After every digital SAT score release day, everyone's newsfeed will be full of exceptional score. I'm talking 1570, 1550, 1590, 1550, 1520,…
Especially in the last year, with the emergence of Threads as a “flexing” platform, you tend to see more and more people scoring 1500+.
In the past, you probably know 3 friends with such score. Now, it seems like 70% of your feed are going to a selective college with a 1500+, and the remaining 30% will retake the digital SAT to reach their 1500+ soon.
While “flexing” is a great way to honor one’s hard work and academic success, it can provide a distorted view on your perception of the world.
Let’s start with some facts:
Every year, over 2 million students all over the world take the SAT. Out of these, fewer than 2 percent of students score 1500+ (according to College Board research).
Consider an international student population, for instance. Out of thousands of SAT test-takers in a given country, only a small fraction will reach this elite tier.
Let’s consider a country like Vietnam. In 2024, 3500 students took the digital SAT. Applying the same percentile that College Board provided, this means that there are about 70 1500+ scores.
Now, consider this:
- Only the high-scoring students feel motivated to share their scores publicly.
- The internet creates a “selective bias,” the higher the score, the easier it is to go viral and end up on your feed.
When your feed seems full of 1500+ SAT achievers, it’s not because the average score is inflating and you’re falling behind.
It’s because the people who didn’t reach those scores aren’t posting about it (or they are but they are flopped).
This flood of high-scoring posts creates an illusion of normalcy, making you feel like everyone is better than you.
The truth is:
- Most students score somewhere between 950 and 1250.
- According to College Board, the 50th percentile for SAT score in 2024 was 1024.
So no, there is no such thing as grade inflation.
Seeing exaggerated success stories leads to anxiety, self-doubt, massive competition, and negativity.
Self-comparison, especially in academic abilities, can have a complex impact:
For some, seeing other high-performing students can spark motivation. They think, “If they can do it, I can too!” and channel their energy into productive study sessions.
Although this is not common, the self-help industry over-promoted it to be the norms and became a Procrustean bed that forces everyone into the same standard of self-development, growth mindset, productivity, positivity,…
More realistically, for a lot of you who are at 1080, 1420, 1340, 960, 1120, 1400, 1270,… , this exposure is discouraging.
And it turns into a vicious cycle as you:
- start doubting yourself
- waste your mental energy
- always feel too tired to study
- cannot focus
- see no improvement
- feel even worse, reinforcing the cycle
This is particularly true in the hyper-competitive race for limited admission seats at a selective college (like Harvard University).
Your self-comparison robs you of mental clarity, energy, and confidence — without which you will not achieve your target and goal.
This is why you need to pay attention to your reaction to flexing posts. There’s nothing wrong with others flexing their score, but not everyone finds it a source of motivation. You need to protect your energy for your own goals.
Your academic journey is personal. Comparing your SAT score or even grade point average (GPA) to the seemingly flawless profiles online robs you of confidence.
The goal is not to be discouraged but to understand the broader context of the admissions process.
The admissions process at most American universities is increasingly moving towards holistic admissions.
Admissions officers at these institutions are trained to look beyond a single numeric scale.
They also consider your school grades and class rank. They are interested in your academic strength as well as you as a person, not just your capacity to excel on multiple-choice questions.
Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT were designed by College Board to measure academic ability and cognitive ability.
They are there to provide a common benchmark for college applicants from different backgrounds and grading scales.
However, the intense focus on achieving a specific number can obscure the original purpose of these university entrance exams.
A good digital SAT score can be a useful data point, but it doesn't define your potential for success in college. Your mathematics scores and verbal scores are pieces of a much larger puzzle.
American universities care about much more than simply standardized test scores to make the choices between applicants. They care about exceptional aptitude and a genuine love of learning.
Your SAT score is a means to an end, not the ultimate goal. For many students, a score of 1400 is more than sufficient to gain admission to their desired universities.
Yet, the social pressure to reach the 1500+ threshold can lead to feelings of inadequacy. It's crucial to set personal goals based on your own aspirations and protect them from the distorted reality of social media.
I’m sure you’ve heard thousands of motivational quotes about how you shouldn't compare yourself to others from countless self-help gurus everywhere in the world. I know because I heard it so much to the point it’s a bit cringy to me.
