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Senior Jillian Day Scores 36 on ACT

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Senior Jillian Day participates in an activity during her AP Psychology class. Day was in the gifted program, Mosaics, during elementary and middle school, and takes mainly honors or AP classes in high school.
Senior Jillian Day participates in an activity during her AP Psychology class. Day was in the gifted program during elementary and middle school, and takes mainly honors or AP classes in high school.

Hearts begin to pound as the American College Test (ACT) is passed out to seniors and juniors attending North. Senior Jillian Day, one of the seniors who took the test in June, may have been nervous but received a 36 on the ACT, which is the highest score possible.

“I took the test December of my junior year and I got a 34. I took it in April with the whole school, and I got a 35. I took it one more time because I was sick and thought I could do better and in June I got a 36,” said Day.

Typically, the average ACT score is 21 and less than .1 percent of students who take the test earn a perfect score. This test has 5 sections including math, science, reading, English, and writing. The cost is a range of $34-$49.50.

Science teacher Lorrie Crosset said “perseverance” is key when striving for a good score on the ACT. “Willingness to work hard, fail, and come back again, make another attempt [is important]. Some people refer to that as grit,” said Crosset.

“I see Jillian work so hard to master whatever task is put in front of her,” said Crosset.

Not only is Crosset Day’s science teacher but also her tennis coach. “I have never had Jillian before this semester, so I’ve only witnessed her a little bit in my classroom,” said Crosset. ”I know her better as a tennis player…but I know she has been successful in very challenging courses,” said Crosset.

The ACT test is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The idea is to provide colleges with a common criterion that compares all applicants. Receiving a high score can help students gain entrance into college as well receive scholarships.

“I’m probably going to lean more towards anything in California. Right now my top choices are USC, UCSD, and Stanford,” said Day. Day is very interested in a medical or veterinary job field.

Day is ready to venture into the world, and she feels her parents have helped prepare her for that. Being an only child has made her more independent preparing her for what the world has to offer outside of high school.

“My parents have been very supportive and have always pushed me to do my best. They haven’t really cared about results so much as that I did my best, and I think in a way that’s helped me do even better,” said Day.

by Mercedes Nesbit, staff writer