Valentina C.

The Hotchkiss School, Salisbury, CT

SAT Starting Score: 1360 (ACT 30 equivalent)

Final Score: 35 (33M 35E 36R 31S)

July 31st 2026: Valentina and Josh sit down to discuss her recent experience of preparing for the SAT and ACT with Vertical Prep.

Josh: Hi Valentina, congratulations on your ACT score!

Valentina: Thank you, I'm very happy about it.

Josh: Do you remember when we first started preparing for the tests?

Valentina: Oh man, like, really early. I think it was the summer after my freshman year—the August after my freshman year?

Josh: Yeah, pretty much, rising sophomore, right?

Valentina: Yeah.

Josh: I think we connected sometime in your sophomore year, and I think I had you take a practice test.

Valentina: No, I vividly remember taking my first practice SAT. I remember what I got: a 1360 on my first practice. It was the August before my sophomore year.

Josh:  And then you took two official tests towards the end of your sophomore year, right?

Valentina: Yes, I took March and May.

Josh: And then regrouped, came back for junior year, and took one in December and then in June. So you had taken 4 SATs?

Valentina: Yeah, I took 4 SATs. None of them went exactly how I wanted them to, so I decided to make the switch to the ACT.

Josh: Right. So your first practice score on the SAT was 1360, which sounds pretty good.

Valentina: First practice score was a 1360, and then I got two 1400s, a 1480 in December, and a 1420 in June. And now I have a 35 ACT.  I was lucky enough to knock out the ACT in one go, but I wasn't expecting to.

Josh: On your SAT journey, you were improving except for that June test. Were you ever nervous along the way that you had hit a plateau or that you wouldn't be able to improve beyond a certain level?

Valentina: After getting back my June SAT, I was a little discouraged. My score bumped up 80 points and then dropped again 60, which was definitely a confidence stunner. So I was a little nervous. I felt good when I took my ACT, though, because it was my first one. I took a couple of practice tests before and had done well. It felt like a baseline, so I went in chilled out and relaxed, which ended up helping me in the long run.

Josh: How do you think that attitude on the switch-up to a new test enhanced your performance?

Valentina: I got really serious about the SAT, and I don't think that helped me because that's not my baseline. I'm a chill person. Once I stopped being a chill guy about the SAT, that's when I think I was cooked.

Josh: Do you think there was a lot in the SAT that translated to the ACT? How would you compare the two tests?

Valentina: Especially grammar-wise and reading and writing-wise, the English and math on the ACT were very easy after studying for the SAT for so long. What I had the hardest time with was the science section—I just had no clue how to handle it because the SAT doesn't have anything similar.

Josh: How has your understanding of standardized tests changed since your first practice test in freshman year up until now as a rising senior?

Valentina: I held myself to such a high standard—like wanting a 1500+ or a 34+—but the average ACT is a 20. At some point, you have to keep yourself in check and remember that you're doing very well. It's easy to compare yourself to what you see on the internet, but in reality, you might be killing it.

Josh: What do you think is the hardest type of question on either test?

Valentina: For the ACT, it was the prior-knowledge science questions because I didn't always have the background for what they wanted me to know. For the SAT, the hardest part was staying calm. I was able to do all the hard questions, but I would get super easy questions wrong because I'd overthink them. Since the SAT penalizes you more for missing easy questions, my score would drop even if I got all the hard module 2 questions right.

Josh: Looking back on the last two years, what does that 35 on the ACT—a 99th-percentile score—say about you as a student and applicant?

Valentina: It feels very validating. It reflects all the hard work I put in. Going two years with smaller score jumps is mentally difficult. Having a score I'm really proud of gives me that sense of, "Okay, I worked for that".

Josh: What attribute or feature of a person allows them to get a score like that do you think?

Valentina: I think it measures and validates your academics in high school. A good test score can clarify a high GPA and show whether it was inflated, as well as test your readiness for college-level work. Plus, it's very hard to cheat on a standardized test compared to schoolwork or essays, so it's a better measurement of someone's intellect without outside assistance.

Josh: You never really considered stopping. What allowed you to keep pushing and continuing to prepare?

Valentina: Getting a 1490 on the PSAT was huge—that was a major confidence booster that put me back in the game and made me feel like I could actually do this. Naturally, I'm not super inclined to do well on standardized testing, so it requires patience and effort.

Josh: It seems like the lower the stakes, the better you performed.

Valentina: Mindset is key.

Josh: What advice would you give to someone who isn't sure whether to keep trying or feels they've hit a ceiling?

Valentina: Sometimes people just need a break—to reset, take a couple of months, do things that make them happy, and bring their confidence back. I don't think it's worth it to just keep pushing until you get frustrated. Even taking 24 to 48 hours completely off from thinking about test prep can help.

Josh: What advice do you have for someone starting their prep early?

Valentina: Believe in yourself—that's my motto. Read books to get naturally better at reading, writing, and recognizing grammar patterns. Take a practice test to know your strengths and weaknesses, reflect on them, and build from there.

Josh: How did doing SAT prep together in sessions help you?

Valentina: It's great to have a neutral perspective and someone in your corner to motivate you when you get negative. Plus, you provided access to efficient resources I wouldn't have found on my own.

Josh: What did this entire process teach you about approaching bigger challenges in life?

Valentina: Nothing is unachievable or out of reach. Have faith in yourself, know your abilities, and be confident. Confidence. Is. KEY!

Josh: So, what are your top target colleges right now?

Valentina: Dartmouth and Duke are my big two.

Josh: Any final words for the readers?

Valentina: Believe in yourself. Confidence is key. Do your homework when it feels necessary, find the parts of the test that aren't so bad, nail them, and build confidence from there. You can never be too confident.