Student from Keystone state scores perfect SAT score

[aaaaaa5a]

Last edited Thu Dec 20, 2012, 09:33 PM - Edit history (1)

WE'VE ALL read depressing newspaper stories about underachieving local high school students. This, I'm happy to say, isn't that kind of column.

No, I've set aside this space to give a well-deserved thumbs-up to Cameron Clarke, a senior at Germantown Academy who scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT.

That's right. A perfect score.

That hardly ever happens.

Although more than 1.66 million students took the SAT in 2012, only 360 test takers nationwide achieved a spotless 2400, according to SAT officials.

"I put in a lot of work," 18-year-old Cameron told me when I visited his house in Mount Airy. "I took a prep class with some of my friends, and I did a lot of practice tests from a book.

"But that only prepares you so much," he explained. "The difference between getting, like, a 2400 and a couple of points lower is just focus.


Cameron has been a student at Germantown Academy since preschool, and his parents had an inkling early on that their son was gifted. On an IQ test at age 4, he scored a 151, which is way, way up there.


His mother, Mary Jones, teaches Spanish at Father Judge High School. His dad, Peter Clarke, owns the Reef Restaurant and Lounge at Third and South streets.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-12-18/news/35871335_1_student-government-cross-country-perfect-sat-score



Cameron Clarke is one of just 360 people out of 1.66 million test takers to post a perfect SAT score in 2012

I had a request that this be posted in the GD forum.


EDIT: Title of OP was changed because it was worded poorly, and I didn't want the OP heading to take away from what is a great story.

[Scootaloo]

1. Calculus, chemistry, Sun Tzu, physics... and Dracula

Love it.

[graywarrior]

2. And Vonnegut!

[Bandit]

12. Now I know what happened to the duck

A bunch of kitties smacking their lips...

[graywarrior]

14. He was tasty.

[FSogol]

77. +1 n/t

[Yavin4]

3. The Future Obama

Already Donald Trump is asking for his birth certificate.

[Blanks]

62. LOL

[RKP5637]

80. Yep, and he had to cheat, people of color can't do this. Trump surely

wants all of his grades too.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Bright kid

He should go far in whichever career he choses.

[ananda]

5. Wow.

I was never that motivated. I have niece and a second cousin who are like that, though.. national merit finalists, into languages, interested in studying world cultures and movements. My niece just applied for a Fulbright to do research in Cairo for a study on Arabic poetry and the way it influenced the Revolution. She is fluent in Arabic and Spanish which just impresses the hell out of me since I'm virtually monolingual since I never really used the Spanish I learned.

[goclark]

65. Fantastic!

[kydo]

6. thats awesome

it because of people like him that I am hopeful for the future. Thats one smart dude.

Thanks for sharing that!

[Doctor_J]

7. Looks like Eugene Byrd from "Bones" et al

Congrats kid. Have fun at Penn

[NightWatcher]

8. I scored 2400 too, what's the big deal?

The first time I took it I got a 1000 my freshmen year, then as a junior I scored 1400. Nobody threw me a parade.

[ananda]

10. Lol. OK, then, here's one.

[BlueJazz]

25. Oh Yeah....I took it and scored 2401. Ha!

[alcibiades_mystery]

32. ROFL

[slackmaster]

9. I know three people who got perfect SAT scores

One is an astronaut, one is a staff scientist at a high-energy physics lab, and one is a principle partner in a law firm.

[Nay]

37. I know one -- he actually runs a lab and is a rocket scientist!

[SidDithers]

78. No rocket scientist reference is allowed to go by without Mitchell and Webb...

Sid

[Brickbat]

11. Why did you put his race in the headline?

[aaaaaa5a]

18. Because given the state of educational achievement in the black community and racial stereotyping

I thought race was relevant to the discussion.


We all know about African Americans obtaining less high school and college degrees than their white counterparts. The affirmative action debate at Colleges and Universities is also an ongoing issue. And of course there remains a constant belief in some sections of society that intelligence is genetically tied to race.


This story proves that especially the last comment can't be true. Clearly based purely on numbers, this student's test taking ability far exceeds the overwhelming majority of his asian and white counterparts (in fact darn there 100% of them). Therefore something beyond just genetics must be a factor in determining test scores. Or else his numbers would be genetically impossible for him to achieve given the stereotype of his ethnic background.


This example shows that social structure and not genetics are the biggest factor with regard to intelligence test scores. More work is needed especially in black communities so that all students can reach their full potential.


