Senior Marshella Dickey said she plans to take the SAT three times. She is looking to be the first person in her family to go straight to college.
"I'm just going to be so excited. They're going to think I'm crazy. I'm going to be like, 'I got in. I got in,'" she said.
Officials said more students are taking the SAT, which usually brings down a school system's average score, but not in Granville County. Officials said SAT scores in the area climbed 40 points.
J.F. Webb High School is part of the increase. Student scores at the school went up about 60 points.
"For our students to have done that well this year is wonderful," principal Julie Finch said.
Educators said there is no right answer to preparing students for the SAT. They offer special classes and use other courses to focus on the test, but students believe the main strategy involves attitude.
"The faculty really pushes us to do well, inspires us that this is important," senior Michael Fedewa said. "This is an important thing for us to do."
This is the first time Granville County scored higher than the state average. Officials also said Granville County's African-American students topped both the state and national numbers.
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