The SAT and ACT standardized tests are easily the most daunting exams of a students’ life. Only a recorded 0.02 percent and 0.06 percent of students score perfect scores on the SAT and the ACT respectively. Meredith Jones is one of these students.
Meredith, a senior, has recently been honored as the “Head Girl” at Holy Spirit Preparatory School, due to her perfect score of 2400 on the SAT and 36 on the ACT. Meredith took both tests in only one sitting, within one week of each other. Meredith is humble about her accomplishment: “The SAT and ACT are not easy tests, by any means, so I feel fortunate to have achieved the scores I did. The values of hard work and confidence that my school, Holy Spirit Prep, and my family have instilled in me since Day 1 certainly played a big role in the results. I’m proud of what I accomplished, but never could have achieved it without the support of the people around me.”
Being the younger sister of Holy Spirit’s valedictorian and STAR student, Todd Jones, a Harvard student, as well as being a part of Alpha Phi, HSP’s women’s service organization, and an admissions ambassador, Meredith is used to great achievements. Besides being a Girl Scout working toward her Gold award, Meredith was also a participant in Georgia Governor’s Honors Program in 2013 and a member of Youth Leadership Sandy Springs in 2013-14. She is also a soccer, basketball and cross-country athlete, earning letters in all three sports.
Meredith’s teacher Matthew Reger said he’s not surprised by her accomplishments. “Meredith’s intellectual gifts are obvious, but what her grades and test scores cannot show is Meredith’s remarkable personality,” he said. “She is humble, caring, generous and well-rounded. In the two years I have taught her, I have never seen her brag, show off, or put another student down.”
The head of HSP, Kyle Pientrantonio, said he admires her hard work and dedication as a student. “I was thrilled to learn of Meredith’s extraordinary achievement on both the SAT and ACT. Meredith has been at Holy Spirit Prep since preschool, and it has been a great joy to see her grow and share her diverse gifts with others at school over the past number of years… Meredith is truly a star.”
Meredith shared advice for other students. “My advice for other test takers, as cliché as it might sound, is to practice,” she said. “Honestly, getting acquainted with the structure of the two tests and becoming familiar with the kinds of questions were the two things that helped me the most. I also encourage focusing on one section at a time rather than thinking about the test as a whole; it whittles down a daunting task into more manageable pieces.”
What’s Next:
Meredith is looking at colleges in the Northeast and Georgia.
This article was written by Elizabeth Lamar, a Riverwood International Charter School student.