This is the same thought process where generations ago, some believed boys always scored higher than girls in math and science due to differences in how boys processed information. Yet today, girls and boys score just about equally well in math and science. The issue was the social structure the boys and girls from generations ago were living in. It wasn't due to a natural genetic advantage among boys to determine that 1+1 equals 2 when compared to their female counterparts.

[exboyfil]

26. The young man should be commended

for his achievement and work ethic, but he did start from a strong base (mother a teacher and father a business owner), genius level IQ, and he attended a $30K/yr. High School. Some kids with similar backgrounds are not accepted in Stanford, Princeton, etc. (posted on that in another thread).

The young man will get a full ride to his college of choice as he should, but I guess I am more interested in the kids with not quite the IQ and/or parents who do not have a college education. but still work very hard. Far more of them, and they are underrepresented at our fine state schools in disciplines like engineering. It would be good to see stories about them as well.

I wish Mr. Clarke the best. I suspect we will be seeing his name someday tied to some amazing achievement in his profession.

[aaaaaa5a]

59. Agreed. That is a big part of my point.

Social setting is a big factor when it comes to success on things like SAT scores.

[FrodosPet]

41. This is a lucky young man

Having grown up and lived in a predominately African American community, I have seen first hand how intelligent young people are hit from all sides. They have to face a racist power structure that opposes them and leaves their schools broke and inadequate. And then they have to face the "crabs in a bucket" syndrome of their family and peers pulling them down and telling them that they are sellouts, they aren't black enough, that they will NEVER be able to succeed outside of entertainment, sports, or crime.

Like I said, it is a sad shame that this is newsworthy, but if it helps inspire other young people of color to bust out of the bucket, I hope it get legs.

[aaaaaa5a]

60. Excellent post. I agree 100%! That is why race is a factor in the story.

And the story is newsworthy.

[Blanks]

63. I'm glad you pointed that out.

I lived in Shreveport in a poor neighborhood for a couple of years and one day the school called us to tell us that our son was missing. We went to the school and everyone was more concerned about the middle school children standing quietly in line for lunch than anything else.

It turns out that my son was at school (in school suspension which we didn't know about) and the administration was rude to us when it turned out to be their mistake.

My wife and I are not black; we lived in a predominantly African American neighborhood and the neighbor kids were plenty intelligent to learn anything, but that isn't what was going on at school. The teachers weren't really focused on teaching and the parents really weren't educated enough to make certain that it was happening.

I really wish more was being done to give these poor inner city kids a chance to 'get interested' in things outside of their current domain. I wish we could get more middle and high school teachers from backgrounds outside of the education industry with real world experience.

I used to give presentations to middle schoolers when I worked at the highway department and regardless of where the school was; they seemed interested.

I just think that we need to expose children to more occupations when they are in school. For some kids; the only professional that they ever come into contact with is the teacher.

We have a lot of African American children in this country with huge potential that is going to waste because we don't take care of them and their parents. Again, I wish more was being done to provide them with the necessary resources.

I feel a bit like, when we show an example like this talented young man, the other kids who can't do the same; it looks like they are just lazy. I don't think that's fair.

[CreekDog]

20. Obama was the first black president

does that offend you?

[Brickbat]

23. "First" makes it historic, and worth mentioning.

[goclark]

69. Have you read this book...?

"The Six Black PresidentS --Black Blood: White Masks"

Really interesting book, think I got it from Amazon.

[ZombieHorde]

13. Awesome! nt

[AverageJoe90]

15. This guy is going places.

Hats off to you Cameron. May you go far, very far, in life.

[JoePhilly]

16. ACORN cooked the numbers!!!!!

[tavernier]

17. Wonder if he'll move in with Sheldon and Leonard

and sleep with Penny?

*I really have to stop watching those reruns over and over*

[DFW]

19. There was a guy like that in a high school I attended for 2 years

Other kids were following him around like he was a rock star. He wasn't an entertainer, just brilliant, and everyone knew it. He ended up being the number 2 guy at the Federal Reserve at one point. Our paths crossed again very briefly in South Carolina about 12 years ago. His name was Roger Ferguson. I have no idea what he's doing now--probably pulling in a billion a year at some investment bank, or something like that.

[TheProgressive]

21. I swear I have never seen a headline "White teen achieves perfect SAT score"

Just saying....

[aaaaaa5a]

34. Please see my response to this above. nt

[TheProgressive]

42. I think that your reasons still smells a bit...

I am not trying to bust your chops - I just think there may be a more
eloquent way to say how awesome this kid is...

[aaaaaa5a]

55. Agreed. I'm just trying to convey information as best as I can.

I don't pretend to be a gifted writer.

