Student Success Stories (2020–2026) - Math Competition, Honors & Accelerated Math Results
- Vasudha Uddavan
- Mar 13, 2021
- 9 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Updated June 2026
These student success stories from 2020 to 2026 highlight challenge exam passes, competition achievements, accelerated math placements, and students who learned to believe in their mathematical ability.
While the awards and scores are exciting, what I value most is seeing students become confident, independent learners who are willing to tackle difficult problems.
Table of Contents
2020 Student Success Stories
2020 Whew, what a year! With all the lockdowns in place and virtual/ hybrid schools, a lot of kids' life was turned upside down 🙃 We all went through COVID. My Father-in-law was hospitalised, and then after a few months, my grandmother was. It was a scary time. I had to call some of my parents to reschedule during those times, and they stood solidly by me. Some had gone through similar experiences themselves and offered advice and support during a difficult time. I am really grateful to them for the support they offered.
Most of my students work solidly whether COVID or not. In-person, hybrid, all online, they did their best and produced beautiful results :) I'm really proud of them. Here are some of the success stories of my students for 2020.
1. Devu got into the Algebra 1 course in 6th grade. This is a huge achievement for her, given that she thought math wasn't her thing.
2. Aarav (an Australian student) got a distinction again in AMC (Australian Mathematics Competition), and he was placed within the top 7% in the country or his state.
3. M (from Singapore) won a Silver Medal in the finals at the Annual Mathlympics.
4. All of my math counts students went to the State Round. Aaryan went to the state round in both Math Counts and MathLeague.org. None of them had qualified last year. So we were super excited.
5. Aaryan also prepared for Algebra 2 over the summer and went on to do Pre-Calc in Grade 9. He found Algebra 2 easy after Math Counts :)
6. Jyothi got a National rank of 20 in Math Kangaroo Grade 4. She also took a challenge exam at the end of Grade 4 to skip a year of math to get into Pre-Algebra in Grade 5.
7. All the other students maintained their A's. All of them learned to work steadily and independently
Despite being a COVID year and math competitions being cancelled in a lot of schools, my students still did their best and worked consistently. They did not let the system affect them. They understood that they cannot control the circumstances.
Interestingly, I had a student (7th grader) email me directly and ask if I would coach her for AMC 8 and if her parents could call me to work out the details! She did her own research to find a tutor who'd coach her for AMC8.
The reason I write this is to encourage the parents and the students to do better. What mattered finally for all of them was not their math skills but their attitude. They wanted to do well. That made the difference.
Update (2026): A testimonial from a long-term tutoring family
I worked with their son from 5th through 8th grade, and I currently work with his younger sister.
We’ve had an outstanding experience with V’s Online Math Tutoring. She has worked with both of my children, and the results have been truly impressive.
My son started with Ms. Vasudha in 5th grade and continued through 8th grade. During that time, she not only built a strong foundation in algebra and geometry but also trained him for Math Kangaroo and MathCounts competitions. Her teaching helped him deeply understand concepts rather than just memorize procedures. Because of this strong base, he went on to perform very well in high school math, including math olympiad-level tests like AMC, AIME, and USAMO.
We enrolled my daughter as well starting in 5th grade, and she has also greatly benefited from her guidance.
What truly sets her apart is her patience, flexibility, and ability to tailor lessons to each child’s needs. She adapts her teaching style based on the student and ensures they fully grasp each concept before moving forward.
If you are looking for a tutor who can build strong fundamentals, excel in algebra and geometry, and also guide students through competitions like Math Kangaroo and MathCounts, I highly recommend her.
2021 Student Success Stories
Varish successfully passed his Geometry challenge exam. He'll be taking Algebra 2 in Grade 9 after Algebra 1 in Grade 8.
Aarav (an Australian student) was placed within the top 2% in his country in APSMO. His team also placed first in the finals Numero Interschool Maths Competition.
Aarav got a distinction in AMC (Australian Mathematics Competition) for the 3rd year running.
