Joliet Catholic Academy senior Isabelle Egizio, daughter of Stephen and Erica Egizio, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36.

Isabelle Egizio ’21

JCA president/principal Dr. Jeffery Budz said, “On behalf of the JCA administration, faculty and staff, we offer our heartiest congratulations to Isabelle on her amazing accomplishment. We are so proud of her perfect 36 on the ACT and know that she has worked very hard to attain her goals. We know that Isabelle will find success in all that she sets her mind to in college and beyond.”

Fewer than half of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2020, only 5,579 out of 1.67 million students who took the ACT earned a top 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. The score for ACT’s optional writing test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score.

“Earning a top score on the ACT is a remarkable achievement,” said ACT CEO Janet Godwin. “A student’s exceptional score of 36 will provide any college or university with ample evidence of their readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.”

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.

ACT scores are accepted by all major four-year colleges and universities across the US.

Egizio, of Plainfield, IL, was also named a semifinalist in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program back in September. On the perfect ACT score Egizio said, “it was unexpected, as I was hoping for something above a 30. It was a lot of hard work in and out of school and with ACT prep. I’m very excited about the academic opportunities and potential college opportunities.”

Despite the challenges of remote learning in the spring of 2020 and hybrid learning both on-campus and off-campus this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Egizio and her fellow JCA classmates have risen to the challenge. She said, “my favorite memory this past year is actually COVID, and how our classmates have come together. The constant support from teachers and classmates is something I will always remember and be grateful for.”

Egizio plans to major in chemical engineering and hopes to attend the University of Southern California. She has a career goal to work in either the food management industry or in a sustainable energy field.