Health & Fitness
Minnetonka High School Senior Spotlight: Jacob Neis
A National AP Scholar and National Merit Semifinalist, Jacob Neis scored a perfect 36 on the ACT and maintains a straight-A GPA.
Few high school seniors can name their life’s calling with conviction, but Jacob Neis has found his. “I want to spend the rest of my life in academia,” he says. “I never want to stop learning.” He will begin this path next year at Yale University. Neis is passionate about science, math, and music--and his achievements in all three areas are Ivy League.
A National AP Scholar and National Merit Semifinalist, Neis scored a perfect 36 on the ACT and maintains a straight-A GPA. He qualified for the national Physics and Chemistry Olympiads, and after a series of rigorous math exams, he earned a spot in the USA Math Olympiad, which he says is a nine-hour test comprised of six “insanely complex” problems.
Neis spent last summer researching Parkinson’s therapies at a U of MN biomedical engineering lab. He can deftly move from discussions of neurons and brain mapping to the genius of Stravinsky. He is a top-notch pianist, and his clarinet skills earned him a spot in the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies and the All-State Band.
He appreciates the warm welcome he felt from the community of teachers and students when he transferred to Minnetonka his junior year, drawn by the IB program. Teacher Cheryl Duncan, says, “His teachers sometimes wonder what we can teach him, but he engages whole-heartedly, without any of the arrogance that might be expected of someone with his abilities.”
The world will benefit from Neis’s many talents: he is committed to making an impact on others’ lives and excited to contribute to evolving research. Reflecting on the promise of scientific innovation, he posits, “Mine will be the generation that sees the beginning of the end of cancer.”
Written by Maggie Shea
