Excelling in Exams

NRI who scored 99.5% in higher secondary exam to join Stanford University

Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: May 22, 2012 14:23 IST

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Dubai: This 17-year-old knew that he would do well in his Grade 12 exams but becoming the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) topper worldwide with 99.5 per cent marks was unimaginable. India-born Rohan Sampath now looks forward to joining Stanford University and unlike many brought up in Dubai, he really hopes to return to India some day.

"My first reaction was disbelief. I thought it was a typo. I didn't expect it," Rohan, a science student of Dubai Modern High School, told Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) in an interview.

Born in Mumbai, Rohan scored 100 per cent in mathematics, 100 percent in physics, 100 percent in computer science and 98 percent in English, becoming the highest scorer in the history of the ICSE examinations.

His parents, who have been in Dubai for 18 years, are naturally overjoyed but say that they were more elated when he got through both Stanford and Yale universities in the US.

"We were not that concerned about marks. He has been topping in school every year with 98 percent. My elation was higher when he got through Stanford and Yale. Only later when we realised that he had topped ICSE across the world, then of course we were very happy," said his mother Sandhya Sampath.

Rohan has chosen to attend Stanford University and study either economics or engineering.

Private tuition classes have no place in Rohan's study mantra, defying a trend among a majority of Indian families.

"I've been an opponent of tuitions. Teachers in school have been instrumental in my success. I look at private tuitions as an insult to my teachers as I trust them completely," said Rohan.

"I think the hours spent in tuitions should be spent in...