Elle – 10th Grade

First off, I just want to say a huge thank you. Thank you to all the incredible people I’ve met here, and to everyone who’s played a part in making this experience something I’ll never forget.

When I first came to Kent, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would just be about studying and sitting in classes, but what I got was so much more. I met some of the most amazing people I’ve ever known, and I learned more about myself than I ever thought possible.

One of the biggest surprises for me was the phone situation. I came in worried about being disconnected, but it turned out to be one of the best things for me. Without my phone, I was able to really focus—both on my work and on the people around me. It allowed me to be more present, and I felt way more connected socially than I ever imagined.

And speaking of focus, I didn’t realize just how much I could push myself until I got here. I started with a 1200 SAT^® score, and now I’m looking at a score improvement to 1460 and a 1500 superscore. It wasn’t until I challenged myself that I realized what I was truly capable of—and that’s something I’ll carry with me long after I leave Kent.

To all the kids here, thank you for helping me grow into a better version of myself. Each one of you has had a huge impact on my life, and I’m so thankful for the connections we’ve made.

So, to everyone here- thank you. To the students who pushed me to be better, to the counselors who guided me every step of the way, and to all the teachers who helped me realize what I’m capable of. This place, these people, and this experience… they’ve shaped me into someone I didn’t even know I could be. I’ll never forget it.

Eva – 9th Grade

When I walked into the room during orientation, I felt so out of place. I tried so hard to assimilate that day it was embarrassing. Before coming here, whenever I felt it was necessary to make new friends in a new environment, I would give out compliments and favors like candy, just trying to get people to like me. Sure enough it worked, I’ve always had plenty of friends growing up. I was the epitome of a giver and I didn’t see anything wrong with it, even as it sucked the life out of me. However, within one week at this camp I soon realized that I didn’t need to force anything, if people liked me they would attempt to talk to me as much as I talked to them. I started to find what worked for me and what didn’t, whether it be studying methods, note taking, or social interactions.  I’m grateful for so many of the campers here for encouraging me to be myself. In the future, I hope I can present myself, instead of a cheapened version designed to be agreeable. Kent has definitely changed my outlook on the world for the better.

Throughout this camp, I’ve only gotten more and more confident with each passing day. I’ve hit so many academic milestones, learned so many new things and have done so many memorable activities. 

Evana – 11th Grade

When I arrived at Kent, I was nervous that I wouldn’t find “my people”. I was scared that we would be absorbed into friend groups and that I might miss out on meeting everyone. When my dad dropped me off, I was so eager to meet new people that I didn’t even set up my bed until right before I went to sleep. However, this was my mistake. I was so focused on finding “my people”, people who were similar to me in every way, that I forgot that our differences bring us together. Kent is the perfect place for this. A place where like minded and goal oriented people can come together. Kent gave me the opportunity to work with these people- my peers. Being fully immersed into SAT^® work was overwhelming at first, but it comforted me to know that we were in this together. I did not believe I would get as much out of this as I did. I gained new perspectives and life long friendships with people from all over. And that’s exactly what makes Kent Prep, Kent Prep. The people build this camp and make it their own, and that’s exactly what we did. Another way Kent changed me was that it improved my attention to detail. With SAT^®, picking key words in the passages I read and applying grammar rules to questions I answered became natural. But I began to notice even more. I noticed the beautiful Manhattanville campus and the way the sun shone on the castle. I noticed the dandelions over the expansive lawns.

And most importantly, I noticed the beauty of the people surrounding me. Specifically, the qualities beyond materiality that make us so unique. How we differ in our reactions, our humor. How we work out problems and how we converse. I am so grateful to call you all my peers. And even more, my friends. I will forever cherish the qualities in all of you that make us different. 

Even – 11th Grade

I thought I would be introverted as usual, put myself alone in a corner, avoiding communication, but as time went by, I realized that this camp isn’t a camp just for SAT^®. For me, reading was just a way to make my parents happy, but when I started to read with Ms. Joyce, I started to enjoy reading; it isn’t a “punishment” anymore, it’s a new way to learn. My score improved, and my study habits changed. When I was lazy, the counselors and classmates told me to keep going. I also loved the jeopardy, everyone was fighting for their teams, at this moment, winning or losing doesn’t matter anymore, it’s more about passion and friendship. In this atmosphere, phones aren’t that important anymore.

