Hitting the books in high school is paying off in a big way for a Plymouth teen.
This month Wayzata High School senior Rohit Agrawal was named one of two national recipients of a scholarship recognizing achievement in advanced math and science classes. A State College, Pa., senior, Tina Chen, is the female recipient of the award.
The 17-year-old Agrawal wasn't anticipating the award -- he didn't apply for it, nor was he nominated. Rather, the Siemens Foundation chose him and Chen to each receive a $5,000 scholarship based on their outstanding performance on Advanced Placement science and math tests.
"I wasn't expecting it at all," Agrawal said. "I was really honored."
Agrawal aced all 10 AP tests he took in three years at Wayzata High, scoring a five on each. The subjects included calculus and physics. The teen, who is taking classes at the University of Minnesota, also aced his SAT college entrance test, earning a perfect score of 2,400.
In all, 1.8 million students participated in AP science and math classes in 2010.
It's the largest scholarship Agrawal has received. He said he'll put it toward college next fall at either the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he's been accepted, or Harvard University, which he's still waiting to hear from.
"He's extremely bright and talented," said Jodi Grack, who taught Agrawal in AP chemistry last year. "Whatever he chooses to do, I'm sure he'll excel."
