Kaitlyn Fox, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Fox and a junior at Ocean City High School, earned the highest possible composite score of 36 on a recent ACT test. 

This achievement is significant and rare. On average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. Among test-takers nationwide in the high school graduating class of 2012, only 781 of more than 1.66 million students earned a composite score of 36.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student's composite score is the average of the four test scores. Some students also take ACT’s optional Writing Test, but the score for that test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score.

Like the SAT test, the ACT is considered by many colleges as part of the admissions process.

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.”

ACT test scores are accepted by all major U.S. colleges, and exceptional scores of 36 provide colleges with evidence of student readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.

— News release from ACT