CALEDONIA – Perfection.
Nearly every student in the United States aims for it during their high school career if they take the ACT test, a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students should have had the opportunity to learn in school.
The reality is about a quarter of 1% of the students who take the ACT earn a top score.
Caledonia High School senior Landon Clark is now part of that select group.
In February, Clark earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36 on the ACT test. In doing so, Clark may have made history because CHS 11th- and 12th-grade counselor Aimee Musselwhite said Clark is believed to be the first student set to graduate from the school to earn a perfect score.
While it’s the maximum score, a 36 composite score doesn’t necessarily mean a student answered every question correctly because it’s possible to earn that score with a few errors due to the ACT’s scoring scale and rounding.
“It still feels kind of fuzzy, like I still can’t believe it,” Clark said. “It has sunk in that that is going to be my ticket.”
The ACT test includes section tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1 to 36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four section test scores.
In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2024, only 3,041 out of 1.37 million students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36.
Clark received an email March 13 notifying him of his accomplishment. It was his fourth time taking the test. He earned a 27 as a freshman, a 29 on his second try and a 31 on his third attempt. The final two were during his sophomore year.
“I didn’t use my time right. I was guessing a lot,” Clark said of his first try. “It made me feel, for the lack of a better word, stupid.”
Clark said he studied in between each attempt and used the ACT resources provided online by CHS, the school district and the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library.
“Taking those practice tests made me feel the most ready,” Clark said. “That way I could manage my time best and not have to guess.”
Clark said he felt most confident taking the test the third time and was happy when he received his score, although he said he was a little surprised he didn’t score higher. The fourth time he anticipated his score would improve again but in no way envisioned getting a perfect score.
“I kept my prep up, like I normally did, and the test felt ‘easier,’ I guess because I had been through more, but I wasn’t expecting five points of growth,” Clark said. “I was at work (at Columbus Nissan, where he works in the detail bay) when I received the email with my score. I had to log in and there was a moment of anticipation. It pops up and I about dropped my phone. I yelped. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness gracious.’ I wasn’t expecting that.”
Clark’s success on the ACT test is part of an overall strong academic record that has helped him record a GPA a shade under 4.0 and ranks him among the top students in his class.
CHS teacher and coach Jason Forrester said Clark was an “exceptional” student in his business classes and that he went “above and beyond” on every assignment.
“He was very dedicated to making sure he covered the material well,” Forrester said. “He never did just enough. However, he was also very humble in the way he carried himself. He never acted like he was above anyone. I remember him offering to help anyone who needed it. He would not do the work for them. He would help ensure they understood how to do the work.
“It does not surprise me that he had a perfect score. He has great attention to detail, and he makes sure he always gives his best effort.”
Now that the reality of earning a perfect score is sinking in, Clark feels more confident he will be able to overcome any challenge. He has been accepted into Mississippi State University, where he anticipates majoring in mechanical engineering in the fall of 2026.
“Knowing I put in the work and those hours of study makes me feel like I have done it once and I can do it in college and I can do it if I need to beyond that,” Clark said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
