Anika Gulati, eighth grader from Rachel Carson Middle School earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36.

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 2019, only 4,879 out of nearly 1.8 million students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36.

Anika turned 13 very recently. She took the ACT in December out of curiosity. She wanted to see how the test is and how she fairs in each of the different sections of the test.

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.

In a letter to Anika recognizing this exceptional achievement, ACT CEO Marten Roorda stated, “Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare. Your exceptional scores will provide any college or university with ample evidence of your readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.”