Inspiring West Orange Teen Earns Perfect SAT Score

WEST ORANGE, NJ — There aren’t many opportunities in life to be “perfect.” But that’s the eye-popping achievement that a New Jersey teen recently nailed down when he took his SAT exam – and scored a dazzling 1600.

Sahli Negassi of West Orange has joined an elite group of scholars: less than 1 percent of test-takers who earn a perfect SAT score every year.

Negassi, a senior at West Orange High School who was born in Manhattan, never attended preschool. However, his older siblings helped give him an early exposure to textbooks – which helped him to form a strong foundation and hit the ground running.

Negassi said that much of his preparation was largely self-directed, relying on free resources like Khan Academy, YouTube, and the SAT Educator Question Bank. He also attributes his success to rigorous AP coursework, particularly in languages, U.S. history and calculus.

Meanwhile, the ambitious teen has also excelled in cross country/track and varsity chess, has served as president of the math team and chapter president of the National Honor Society, and has been part of the Royal Strings ensemble.

“Sahli represents the best of West Orange High School,” Principal Oscar Guerrero said.

“His achievement on the SAT is incredible, but what’s just as impressive is how he manages to excel across so many different activities,” Guerrero added.

When Sahli saw his perfect score, he could hardly believe it, district administrators reported.

“I walked out of [my] first period [class] and immediately called my mom,” he recalled. “I showed it to a classmate, but then I got nervous and joked that it was Photoshopped. Even now, it still doesn’t feel real. But more than anything, I was relieved—I had finally proven to myself that it was possible.”

The teen hopes to attend Harvard and pursue a law career.

His advice to other students? “Be intentional … Know what you want for yourself, and throw your whole body at it.”

Read more about Negassi’s academic journey in this post from the West Orange Public School District.

• See Related: NJ Teen Headed To Ivy League: 'I Took The YOLO Approach'
• See Related: Ambitious Essex County Teen Accepted To 7 Ivy League Colleges

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