And self-comparison is not bad. It is a major factor for humans. Human is a social species, which means people are forever tied with others to determine their personal values and worth.
Without comparison, you won’t have any motivation to change or grow.
However, it’s important to compare with others realistically and accurately. This is not possible if your perception of the world is distorted through the lens of social media.
Remember, according to College Board, 98% of test takers don’t reach 1500.
Let that sink in. Ninety-eight.
I taught a few students last year. They scored 1400, which was enough to get into their wanted universities.
However, they still felt ashamed because of their “low” score, because of the social perception that anything under 1500 is mediocre.
Most students are getting influenced by what others think about their score (including but not limited to: peers, parents, siblings, random people from the Internet) that they forgot their true goal.
SAT score is just a mean to an end, but so many are so focused on status seeking that they forget why they take the SAT to begin with.
Take a moment to think of your future, and how your SAT score can assist you.
Or if you haven't taken it, make sure that you use your brain power to register for it in time and prepare for it properly.
Each individual is unique with their own talents, preferences, and dreams. Accordingly, their goals should be different.
Set your personal goals and protect them at all costs.
Turn off social media for a few days if necessary. Especially if you can foresee that on the second Friday since test day, you’ll see a lot of contents that are not very good for mental health, motivation, focus, and goals.
Hard work, Motivation, and Focus.
Most people don’t understand dopamine. Some heard of the “dopamine detox” trend and conclude that it’s a bad thing.
Dopamine is a critical neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a significant role in both motivation and learning.
Contrary to the common perception that dopamine is merely associated with pleasure, its primary function relates to motivating behavior and establishing reward-seeking habits.
Dopamine is often referred to as the “motivation neurotransmitter.” It is integral to the brain’s reward system, particularly within the mesolimbic pathway, which connects various brain regions involved in reward processing.
When you anticipate a reward, such as an increase in SAT score, dopamine levels increase, prompting you to take action towards obtaining that reward.
The issue with dopamine is that if you are used to getting quick dopamine from
- phone scrolling
- Tiktok, reels, shorts
- Netflix and chill
- overprocessed, high sugar food,
it’s imprinted in your mind that success has to come quickly. You can only think short-term, anticipating the next burst of dopamine. Your ability to think long-term deteriorates.
Since most of the meaningful things you’d like to achieve in life (going to a good college, getting a degree, building lasting relationships, building a career,… ) require time and effort, you need to establish a long-term mindset.
To get dopamine on your side and to make use of it to enhance your motivation and productivity to get a better SAT score, you need to create good habits
One thing I notice in my own study for the SAT was that I’m much more motivated to study if I see my score increase.
Therefore, to constantly improve my score, I:
- Figure out the type of questions I struggled with the most
- Focus on the ones that are easier to improve
- Work on it for 2–4 weeks before the next practice test
- Dopamine boost from score improvement → motivation to repeat the process.
I cannot stress the importance of having a reward system. It is so crucial that I make it one of the core principles in designing my SAT prep platform.
The whole process is difficult since most people don’t have the self-awareness to figure themselves out.
Besides, because of cheap dopamine, most people don’t have the patience to work on something for 2–4 weeks before seeing improvements.
They just study random things and do random questions and get demotivated because their score is not moving.
One thing I like about Threads is that the community is very supportive and always celebrates little achievements along the way.
Why is this important? Recognition and praise can boost dopamine levels, reinforcing productive behaviors. Sharing accomplishments with others can also enhance motivation through social validation.
Show off your progression. Be more confident. Be proud of yourself.
When I’m stressed out, overthinking, or demotivated, I tend to shift my focus to a physical activity that doesn’t require thinking much. It could be cleaning my room, cooking something, or exercising.
When I was in Vietnam, I had a mountain bike. I was bored and needed to lose weight so I started biking.
I came to enjoy the activity as it clears my mind and at the same time, makes me less bored with studying but still feel good because I’m treating my body well.
After a road trip (40–80km), full of dopamine, I usually found myself highly motivated to study or work on personal projects.
Ultimately, instead of comparing yourself to perfect scorers out there, focus on your own progress and potential.
Your journey is unique, and your academic success will be defined by much more than a single number on a test report.