So, just to be sure, what's the absolute max score you can get on the ACT? And how many students typically reach that? I know it's a longshot, but just thought I'd ask.
The highest possible score you can achieve on the ACT is a 36. This composite score is the average of your four section scores (English, Math, Reading, and Science), which are also each out of 36. So, in theory, a perfect ACT score would require you to reach a 36 on each of these sections.
As to how many students achieve the perfect score, it's a relatively rare occurrence. The percentage varies from year to year, but generally less than 0.2% of all test takers score a perfect 36. In a recent year, for instance, it was reported that out of the approximately two million students who took the ACT, less than 4,000 achieved the maximum score.
While reaching a perfect score is certainly a significant accomplishment, keep in mind that most top-tier schools don't require a perfect score. They typically look for scores in the top percentile range, which is around 33 or above for the ACT. Your target score should really depend on the average scores of the specific colleges you're interested in.
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