[aaaaaa5a]

58. Upon reflection, I changed the OP title. nt

[TheProgressive]

61. We all have opinions and ways to say things...

Like I said, not trying to give you a hard time although I thank you for your reconsidering
your Op title. And it isn't like I have a right to judge 'eloquent-ness' - it is just my opinion which
we are allowed to voice on this forum...right, wrong, or indifferent.

Anyway, cool of you A's to do this.

[Posteritatis]

67. Aww, feeling marginalized? (nt)

[RandiFan1290]

68. Stinky socks

Pee you!

[duffyduff]

22. The SAT isn't an indicator of genius or much else other

than the student has been well-prepared for college.

College preparation is ALL the SAT measures.

[ManiacJoe]

24. True, but it is not an easy test in any case.

[exboyfil]

29. Many would argue that it is not a good measure

of college preparedness either. With the SAT (and the ACT) what you will find is those with a high IQ that also work hard blow the test away like this young man (my brother-in-law is like that). Then you have those students who work very hard, but don't have as high an IQ (like my daughters) who consistently outperform expectations at school. Those kids score around a 30 on the ACT. You also have the lazy smart kids who score about a 30 on the ACT as well, but could probably get into the 33 range with some effort.

I do resent the time my daughter will have to take to prep for the ACT in hopes of getting scholarships. I would rather she spend that time doing more Broadcast Journalism stories or practicing her violin or doing volunteer work.

[WinkyDink]

74. More chances of scholarships from the violin and the volunteering efforts.

[exboyfil]

79. Nope

One scholarship in particular is automatic with a 30 on the ACT (Old Gold from University of Iowa - $2,500/yr for 4 years) and 3.8 GPA (the GPA is not an issue). That represents more than 25% of the total tuition. My daughter got a 27 at the end of Sophomore year - high enough for entry into engineering school but not high enough for serious scholarship consideration even though she has the rest of the package.

[WinkyDink]

73. True to an extent. But, having administered many back in the day, I can assure you that those

who had extremely high scores also went to extremely good universities and ended up with extremely successful careers.

[Yavin4]

27. I'm so old. I remember when the top SAT score was 1600.

When did they go up to 2400?

BTW, I did awful, God awful, on my SATs. Yet, I did well in the classroom, got into college anyway, and graduated in 4 years. Later on in life, I went to graduate business school, and finished. Even later, I started studying web application development, and I just finished a class on ASP MVC.

[cloudbase]

46. That was back when we had nine planets. n/t

[kentauros]

82. I did pretty badly, too.

I daresay that I'd probably score much higher in the verbal section today than I could back then. I had friends that scored higher than 1400, yet I never could break 1000.

The year after I graduated, the school began teaching classes that only prepped kids for taking the SAT. I always thought that defeated the underlying purpose, that is, to test one of what they'd learned in school up to that point, and if that was good enough to get into college/university. Average scores went up by the hundreds of points. That probably appeased administrators and politicians, but it didn't really teach anything.

[Yavin4]

83. There's a Way To Take Standardized Tests

My problem was that I didn't prepare well for the test. There's a methodology for taking the test. For example, you should know the instructions for each section by heart before taking the exam. This frees up time to answer questions.

Also, if you lose points for getting answers wrong, then you should not answer the last four questions of a section. Focus your attention on the other questions and make sure that you get most of them correct.

Use POE to eliminate obviously wrong answers. This way, if you have to guess, then your odds of guessing correctly improve.

[Maven]

28. The title of this OP weirds me out. Should we be surprised because he's black?

Seems sort of condescendingly racist.

[Texasgal]

31. Yes.. I agree kind of..

I mean should this young man be commended on his achievement instead of his skin color?

I'm on the fence... but I think I agree with you.

[Glitterati]

33. No we should be proud n/t

[slackmaster]

35. My first reaction was "Was he the first black person to ever do that?"

But I doubt that he is.

[eShirl]

54. title was edited so I''ll withdraw my comment about it

[goclark]

72. I'm African American and I am PROUD

to see this young man featured.

In no way is it "condescendingly racist."
For other students, of all races, coming from rich or poor neighborhoods, it is a huge inspiration.

I am also a former school Principal and a Consultant for the Gifted in a large school district. Those students were from all races and economic levels.

All parents, of all races, should be equally inspired.

[ErikJ]

30. BILL OREILLY almost perfect score??

And Oreilly doesnt even understand the tides are caused by the Moon instead of God? There mustve been a mistake.

Remember that these scores are only from the Math and Verbal sections of the old SAT, for a possible total of 1600.

The Highest Scores

The top famous scorers? No surprise here. Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen earned scores of 1590 and 1600, respectively. The average SAT score has increased in the last few years, making these scores even more impressive.

