Tampa Teen’s Free SAT Prep App Reaches 10,000 Users, Earns Over 100 Five-Star Reviews
Eric MacDonald built something big. The 16-year-old from Patel High School in Tampa launched an AI-powered SAT prep app that has attracted over 10,000 users since November 2025. AceIt costs…
Eric MacDonald built something big. The 16-year-old from Patel High School in Tampa launched an AI-powered SAT prep app that has attracted over 10,000 users since November 2025. AceIt costs nothing — a stark contrast to tutors who demand thousands.
"I saw the SAT was a very lucrative market and SAT tutors are charging like thousands and thousands just for pretty mediocre results," said Eric MacDonald, according to TampaBay28.
More than 100 five-star reviews have poured in. Eric wants 200 total as he chases a fellowship that could help him grow the business.
"It uses like high quality algorithms and a little bit of AI to provide students the resources they need to kind of excel in their SAT prep," said Eric. Think of it as a tutor that fits in your pocket.
Coding became Eric's world at age nine. Games like Roblox sparked his interest, then he tackled tougher projects — AI image generators among them — before AceIt came to life.
Eric ran the show solo. "I'm pretty much everything behind it —software, marketing, design … it's pretty much been me the whole way," he said.
Matthew Gibbons, a sophomore at Patel High School, relies on AceIt for test prep. "I think it's definitely helping greatly because I can see how to improve my score with the questions I get wrong, and it pushes those questions more, so I can like hone in on what I'm not as good at, and get better at those sectors of the SAT," said Gibbons.
"Since I started using it, it really feels like I have more of a grasp on the type of questions they ask," Gibbons said.
Paul MacDonald, Eric's father, said his son's achievements don't surprise him one bit. "He's a pretty smart and clever young man … he's done a lot of pretty remarkable things," Paul MacDonald said. "Definitely a proud daddy."
Eric dreams bigger than an app. "I hope to venture more into business and building a company … to make something that's truly great and seen by millions upon millions of people," he said.
