Four Downers Grove South Students Earn Perfect ACT Scores: Names in the News

Four Downers Grove South students earned perfect scores on their ACT college entrance exams earlier this year.

Seniors Emma Chaplin, Marjorie Fera, Ammar Kalimullah and Samarth Malhotra each received a perfect composite score of 36 on the exam, which is administered to high school juniors nationwide.

Malhotra earned his score in December 2011, while Chaplin, Kalimullah and Fera earned theirs on the statewide testing day in April.

The ACT is a three hour exam—four with the ACT Writing Test—that covers English, Math, Reading and Science. Only one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the exam—about 1.6 million each year—earn perfect scores, according to Community High School District 99 officials.

“To have not just one student, but four students earn a perfect score on the ACT is incredible and rare,” South High Principal Steve Bild said. “Emma, Marjorie, Ammar and Samarth are hard workers, and each one very deserving of this accomplishment.”

Patch recently sat down with Chaplin, Fera, Kalimullah and Malhotra to talk about their perfect scores, college plans and advice for future test-takers.

Click here for the full story.

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