Alumni Interview with Sabrina: Where Academic Strength Meets Real-World Purpose

Thanks to her 99th percentile SAT score and a transcript full of AP classes, former Think Academy student Sabrina Zhang was admitted to UC Berkeley, where she will begin studying Public Health this Fall.

We talked with Sabrina, and she highlighted four important actions that students can take if they want to succeed in college admissions like she did:

• Getting ahead in Math in middle school to establish an accelerated track
• Taking AP classes in high school that align with strengths and interests
• Enrolling in classes outside of school for enhanced learning and pursuing passions
• Participating in extracurricular activities to foster an interest and demonstrate ambition

Accelerated Math in Middle School

As a freshman in high school, Sabrina took Algebra II—three years before most students across the United States take it. Most students take Algebra I in Grade 9 and Geometry in Grade 10, but Sabrina took both of these classes in middle school, allowing her to take Algebra II in Grade 9. Sabrina then took a Trigonometry class at her school and an online Precalculus class through Brigham Young University during the summer between her freshman and sophomore year, which prepared her to take AP Calculus AB in Grade 10 and AP Calculus BC in Grade 11.

Grade	Sabrina’s Accelerated Path	Standard Math Track
8	Geometry	Pre-Algebra
9	Algebra II	Algebra I
10	AP Calculus AB	Geometry
11	AP Calculus BC	Algebra II
12	AP Statistics	Precalculus or no AP

Sabrina acknowledges that her decision to accelerate in Math early played a major role in her success later on: “Getting ahead in math in middle school saves you a lot more time & energy in high school,” she said. “Math is such a foundational subject that the more math skills I get exposed to, the easier it is for me to understand other STEM subjects.”

Indeed, Sabrina’s advanced Math track not only allowed her to take and succeed in both AP Calculus classes, but it also contributed to her success in AP Computer Science Principles, which she took in Grade 10; AP Physics 1, which she took in Grade 11; and AP Statistics, which she took in Grade 12.

“I would really recommend having that head start as early as possible in math because it is important to establish a strong foundation and not rush things at the last minute,” Sabrina said. “More and more kids at my school are doing Algebra II as 8th grader[s] and finish off [Calculus] BC in junior year.”

AP Class Strategy in High School

In addition to the aforementioned AP Math classes, Sabrina also took a plethora of AP classes in other subject areas. She took 15 AP classes in total, enabling her to earn college credits and boost her weighted GPA. The high number of AP classes on her transcript also signaled to colleges that Sabrina is an ambitious, hard-working student that is willing to challenge herself and can handle a heavy workload.

Here is a breakdown of the AP classes that Sabrina took in high school:

Grade	AP Classes
9	AP Human Geography
10	AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science Principles, AP United States History
11	AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Calculus BC, AP Macroeconomics, AP Language and Composition, AP 2-D Art and Design
12	AP Statistics, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Literature and Composition, AP Psychology

While Sabrina did encourage students to take AP classes, particularly in subjects that interest them, she stressed the importance of creating a schedule that isn’t too overwhelming. “Not all AP classes are as crazy as we think [they are], so it is crucial to create a balanced schedule,” she explained. “If you want to take more AP classes, try to mix some relatively easier AP classes in between those core AP classes. For example, if you wanted to take Chem and [Calculus] BC together, maybe try to add in Psych or Comp Sci in.”

Sabrina claimed that she struggled a bit her junior year by taking too many difficult AP classes concurrently. She recommended that students focus on their interests in strengths instead of trying to take the hardest classes in every subject: “If you are someone who is really good in STEM, then pick more of those AP classes. If you like history-related, then focus more on those humanities sides of AP. I do not think you have to take a balanced amount of STEM or history-related AP classes just to show how well-rounded you are. Instead, focus on what you enjoy!“

Extracurricular Activities & Classes That Help With College Admission

Math Acceleration Through Summer Courses

Sabrina took numerous classes outside of school for a variety of purposes. When she took an online Precalculus course through BYU during the summer between her freshman and sophomore year, the goal was math acceleration. This online course allowed her to skip Precalculus in school, and take AP Calculus AB in Grade 10 instead.

High SAT Score with Structured Prep

The following summer, Sabrina enrolled in Think Academy’s SAT course, for the purpose of scoring as high as possible on the SAT. As a result, she was able to score a 1530, placing her in the top 1% of all test takers.

Learning for Fun: Passion Projects During the Pandemic

But for most of the extracurricular classes that she took, Sabrina’s motivation was simply wanting to learn something new. “I did take some classes (Writing & Intro to Medicine) from Northwestern’s online program during middle school,” she explained. “Looking back, I probably took them because I was so bored during the pandemic… so it was actually not meant for prepping advanced classes, but it was really fun! I learned a lot about a branch of science that wasn’t taught by any of my high school science class[es]… and reading Macbeth [was] a little confusing at that time, but quite an experience.”

Exploring Public Health Through Real-World Experience

Sabrina took a similar approach to her other extracurricular activities. “I did actively try to seek out my interests in what I wanted to pursue through activities in and out of school time,” she stated. “I applied as a public health major to many of the schools because it is a field I explored a lot in high school and would hope to continue in college. I served on the youth council within the Oregon Health Authority to design projects & gather input for the Oregon Student Health Survey from students across Oregon… I was an intern at a non-profit organization focusing on policy work to increase fundings for school-based health centers across the state. It was a really cool experience to talk to representatives and senators from my state and learn first-hand about what goes behind in drafting and passing a senate bill.”

By participating in so many activities related to her major, Sabrina made it clear to colleges that she was truly passionate about her field of study. In addition to these activities, Sabrina also co-chaired her local city’s youth advistory council and worked at a boba tea shop.

Sabrina’s Advice For Middle School Students

When asked what advice she can offer to current middle school students, Sabrina emphasized the importance of pursuing one’s passions. “There are students who are super interested in math and get very ahead with math competitions etc, but there are students who are more passionate about other subjects. Whatever it is, you can sign up for some online classes during middle school, explore it out, and engage in some summer camp or community college classes to dive in… take your time to explore what you want!! There are infinite ways to achieve the same goal but with different routes. Don’t worry if it takes longer to find what you love—so many people never get the chance to search at all… Maybe then, take one of those moments in your life, and write it out on your future college application.”

Big congrats to Sabrina! 🎉

To learn more about Think Academy alumni, check out another story: Alumni Interview with Julie: From Early Planning to Dream School Admission

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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