HELENA — Students rarely receive a perfect ACT score, but two Helena public school seniors received that sought-after 36.
“It was such a shock. I really thought it was wrong for a minute because I didn’t think that was something that would ever happen,” said Meika Arensmeyer, a Capital High School senior.
She took the ACT last April and received her perfect score one month later.
According to Rath Education Group and PrepScholar, less than one percent of the 1.3 million students who took the ACT in 2021 and 2022 received a perfect score.
Arensmeyer said, “I guess I might have been a bit close-minded before, and I thought my options were limited, but I think it sort of showed me that I could try out a bit more and explore more options before I settle for something.”
Over at Helena High School, senior Evelyn Callery said she was walking home from school when she heard ACT scores were out.
“I pulled out my phone and pulled it up, and that was really crazy. I didn’t text my mom. I waited to tell her,” Callery said.
Both students prepared for the ACT by taking a few practice tests before the actual ACT.
MTN asked what their approach was going into test day.
Callery said, “My biggest strategy was to read the question first and then read whatever source material because the source material is long. It’s not usually hard questions. It’s the length of the questions that get to you and the time restraint.”
“It’s a lot easier if you relax and take it like any other test and do not put a lot of pressure on yourself for it,” said Arensmeyer.
After graduation, Arensmeyer is looking to attend the University of Montana for a double major in pediatric occupational therapy and music.
“The more I looked into it, [the more] I found some people who already do combine them, and I would love to continue that," she said.
Callery recently used her score when applying for the National Merit Scholarship. She has her eyes set on Stanford University, with the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as a second choice.
Callery hopes to study psychology and one day join the FBI.
“A lot of colleges don’t require an ACT score, but knowing I have such a good one and can choose to report it, which I do, feels pretty great,” she said.
While both students plan to use their perfect act scores to their advantage, they were unsure when asked if standardized test scores should matter.
“It’s a marathon of a process. I have some visual restrictions that make reading hard. I do get time and a half because it takes me so much longer to read things," Callery said. "But, for a lot of people, it’s a lot of stress. Sitting there all day, remembering things is really hard. I don’t think standardized tests reflect as much as they could as far as intelligence.”
“It clearly does help with scholarships and getting in, but beyond school, I don’t think it really does because everybody is still just going to be a person, and they’re still going to interact and have their lives. Nobody’s really following a test score from years ago,” said Arensmeyer.
This year, Helena High School will hold the ACT on April 8, and Capital High School did not respond with when their ACT will be held by the time of this story’s publication.
