Islip High School student Connor Ancipink scores perfect 1600 on SAT
Islip High School senior Connor Ancipink is considering West Point. Credit: Photograph by Tobie Ancipink
When Connor Ancipink, an Islip High School senior, first took the SAT nearly a year ago, he didn’t get the score he was seeking. But, he said, it wasn’t because of a lack of skill or knowledge.
"I ran out of time," he said.
Ancipink, determined to beat his 1510 score, spent the next several weeks focusing on time management and testing strategies and completing numerous practice exams. On his second try, he earned a perfect score of 1600.
"Connor is a gifted student across many subject areas," Islip High School Principal Lara Gonzalez said in a post on the district website. "He has distinguished himself at Islip High School with his impressive academic achievements and discipline. ... I couldn’t be prouder."
Getting a perfect score on the SAT, an entrance test used by many colleges and universities, is rare. Between 400 and 500 test takers — less than 1% — in every graduating class do so, according to the College Board, the nonprofit that created the exam.
Ancipink, 18, downplayed the feat in an interview Wednesday but his father said the achievement was the result of long days of challenging work at the library and at the dining room table, where his son's calculus and physics textbooks could often be found.
"We like to eat at the dining room table, but we more often eat on the island because the dining room table is covered with books," Robert Ancipink joked.
Islip High School senior Connor Ancipink is considering attending West Point. Credit: Photograph by Tobie Ancipink
The elder Ancipink said his son had a lot of help from Islip teachers and librarians, but he also praised the teen's determination and grit.
"He has just always sought out knowledge and wanted to know everything he could," he said.
The teen's grit can be seen in his course load as well. While senior year for some students is a time to coast, Ancipink is taking numerous AP courses in subjects ranging from physics and chemistry to literature and economics.
The teen said he is considering attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, with the goal of pursuing a career in mathematics. He has also been named a National Merit Finalist, a recognition for high-achieving high school seniors.
Ancipink said he has also taken another college entrance exam, the ACT. On that test, he said he came just one point shy of earning a perfect score.
But the high school senior seemed unfazed about his accomplishments.
"I wanted to do well just because I wanted to do well, not because I thought it would make me, like, better or anything," he said.
