Preesha Chakraborty among Johns Hopkins ‘world’s brightest’
Preesha Chakraborty, a nine-year-old Indian-American schoolgirl, figures in the “world’s brightest” students list released by the prestigious Johns Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth, based on above-grade-level tests of over 16,000 students across 90 countries.
Preesha is a Warm Spring Elementary school student in Fremont, California, and took the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth test in the summer of 2023 as a Grade 3 student, according to a media release.
She was selected for her exceptional performance on the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), ACT (American College Testing), School and College Ability Test, or similar assessments as part of the CTY Talent Search. Less than 30 percent of students qualify each year for either High Honors or Grand Honors/SET based on their test scores.
READ: Samedha Saxena among “World’s Brightest” students (February 10, 2023)
Preesha aced in the test’s verbal and quantitative sections — on par with the 99th percentile of advanced Grade 5 performances — and bagged the Grand Honors, according to the release.
The achievement qualifies Preesha for more than 250 Johns Hopkins CTY’s Online and On-Campus Programs for advanced students in grades 2-12 in mathematics, computer programming, chemistry, physics, reading, and writing.
Preesha is a lifetime member of the universally renowned Mensa Foundation, the oldest high-IQ society in the world, where membership is open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test.
She achieved this accomplishment at age six by securing 99 percentiles in the national level NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test), which assesses K-12 students for gifted and talented programs. Preesha loves traveling, hiking, and mixed martial arts outside of studies.
According to her parents, Preesha has always been passionate about learning and has consistently displayed exceptional academic abilities.
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“This is not just recognition of students’ performance on one test, but a testament to their curiosity and capacity for learning,” Amy Shelton, Executive Director of the CTY, said.
“These students have demonstrated enormous potential, and now we encourage them to seek out experiences and communities that help them challenge and stretch their knowledge, connect with other young scholars, understand diverse perspectives, think critically, and pursue their goals confidently,” Shelton said.
Founded in 1979, CTY is a center for innovation dedicated to advancing the field of gifted education through research on testing, programs, and other support for advanced learners.
