DHS Senior Achieves Perfect Score on SAT

DEERFIELD, IL - Jake Chanan, a senior at Deerfield High School, is in rare company after achieving a perfect score on the SAT last month.

Chanan’s 1600 score is a mark less than 600 out of every 1.67 million test takers achieve, according to a recent Prep Scholar report.

Involved heavily at DHS as a mathlete, Scholastic Bowl team captain and baseball pitcher, Chanan was not required to take the SAT but chose to take the test because he is seeking status as a National Merit semifinalist.

“I never thought about the SAT until the scholarship opportunity came up and this was a requirement,” said Chanan. “I’ve taken the sample tests so I knew what it would be like, but I wasn’t expecting a perfect score.”

He says he was at home just before leaving for school on Nov. 29 when he found out, sharing the information first with his mother and soon after called his father who had left for work.

“I knew the scores were going to be available online on the 29th, so I was actually trying to stay up past midnight the night before to see if they were up that early,” Chanan said. “But I had some homework, went to bed and was ready to leave for school the next morning before I remembered to login and check.”

Related: 3 Highland Park Students Get Perfect Score on ACT

Chanan’s merit scholarship opportunity came from high scores on both the ACT, of which he scored a 35, and the PSAT.

And the perfect score on the SAT is even more rare than those who achieve the mark on the other two college placement tests. It’s a 5-hour exam that includes all multiple choice questions with an optional essay, which Chanan took on and still received a perfect score.

“I really appreciate all the help I’ve had from my teachers, parents and everyone who has supported me,” Chanan said.

He credits his experiences on the baseball diamond for the mental prep behind the feat.

“In life and baseball, you can’t work yourself up and get too emotional,” he said. “I just went in relaxed, wasn’t nervous and knew I was going to do my best. You’ll usually do worse if you go into something nervous.”

Chanan's connection to baseball goes deeper than his spot on the team. He has been an assistant travel baseball coach for kids ages 9-10 in Deerfield for the Deerfield Youth Baseball Association for three years.

The SAT may not have been a requirement for Chanan, but it will be for high school juniors in Illinois beginning this year. The newest version of the test became the Illinois state assessment in July and all juniors in Illinois will need to complete it in order to obtain a high school diploma.

“I liked it,” Chanan said. “The questions - especially in math - are more challenging than the ACT but the time limit makes it a little less stressful. I think future students will benefit from the SAT because it allows for much more time to finish the exam. More students will benefit from the SAT.”

A news release from Township High School 113 made note of Chanan’s achievement, which spread quickly to the school community. Soon after, Chanan was receiving congratulatory messages from faculty members, administrators and fellow students.

“District 113 is incredibly proud of Jake and of the support provided by our tremendous staff,” the district wrote.

Chanan still hasn’t found out about his merit scholarship status, but the 1600 surely won’t hurt his chances.

Photo provided