Usually when people think of a perfect score on a standardized test, they often think that it is personally unattainable. Those who do attain such a feat are often seen as one type of person: slicked down hair, suit and tie with suspenders, pocket protectors, large glasses and the like. But Ananda Sundararaman doesn’t come close to matching that stereotype.“I didn’t really believe it,” Sundararaman said. “I mean, I felt like I did well, but when I got my score I was honestly shocked. I had a feeling that I killed it, but I did not expect perfect.”

This is more of a feat than most may realize. In 2010, 304 students scored perfect on the PSAT nationwide. Out of the 3.5 million students who took it, this comes to an impressive .008%. Sundararaman fit in with this small percentile, although he does not fit in as a typical “know it all.”

“I play drums in a band, I like music a lot, and I play basketball,” Sundararaman said. “If people knew me just from that, I don’t think that they’d expect me to get a good score.”

This is a big accomplishment that is not to be taken lightly, but for Sundararaman, it has become a bit overbearing.

“I realize that not many people get a perfect score, but I’m kind of sick of the endless celebration already,” he said. “It’s like the second I found out, everyone and their mother, literally, congratulated me.”

However, it is something for mothers to celebrate, at least for Ananda’s mother. This perfect score essentially guarantees a spot as a National Merit Scholarship finalist. It also may help lead up to a perfect score on the actual SAT. Either way it’s a great position to start from for college admissions.