New Hope-Solebury Senior 1 Of Only 31 Students Worldwide To Earn A Perfect AP Test Score

NEW HOPE, PA — A New Hope-Solebury High School senior was one of only 31 students in the entire world to earn a perfect score on the Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics Exam in 2021.

Charlotte Scarlata's achievement is matched by just .01 percent of all test takers — and she got there through deep dedication to learning the material. She took notes on her textbook, and then notes on her notes, until she had three notebooks full of study material with little white space to spare.

Scarlata said class discussions with her teacher, Kevin Nord, helped her understand and apply her knowledge in the course.

"Mr. Nord always shared topical information and news stories, so we could understand how the course content was playing out in the world," Scarlata said. "Even as we read the textbook, some of its lessons didn’t apply anymore, and we were figuring it out in real-time. The greatest lesson I took away from the course is that government is always changing.”

Nord said she frequently visited office hours to talk about the course.

“Charlotte came to my virtual office hours a couple days every week, ready with questions that, in often cases, went beyond what one is expected to know on the College Board exam," he said.

Sometimes, her questions helped him learn more about his subject.

“There were multiple instances where her questions were so insightful that my response would be ‘That likely will not be on the exam, but I would happy to answer it if it will help you understand the content,’" he said. "And, in all honesty, there were even times I would respond with, 'That’s a really great question but I’m not sure of the answer. Let’s find out.’ It’s funny when you first think about it, but it really shows that she is an elite scholar who has a genuine passion for learning.”

By test day, Scarlata was ready — and especially excited to explain the applications of U.S. amendments in the required essay. While she said she wondered before the test if all the work would mean something to her once class was over, she feels now that the learning was invaluable.

“Government is something you need to care about because it impacts everything—from education, food, internet to national security," she said. “I’m very grateful for the recognition I’ve received and proud of the work I put in to deserve it. However, more of the pride comes from the fact that I feel competent in this information. ... I can build my own perspective and my own opinions that are worthy of being discussed and shared with other people.”

She hopes to attend a liberal arts college and to pursue a Ph.D. when she graduates.

“Charlotte deserves an abundance of praise for this tremendous achievement, but I want to stress that there is more to Charlotte than her zeal for academic success," Nord said. "She is an amicable and awesome person who deserves all the success that will surely come her way.”

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