Sahli Negassi, a 17-year-old graduating senior at West Orange High School got a perfect score on the SAT.West Orange Public Schools District

During his four years at West Orange High School, Sahli Negassi balanced two sports, served as president of two clubs and excelled in multiple Advanced Placement classes.

And as if that weren’t impressive enough, he recently achieved another milestone — one that fewer than a 1,000 students nationwide reach each year.

This summer, Negassi, 17, learned that he had earned a perfect score on both the math and reading sections of the SAT.

His achievement gained attention last month when he was named a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, which recognizes the nation’s most accomplished high school seniors.

The average SAT score is 1050, according to the College Board, the organization that develops and administers the test. Many students take the exam multiple times to improve their scores.

Negassi earned a near-perfect score on his first attempt, one that most would be happy with. But, he then took the test again and answered every question correctly, earning a 1600.

“I came into class and I was like, ‘I can do better,’” Negassi said.

Between classes and extracurriculars, he somehow found time to prepare for the test on his own, using free online resources.

Superintendent Hayden Moore, Counselor Anna D’Elia, Sahli Negassi, West Orange High School Principal Oscar Guerrer.West Orange Public Schools District

There were times when Negassi studied during track meets, fitting in sessions before and after his long-distance races.

“(Negassi’s) achievement on the SAT is incredible, but what’s just as impressive is how he manages to excel across so many different activities,” Oscar Guerrero, West Orange High School’s principal said in a statement.

His strategy, Negassi said, was all about preparation. Through practice questions, he learned that the SAT isn’t a test of intelligence — it’s about pattern recognition, memorization and time management, Negassi said.

“Preparation for the test fell on me, it was no tutor … it was me and whatever website I could find,” he said Thursday. “I was comfortable applying the skills I had trained and when the time came, it was no pressure.”

Negassi was born in New York City and raised in West Orange.

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 he got to West Orange High School, he joined the math team and eventually became president. At the same time, he ran track and became captain of the cross-country team, breaking the former captain’s 5k record. He is also a member of the school’s string ensemble, varsity chess team and serves as president of the National Honor Society.

“Sahli’s … an inspiration to our students and a testament to what can be achieved with perseverance and drive,” Superintendent Hayden Moore said in a statement.

As college admission season rolls around, Negassi hopes to be accepted into Harvard University, his top choice to study law.

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.

“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.”