Friday, January 8, 1999

Three Sycamore seniors ace college-entrance exams

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BY BERNIE MIXON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Kevin Inderhees, Anderson 'Andy' Green, and Jonah Knobler. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        SYMMES TOWNSHIP — Two Ohio students earned the highest possible score on the ACT college-entrance exam — and they both attend Sycamore High School.

        Seniors Jonah Knobler, 18, and Anderson “Andy” Green, 17, were among 16 students in the country to earn a 36, the highest possible composite score on the ACT.

        But perfection at Sycamore is not limited to ACT test-takers. Kevin Inderhees, 17, also a senior, scored a 1,600 on the SAT — that test's highest possible score.

        The ACT is taken in high school by nearly 60 percent of America's prospective college freshmen and measures students' skills in English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning.

        Each test is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, and a student's composite score is the average of four test scores. The national average composite score for the 1998 high-school graduating class was 21.

        About 30,500 Ohio students and 364,000 students from across the nation completed the ACT on Sept. 26 or Oct. 24.

        Jonah almost didn't take the test. He took the SAT last January and scored a 1,590. He initially decided against the ACT, figuring he could do without the test-related stress.

        “When I got the (ACT) results, I thought it was worth it,” Jonah said.

        From the time he was a 6-year-old carrying around encyclopedias, Jonah, who has been accepted to Harvard University, has always had an appreciation and love for things academic.

        “To take a look at new things and conquer challenges, intellectually speaking, is a real pleasurable experience,” he said.

        Andy, 17, has always excelled in academics. He has applied to Brigham Young University and took the ACT because it was required.

        “I've always known I can do well, and it will help me in the future,” said Andy, who is interested in the medical field and engineering.

        He plans to attend college for a year and go on a church mission before resuming his education.

        For Kevin, 17, earning the highest possible score on the SAT was a bit surprising.

        He scored an 800 in the language section and an 800 in math in his second try on the test. His total the first time around was 1,560.

        Kevin didn't really study for the test. “There are a few practice tests floating around, and having taken the test helped too,” he said.

        Kevin, who has been accepted to the University of Chicago and an engineering school in Indiana, plans to study physics before going on to graduate school.

       

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