R-JENERATION: Meadows School student gets perfect score on SAT

SAT.

The three-letter acronym is well-known among high school students. Nearly 3 million students take this three-hour-and-45-minute test each academic year in more than 170 countries, with the hopes of getting a perfect score.

According to the College Board, in 2012 out of 1,664,479 students who took the SAT in the United States only 360 students met that goal. Danielle Carrol, a senior at The Meadows School, beat the odds her junior year by scoring the elusive 2400.

Carrol prepared for the exam by taking several practice tests the month before and studying lots of vocabulary. She also studied over the summer, listening to vocabulary podcasts on her iPod while sitting on the beach in Kauai.

When Carrol initially saw her 2400, she was surprised.

"At first I didn't believe I got a perfect score," she said. "I thought College Board posted a mistake. After the score stayed up for a while, I felt relieved that I didn't have to take the test again."

Carrol also received perfect scores on all of her Advanced Placement exams her junior year. While that year is typically the hardest academic year for high school students, Carrol undertook a vigorous workload, taking advanced placement courses in physics, chemistry, calculus, European history and English.

With her academic success, Carrol acts as an example for many students with similar aspirations.

"Everyone has different goals in life, and taking so many AP courses isn't something everybody has to do," she said. "If you're considering taking many APs, understand that it's a large commitment, especially during the months leading up to testing. I would advise starting to look at AP review books and practice tests starting as early as possible, even January for the May exams."

With a father who's a doctor and a mother who's an engineer, the highly ambitious teen is inspired to strive for excellence. Her parents' careers also inspire her older sister, who is attending Brown University, and her younger brother, who is an eighth-grader at Adelson. Carrol also attended Adelson from kindergarten through eighth grade, coming to The Meadows School her freshman year.

Her drive for success originates from her dream to become a scientist. Carrol has attended various science summer programs such as the Young Scholars Program at the University of California, Davis and the Research Science Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Through these programs, Carrol has recognized her passion for scientific research. This fall Carrol has been accepted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"I've discovered that scientific research is something I truly enjoy and want to pursue," she said. "I know that in order to attain my dream to be a scientist, it's important to achieve academic success."

She plans to become a materials science engineer and do research on nanotechnology.

Carrol credits her school for her academic success.

"I feel very fortunate to have attended The Meadows School," she said. "I've had some really incredible teachers that have inspired me to be creative and work hard."

"Danielle is a wonderful and conscientious student," said Upper School Director David Lamb, who taught Carrol in ninth-grade Spanish class.

The Meadows School is proud of Carrol's accomplishment.

"Every graduation class has one or two students that score a perfect score on one of the three parts," Lamb said. "For a student to score a perfect score on all three sections is rare."

In her senior year, Carrol has participated in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, serving as the president of the Environmental Club and playing on The Meadows' boys varsity soccer team. She managed to do it all: shine in the classroom, excel on the field and have a social life.

"I try to work hard, and play hard, but keep the two separate," she said. "If you don't separate the two, work seems to take too long and you never get around to having fun."

She sticks to this philosophy by trying to stay off Facebook or her phone during homework and setting aside specific times to be with friends.

Outside of school, Carrol enjoys hiking, bike riding, climbing trees, traveling and collecting unique earrings that allow her to show her individual style within the school uniform code.

A book lover, she also loves to read sci-fi and has been working on her own fantasy novel since her sophomore year.