Oak Park resident Bill McNulty, a 17-year-old junior at St. Patrick High School in Chicago, recently received a perfect score of 36 on an ACT exam. He spoke with the Oak Leaves about the accomplishment on April 26.
Q: How many times did you take the ACT?
A: Twice. I got a perfect score when I took it in early April.
Q: What was the first experience like?
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A: The first time I took it, in October, I got a 35.
Q: Are you a perfectionist, generally?
A: Sort of. A couple of the sub-scores were low the first time I took it. I was a little weak in the science section.
Q: How did you prepare for the ACT, and how much time did you spend doing so?
A: I took a couple practice ACTs. St. Patrick does them. Not that much, maybe like four or five hours.
Q: How were you feeling the second time you took it?
A: I was still a little bit nervous, but based on the first one, I was a little bit more relaxed. I was very happy when I found out that I got a 36.
Q: What’s your favorite subject in school?
A: Math. I like the challenge of it.
Q: What do you hope to pursue as a career?
A: I’m not sure specifically but maybe something in science.
Q: Any advice for those taking the ACT in the future?
A: I would definitely say take a couple of the practice tests to get a feel for it.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press