Meet your instructor: Brian Lam

Howdy!

I have been tutoring both the SAT/ACT for nearly 7 years and have helped hundreds of students achieve their target scores. Over half of my students scored a 1420+ SAT or 33+ ACT, earned over 45 perfect section scores combined, and have even earned perfect scores on the SAT and ACT. I myself scored a perfect 1600 in 2019, but I take the SAT regularly to stay relevant and earned a 1580 in November 2025. My students don’t take dozens of practice tests for a handful of points, but increase their scores as much as 200 points in under 2 months.

Most tutors simply “monitor” a student during a session and “review” incorrect answers but that way of learning is very passive. Many strong students aren’t losing points because they don’t know the content but because they are rushing, second-guessing, or run out of time. When I was a high school student, I was tired of SAT tutors who sat and just timed me while I work and reviewed my mistakes when I was done instead of focusing on strategies that improved my scores. I did dozens of practice tests (over 40!) with minimal improvement because I wasn’t taught to master the strategies first. Now as an SAT/ACT coach, my philosophy is that a tutor should not “hide” behind their credentials or the test prep material, but instead take a proactive role in helping students develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills while building confidence. Unlike with other tutors, my students walk out of each session being able to describe what they mastered each session and not just say they “did questions with their tutor”.

Most of the students I work with are not lacking ability but are simply stuck. They may already be working hard, taking practice tests, and putting in the time, but their scores are not improving the way they should. They feel frustrated, inconsistent, or unsure of how to approach the test. What they need is not more effort, but a clearer strategy. Other students we work with are already capable of strong scores, and the challenge is not effort, but knowing how to approach the test efficiently and consistently. That’s why we begin with a targeted diagnostic & precision strategy to maximize scores fast. Every student starts with a deep dive into their performance — not just what they get wrong, but why. From there, we build a focused plan that prioritizes the areas that will drive the biggest score increases instead of wasting time on material that won’t move the needle.