Palo Verde student gets perfect score on ACT exam

By Jeff O'Brien

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008 | midnight

Jeff O'Brien / Staff

Kian Ameli

For 17-year-old Kian Ameli, the past year has involved plenty of long nights with his head buried in a textbook.

Now that he's one of only two students in the state to have recorded a perfect score on the June 2008 administration of the ACT exam, it's safe to say the dedication and focus have paid off.

Ameli took the ACT on June 14 and scored a perfect 36. Nationwide, only 162 out of 410,000 students who took the exam reached that mark.

Most colleges and universities accept either the SAT or the ACT exams in the application process, but students are encouraged to take both.

While the SAT features math, science and writing sections, the ACT is divided into four parts — English, Math, Reading and Science.

To top it off, Ameli also took the SAT in June and scored a 2360 out of 2400.

"It's amazing," said Palo Verde Assistant Principal Ron Fick. "I think all of us wish we could achieve at a high level. Kian is a very amiable kid and he's great to have on campus."

June's ACT exam came a week after the SAT, so Ameli was already in a test-taking mindset.

"The day before the test I went to a bookstore with a couple of my friends for a study session," he said.

Performing at a high level in the classroom is nothing new for Ameli — his grade point average currently stands at 4.76 and he's on track to be one of Palo Verde's valedictorians in June.

But the success doesn't come easy — the senior said his toughest classes are U.S. Government and English.

"There's a lot of reading," Ameli said. "Those two classes usually keep me up late at night. Just the amount of content and studying you have to do."

When he's not hitting the books, Ameli can be found with a mask and foil — he's one of the best fencers in Nevada and plans to attend either Princeton or Stanford to compete at the college level.

He plans to major in international relations and possibly pursue a career in foreign relations after college.

Ameli is also on Palo Verde's quiz team and the National Honor Society. All the studying and extracurricular activity puts a premium on free time at the end of the day, but Ameli said this year he has slightly more down time than he had during his junior year.

"Last year I probably had one full day each week," he said. "It was pretty miserable. Even on weekends I would be studying or doing fencing."

Although it's still months away, Ameli said he would be honored to be one of Palo Verde's valedictorians. The thought of giving a speech before thousands of people doesn't bother him a whole lot.

"I don't think I'd have too much trouble. I'm already on the debate team," he said.

When asked what is the secret behind his academic success — a question he said he gets a lot — Ameli couldn't pinpoint one specific key.

"It's a combination of a lot of things. The teachers here are really good but I also just try to stay focused on my studying," he said.

Jeff O’Brien can be reached at 990-8957 or jeff.obrien@hbcpub.com.