Jake Jacob, a senior at Flowery Branch High School, said he expected to score high on the SAT and ACT exams. But when he looked up his results online, he had trouble believing what he saw - perfect scores on both.

"I honestly thought something went wrong. I kept refreshing the page," Jacob said.

"It was just amazement," he added.

The 17-year-old took the SAT in October and the ACT in September.

The double perfection tests for college is a rare accomplishment, Hall County Schools spokesman Gordon Higgins said.

In 2003, Michael Vaughan of Johnson High School was the last person in Hall County to receive a perfect 2400 on the SAT, but didn't get a perfect ACT score.

The College Board, which administers the SAT entrance exam, reports there were 382 perfect scores in 2010 and 297 in 2009. And according to a national ACT profile report for 2009, 683 students nationwide who reported they would graduate that year received the highest ACT composite score of 36.

Acing one test is difficult, but a perfect score on both is "fantastic," said Joy Carr, Jacob's counselor at Flowery Branch.

"I'm not at all surprised he did this well," Carr said. "He's a self-directed learner and he always works hard."
Jacob said there was no secret

formula to his success, but he believes preparation helped. In the last two years, Jacob took SAT subject tests in chemistry, math and U.S. history after he finished an Advanced Placement class in the same subject area. That way, the material was still fresh in his mind, he said.

Jacob said he also felt he wasn't up to speed for the critical reading section of the SAT, so he read extra books during the summer.

"I read maybe five or six. It's more than usual for me," he said.

Though he doesn't have much test anxiety, the senior said he relaxed as much as possible the morning of the test.

He also prepared a breakfast he eats before every major exam: two hard boiled eggs, a banana and a glass of milk.

Jacob said he would recommend to classmates that they take some practice tests to get a feel for the material.

"I'd say don't be nervous, it's just a test, it doesn't hurt to pay attention in class, read as much as possible and finally practice before," Jacob said.

Carr said she often advises students to have a good attitude to boost their test scores.

"They have an idea that there's a lot of pressure behind it, and it's meaningful to their future. So I talk to students about what they're telling themselves. If they say ‘I'll do horrible on the test' it will make them more anxious than if they say ‘I'll do fine.'"

Jacob said he wasn't aiming for flawless scores but was simply hoping to do his best.

"Whatever the score was, I was willing to accept it," he said.

Carr said Jacob has been very humble about his achievement, and she describes the student as "soft spoken and very approachable." Jacob is a straight-A student and ranks No. 1 in his senior class at Flowery Branch. He is also the treasurer and tutoring coordinator for the school's National Honor Society and spent three years on the varsity tennis team.

Jacob said he isn't sure what his career will be, but he's interested in the medical field. He is looking at colleges across the South to send applications.