Lincoln Prep Senior Achieves Perfect ACT Score

Joshua Harris, a senior at Lincoln Prep, recently received a perfect score on the ACT with a composite score of 36. This is an extraordinary accomplishment for the Great Hearts scholar, as only about one-quarter of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a top score.

Harris took the exam in late March 2024 and described the experience as surprising. “I thought it was actually easier than the SAT,” Harris recalled. ” In the moment, I felt like I did well, but I was definitely surprised with the 36. I was not expecting that at all.”

The news reached Harris during a break in class when he checked his phone at his locker and saw the notification. “I was shocked,” he said. ” I went home, and I gathered up my family. My mom was really excited and she’s generally the one who cries about everything but when I told my dad he started, crying he was so happy, I knew it was a big deal. I didn’t even know how rare it was but I think more than anything I was just honestly very happy and excited.”

In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2022, only 3,376 out of 1.34 million students who took the ACT earned a perfect score.

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. The test 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 the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in first-year college courses in the core subject areas.

Harris credits much of his success to the rich and thoughtful curriculum at Great Hearts. “[At Great Hearts] there’s a lot of learning not just how to do things, but why they work,” he explained. ” I feel like the Great Hearts model of learning the bigger ideas, the why behind everything, helped me apply that to these random texts and random problems that I had never seen before.”

He has also been recognized as one of the highest scoring entrants of the PSAT, qualifying him for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program as a semifinalist of over 1.5 million entrants.

In addition to excelling academically, Harris is deeply involved in extracurricular activities. His favorite is mock trial, a program that combines competition with preparation for legal cases. “I love the teamwork and the intellectual challenge,” he said.

Harris also participates in Lincoln Prep’s mentorship initiative, peer tutoring, and the house program. He even founded the Student Ambassadors program, which promotes better communication between students and teachers. “I was a sixth grader with a mentor once, and that left a lasting impression on me. Now I want to give back and create similar opportunities for others,” Harris explained.

With his sights set on a career in law, Harris believes his Great Hearts education has given him a strong foundation. “The school doesn’t just teach you ideas, it teaches you how to engage with them. You learn to listen to others’ perspectives, consider their merits, and defend your own beliefs thoughtfully. That’s going to be critical in college and beyond.”

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