Testimonial from his parent
Vasudha and I have been friends since school, and although life took us in different directions, one thing that always connected us was our shared love for mathematics.
When I was looking for a tutor for my son, I wanted someone who would help him love the subject and build strong mathematical foundations—not just focus on marks. Around that time, Vasudha began tutoring online, and knowing her deep passion for mathematics, I felt she would be the perfect fit.
My son Aarav started with her in Year 3 and is now in Year 11. Over these years, he has absolutely loved her teaching style. Vasudha doesn’t just teach students how to solve problems—she encourages them to think deeply, explain their reasoning, and explore multiple ways to arrive at an answer. This has had a tremendous impact on Aarav’s mathematical confidence and ability.
His achievements speak for themselves: he has consistently earned Distinctions and High Distinctions in AMC, ranked in the top 2% in APSMO, and secured first place in the Numero competition.
Today, he excels in both Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics—and most importantly, he genuinely enjoys learning maths. In fact, many classes run overtime because both teacher and student are so engaged in solving problems that we often have to remind them to stop! 😊
Vasudha has truly been a blessing for our family. Even though we live on different continents, online classes have never been a barrier. My younger child has now started learning with her as well, and I can already see a noticeable difference—not just in ability, but in enthusiasm and confidence toward mathematics.
I wholeheartedly recommend Vasudha to any parent looking for a tutor who can make children truly love mathematics rather than simply study it. Even though she is my close friend, this review comes from years of watching the incredible impact she has had on my children’s learning journey. This is an honest recommendation, based entirely on the results we have seen and the gratitude we feel.
2022 Student Success Stories
All 4 of my Australian students got a distinction in the AMC (Australian Mathematics Competition). Aarav - for the 4th year running, and Vedika and Kaavya for the first time. Aarav and Vasanthi improved their percentiles.
Govind wrote a challenge exam for Geometry and Algebra 2 together after prepping over the summer. He is now doing Pre-Calc in Grade 8 after doing Algebra 1 in Grade 7. Given that he used to have anxiety attacks when it came to math in Grade 6, this is a huge achievement.
Yuvan successfully passed his Geometry challenge exam. He'll be taking Algebra 2 in Grade 9 after Algebra 1 in Grade 8. He needed a score of 90% on his exam to skip the course in school.
Solomon finished Level 2 and Level 3 of Beast Academy in one academic year.
Diya did Level 4 and Level 5 of Beast Academy in Grade 5. She was struggling with it, but by the end of the year, she got super comfortable. She also got an Upper Level in her private school entrance test (SSAT and ISEE).
Aarav got the Top 2% in the country award for APSMO (Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads)
2023 Student Success Stories
Sriya, at the beginning of the year, had to take remedial math in Grade 6. Her MAP scores were in the lower achievement range in Spring. By Fall her MAP scores were in the higher achievement around the 80th percentile, and she also wanted to go for accelerated math.
K wanted to move from Australia to the US. She wanted to get into Geometry in Grade 9, but the Australian syllabus barely covered 25% of Algebra 1. She worked for 1.5 months over the summer, completed Algebra 1 and gave a placement test in her new school and got successfully placed in Geometry in Grade 9.
Y (from the Middle East) got a whopping 81% on his final exam. He went from almost failing the exam to 81%.
Aarav got the highest scorer award for APSMO (Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads).
Kaavya got a distinction in AMC (Australian Mathematics Competition), placing her in the top 5% in the country.
Omer got into Honors Algebra 2 in a private school placement. He was struggling with math when he did Algebra 1.
Solomon finished Beast Academy Level 4 homeschooling
Parent Testimonial (2023)
After completing Beast Academy Level 4, his mom shared the following feedback:
My ten-year-old loves working with Vasudha every week with math enrichment. Vasudha expects that in each session he demonstrates his math skills and applies his skills to unique, complex problems.
She encourages creative problem-solving rather than rote practice, and my son's confidence in himself grows each time he works with Vasudha.