Also in the top are famous political commentator Bill O’Reilly, with an SAT score of 1585, and political speechwriter Ben Stein, who scored a 1573. You might remember Stein from his game show Win Ben Stein’s Money and his famous comedic acting in the 1980s classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, in which he played a boring but brainy professor. His famous high SAT score shows he has the smarts for the part!

The Middle Ground

Famous horror author Stephen King and television host Meredith Vieira, of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The Today Show, both scored in the 1300s on their SATs. In the same range is vice-president Al Gore, who got a score of 1355.

Gore’s opponent in the 2000 election, President George W. Bush, famously scored a 1206 on his SATs. His challenger in 2004, Senator John Kerry, scored a bit lower, earning a 1190. Bush and Kerry submitted these scores to the school they both attended: Yale University.

The Lower Scores

Kobe Bryant, famous for his starring role on the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, scored a 1080 on his SATs. Comedian Janeane Garofalo, who has also starred in films like The Cable Guy and Mystery Men, got a 950. Her score hasn’t affected her success: You can hear her voice in the recent animated movie Ratatouille.

The famous celebrities with the lowest SAT scores? Radio shock jock Howard Stern got a 870 on his SAT, placing him in the bottom. But the celebrity with the famously low score is Bill Cosby, who received less than a 500 on the test. Cosby received acceptance to Temple University on a track scholarship, and later rose to become one of the school’s most famous alumni.

[Paper Roses]

36. Perfect, young man. I commend you! n/t

[etherealtruth]

38. brilliant kid

Congratulations Cameron Clarke

[FrodosPet]

39. Intelligent young people are a gift to humanity

Kudos to him and all the young people who study hard and succeed. May they have fulfilling academic and professional lives.

That said...It's sad that being black and intelligent is considered newsworthy.

[Tab]

40. Why are you identifying that he's black?

Was he the only one?

[Honeycombe8]

48. Probably because it goes against the stereotype that some still believe....

you know...one of the takers, one of the deadbeats, one of the 47%. It would be mentioned if he were female, too. Not
Asian or Indian, maybe, because the stereotype for them is that they excel at academics.

I wonder if he's a Republican or Democrat?

[aaaaaa5a]

75. That was the point exactly.

I believe race is a factor in the story. But I edited the OP title because in retrospect it could have been worded better. And I thought the focus with regard to the storyline needed to be elsewhere.

[judesedit]

43. Congratulations, Cameron! You did it! You can be whoever and whatever you want to be

[ecstatic]

44. Thank you for sharing

I strongly disagree with the people complaining about the headline!

[BillyJack]

45. Where the h*ll did he get that shirt?

Is he a hipster?

[Honeycombe8]

47. What an amazing feat. His future is locked in. The world is his.

His hard work (and brains) paid off, as no doubt did his parents' parenting. I bet they're so proud they could burst. I am, and I don't even know him!

[bluestateguy]

49. Hopefully elite colleges will be lining up to give him money

They should and I hope they do.

[OldDem2012]

50. I hope I live long enough to see a headline like this read simply.....

...."Teen achieves perfect SAT score".

Not 'white teen', not 'black teen', not 'Latino teen', or any other 'ethnic teen"....just "teen".

But, congrats to Cameron....that is a truly amazing achievement! Best wishes for future accomplishments!

[aaaaaa5a]

76. Agreed. This is what we are all striving for. But unfortunately we are not there yet. nt

[MineralMan]

51. Smart kid. But I don't think his race is relevant.

Not one bit. In fact, I find the reference abhorrent. It's as if you're saying that it's some kind of miracle that a black kid got a perfect score. 359 other kids also got perfect scores. Are we going to do an ethnic survey of them, too?

Good for Cameron. It's not easy to get a perfect score on the SATs. Everyone who knows him is undoubtedly very proud of his achievement.

[freshwest]

52. I see a bright future for that young man. All the best to him!

[Mr Peabody]

53. Urkel.... n/t

[JI7]

70. Nerds Rule, look at Nate Silver, the Facebook guy, even the President

[Mr Peabody]

81. agreed!

[spanone]

56. way to go Cameron

[eShirl]

57. so much potential in this kid

I'm sure whatever path he takes in life, he'll do well

[Barack_America]

64. FYI, Mt. Airy, Germantown = Philly.

Which makes me proud, given I lived there for so many years.

You go, Cameron. There's a world of endless opportunity waiting for you.

[goclark]

66. I was born in Germantown

It makes me proud too!

[WinkyDink]

71. Yay for Cameron!

[closeupready]

84. K&R