Naz Academy International Student Earns Perfect Score on AP Calculus Exam

Submitted by Nazareth Academy.

La Grange Park, IL - Nazareth Academy Principal, Deborah Tracy, is proud to announce that international student Jiacheng “Frank” Li from the Class of 2016 earned a perfect score on his Advanced Placement calculus exam in spring 2015.

While attending Nazareth, Frank lives with a host family in La Grange.

Frank was one of only 12 students in the world to earn every point possible on the AP calculus AB exam. Looking across approximately 4.5 million AP exams taken by 2.5 million high school students in 2015, only 322 students earned every point possible on an AP Exam.

“The news of Frank’s perfect score fills us with great pride,” Tracy said. “It is a wonderful example of using one’s God-given talents to their fullest potential and certainly reflects the academic focus and rigor that underscores a Nazareth Academy education. We congratulate Frank, his parents and teachers on this outstanding accomplishment.”

AP Exams are based on a 5-point scale, where 5 is equivalent to a grade of A in the corresponding college course. Frank received this top score of 5.

His AP calculus teacher and math department chair Kathy Biga said, “Frank is an outstanding math student. I was excited to hear that he achieved a perfect score. When my calculus students heard the news, they clapped and congratulated him.”

Nazareth Academy offers AP coursework across all academic disciplines. In addition to Frank’s perfect score, 15 Nazareth students earned Advanced Placement Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP exams in 2015.

“AP courses and exams are college-level and require hard work and focus on the part of students and their teachers,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and instruction at the College Board. “We congratulate the students and community members who make challenging coursework and focused practice a priority and who motivate and encourage all students to capture their academic potential.”