May SAT Scores Are Here — And One Student Just Picked Up 70 Points in the Verbal Section!

Hello MJTP families!

Today is May SAT score release day. Inboxes are lighting up across the country, and I'm already hearing from students who have broken through previous ceilings.

One of them wrote in this morning:

"I just received my SAT score, and I got a 750 on the RW section! I'm still looking forward to the June test to aim higher. Thank you for all your help!"

That's 20 points from her last test in just a few short lessons. The air gets thin above 700, so every 20 points up there is a serious accomplishment. I'm proud of her.

And then there's Holden. After December, Holden was bummed — like most students who don't see the bump they hoped for on their first attempt. He was discouraged. But he didn't quit. Starting with me in February, he kept showing up, kept doing the hard work, and trusted the process. Here's what that looked like on his RW score:

December: 680
March: 710
April School Day: 750
May: 750

That's 70 points in four months or less, with the 750 holding across two consecutive administrations — which matters, because it confirms the score isn't a fluke. He owns that level now. And on May's test, he paired that 750 RW with a 790 Math for a 1540 total.

This is what tough questions and tough effort get you.

If you're a student who got a score this morning that disappointed you — read that paragraph again. Holden was you in December.

The ceiling problem nobody talks about

Here's an open secret about the College Board question bank and the Bluebook practice tests: they have a ceiling on difficulty. That's by design. The official tools are built to be broadly accessible — not to push the strongest students past where they already are.

I've tested every major test prep platform you can name. I won't list them here, but in my research the pattern is the same: the vast majority are AI-written — generated by interns or by people who simply don't understand the subtle nuance and complexity of the real SAT questions students see on test day. A small handful are average. Most are worse than that. Drilling thousands of questions out of those 20,000-question banks can actually pull your score down, because you're training your instincts on patterns that don't reflect the real test.

That's also why I still take the official SAT nearly every Saturday I can make it. I need to know what's actually on the test — not what someone thinks is on it.

What the Gauntlet does differently

As students like Holden can attest, the Gauntlet was built specifically to raise the ceiling. The drills, the full-length practice tests, the question bank — all of it is calibrated to be on par with or harder than what you'll see on test day. Every question is written by expert SAT writers with decades of experience, like me. No AI slop. No filler.

I've also partnered with them on every one of my official SAT vocabulary quizzes — converted into four-mode flashcard quizzes that track your progress as you go. And there are math flashcards covering every topic and every skill on the SAT.

No expense has been spared. It's a beautiful interface with the most intelligent/efficient method to raise your score. Not to mention, it's the only platform of its kind with quality, vetted, harder test questions to help you break through your ceiling. And the best part? There are three free practice tests and unlimited use of the extra resources like flashcards!

If you struggled on the May SAT — or know someone who did — give the Gauntlet a look at passthegauntlet.com.

Two new books — now live on Amazon

While we're on the subject of raising the ceiling: my two newest books just went live on Amazon. Both are built on the same philosophy as everything else in the Gauntlet — every question hand-written by an expert with decades of SAT experience, calibrated harder than what you'll see on test day, no AI slop, no filler.