News

Junior Scores 36 on ACT

Junior Kevin Wright became the tenth St. Louis U. High student since 2005 to earn a perfect 36 on the ACT after taking the test for the second time on April 12 at Ladue High School.

Scoring a 36 on the ACT has been a goal for Wright for a while. His sister, now a student at Duke University, scored a 35 while in high school. The motivation to beat his sister played a big role in his desire to earn a perfect score, he said. In addition, Wright has in mind schools like Duke and Brown University, which require top scores for admission.

According to act.org, the national average score on the ACT in 2007 was 21.2, while only about one of every 4,000 students who took the test earned a 36.

Wright earned a 35 on the February ACT. Kevin was happy with the score but “knew (he) could do better.” With that in mind, he set out to take the test again with the hopes of a 36.

Roughly two weeks after taking the test for the second time, Wright was traveling to Indianapolis with the SLUH Lacrosse team on a bus. Anxious to see if his score had been posted, he used junior Charlie Rechtiene's iPhone to log online and find out his score. Upon learning of his perfect score, Wright’s initial response was "surprise and happiness" even though he had expected to receive a high score.

Wright attributes his high score to his skills gained in math teacher Craig Hannick's ACT Prep Class. Because of the class, Wright learned good time management skills as well as great ways to prepare mentally and physically for the test.

He added, "Getting a good night's sleep the night before allowed me to concentrate well."

*by Chad Carson '10*

*Prep News*