RHS/Harvard Grad to Offer Local Ivy Insiders SAT Prep, Free Practice Exams and Workshops this Summer

This summer, Ridgefield High School ’07 and Harvard College ’11 graduate Sophie Cai will launch the Ridgefield branch of Ivy Insiders, a unique summer SAT prep program started by Harvard undergraduates in 2003.

Since its founding, Ivy Insiders has helped over 4,000 students raise their SAT scores by an average of over 250 points – results nearly double those of most traditional test prep companies. According to Sophie, what makes Ivy Insiders unique is the rigorous teacher selection and training process (all teachers are undergraduates at top universities with 99^th-percentile SAT scores), the focused curriculum that teaches only the most important concepts and test-taking strategies, and the personalized mentorship beyond the classroom that teachers like her have to offer.

“It wasn’t that long ago that I was in current high school students’ shoes, striving to balance the schoolwork, extracurriculars, and other commitments that I loved doing but also knew were necessary for college admissions,” Sophie notes. “In fact, I just went through another long standardized testing and application process for medical school, so I have even more experience and advice to share.”

Part of Sophie’s experience comes from an impressive record of academic achievement. In high school, she was valedictorian of her class and scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT I, perfect 800’s on three SAT II’s, and perfect 5’s on ten AP exams. In addition to numerous awards in math, debate, piano, and violin, she was recognized as a National Merit Scholar, Siemens AP Award Winner, Intel Science Talent Search Finalist, and one of the top 24 students in the U.S. Physics Olympiad.

Sophie maintained her strong academic record at Harvard as a Chemistry and Physics major and Molecular and Cellular Biology minor. Last spring, she was inducted as a junior into Harvard’s chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honor society – an honor reserved for only 24 Harvard students each year. She recently graduated with valedictorian standing. And her grades, 99.9^th percentile Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) score, and extracurricular achievements have landed her a spot at Harvard Medical School, where she will enroll this fall.

But according to Sophie, none of her personal accomplishments match the rewards of helping others reach their academic goals: “Some of my most rewarding experiences in college have been when I volunteered to tutor an immigrant student in physics at a local high school or just took a couple hours to help motivate and tutor a friend stressing out about an upcoming exam. Seeing a tutee’s exam come back with a grade 30% higher after just one tutoring session, or having my friend hug me after she finally scored above the mean on an organic chemistry midterm – these are some of my favorite memories, and I’m excited for the challenge of delivering these kinds of results for SAT prep this summer.”

Sophie is looking forward to spending her last free summer back home in Ridgefield, giving back to the community that helped her reach her own educational goals. “I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without the guidance and support of so many teachers, upperclassmen friends, and other mentors. I can’t wait to play all three roles this summer as an Ivy Insiders instructor.”

Sophie will teach two three-week courses in Ridgefield this summer, beginning on July 9 and July 16 respectively. She will also offer flexible private tutoring packages between early July and mid-August. Standard courses cost $599, but referral-based discounts and need-based scholarships are available. Sophie will also offer a free practice SAT exam on June 25 and two SAT/college admissions parent workshops on June 25 and 26 that will be open to the public.

For more information, email sophie_cai@ivyinsiders.com.