Perfect or near-perfect (99th percentile) SAT scorers - what do they end up doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing lots of PhD's, STEM, Wall Street financiers, graduates of T14 law schools. And perhaps a few successful authors and creative artists here and there.

Do you know anyone who aced the SAT? What did they end up doing?

In my family the (much) lower SAT kid is doing a lot better financially….

My son scored 1600 on the SAT 7 years ago. Went to Dartmouth.
Changed majors twice and still not really sure what to do. 3 degrees later and he now decided to become a school teacher….

My daughter scored a 1340 on the SAT 10 years ago. Attended a large state university (ASU).
Graduated in the top 5% of her class and managed to go to Law school at Cornell. Went to Cambridge for masters degree and now works at one of the world’s top Law Firms handling US and UK clients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:perfect scores went to harvard law with me. and becane governors and Presidents.

I guarantee you no President got perfect scores.

You don't know that. And Eliot Spitzer came close. Perfect LSATs in wikipedia unless it's neen edited out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People think about the SAT too much. After you get accepted to a college....the end.

My junior has been asked SAT (math and erbw asked separately) on well-paid, selective summer intern applications this year and last year, as well as unweighted HS GPA and of course has to send a transcript from college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you referring to a perfect score on the SAT old school or modern-day test-prep?

I was thinking the same thing!

[Anonymous]

I got an old-school near perfect SAT score. After going to in state college, went to Yale Law. Am now at DOJ, where I'm about to canned, probably. Lovely.

[Anonymous]

My DH is a lawyer for a F-100 company making about $350K. Not super motivated as far as being a climber goes, but very smart and able to gut it out and a solid provider who values flexiblity. Just a normal smart high earner I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a 1600 in 2003. I got a degree in computer science from a state school and teach middle school math.

Sibling had a 1580 in 2004. Got a degree in economics from a different state school and teaches high school social studies.

Bums

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:perfect scores went to harvard law with me. and becane governors and Presidents.

I guarantee you no President got perfect scores.

You don't know that. And Eliot Spitzer came close. Perfect LSATs in wikipedia unless it's neen edited out.

The disgraced NY governor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a 1600 in 2003. I got a degree in computer science from a state school and teach middle school math.

Sibling had a 1580 in 2004. Got a degree in economics from a different state school and teaches high school social studies.

My friend's DS had a 1590 in 2021. Doing double major in CS and Econ from state school. He is a very laidback kid so he will probably end up working for the feds or something.

[Anonymous]

Such an odd question.

Some 1600 kids go on to create the most valuable companies in the world...i.e., Mark Zuckerberg who scored a 1600.

Others live an average existence.

There was a study done several years back trying to determine what is the minimal level of intelligence to achieve essentially anything in life...they basically said a 1200+ SAT is the dividing line.

That anyone that scores this SAT score has the ability to become a Nobel Prize winner, billionaire, etc...it all comes down to interests and hard work at that point.

Supposedly the average IQ of successful entrepreneurs across all industries is 120 to 125...which translates into an SAT score of 1160 - 1230.

[Anonymous]

Spouse had a 1590 in 1987; I had a 1520 in 1988 - no idea if these were 99th percentile but I would have to think so as there were so few 1600s at that time. We are both your standard DC lawyers - I work for a nonprofit and DH is GC of a small company. I make under $150k and DH makes about $250k.

Our kids each scored around the same as DH (although they each superscored to 1600s, of course, since now many people take the SAT more than once). Neither is at a college that DCUM would flip for, and it's not due to needing scholarships or the like, they are each at the best school to which they were admitted. One hasn't done particularly well academically in college, either.

An important piece, I think, is that we all have struggle with executive function skills, DH and my son especially (I can fake it, haha).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Do you know anyone who aced the SAT? What did they end up doing?

They end up working for the ones who scored a 1200.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Me - fairly mundane professional life where I make $250k as an attorney in a financial services company at the age of 36. Could have strived for more but my highest priority is a relaxed home life, with which the politics and hours of biglaw are incompatible. My DH earns enough for both of us and I continue to work primarily to use my brain and so I don’t have time to micromanage my kids.

I wish I could marry out of my problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious, and don't mean to be snarky, but are those folks with perfect 1600 just have that analytical brain and subsequent thought process to ace the SAT?

Therefore, how are you socially ? Awkward? Social anxiety? Introverted? Work best when you're alone ?

No?

Not sure why being smart and quick thinking on your feet would cause social anxiety or introversion?

EQ is a range but your assumptions are odd

PP was just noting that most of us went to school with some nerdy kids, and those are the ones that we expected to do well on the SATs (and they usually did). It's a stereotype, but they are nerds for being socially awkward, etc. We have all seen it. That is why we are always so impressed with an athlete or charismatic kids that gets a near perfect score. They are an anomaly.

[Anonymous]

Family member scored a 2400 and went to HYP. Now works a regular job in the healthcare industry.