Alumni Interview with Ava: How Passion and Persistence Paid Off

Last week, we hosted a webinar with former Think Academy student Ava Zhang, who will be attending University of Chicago this Fall. She discussed how she was able to earn a perfect 1600 SAT score, build a strong application through course selection and extracurricular activities, and get accepted into a top-15 college. The webinar was recorded, and can be watched on YouTube.

We will discuss some of the highlights, including…

• Why Ava chose University of Chicago
• How Ava achieved a 1600 SAT score
• How Ava used extracurriculars to strengthen her college application
• Ava’s AP course selection in high school
• How Ava’s middle school classes allowed her to succeed in high school

Choosing a College

Ava was accepted to around half of the 27 colleges that she applied to. When deciding which ones she might be interested in attending, Ava indicated that getting a feel for the “persona” and “student body culture” through campus visits and conversations with students at each school helped inform her decision. She ultimately chose University of Chicago because of its intellectual environment, academic flexibility, and strong Economics program. She liked that University of Chicago offered a “liberal-arts-style” education: “allowing me to explore different realms and different subjects and then being able to connect all of them was really important to me,” she said.

Ava initially committed to UCLA, as she was waitlisted by University of Chicago. She did a lot more than just wait while on the waitlist, however. “The waitlist was definitely a long process,” she explained. “I submitted a lot of letters of continued interest, [and] I even went to a college fair after I had submitted all of my applications and got onto the U Chicago waitlist. I went to that fair, and I talked to the admissions officer for my region… I also submitted a video… I did work for that waitlist spot a lot.” In the end, Ava’s hard work paid off, as she was admitted to University of Chicago just a few days before the May 1st deadline.

The SAT Superscore

Ava’s highest composite SAT score was a 1570, but by “superscoring” two of her tests—taking the highest Math score from one test and the highest Reading and Writing score from another test—Ava’s effective SAT score was a perfect 1600. Ava took the SAT three times in total, and sent her top two scores to colleges for the “superscore.”

“I think that SAT score, I earned it through, first of all, [Think Academy SAT Teacher] Tommy‘s class,” Ava explained, “which helped me a lot with all of the grammar and the little nitpicky things that you don’t necessarily learn in regular school… and then also doing a lot a lot of practice, and I spent a lot of time in my summer going into junior year studying.”

If you want to learn more about SAT scoring and prep tips, check out the related articles below:

• SAT FAQs: Ultimate Guide for First-Time Takers
• What’s a Good SAT Score in 2025? Understand, Compare, and Aim for Your Best
• 2025 Digital SAT Prep: Scores, Study Plans & Practices

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities played a major role in strengthening Ava’s college application. She did competitive cheer from elementary school to high school, she ran cross country (and was the captain of the team in her senior year of high school), she played piano, she led a Tutoring Club, she founded a Career Club, she started a non-profit Music Camp, and she was a Student School Board Representative.

When asked how she chose these activities, Ava emphasized that “being passionate about the things that I was doing was really important, because that would keep me going… these extracurriculars weren’t seen as chores; they were things that I actually wanted to do… doing what you really enjoy matters the most. Colleges can sniff out if you’re faking passion for something… the more unique, and the more impact you show through these extracurriculars… the better they help your application.”

AP Classes in High School

Ava took 12 AP classes in high school:

• In Grade 10, Ava took AP Macroeconomics and also self-studied for the AP Chinese Language and Culture exam without taking the class.
• In Grade 11, she enrolled in five AP courses: AP United States History, AP English Language and Composition, AP Calculus AB, AP Microeconomics, and AP Chemistry.
• In Grade 12, she took an even more rigorous course load, completing AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Physics C, AP Statistics, AP Calculus BC, and AP Spanish Language and Culture.

Her school typically doesn’t allow students to take most AP classes until Grade 11, but Ava was able to talk her guidance counselor into allowing her to to take AP Macroeconomics in Grade 10. “I basically told her that I was ready; I had been taking all of these honors courses, and I want to challenge myself, and I was really interested in a course like [AP Macroeconomics], so she let me [take the class].”

Taking a lot of AP classes in her junior and senior year helped strengthen her transcript, but Ava said it was tough to handle the workload, especially with her extracurricular activities. She said that “it is possible” to take a lot of AP classes concurrently, “but you really need to set your mind to it, and you need to be mindful with what you choose… in junior and senior year I took an off period… and having that extra time, having an extra hour or two in the school day to do my homework and catch up and study, really helped a lot.”

Middle School & Math Acceleration

Some of Ava’s academic success in high school can be traced back to the decisions that she made in middle school. Prior to Grade 6, Ava was given the option to take a placement test to accelerate her math level. As a result of her strong performance on this test, Ava was able to double-accelerate, taking Pre-Algebra in Grade 6, Algebra in Grade 7 and Geometry in Grade 8.

This created a domino effect for Ava, allowing her to take advanced math and math-adjacent classes like AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, and AP Physics C in high school. “I was able to take so many AP classes [in high school]… partially because of math acceleration that I had gone through in middle school,” Ava explained. “I could get the prerequisites over with and I could get those basic things down.”

Ava also emphasized the importance of using middle school classes to explore interests: “…one thing, looking back, I kind of wish I did more is trying out more of those fun courses, basically, and having more willingness to explore… even as a middle schooler, I felt stressed at times… I was really worried about making sure that I took the hardest classes I could… yes, take the hard classes, but also give yourself room to explore… middle school is your time to try out different things.”

Big congrats to Ava! 🎉

You can watch the full webinar with Ava to hear more about her experience and her advice for current middle school and high school students:

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About Think Academy

Think Academy, a leading K–12 math education provider wholly owned by TAL Education Group, is dedicated to helping students build strong mathematical foundations and critical thinking. Our structured curriculum provides multiple course levels designed to accommodate students with diverse academic goals and proficiency levels, ensuring targeted and effective learning experiences. Supported by advanced teaching methods, expert instructors, and innovative AI technology, Think Academy consistently demonstrates excellence, trustworthiness, and proven expertise in mathematics education.

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