Grant – 10th Grade

I wasn’t sure what to expect — besides the testing, the studying, and the morning runs — and I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in. But I’m sure we all felt the same way. After these few weeks, I can confidently say that this camp has been more than just a test prep program — it’s been a place where I’ve grown, not just as a student, but as a person. Being around everyone here has taught me so much. Whether you knew it or not you have all influenced me. You’ve taught me that you don’t have to constantly prove yourself to everyone around you. That success isn’t about chasing other people’s approval — it’s about being proud of the effort you put in and the person you’re becoming. I’ve learned to do your best, be yourself, and work for what you want — because no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. This camp builds character. It pushes you — in the classroom, during testing, in exercise, and in life — to reach for your full potential. When I look back on my academic growth over the past few weeks, I’m honestly proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve learned new test-taking strategies that have helped improve my score, and I’ve changed how I think about tests entirely. From self-affirmations, to applying pacing techniques, and reading strategies. I’ve truly gained SAT^® confidence in my ability to improve. I really want to say thank you Mrs. Joyce, for giving me this opportunity. Being here at Kent Prep has been an incredible gift, one I’ll never forget. You believed in me and helped me to improve my reading as long as helping all of us become better versions of ourselves and I’m truly grateful. But not everything we did here was academic. Some of my favorite experiences came from the outside of the class. I have really enjoyed the activities here like kickboxing, fencing, white water rafting, and our recent New York trip. I’ve truly enjoyed our table talks at breakfast, lunch and dinner and playing BS in the lounge. Vocabeardy was probably the best competitive experience I have had here and I am thankful for my time here. So, as we all get ready to go our separate ways, I know we’re taking more than just improved test scores with us. We’re taking friendships and memories. I’m excited to see where life takes each of us after this, and I’m proud to have been part of this camp with you. Thank you all so much — for being part of my experience, for inspiring me, and for making these four weeks unforgettable.

Gwen – 12th Grade

I feel a lot more confident about taking tests now and I surprised myself a lot by waking up every day and studying. I can take the work ethic I built and apply it to so many other aspects of my life.

I’m very thankful for all the people I’ve met and friends I’ve made. I didn’t expect to form such close bonds with people in less than a month. Not having my phone in my pocket all day really forced everyone to socialize and I’m grateful for not having that distraction. It really showed me how much time there is in a day.

I also felt very motivated by everyone around me and as a group we pushed each other to improve every day. There was a perfect balance of work and fun inside and outside of class.

Melisa – 12th Grade

Having to come to an SAT^® prep camp this summer was definitely not something on my  bucket list and to be honest I was dreading the day that I would come here to spend hours prepping for the SAT^®, live far away from home, meet new people and spend 4 weeks without my phone. I was forced to leave my comfort zone and survive without my daily 4-5 hours of screen time. But looking back now, stepping out of my comfort zone turned out to be one of the maybe best things I’ve ever done.

The first week was definitely the hardest. Everything felt so new and overwhelming. And I’ll never forget the first night of classes when we got so much homework that we all had to stay up until past bed time doing math and ofc cant forget all the times when i would cram memorizing 35 vocab words right in time for dinner. All the nights I would reminisce about how long yet short the days are and eventually I started to realize how much I’m going to miss this

One of the biggest challenges for me was being without my phone. I’ll be honest—I thought I’d hate it. But as the weeks went on, I started appreciating it more. I had time to actually focus on things—whether it was studying, hanging out with new friends, or just being present. Not being glued to my screen forced me to connect with the people around me on a much deeper level than I would’ve expected. I started seeing and feeling the value and joy of living in the moment.

