Carmel Catholic student achieves top ACT score
Ainsley Dean, daughter of Michael and Beth Dean of Grayslake and a junior at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36.
On average, only around one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2017, only 2,760 out of more than 2 million graduates who took the ACT earned a composite score of 36.
The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1-36. A student's composite score is the average of the four test scores. Ainsley earned a 36 on each of the four sections of the exam (English, mathematics, reading, and science).
In a letter to the student recognizing this exceptional achievement, ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda wrote, "Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare. While test scores are just one of multiple 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."
The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students have learned in school. Students who earn a 36 composite score have likely mastered all of the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in first-year college courses in the core subject areas.
Ainsely is currently studying Spanish and Mandarin at Carmel Catholic High School and plans to continue her foreign language studies in college and possibly combine it with a degree in international relations or foreign service.
Carmel Catholic High School is a Catholic, college preparatory and secondary school for young men and women in grades 9-12. Carmel Catholic is jointly sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Order of Carmelites.
Carmel Catholic is a four-time recipient (1985, 1996, 2002 and 2007) of the prestigious Blue Ribbon School award by the U.S. Department of Education. The school enrolls approximately 1,200 students each year. Learn more at carmelhs.org.
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