Notre Dame student Kathryn Kennedy earns a perfect 36 score on her ACT.
Kathryn Kennedy, a rising senior at Notre Dame Preparatory School, has scored a perfect 36 on her ACT — the highest score available — and now the ninth Notre Dame student since 2009 to achieve such perfection.
According to test administrator ACT, Inc., only 0.136%, or 2,760 out of 2,030,038 test takers in the United States earned a perfect ACT score, an accomplishment so exceptional that even Bill Gates fell 10 points shy of that number when he was in high school.
As the leading college admissions test, the ACT measures what students learn in high school to determine their academic readiness for college with tests covering four skill areas: English, math, reading and science reasoning. Each area is scored on its own scale of 1 to 36. A student’s composite test score is the average of those parts. The ACT is accepted by all major colleges and universities. Last year, the state average was 24.1 and nationally, it was 20.0.
"Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare," said Marten Roorda, ACT chief executive officer, in a letter congratulating Kennedy on the achievement. "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."
In March of this year, Kennedy's classmate, Christopher VanDieren, also received notice that he had scored a perfect 36 on his ACT. In 2016, then-junior Ryan Flaherty, currently attending Hillsdale College, earned a perfect 36 on the ACT. In 2014, Michael Soisson, who went on to the University of Notre Dame, received a perfect 36 on the ACT.
In 2012, Notre Dame's Eric LaRose and Joe Soisson earned a perfect 36 on their ACT tests. In 2011, Matt Siatczynski scored a 36. In 2010, Jon Sheperd scored a 36, and Ryan McIntosh, who graduated from NDP in 2009, also achieved a 36 on his ACT.
Last year’s Notre Dame graduating class scored a 26.9 average on the ACT, with 61 students earning a 30 or higher.
ACT is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides a broad array of assessment, research, information, and program management solutions in the areas of education and workforce development.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org