A+ on his ACT

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but when it comes to achieving a perfect ACT composite score, Grafton High School has had two students ace the test in as many years. 

It only took James Dempsey one attempt. The junior said he was aiming for a score between 32 and 35 and was expecting to retake the exam even though he achieved a score of 36 in a practice test.

“I didn’t expect to get a 36, especially on my first try. I was obviously hoping that the score would be in the upper 30s,” Dempsey said.

“It’s nice to know the score is going to open up a lot of opportunities for me in the future to succeed. It’s nice having that weight taken off my shoulders.”

Among American high school graduates in 2018, only 3,741 out of more than 1.9 million (0.2%) students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36, according to ACT’s national report for the graduating class.

The ACT consists of testing in English, math, reading and science, with each category scored on a scale from one to 36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores.

The average composite score is 20.8.

Last year, Grafton High School graduate Alaina Knier achieved a perfect score and is now attending Saint Louis University.

“Having two students get a 36 shows the great school system we have in place because that is obviously beating the odds,” Dempsey said. “Our district is something to be proud of.”

Dempsey, who took the test in February at the high school, said he learned about his score in the counseling office. 

“I was pretty shocked, and it was a very nice surprise,” he said. “Everyone in the counseling office was happy for me.”

Dempsey credited his success to test preparation lessons taught at the school. Outside of class, he focused on studying geometry and grammar.

“I wanted to make sure I was still fresh on those topics. Otherwise, the daily rigor of my classes helped me to prepare,” he said.

Grafton School Board President Paul Lorge said Dempsey’s achievement provides “inspiration and aspiration” to his peers.

Grafton Supt. Jeff Nelsons agreed.

“This is a student who has challenged himself. In the academic world, this is the best you can get,” Nelson said. 

This semester, Dempsey is taking a rigorous course load of advanced-placement classes in English, physics, economics, psychology and calculus AB.   

“Taking those types of classes is helpful for me because it allows me to challenge myself every day,” he said.

Outside of academics, Dempsey plays the alto saxophone in the school band and is a midfielder and outside back on the boys’ soccer team. He is also a member of the school’s Model United Nations and World Cultures clubs. 

Dempsey’s top choices for college are Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also plans on applying to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

This summer, he and his parents — Monica and Michael Dempsey — will take a trip to Boston to visit MIT and Boston University. 

Dempsey wants to major in computer science and is considering studying mathematics, statistics or engineering.