
EaSEP has just learned that its David Chege Gitau turned in the best SAT score by a Kenyan student in the past five years, scoring 2390 of 2400 points on the test last October. David also aced four SAT Subject Tests (800 of 800 points on each): Math Levels I and 2, Biology and Physics.
David, who was not among Kenya’s top 100 students on the 2013 KCSE national high school leaving exam, nor the top student in his high school, credits Indian schoolgirl Shreya Vardhan as his "motivation to strive for the highest scores,” adding that he hopes to “pay it forward” and inspire other Kenyan students to aim for the top.
He’s already doing quite a lot in that department, having taught Math and Physics as a volunteer in a struggling Kiambu County high school, 50 hours a week for seven months. And he has just finished preparing low-income Nakuru-area students for the SAT through an Education USA initiative.
The graduate of Mang’u High School will attend Princeton as an early-decision admit, majoring in engineering. He hopes to improve the infrastructure and economy in Kenya through civil and environmental engineering.
David will be a guest tutor for EaSEP’s Class of 2015 in Nandi Hills prior to leaving for Princeton’s summer Freshman Scholars Institute. The FSI is designed for admitted students "who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to scholarly inquiry, leadership, and service," according to the University.
EaSEP thanks Yoko Kono, Assistant Director of International Market Analytics for College Board, for researching David’s SAT status.