“The teacher is very energetic, she planned a lot of activities, discussion, writing, reciting, acting for her class. My son AL likes it a lot.” – from a parent (Fall 2017)
“We came here and tried one class, we decided to sign up. Ms. Courtney’s class is interesting, that’s what my son told me.” A parent from Fall ‘ 16 class
“I learned real professional writing strategy from Ms. S.” A student from Spring ‘ 15 class
“It was fun to learn writing, because Ms. S. created writing games for us, which help us practice the method we have learned.” A student from Spring ‘ 15 class
“My daughter would not pick a classic book before. But after taking Oakton Academy’s Reading & Writing class, she said she began to like to read classics. Ms. Sandra’s class opens the window to students, who get introduced and exposed to literature. We very much appreciate Oakton Academy’ Classic Reading Program.” – a parent from Spring ’15 class
“My son hardly likes any English class, after his first trial in Oakton, he asked me to sign him up. I am very happy that he likes this fun reading class and the teacher ” – a parent from Spring ’15 class
“It is definitely the best camp we ever had this summer, we will sign up for it next summer. The kids learned science and writing in a fun way.” – a parent from 2015 Summer Camp
“My two children are in 5th grade and 7th grader, both of them like the teacher and enjoy the unique, interesting, creative learning environment. They actually reflect in their biography writing homework, and they also like the inspirational Biography readings in this class. We would definitely want to come back next semester.” – a parent from Fall ’15 class
“My son began to write journals a few times a week, that’s the best we get out of the class.” a parent from Spring ’16 class
“The small class size allows my daughter to participate the classroom discussion. She said she feels more comfortable and confident to speak in Ms.Ivy’s class.” a 5th grader’s parent
“The beauty of the class is the teacher is so passionate about teaching. She always prepares so much for the class. On the last day of class, it is amazing to see that each student is engaged in the classroom journal discussion, classic books discussion, and peer discussion. They all did an excellent job in the final presentations. We are very impressed by the educational product: it makes our kids want to come and want to learn.” a parent from Spring ’16 class
Registration: www.oaktonacademy.com “registration”
Summer SAT Camp (2017)
2017 SAT Camp was again a great success! The program has received overwhelming praise from both parents and students. Students received weekly updates, went through initial assessment, mid-term exam, and final exam. The class had improvement, ranging from 50 to 150 points. The highest score in the final exam is 1550 (770/780). Kudos to our excellent teachers and our hard working students!
More Testimonies from College Essay Workshop (2017)
Testimony 1: “Before the workshop, I had no clue what I was doing for my personal statement. The workshop taught me so many strategies, outlines, and tips to help me. I have learned so much from the teachers and my peers. Ms. Courtney has helped me see this process as a journey-of analyzing, brainstorming, and reflecting through high school and life. I can’t believe I completed 3 common application essay topics, the application form, as well as a few short supplemental essays all within 5 weeks. In addition, the counselors reviewed my work, talked to me frequently, and provided individual advice and guidance. The session was extremely helpful, as teachers and the counselors identified the problems in my application immediately and it helped me quickly focus on the areas I need to improve.”
Testimony 2: “This session definitely helped me meet the deadline of college applications. Without it, there is no way I could’ve finished all the forms, activity lists, and essays within 5 weeks, if I did it at home by myself. The workshop environment helped push me in a friendly and positive way. I am grateful that I got so much done, especially because of the counselor that advised me on my EA/ED selections. I can’t thank the teachers enough, as they reviewed my essays almost 6 times, because each teacher did at least 2-3 rounds. I will definitely recommend it to my friends.”
Testimony 3: “After the workshop, I feel much more confident in submitting my EA/ED applications, having only written a few essays before attending. The process of having teachers reviewing each essay multiple times, a counselor helping me reflect on the past 4 years’ high school, and having the list of schools reviewed, discussed, selected, and finalized helped my parents and I tremendously. We all feel much more confident in the application process. Many thanks to Ms. Laura, Ms. Courtney, and Ms. Ivy.”
A note from an SAT Math student (2016)
In doing so, I was able to exam problems from multiple viewpoints, and thus acquire a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Moreover, with taking a section of a practice test each week, I began to identify my weaknesses and could now focus on addressing the specific types of problems and concepts with which I struggled the most. Each week’s homework consisted of series of problem sets, with each set containing only five problems: far from overbearing yet providing a practice opportunity critical to understanding specific concepts. The teacher is extremely knowledgeable, and can address students’ individual questions and concerns.
Comments on SAT Math Class (2016)
“I loved his class and he was so helpful and made Math (Calculus) more fun despite it being incredibly hard. The key to pass is practice.” “This is my second time taking one of his math classes. I highly recommend taking his. His quizzes are difficult but his tests are straightforward and he gives you a practice test. He really cares about his classes and makes the lectures interesting.” – an SAT Math student
“It is the best science camp I have ever attended. I will definitely sign up again next summer.” – a parent whose child attended the summer science camp
Please note that we do not publish our students’ names as we agree to protect and respect their privacy. Congratulations to the students who have reported to us on their excellent SAT, ACT scores, as well as their college admission status! We truly appreciate your updates, congratulations again!!! We are very proud of you.
- Educating the “Whole Person”
- Avid reader, advanced writer, confident speaker, and future leaders
- SAT, PSAT, AP Test Prep
- College Essay Writing
- Classic Reading
- Creative Writing
- Public Speaking, Debate
- Summer Music Fundraiser Event
- Students’ Leadership Team and Activities
- Compassion, Citizen
- Critical Thinking, Creativity
- Collaboration, Connecting the Dots