Plainfield North High School senior Anushka Menon earned a perfect “36” on the ACT college entrance exam, on her first try.
Less than half of one percent of students who take the ACT earn the top score.
“I was shocked, happy, and relieved all at the same time,” Menon said.
Menon said she couldn’t believe the news.
“I kept looking at the screen as if my score would somehow go away or change, and when I told my parents, they didn't believe me either,” she added.
Then she did it again with the SAT, landing in the 99th percentile with a score of 1530 out of a possible 1600.
Menon studied daily for more than a month using ACT prep books from the library.
“Luckily, the SAT and ACT are similar in terms of the grammar rules and math concepts, so I was able to use some background knowledge when preparing for the ACT,” Menon said.
Menon credits her family and teachers for her academic success.
“None of this would've been possible without my amazing teachers at Plainfield North, and my family who has been a constant support all these years,” Menon said.
Menon participates in the school’s National Honor Society, math team, Science Olympiad, speech team, and badminton.
She also organized Plainfield North’s first World Culture Fair along with her sister and a friend.
“This was an exciting experience for me as we had been planning this event for almost a year, and I'm hoping this year's culture fair will be just as memorable,” she said.
Menon has a passion for science and helping people and plans to study engineering in college.
“If I were to give advice to anyone setting a seemingly impossible goal, I would tell them to go for it, no matter what anyone says,” she said.