When the SAT is a journey of self-discovery for those who achieve top 1% scores worldwide.

“The SAT was an opportunity for me to explore and elevate myself,” shared Nguyen Doan Duc Vinh, a student who conquered the SAT exam with a score of 1560/1600 in the summer of his 10th grade year. This score is also considered to be in the top 1% worldwide .

After the initial joy of receiving his dream score, perhaps what remains in Duc Vinh's mind is a journey of growth and self-improvement through each step.

Diamond-forming pressure

Khi SAT là hành trình khai phá bản thân của người đạt số điểm top 1% thế giới

The SAT becomes a journey of self-discovery for a top 1% global scoring student

Vinh said he felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to receive a good education from a young age. However, this also put a lot of pressure on him due to the expectations of his family, teachers, and friends. To achieve an SAT score of 1560/1600, Vinh also had to overcome considerable pressure.

Despite attending an international school since childhood, and possessing strong English skills and a foundational knowledge from the American education system, Vinh still faced certain obstacles when approaching the SAT.

Initially, when first encountering the various types of knowledge, questions, and SAT practice tests, Vinh felt quite exhausted. Especially since he lacked study experience, Vinh spent an average of 3 hours a day studying. Therefore, the deeper he delved into the material, the more difficult it became. He shared: "The initial period was truly a difficult time for me." Vinh was also very confused by the multitude of books and study plans, unsure of where to find reliable learning resources...

Fortunately, Vinh ventured online, joining self-study groups for the SAT to learn from others' experiences. A new door opened for him, and he received many valuable tips on exam preparation, including self-studying using the Khan Academy platform – an official partner of the College Board, an organization specializing in SAT preparation courses in the US.

By joining the exam preparation community, Vinh not only received shared study experiences but also encouragement and support from his peers. Interestingly, after the exam, Vinh gained quite a few quality connections with students from all over the country, expanding his personal network.

From a bewildered and aimless 10th-grade boy, Nguyen Doan Duc Vinh was determined to overcome the difficulties of the SAT exam to discover a more complete and better version of himself.

A journey that opens up horizons of opportunity.

"It's like a globalized experience for test-takers" is Nguyen Doan Duc Vinh's interesting perspective on the SAT exam. Specifically, in the Reading Comprehension section, test-takers need to analyze and answer questions revolving around knowledge from diverse fields and cultures in various forms such as passages and poems. Therefore, Vinh feels that the SAT preparation process helped him acquire a "vast" source of knowledge.

Furthermore, to achieve an impressive score on the SAT exam, Duc Vinh asserts that students must develop and hone their critical thinking skills. To optimize their chances of choosing the correct answer, test-takers need to build a multi-faceted perspective to reverse-engineer, analyze, and clarify the issue in the question.

A logical and critical thinking skill, along with a multidisciplinary knowledge base honed through the SAT exam, has helped Duc Vinh pursue his professional passions such as debating, Model United Nations conferences, and business case competitions.

Duc Vinh became the "class leader" in the free, online SAT Open Class project sponsored by The Vietnam Foundation and Khan Academy Vietnam.

Aware of how his community has shaped him, Duc Vinh is delighted that his SAT certificate can help him contribute value to society. With a score of 1560, Duc Vinh became the "class leader" in the free, online SAT Open Class project sponsored by The Vietnam Foundation and Khan Academy Vietnam.

Vinh, along with nearly 20 class leaders from all over the country, directly taught and supported hundreds of Vietnamese students in conquering the SAT exam. Through this meaningful project, Vinh had the opportunity to contribute to spreading the value of educational equality and free learning opportunities for all students across Vietnam.

Sharing his future plans with reporters, Vinh said he will continue to participate in community classes to share his knowledge for free with others. In addition, Vinh has applied to several universities in the US. But no matter where he studies, Vinh still hopes to contribute his knowledge to the community.

Value begets value. Hopefully, with the solid foundation built from his journey conquering the SAT exam, Nguyen Doan Duc Vinh will continue to develop and assert himself, spreading the image of Vietnam to the world as he envisions.

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