Sahli Negassi, a senior at West Orange High School, has scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT, placing him among less than 1% of test-takers across the U.S.
Negassi, 17, was born in Manhattan of Eritrean heritage and raised in West Orange, NJ. He didn’t attend pre-school, but credits exposure to his older siblings’ textbooks early on as the basis for building a strong academic foundation.
He prepared for the SAT primarily on his own, using free resources such as Khan Academy. His Advanced Placement coursework in U.S. history, calculus and language also played a role. Balancing test preparation with AP exams and track competitions was a challenge.
“The hardest part of studying was finding time. I had to make it whenever I could… at meals, during slow class periods, on bus rides,” said Negassi.
Despite accomplishing a feat that less than 1% of students nationwide achieve each year, Negassi said he doesn’t consider himself a “prodigy” or a “special case.” For him, his accomplishments are a testament to the support system he’s had – his parents and teachers who gave him a chance to succeed, and his friends who carried him through classes and sports.
He credits his father, who taught him to read before he even entered grade school, with laying the foundation for his success. It was the love and sacrifice of his parents that instilled in him the unwavering determination he carries today, Negassi said.
“When I think of the score, I think it’s an achievement of us as a community and as a collective,” he said. “My mother cooked the breakfast I ate that morning of the test, you know? I mean, that’s just as important.”
Beyond academics, Negassi competes in cross-country and track. He is president of both the math team and the National Honor Society chapter, plays varsity chess and performs in the Royal Strings ensemble.
Negassi hopes to attend Harvard and pursue a career in law. “Harvard is the first choice on my list to support me in that process,” Negassi said. “Give me 10 years, and I’ll be out in the world doing something more important than a standardized test!”
