Provo man gets perfect score on LSAT
The Daily Herald
PROVO — Only one out of every 5,000 people who take the LSAT, the entrance exam for law school hopefuls, get a perfect score of 180.
For Ari Bruening, 22, a philosophy major at BYU, his perfect score wasn’t too much of a surprise.
“I thought I might (get a perfect score),” Bruening said. “That was my goal: to get a 180.”
As the youngest of seven children of a family of regular geniuses, for Bruening, it’s in the genes.
“My parents must have done something right,” Bruening said. “My family has done a lot of amazing things.”
His parents certainly set the par. Dad, Darold Bruening, has a bachelor’s degree in physics and is a retired chemist for the Utah Department of Transportation. Mom, Sandra Bruening, holds two degrees, in art and psychology, and now teaches craft classes. Both parents graduated from the University of Utah.
The Bruening family is from West Valley City.
Sandra said she wasn’t too surprised to learn that her youngest son was doing so well.
“We kind of got used to it, so I guess we didn’t react too much,” Sandra said. “But we’re really proud of him.”
Two siblings took an undergraduate or Ph.D. degree from MIT. One brother is currently attending MIT. Another sibling is working on an advanced degree at the University of Utah, while another earned a degree in engineering.
Bruening, along with two of his siblings, also aced the ACT college entrance exam.
“Talk about intimidating when you go over to their house and you know that they are all geniuses,” said Diana Bruening, 22, Ari’s wife of one year.
The young Bruening couple is a bit of an academic standout themselves. Both graduated from Granger High School in West Valley City in 1997. They graduated as co-valedictorians.
“He didn’t like me in high school,” Diana said. “He thought I was competition. But then, of course, he married me and found out that he was an incredible genius and I’m just a regular old person.”
Ari said his major is part of what prompted him to choose law school. Now, with a perfect score, and a 4.0 GPA, he’s a shoe in at Harvard. He’s also considering Yale.
“I always wanted to go to Harvard,” Ari said. “(Law school) became a dream when I became a philosophy major and realized I couldn’t do anything with that.”
Diana said she made a special breakfast of French toast and packed some peanut butter cups, both Ari’s favorites, on the day of the test. She was nervous for him all day, but said it was all for naught.
“I should have known it would have gone awesome for him,” she said.
Ari said he felt confident after taking the test and thought maybe he had scored a 178 or 179. He had taken the practice test five times and averaged a 178.
When he called to get the score, he tried to hide his excitement.
“I tried to look sad, (to play a joke on my wife), but I couldn’t do it,” Ari said.
“He was shaking when he was dialing — I was nervous for him,” Diana said. “I was thinking, ‘What’s he going to do if it’s a low score?’ But then he called, and this look of relief just rushed over his face.
“I could tell it was good, I just didn’t know how good.”
In June, when Ari took the test, 23,908 people took the test worldwide. Only 13 scored a 180. In 2000, 107,622 took the test, which is offered four times from June through February in all 50 states, 18 countries and several island countries in the South Pacific. In that year, 27 people scored a 180.
“It is a very elite group of people,” said Edward Haggerty of the Law School Admission Council.
Diana said her husband was different in a very particular way than anyone else she had dated.
“Growing up I always felt like the smart one, I never felt like the guys I dated were smarter than I was,” she said.
“Then I date Ari and, wow, he’s smart. Really smart.”
Jennifer Minnich can be reached at 344-2558 or jminnich@heraldextra.com.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A9.
Provo man gets perfect score on LSAT
The Daily Herald
PROVO — Only one out of every 5,000 people who take the LSAT, the entrance exam for law school hopefuls, get a perfect score of 180.
For Ari Bruening, 22, a philosophy major at BYU, his perfect score wasn’t too much of a surprise.
“I thought I might (get a perfect score),” Bruening said. “That was my goal: to get a 180.”
As the youngest of seven children of a family of regular geniuses, for Bruening, it’s in the genes.
“My parents must have done something right,” Bruening said. “My family has done a lot of amazing things.”
His parents certainly set the par. Dad, Darold Bruening, has a bachelor’s degree in physics and is a retired chemist for the Utah Department of Transportation. Mom, Sandra Bruening, holds two degrees, in art and psychology, and now teaches craft classes. Both parents graduated from the University of Utah.
The Bruening family is from West Valley City.
Sandra said she wasn’t too surprised to learn that her youngest son was doing so well.
“We kind of got used to it, so I guess we didn’t react too much,” Sandra said. “But we’re really proud of him.”
Two siblings took an undergraduate or Ph.D. degree from MIT. One brother is currently attending MIT. Another sibling is working on an advanced degree at the University of Utah, while another earned a degree in engineering.
Bruening, along with two of his siblings, also aced the ACT college entrance exam.
“Talk about intimidating when you go over to their house and you know that they are all geniuses,” said Diana Bruening, 22, Ari’s wife of one year.
The young Bruening couple is a bit of an academic standout themselves. Both graduated from Granger High School in West Valley City in 1997. They graduated as co-valedictorians.
“He didn’t like me in high school,” Diana said. “He thought I was competition. But then, of course, he married me and found out that he was an incredible genius and I’m just a regular old person.”
