9-year-old Preesha Chakraborty named among the world's brightest students
Nine-year-old Indian-American prodigy Preesha Chakraborty has been named one of the "world's brightest" students by the esteemed Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (JH-CTY). Hailing from Fremont, California, the student earned this recognition due to her remarkable performance in above-grade-level tests taken by over 16,000 students from 90 countries. She is the latest to join the list of young Indian-American prodigies who are known for doing exceptionally well in school.
Chakraborty's exceptional performance in talent search
Chakraborty received high praise for her impressive scores on the SAT, ACT, School and College Ability Test, or similar assessments as part of the CTY Talent Search. She excelled in both the verbal and quantitative sections, achieving scores comparable to the 99th percentile of advanced Grade 5 performances. This feat earned her Grand Honors, a distinction achieved by less than 30% of students who qualify for either High Honors or Grand Honors/SET based on their test scores.
Access to advanced programs and Mensa membership
Thanks to her achievement, the young girl now qualifies for more than 250 Johns Hopkins CTY's Online and On-Campus Programs for advanced students in Grades 2-12. These programs cover subjects such as mathematics, computer programming, chemistry, physics, reading, and writing. Moreover, Chakraborty is a lifetime member of the globally renowned Mensa Foundation, having secured a 99 percentile score in the national level NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test) at age six!
Encouragement for future growth and learning
Amy Shelton, Executive Director of the CTY, stated that this recognition is "not just recognition of students' performance on one test, but a testament to their curiosity and capacity for learning." She further encouraged these students 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."
Chakraborty is in Grade 3; practices mixed martial arts
Chakraborty attends Warm Spring Elementary school in Fremont, California, where she is in Grade 3. In addition to her scholastic accomplishments, she likes to travel, go climbing, and practice mixed martial arts. Her parents claim that she has always had a strong desire to learn and has remarkable academic ability. Before her, many other Indian-origin students have earned a spot in this coveted list.
Previous Indian-origin students to have earned the same title
Last year, the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth named 13-year-old Indian-American girl Natasha Perianayagam to its list of the "world's brightest" pupils for the second year in a row. In the spring of 2021, Perianayagam, a student at Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School in New Jersey, took the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) exam. The student's scores in the verbal and mathematical components of the exam were in line with advanced performance in Grade 8.
