Pius X Student Earns Perfect 36 Score on ACT
Liam Kruse has earned the top composite score of 36 on a recent ACT test. The son of Dennis & Michelle Kruse of North American Martyrs Parish in Lincoln, Kruse is a junior at Pius X High School.
Nationally, while the actual number of students earning a composite score of 36 varies from year to year, on average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn the top score. Among test takers in the high school graduating class of 2014, only 1,407 of nearly 1.85 million students earned a composite score of 36.
Kruse said he was “pleasantly shocked” when he first saw the score. “I knew I was close to a 36, but was pretty sure that I was just a few points shy,” Kruse commented. “I remember jumping around the kitchen after the score first popped up on the computer screen.”
The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36. A student's composite score is the average of the four test scores. Some students also take the ACT’s optional Writing Test, but the score for that test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score.
After he received a score of 34 the first time, Kruse enlisted the help of his math teachers at Pius X to prepare for that portion of the test. He gives the majority of the credit for his accomplishment to his parents. “I was homeschooled for eight years prior to my freshman year at Pius X. It was during those years that my parents gave me my foundation for English, math, and reading.”
In a letter recognizing this exceptional achievement, ACT CEO Jon Whitmore said, “While test scores are just one of the many criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT composite score should prove helpful as you pursue your education and career goals.”
While Kruse has not yet finalized his college plans, his choices are much broader after his perfect ACT score. Kruse’s current choice is between Purdue University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and he plans to major in aerospace engineering.
ACT test scores are accepted by all major U.S. colleges. Exceptional scores of 36 provide colleges with evidence of student readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.
