Alpharetta senior gets perfect score on SAT

To say Alpharetta High School senior Marissa Pan is smart would be redundant – the 2400 she scored on the SAT speaks for itself.

Pan is the first student at AHS to obtain a perfect score on the notoriously difficult college entrance exam. She seemingly has it all: beauty, grace, brains and a brilliant future ahead of her.

"She is everything a teacher could ask for — sweet, caring, loving and well-rounded. It's true, everybody loves her," said AHS Spanish teacher, Claudia Alldredge.

The adulation is overwhelming to Pan, who couldn't believe her eyes when the score came in.

"I was in shock. I had to have someone else come over to the computer to make sure I wasn't reading the scores wrong," she said.

The three-hour and 45 minute SAT is broken down into three scored parts: math, reading and writing. Each part is worth 800 points. Pan got every question in the reading and math portions of the test correct, and then was given the highest possible score on the writing portion, which is more subjective.

"I think my family was in disbelief at first," she said, of her parents Yi and Michelle Pan, who immigrated to North Fulton from China. "But they're really proud of me."

Pan – whose favorite subjects are science and Spanish – hasn't yet applied to colleges, though it seems she will have her pick. She plans to apply to Georgia schools first, but Yale University is her ultimate goal.

For a student who just thinks of her self as "lucky," Pan sure works hard. She is on the student council, in the medical club, is president of the Spanish National Honor Society and tutors Spanish-speaking students. She also dances 20 hours per week, has participated in the Governor's Honors Program and the Junior Travel Program and has done some modeling. Not to mention the fact that she's fluent in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Even her intended major shows she's up for a challenge. She wants to study epidemiology (the study of health and illness factors within society).

"It uses my different strengths. I love science, and the languages I can speak would help me interact with different people," Pan said, who speaks Chinese at home with her family.

A lot of people would say that a student who scores a 2400 on the SAT is "lucky." But Alldredge said, like Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey's famous quote, that luck is the residue of preparation.

"She's not lucky. She is always challenging herself ... looking for ways to go beyond," said Alldredge. "She's a blessing to teach, she makes my job so pleasant. Students like her are the reason I teach."

Pan's number one piece of advice to other students looking to ace the SAT would be to get a practice book. It can help with deciphering the format of the test and being prepared for what is expected. Additionally, most books allow you to take practice tests, which can show you the areas in which you need to improve.

And keeping it all in perspective helps, too.

"Whatever you do, don't think your life hinges on [the SAT]. That will just stress you out," said Pan.
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