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

[Anonymous]

DD’s friend. Struggled through a tough school with a major in Mathematics (theoretical, not applied). Unemployed.

[Anonymous]

My son got 2 questions wrong on the SAT (perfect math score) which in that round was a 1550. He took the SAT when he was only 14 on top of it all. In the end, he got rejected from 75% of the colleges applied to (thanks Covid, TO, and AA) and is finishing up undergrad (triple major) and applying to grad school, which will likely be another blood bath. He is a stand out academic and intern but the road was not paved with gold for him, that is for sure but I know he will be very successful in life becuase he is great at what he does and he loves what he does. Oh and as for personality, he went to college a friendly introvert and has turned into a pretty bold extrovert. Funny how much they can evolve, even once you think their personality is set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Don't know them personally, but two people that got 1590 (I believe) are Lady Gaga and Ben Affleck. The guitarist from Linkin Park went to Cal Tech so I imagine he crushed the SATs, too.

Linkin Park? I grew up with some of them...None of them went to Caltech. Brad Delson and Dave Farrell went to UCLA and Mike Shinoda went to art school. Robert Bourdon went to Community College and Chester Bennington didn't go to college.

I know The Offspring lead singer has a PhD in some STEM field...the group Boston has a bunch of MIT grads.

Just one MIT grad: Tom Scholz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son got 2 questions wrong on the SAT (perfect math score) which in that round was a 1550. He took the SAT when he was only 14 on top of it all. In the end, he got rejected from 75% of the colleges applied to (thanks Covid, TO, and AA) and is finishing up undergrad (triple major) and applying to grad school, which will likely be another blood bath. He is a stand out academic and intern but the road was not paved with gold for him, that is for sure but I know he will be very successful in life becuase he is great at what he does and he loves what he does. Oh and as for personality, he went to college a friendly introvert and has turned into a pretty bold extrovert. Funny how much they can evolve, even once you think their personality is set.

Or maybe your kid didn’t have enough other things going for him beyond a 1550 (which is not _that_ uncommon) to put on his app. People always want to blame everything else (COVID, TO, URMs). They are only so many seats in each class, and admissions officers aren’t distinguishing between people who get a 1520 and a 1560 or whether it’s in one sitting or four. As you said, it all works out, but I would chock your son’s results up to scarcity.

—signed a parent whose URM kid had the same score in a single sitting before junior year, but who is under no illusions about why he’s not going to HYPS.

[Anonymous]

I got a 1590 which I believe is 99th percentile. I work part time as a preschool assistant. 😂

[Anonymous]

High SAT does not equal ambition and motivation. Completely separate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got 2 questions wrong on the SAT (perfect math score) which in that round was a 1550. He took the SAT when he was only 14 on top of it all. In the end, he got rejected from 75% of the colleges applied to (thanks Covid, TO, and AA) and is finishing up undergrad (triple major) and applying to grad school, which will likely be another blood bath. He is a stand out academic and intern but the road was not paved with gold for him, that is for sure but I know he will be very successful in life becuase he is great at what he does and he loves what he does. Oh and as for personality, he went to college a friendly introvert and has turned into a pretty bold extrovert. Funny how much they can evolve, even once you think their personality is set.

Or maybe your kid didn’t have enough other things going for him beyond a 1550 (which is not _that_ uncommon) to put on his app. People always want to blame everything else (COVID, TO, URMs). They are only so many seats in each class, and admissions officers aren’t distinguishing between people who get a 1520 and a 1560 or whether it’s in one sitting or four. As you said, it all works out, but I would chock your son’s results up to scarcity.

—signed a parent whose URM kid had the same score in a single sitting before junior year, but who is under no illusions about why he’s not going to HYPS.

The PP never said anything about HYPS but Covid and AA were a big factor in college admissions for HS class of '22 and '23 and URM with lesser scores and stats were prioritized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got 2 questions wrong on the SAT (perfect math score) which in that round was a 1550. He took the SAT when he was only 14 on top of it all. In the end, he got rejected from 75% of the colleges applied to (thanks Covid, TO, and AA) and is finishing up undergrad (triple major) and applying to grad school, which will likely be another blood bath. He is a stand out academic and intern but the road was not paved with gold for him, that is for sure but I know he will be very successful in life becuase he is great at what he does and he loves what he does. Oh and as for personality, he went to college a friendly introvert and has turned into a pretty bold extrovert. Funny how much they can evolve, even once you think their personality is set.

Or maybe your kid didn’t have enough other things going for him beyond a 1550 (which is not _that_ uncommon) to put on his app. People always want to blame everything else (COVID, TO, URMs). They are only so many seats in each class, and admissions officers aren’t distinguishing between people who get a 1520 and a 1560 or whether it’s in one sitting or four. As you said, it all works out, but I would chock your son’s results up to scarcity.

—signed a parent whose URM kid had the same score in a single sitting before junior year, but who is under no illusions about why he’s not going to HYPS.

The PP never said anything about HYPS but Covid and AA were a big factor in college admissions for HS class of '22 and '23 and URM with lesser scores and stats were prioritized.

Regardless of who is prioritized, it’s presumptuous to assume PP’s kid would get in “next.” The statistics are against almost everyone at the very selective schools. If her kids is not recruited, an athlete, legacy or donor. PP has no basis to believe her 1550 kid was next in line….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Don't know them personally, but two people that got 1590 (I believe) are Lady Gaga and Ben Affleck. The guitarist from Linkin Park went to Cal Tech so I imagine he crushed the SATs, too.

Affleck is older than I am so that was before the curve adjustment so if he really got a 1590, that’s impressive. My memory is that back then there were only a couple 1600s per year, or fewer.

Yeah it was a big deal bc you had to get them all right in the mid 1990s. It got you in the newspaper of our medium sized city if you got a 1600. By the time I took it (98-99) it was easier to get a 1600 and there was at least one in my class (huge school).

[Anonymous]

In the 90s, my brother got a 1560 on the SAT. I think we figured he got like 2 questions wrong or something like that. Double ivy grad, now a partner at a law firm. Boring but successful career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the 90s, my brother got a 1560 on the SAT. I think we figured he got like 2 questions wrong or something like that. Double ivy grad, now a partner at a law firm. Boring but successful career.

Sorry. This was early 90s. Before the adjustment. I can’t remember what it was called.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got a 1590 which I believe is 99th percentile. I work part time as a preschool assistant. 😂

Hi friend. I was the same and I work half time in a medical field. I make $60k per year. I remember teachers and professors telling me I was destined for great things.
I don't have a lot of energy, no family money, and didn't get good advice. My parents didn't even know what my score was and had nothing to do with my college application process. My mom was most concerned that I find a rich guy to marry and I didn't manage that either.

[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.

+100

[Anonymous]

My friend in the 1990's got a perfect score, went to MIT and graduated early. Married at age 23 and became a HS biology teacher. Said it's an easy job and lets her work on her very obscure hobbies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bill Clinton score around 1040 and George W 1200.[b] Obama had an ACT of around 30.

That's a guess by Prepscholar. It's a rmor, nothing more