District recognizes top SAT/ACT scorers, including two Redhawks

Frisco+ISD+is+hosting+Find+Your+Future+Night+Monday+at+Centennial+and+Wakeland.+Students+have+the+opportunity+to+hear+from+representatives+at+private+and+selective+schools%2C+as+well+as+at+Big+Ten+schools.

Jay Schlaegel

Frisco ISD is hosting Find Your Future Night Monday at Centennial and Wakeland. Students have the opportunity to hear from representatives at private and selective schools, as well as at Big Ten schools.

Shreyas Viswanathan, Staff Reporter

14 students across Frisco ISD, including two Redhawks, have become a part of the prestigious list of students to earn the highest composite score on the SAT and ACT, with the class of 2021 being the 10th consecutive one to have students graduating with top scores.  

The scores achieved by these students account for less than 1/10 of 1 percent of all students who take these standardized tests. 

For junior Praneeth Akkineni, who earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, the process of preparing was a challenging one but ultimately paid off in the end.

I spent about four months preparing for the ACT: starting in mid-May and studying throughout the summer until the test in mid-September,” Akkineni said. “After establishing a starting point, I focused on the areas that I really needed help in and took some time to just do those questions and learn how to efficiently go through the sections and answer questions. I’d like to stress that it’s not a process to rush,  but it’s also not one that you should be stuck on for a long time. The process was definitely challenging, but after taking the test and getting your dream score, you’ll look back on all the practicing and feel really proud of where your efforts have led. To be completely frank, I wasn’t expecting a perfect score and actually had another one scheduled the next month in hopes of improving my score.

Senior Keya Jain, who earned a perfect score of 1600 on the SAT, constant practice and consistency are the most important keys to success on the SAT.

“I think my number one piece of advice for students aiming for really high scores on the SAT is that practice is inevitable when it comes to studying,” Jain said. “Practice as much as you possibly can so that you understand all of the concepts on all of the sections of the test. Also, consistency is key. I studied every day for a couple of hours and then for longer on weekends. I did so many practice questions and tests that eventually I got to the point where I could see a problem and immediately identify how to go about answering it.  The SAT and its problems get easier the more you practice, so closer to my December testing date studying definitely felt a lot easier.”

The following Frisco ISD students achieved a perfect score on either the ACT or SAT:

Keya Jain- Liberty senior (1600 on the SAT)

Praneeth Akkineni- Liberty junior (36 on the ACT)

Rithvi Anakal- Reedy senior (36 on the ACT)

Jake Garner- Lebanon Trail senior (36 on the ACT)

Lucy Huo- Lebanon Trail senior (36 on the ACT)

Rohan Jagannathan- Frisco senior( 36 on the ACT)

Ella Landau- Memorial senior (36 on the ACT)

Sanjay Senthil Kumar- Independence senior (36 on the ACT)

Rahul Maligi- Heritage senior (36 on the ACT)

Avi Mehta- Centennial senior (36 on the ACT)

Shishir Nambi- Reedy senior (36 on the ACT)

Sai Abhijit Pabisetty- Heritage senior (36 on the ACT)

Stavros Pafilis- Lebanon Trail senior (36 on the ACT)

Prisha Singla- Lebanon Trail senior (36 on the ACT)