Hampton student earns perfect AP score

Only 357 students in the world earned a perfect score on a college-level advanced placement test in May, and one attends Hampton High School.

Senior Justine Sullivan aced the AP Research Exam, which includes a 4,000- to 5,000-word essay and a 15- to 20-minute presentation during which students are required to defend their stances on the subject they chose. Justine’s paper was titled “Election Theory: Alternative Voting Methods in the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate Election.”

She wishes she could have enjoyed taking the test.

“I was beyond nervous leading up to my presentation, which more or less overruled any excitement I should have been experiencing. I felt extremely disheartened after answering the oral defense questions,” she said. “I am generally not a very strong public speaker, and it was difficult for me to express my research, despite how passionate I am about it.”

As such, she was certain she had bombed.

“Coming out of it, I was confident that there was no way I could receive any higher than a 2 or 3 on my AP test because of my performance, let alone a perfect score,” Justine said. “It’s strange to me to be part of such a small population of students for such a seemingly distant accomplishment. I was absolutely shocked upon reading College Board’s email, as this achievement is not something I expected nor even knew could occur in AP assessments.”

She is unsure how this accomplishment will impact her future, but it has given her a sense of assuredness moving forward.

“I find comfort in the fact that I now have a recognized foundation in research,” she said. “This project has given me the confidence to apply what my knowledge within research to various academic endeavors and ultimately grow as an individual.”

Hampton High School Principal Marguerite Imbarlina complimented her feat.

“We are proud that Justine earned a perfect score on the AP Research Exam, and we hope that the research skills she has developed over the past two years with the help of her teachers, (Shannon) Roos and (Andrew) Halter, will support her in her future endeavors,” she said.