Meredith Jones, a rising senior at Holy Spirit Prep School in Atlanta, earned the highest possible scores on both the SAT and ACT exams, the standardized tests used by colleges in their admissions process.

Meredith Jones

Meredith scored a 2400 on the SAT and a 36 on the ACT, each in one sitting, taking the two exams just a week apart from each other this June.

The most recent data by the College Board, which administers the SAT, reports less than 1 percent of students earn a 2400 on the SAT in one sitting, and the ACT reports that roughly 0.06 percent of test-takers earn a 36.

“The SAT and ACT are not easy tests, by any means,” said Meredith, who is the student body’s Head Girl, the school’s highest student leadership position. “I feel fortunate to have achieved the scores I did. The values of hard work and confidence that my school, Holy Spirit Prep, and my family have instilled in me since day one certainly played a big role in the results.”

Meredith is giving her brother, Todd Jones, a run for his money: he graduated as Holy Spirit Prep’s valedictorian in 2012 and now attends Harvard University.

Kyle Pietrantonio, Holy Spirit Prep’s head of school, praised the student’s talents.

“I was thrilled to learn of Meredith’s extraordinary achievement on both the SAT and ACT,” he said. “Whether on the soccer field or on the basketball court, in the classroom or on the stage, Meredith is a star. She truly excels in all areas, but does so with a beautiful grace and humility that would make any educator extremely proud.”

“My advice for other test-takers, as clichéd as it might sound, is to practice,” said Meredith. ”Honestly, getting acquainted with the structure of the two tests and becoming familiar with the kinds of questions were the two things that helped me the most. I also encourage focusing on one section at a time rather than thinking about the test as a whole; it whittles down a daunting task into more manageable pieces.”