Kansas High School Seniors Recognized for Top ACT Score

April 10, 2008

LAWRENCE, KANS.—Seven Kansas high school seniors were recognized by Bill Rinkenbaugh, vice president for student services at Butler County Community College and chair of the ACT State Organization Council, today for earning a top composite score of 36 on the ACT college admissions exam. These class of 2008 students, honored at the luncheon during the “Understanding Our Students: Making Connections for Success” conference for educators in Lawrence, earned their top scores between February and June 2007.

The students are: Douglas Dellinger of Leawood, Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park; Stephanie Drahozal of Lawrence, Lawrence High School in Lawrence; Benjamin J. Schroeder of Topeka, Washburn Rural High School in Topeka; Iris Shelly of Lenexa, Shawnee Mission West High School in Shawnee Mission; Feiyang Sun of Olathe, Olathe East High School in Olathe; Frank Thompson of Salina, Salina High School South in Salina; and William Voss of Leawood, Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science. Each test is scored on a scale of 1–36, and a student's composite score is the average of the four test scores.

Shelly was the only student out of more than 6,500 Kansas test takers on the February 10, 2007, national test date to earn a top score of 36. On that date, more than 300,000 tests were administered across the country and only 30 students achieved a 36 score.

On the April 14, 2007, ACT national test date, Drahozal, Schroeder, Sun and Thompson were the only Kansas students to earn a 36 among more than 11,000 tests administered in the state. Nationally, nearly 450,000 tests were taken and only 48 earned a score of 36.

Dellinger and Voss were the only students scoring a 36 among more than 7,500 Kansas ACT test takers on June 9, 2007. Nearly 400,000 tests were administered across the country that day and only 22 students achieved the top score of 36.

All seven students are set to graduate at the end of this school year.

Students who earn a top ACT score should have a choice of the widest possible range of future educational options. ACT scores are accepted at all colleges and universities across the nation.