Lafayette Student Earns 36 on the ACT

Lainey Bass slept in the morning of April 7.

While fellow students across the Rockwood School District were taking the districtwide ACT administration – which is offered free of charge to all Rockwood juniors – Bass exercised the option to pass.

She had already earned a perfect composite score of 36 on the test two months prior.

“I was doing really good on all the practice tests, and I felt really good after I took it. I was hoping for that but didn’t expect it,” Bass said. “I didn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Wait, is this real?’”

Bass joins the fraction of 1 percent of students who have earned a perfect score on the ACT. The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1-36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores.

She said she began reviewing a practice test book over winter break in preparation for the ACT.

“My mom bought me the really thick book,” she said. “I just made my way through the book one section at a time. The week before, I did a full practice test.”

Bass is a member of the Lancers’ cross country and track teams, as well as a diver for the Lafayette swim and dive program. She is also a member of National Honor Society and Key Club at the school.

She said she enjoys learning about math and science and has especially enjoyed taking calculus, chemistry and psychology this year.

“I like problem-solving more than writing or memorizing,” Bass said. “In math and science, you understand a concept, then apply that to actual problem-solving instead of just memorization.”

While she doesn’t yet know what she would like to study after graduating from Lafayette next spring – chemistry is an early favorite – Bass is grateful to possess a powerful resume item as she begins her college search and application process.

“I’m hoping to get a lot of scholarships,” she said. “I hope I’ll get into a good school and, hopefully, get a lot of money to go there.”