'A Fun Surprise': Tinley Teen, Marist Junior Lands Perfect 36 On ACT

CHICAGO, IL — A Tinley Park teen and junior at Marist High School is celebrating—and breathing a sigh of relief—after she landed a perfect score on the ACT.

It was Celia Lindokken's first attempt at the college entrance exam.

"I felt confident," Lindokken said, of how she felt after taking the test. "I really wasn’t expecting to get a 36 on my first try. It was a very fun surprise when I found out."

The Tinley Park resident and District 146 alum is a junior at the high school. She's in honors math class and also on the school's highly competitive math team—finishing sixth in the state in 2023 and the highest place Catholic school team—which practices 4 to 5 times per week. Her English class administered several practice exams in advance of the test.

Otherwise, she had no private tutor or specific preparation.

In addition to the school's math team, Lindokken plays percussion in band and is the marching snare section lead. She's been inducted into both the National Honor Society and the Italian National Honor Society.

The youngest of five children born to Margaret and Carl, Lindokken has not yet begun applying to colleges, but has several in mind: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Cornell University. Her father's family are alumni of University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lindokken said. All three schools have strong food science programs, her intended major.

She said she's content with her results.

"It’s a big relief," she said. "It’s a very big test.

"It’s nice to know I don’t have to sit through it again."

Many of her friends have yet to see how they'll do on the test.

"In my grade, a lot of people still need to take it," Lindokken said. "There’s a lot of time for some more 36s to come out of my friends."