High School Student Earns Perfect SAT Score

Austin Hong has done something that very few high school students ever do: earn a perfect score on the SAT.

Hong, a junior attending Wayne Hills, earned the perfect score, 2,400, earlier this academic year.

“I’m so excited for Austin and know his determination will lead to a bright future, with tremendous successes,” Cynthia Gorkowski a guidance counselor at Hills said in a statement. “It takes great intelligence for a student to complete a perfect score on the SAT exam.”

Only 360 students, or less than one-tenth of one percent, of the 1.6 million who took the SAT in 2012 earned a perfect score. Only 33 test takers in New Jersey earned the score.

"Austin's teachers and guidance counselor share my enthusiasm on this remarkable accomplishment," said Maureen Weir, Wayne Hills principal. "We are very proud of him."

The SAT is designed to assess a student’s analytical and problem solving abilities. It has three sections: mathematics, reading, and writing. The writing section includes an essay.

Hong spent last summer conducting research at Cheonnam National University in South Korea. He has applied to the several summer research programs, including ones at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rockefeller University, and the Liberty Science Center.

Hong has volunteered for more than 100 hours at the Liberty Science Center. He was selected as a Korean-American representative by the South Korean National Unification Advisory Council.

Hong is also a member of the varsity fencing and golf teams.

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