Bridgeland High School senior Shawn Ray earns a perfect ACT score, joining the top 1% of test takers nationwide.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A Bridgeland High School senior has earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, placing him among the top 1% of test takers nationwide, according to school officials.
Shawn Ray, valedictorian of the Bridgeland Class of 2025, achieved the rare feat on the college admissions exam, which tests students in English, math, reading and science. Only about 1% of the more than 1.37 million students who took the ACT earn a perfect score, according to Janet Godwin, CEO of the ACT. That equates to roughly 3,041 students.
“I thought I was close, but not perfect,” Ray said. “It was pretty exciting.”
Ray said he did not specifically study for the ACT but had prepared extensively for the SAT, and the material overlapped.
“I only studied for the SAT and the material went over what the ACT covered, too,” he said.
In addition to his academic achievements, Ray is taking a rigorous course load filled with advanced placement classes. He said college ambitions helped fuel his motivation.
“College was a big motivator to do well because the University of Texas at Austin is getting competitive for computer science, so I wanted to make sure I had the best possible application,” Ray said.
ACT scores are accepted by major four-year colleges and universities across the U.S. and are one of several factors considered in admissions decisions.
“I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it,” Ray said. “And I did!”