When Westhampton Beach High School junior Jane Paulson sat to take the ACT exam for the first time, she planned to use her results as a baseline to improve her score in the future. She was anxious and didn’t think she would do well on the college qualifying exam. Little did she know, she’d be in the top 0.03% of test takers in the country by earning a perfect score of 36.

Paulson said she prepared for the ACT by taking practice exams at home and in her Junior Seminar class. She reviewed the answers she got wrong to ensure she didn’t make the same mistake again. But when she took the actual exam, she said she left feeling unconfident. Her score came as a complete surprise to her. 

“I wanted to do well, but couldn’t believe I got a perfect score,” she said.  

Paulson said she plans to continue to explore college and future career options. When not studying for her classes, including four Advanced Placement courses, she takes part in her school’s Interact Club and is on the field with her varsity softball team. She also volunteers with the Sunrise Movement, which aims to stop climate change.