Recent New Trier Alum Scored Perfect on AP Microeconomics Exam

A recent New Trier High School grad was one of only a handful of students nationwide to achieve a perfect score on the Advanced Placement Microeconomics Exam last year.

John Healy, a 2015 Trevian alum and current freshman at Vanderbilt University, was one of only 54 worldwide to get every point possible on the exam taken last May, according to a school news release. Of the 2.5 million high school students who took any AP exam last year, only 322 earned a perfect score on an individual exam.

“I was a little surprised,” Healy said upon learning he had earned the perfect score. “I put a lot of time into preparing, and my class prepared me well as well, but I was taken aback. I had taken AP tests in other courses but was definitely not expecting to get a perfect score.”

Healy, who was active in several different areas at New Trier including with the hockey team and TriShip Club, credited his instructor, Benjamin Yeng, for immense help in preparing for the exam.

Even more surprising than his perfect score was the fact that only 53 others in the world achieved the feat.

“That’s pretty exciting,” said Healy. “It made me feel pretty good.”

For perspective, about 150 students took the exam at New Trier alone.

The test included 60 multiple choice questions and three free response areas, according to Healy.

It took an hour, “maybe more,” for him to complete.

Denise Dubravec, principal of New Trier’s Winnetka Campus, praised Healy for an “extraordinary result.”

“It is a testament to John’s hard work at New Trier as well as to the excellent instruction provided by AP Economics teacher Ben Yang,” she said.

Despite that extraordinary skill in microeconomics, Healy says he is still undecided as to what he will major in at Vanderbilt.

“I’m not sure at the moment,” he said. “It will likely be economics, math or computer science."