Glendale Prep Senior Receives a Perfect ACT Score

Glendale Prep senior, Alessandro Marcolini received a perfect score of 36 on the ACT. A score of 34 or higher places a student in the top 1%, but a full score of 36 places Marcolini at the top 0.313%. He said that having a strong intuition behind all his answers helped him the most on the ACT.

“This intuition allowed me to answer questions quickly and confidently,” Marcolini said. “I would recommend developing that intuition by being able to explain the topics well, because being fluent in the material on the ACT is what will ultimately enable you to answer correctly under that time pressure. Putting in the effort at school to really understand what my teachers were trying to teach meant that I didn’t have to study as much for the ACT — my work was all done beforehand.”

The ACT exam is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test that must be finished in just under three hours, to measure a high school student’s readiness for college and provide colleges with a common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.

Many colleges require scores from the ACT as a part of the admissions process and is a key component of some college applications. This test is offered to juniors in the spring, but it is not too early to prepare. According to The Princeton Review, there are five simple ACT tips and strategies to help maximize your score:

1. Work questions out of order. Instead of working questions in order, ask yourself whether a question is a Do Now, Later, or Never.
2. Choose a “Letter of the Day.” There is no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT, so you should never leave any blanks on your answer sheet. When you guess on Never questions, pick your favorite two-letter combo of answers and stick with it.
3. Forget the right answer—find the wrong ones. ACT hides the correct answer behind wrong ones, but when you cross off just one or two wrong answers, the correct answer can become more obvious.
4. Know the best way to bubble in. Circle your answers right on the booklet. Then, transfer a page’s worth of answers to the answer sheet at one time. It’s better to stay focused on working questions rather than disrupt your concentration to find where you left off on the scantron.
5. Tailor your strategy to each section of the ACT. Whether it’s English, Math, Reading, or Science – find out what works best for you in each subject.

Katherine Sarbacker, Assistant Headmaster and Director of College Counseling at Glendale Prep, said a high score on the ACT can create more options for attending and paying for college.

“Alessandro is naturally very gifted, but his hard work, engagement, sense of wonder, and curiosity truly make him exceptional and allow him to be successful academically, musically, and athletically,” said Sarbacker. “Not only is he an excellent student, but he is one of the best pianists our school has ever had, and he earned our highest athletic award as a standout tennis player. As if this is not enough, his greatest qualities are his kindness and patience towards others. He encourages students and leads in robotics, tennis, and seminar. Alessandro is truly a wonderful young man.”

Marcolini was recently featured in the Glendale Independent and the Peoria Independent for this outstanding accomplishment.

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jason.moore@greathearts.org.