Moreover, I don’t remember a single day when I didn’t have a smile on my face, when I wasn’t dying laughing with my friends over the dumbest things ever and never have I ever I felt alone. Stepping out of my comfort zone I met all of you guys, the people who I know I can always rely on, the people whom I can trust and the people whom I will always be able to call my second home.

As the times flew by and I looked back ,I realized this wasn’t just about prepping for the SAT^®. It was about learning how to face challenges and how overcoming them is how you grow as a person. 

Oscar – 12th Grade

These past four weeks have been packed with long days, full schedules, and more ACT^® practice than most people would think is humanly possible. But through it all, I’ve come out on the other side better than I was when I started.

Ten full-length mock exams. Six hours a day of class, drills, studying, and strategy. On top of that—waking up at 6 a.m. every morning to run. And no, that never got easier. But strangely enough, I’m actually grateful for it. That structure, that routine, forced discipline into our lives in a way that I know is going to stay with me far beyond this camp.

I’ve grown a lot here—not just in how I take a test, but in how I approach work, pressure, and people. At first, I wasn’t fully locked in. I kind of coasted. But somewhere along the way, I started trying harder. I started taking it seriously. And for the first time, I saw real progress. The ACT^® isn’t easy—but it’s starting to feel more manageable. I still have work to do, but now I actually believe I can get where I want to be.

One of the best parts of camp was being surrounded by so many smart, motivated, and ambitious people. It pushed me to raise my own standards. The energy here—the way people focus, compete, and still support each other—it’s rare. And it made me better.

I’ve made some amazing friends. I’ve seen friendships turn into something more. I’ve had conversations that made me think differently. I’ve laughed harder than I expected to.

The excursions gave us a breath of fresh air—rafting was chaotic in the best way, and the New York City trip was a highlight for sure. Having that kind of independence again, even for a day, reminded me of who I am outside of just studying.

This camp wasn’t just about test prep—it was about building habits, pushing past limits, and learning who we are when things get hard. And I’m walking away stronger for it.

Ryu – 12th Grade

My first encounter with Kent Prep was about four months ago. At that time, I was asking ChatGPT about SAT^® camps in the US. I kept telling it again and again that I wanted to bump up my SAT^®score and that I needed to change my routine, mindset, and motivation in order to reach my goal. Finally, it recommended Kent Prep to me. When I saw the reply, I realized that Kent Prep was exactly what I was looking for, and I filled out the form right away.

The reason I emphasized changing my routine, mindset, and motivation is because, even though those three things are the key to achieving anything, they were terrible before I came here. I had been getting lazy—especially when it came to studying. I don’t want to make excuses, but I’m pretty sure that the environment in rural Canada influenced me a lot, where people live for today, not for the future. Living there made me realize how powerful the environment surrounding me is. 

These four weeks at Kent Prep were long enough to reset myself by removing my bad habits. No phones; exercising every morning; talking to new friends from different backgrounds; learning vocabs every single day. Could you have done all of this at home before coming here? At least for me, I don’t think I could have. But I did it for four weeks, because every event here strengthened the connections between us. For example, we helped each other so much—whether it was catching up on math problems or passing the vocab tests. And Even, I’m pretty sure I woke you up several times during the mock tests, didn’t I?

These strong connections created an environment where we could build steady and healthy routines, a strong mindset to keep improving, and a firm motivation to move forward.

William – 12th Grade

When coming to Kent Prep for the second time, I thought that nothing much would change. I thought that it would be just like last year. I couldn’t have been more wrong. When walking into orientation, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I saw new faces everywhere I looked. Nothing felt familiar at all.

After talking to the people around me, I realized how different this year was going to be. There were more people, and they came from places all over the world. At first, I was a little intimidated. It felt like everyone had already formed their groups, and I wasn’t sure if I’d fit in. But after a few days, I found myself striking up conversations with people I’d never spoken to before. It started out simple, like who got the highest math score on the mock test. But after a while, it turned into a crazy topic about whether or not cream cheese on sushi was OK. Call me crazy, but I don’t think it’s that bad. The point is that after a week, I made brand new and exciting people who are now called my friends.

Thank you so much for listening, and have a good night.