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Macomb County student shares how he earned perfect SAT score

Less than 1% of 2 million students who take the test earn perfect 1600 score

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Senior Alex Hughes will not only be walking into his high school a few more times this year, after graduating, he’s off to Harvard University -- his dream school -- with a perfect SAT score.

“I certainly came out of it feeling good but I never thought I aced it,” he said.

Alex, who attends Utica Community Schools’ Gene L. Klida Utica Academy for International Studies, remembers vividly taking the test, In the reading section, he thought he tripped up on it. He said the questions seems open to interpretation.

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“It feels like a 50-50, so I kind of thought I was taking my best guess at that point but it worked out,” he said.

It worked out with a perfect score of 1600, which happens for less than 1% of 2 million students who take the test annually.

Alex found out when he got an email saying his score was posted.

“I got in there, got my parents in the room with me to open it up. There was lots of jumping up and down and fist pumping and lots of excitement all around,” he said.

His advice is to take practice tests and to stay calm because you can usually take the test again.

“Making sure you’re familiar with the way the questions are worded because it’s not always immediately clear what they’re asking even if you know the information,” he said. “When you’re panicking and when you’re concerned that this is my only opportunity, I have to make the most of it, you spend mental energy on that instead of on the test itself. Clearing those thoughts away left me more room to actually think about the work I had to do on the test.”

Alex, whose score also helped with scholarships, said he is going to major in government.

More: Macomb County news


About the Author
Nick Monacelli headshot

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.

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