She is patient, caring, curious, and brilliant as an educator. It's clear how much Vasudha loves teaching math, and she instills that same love of learning in the students she tutors.
My son has grown as a mathematician over his years working with Vasudha. He used to refuse to write down his steps or get frustrated explaining how he answered questions. Now, he lights up at the opportunity to explain his thinking and sees the purpose of taking math notes and showing his work while solving a complex problem.
Vasudha has created a true learning partnership with our son and a love to complex math.
2024 Student Success Stories
Kavi, a 6th grader, went from scoring 4 in practice AMC 8 to scoring 27 in the MathCounts Chapter Round.
Zayed, a 6th grader, got 17 in AMC 8.
Poshya, a 3rd grader, got a perfect score in Math Kangaroo. She got the highest scorer award for MOEMS. It is a great achievement for a 3rd grader. She also got selected for the final round of RSM's International Math Contest.
Poshya finished BA Level 3, 4 and 5 in 8 months, and we are currently doing AOPS Pre-Algebra.
From Remedial Math to 95th percentile in 2 years Sriya got around the 95th percentile in her MAP testing and got recommended for Algebra 1 in Grade 8. She worked hard and improved a lot. She had to do remedial math in Grade 6 because she was struggling.
2025 Student Success Stories
Aarav at last got into high distinction (top 3%) in AMC in Year 9. He was over the moon :) It was a well-deserved win for him
Poshya got a perfect score in Math Kangaroo and got into Honor roll in AMC 8. Score of 19 in Grade 4. A fantastic achievement.
Kaavya got a distinction (top 5%) in AMC (Australian Mathematical Competition)
Sachin went from struggling in BA4 to thinking AOPS Pre-Algebra is easy and I can do it on my own. In his mom's words,
"He went from feeling frustrated and disengaged with Math, to choosing it as a way to destress from his other activities"
Sahithya was a good, solid B to A- student in school. She struggled with word problems. Now she's in accelerated path, and her dad told me she tested in the 99th percentile in school.
Solomon finished AoPS PreAlgebra successfully.
2026 Student Success Stories
Poshya got 19 in AMC 8 again, which got her a distinction (top 5%).
K got into the maths specialist program at one of the toughest Selective schools (Australia) to get into. They chose 7 out of 300 kids who applied.
Sahithya started BA4 a year or two back and was struggling with it. Now she thinks AOPS Pre-Algebra is easy
Zayed did brilliantly in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge (UK) and got selected for the Cayley Olympiad. Usually, only the top 1% get selected. He also got a distinction in AMC 8.
Solomon finished most of AoPS Algebra.
Looking across all these years, a few themes stand out. Many students began with math anxiety, confidence issues, or gaps in their foundations. Others were already strong students looking for greater challenge. Regardless of where they started, the students who made the greatest progress were the ones who consistently showed up, worked through difficult problems, and learned to think independently.
What These Success Stories Have in Common
Looking back, the biggest predictor of success wasn't natural talent.
The students who made the most progress were the ones who:
Showed up consistently
Were willing to make mistakes
Learned to persevere through difficult problems
Built strong foundations before rushing ahead
Developed confidence through practice
Some started in remedial math. Others were already advanced. What mattered most was their willingness to learn and grow.
About the Author
I'm Vasudha Uddavan, founder of V's Online Math Tutoring.
For over 10 years, I've helped students build strong problem-solving skills through Beast Academy, Art of Problem Solving (AoPS), math enrichment, competition preparation, and accelerated school math.
The teachers who shaped my life taught me two important lessons: believe in students and help them become independent learners. Those principles continue to guide my teaching today.
I work one-on-one with students to help them develop confidence, tackle challenging problems, and reach their mathematical potential.
If you're looking for a math mentor who will challenge your child, build their confidence, and help them become an independent mathematical thinker, I'd love to chat.
Every student's path is different, but with the right guidance, many students are capable of far more than they initially believe.
Contact me for a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your child's goals and how I can help.
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