Ari said his major is part of what prompted him to choose law school. Now, with a perfect score, and a 4.0 GPA, he’s a shoe in at Harvard. He’s also considering Yale.
“I always wanted to go to Harvard,” Ari said. “(Law school) became a dream when I became a philosophy major and realized I couldn’t do anything with that.”
Diana said she made a special breakfast of French toast and packed some peanut butter cups, both Ari’s favorites, on the day of the test. She was nervous for him all day, but said it was all for naught.
“I should have known it would have gone awesome for him,” she said.
Ari said he felt confident after taking the test and thought maybe he had scored a 178 or 179. He had taken the practice test five times and averaged a 178.
When he called to get the score, he tried to hide his excitement.
“I tried to look sad, (to play a joke on my wife), but I couldn’t do it,” Ari said.
“He was shaking when he was dialing — I was nervous for him,” Diana said. “I was thinking, ‘What’s he going to do if it’s a low score?’ But then he called, and this look of relief just rushed over his face.
“I could tell it was good, I just didn’t know how good.”
In June, when Ari took the test, 23,908 people took the test worldwide. Only 13 scored a 180. In 2000, 107,622 took the test, which is offered four times from June through February in all 50 states, 18 countries and several island countries in the South Pacific. In that year, 27 people scored a 180.
“It is a very elite group of people,” said Edward Haggerty of the Law School Admission Council.
Diana said her husband was different in a very particular way than anyone else she had dated.
“Growing up I always felt like the smart one, I never felt like the guys I dated were smarter than I was,” she said.
“Then I date Ari and, wow, he’s smart. Really smart.”
Jennifer Minnich can be reached at 344-2558 or jminnich@heraldextra.com.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A9.
Provo man gets perfect score on LSAT
The Daily Herald
PROVO — Only one out of every 5,000 people who take the LSAT, the entrance exam for law school hopefuls, get a perfect score of 180.
For Ari Bruening, 22, a philosophy major at BYU, his perfect score wasn’t too much of a surprise.
“I thought I might (get a perfect score),” Bruening said. “That was my goal: to get a 180.”
As the youngest of seven children of a family of regular geniuses, for Bruening, it’s in the genes.
“My parents must have done something right,” Bruening said. “My family has done a lot of amazing things.”
His parents certainly set the par. Dad, Darold Bruening, has a bachelor’s degree in physics and is a retired chemist for the Utah Department of Transportation. Mom, Sandra Bruening, holds two degrees, in art and psychology, and now teaches craft classes. Both parents graduated from the University of Utah.
The Bruening family is from West Valley City.
Sandra said she wasn’t too surprised to learn that her youngest son was doing so well.
“We kind of got used to it, so I guess we didn’t react too much,” Sandra said. “But we’re really proud of him.”
Two siblings took an undergraduate or Ph.D. degree from MIT. One brother is currently attending MIT. Another sibling is working on an advanced degree at the University of Utah, while another earned a degree in engineering.
Bruening, along with two of his siblings, also aced the ACT college entrance exam.
“Talk about intimidating when you go over to their house and you know that they are all geniuses,” said Diana Bruening, 22, Ari’s wife of one year.
The young Bruening couple is a bit of an academic standout themselves. Both graduated from Granger High School in West Valley City in 1997. They graduated as co-valedictorians.
“He didn’t like me in high school,” Diana said. “He thought I was competition. But then, of course, he married me and found out that he was an incredible genius and I’m just a regular old person.”
Ari said his major is part of what prompted him to choose law school. Now, with a perfect score, and a 4.0 GPA, he’s a shoe in at Harvard. He’s also considering Yale.
“I always wanted to go to Harvard,” Ari said. “(Law school) became a dream when I became a philosophy major and realized I couldn’t do anything with that.”
Diana said she made a special breakfast of French toast and packed some peanut butter cups, both Ari’s favorites, on the day of the test. She was nervous for him all day, but said it was all for naught.
“I should have known it would have gone awesome for him,” she said.
Ari said he felt confident after taking the test and thought maybe he had scored a 178 or 179. He had taken the practice test five times and averaged a 178.
When he called to get the score, he tried to hide his excitement.
“I tried to look sad, (to play a joke on my wife), but I couldn’t do it,” Ari said.
“He was shaking when he was dialing — I was nervous for him,” Diana said. “I was thinking, ‘What’s he going to do if it’s a low score?’ But then he called, and this look of relief just rushed over his face.
“I could tell it was good, I just didn’t know how good.”
In June, when Ari took the test, 23,908 people took the test worldwide. Only 13 scored a 180. In 2000, 107,622 took the test, which is offered four times from June through February in all 50 states, 18 countries and several island countries in the South Pacific. In that year, 27 people scored a 180.
“It is a very elite group of people,” said Edward Haggerty of the Law School Admission Council.
Diana said her husband was different in a very particular way than anyone else she had dated.
“Growing up I always felt like the smart one, I never felt like the guys I dated were smarter than I was,” she said.
“Then I date Ari and, wow, he’s smart. Really smart.”
Jennifer Minnich can be reached at 344-2558 or jminnich@heraldextra.com.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A9.