On December 14, 2013, 16-year-old junior Youjia Wang, a JWHS flute player who was recently selected to perform at the noble 2014 Illinois Music Education Association All-State Concert, decided to take an ACT test in order to further prepare himself for spring exams. However, the intelligent teen got the surprise of a lifetime when his score came back as perfect. Instead of receiving feedback that would aid him in improving his skills, he was pleasantly notified that his skills did not need any enhancement. He has been the first Joliet West student in multiple years to have earned such a prestigious score on the ACT, and only one out of 127 students to have gotten a perfect score in the entire state.

When the impressive score was revealed to the Joliet West honors student, he reported, “I bought Battlefield 4 and a few bottles of sparkling grape juice. I spent the rest of the day playing video games while drinking grape juice. I received a lot of praise from family and friends.” His hard work and devotion paid off and was awarded with much-deserved relaxation.

His immaculate score wasn’t achieved simply through luck, though, as it took an immense amount of dedication and preparation. Referring to his perseverance, Wang admitted, “I took several practice tests, went over the questions that I got wrong, and made sure I would remember how to do the questions.” Many classes throughout the school currently equip students with practice tests so that they are given a practical feel for the ACT, but it would definitely be a good idea to try some out-of-school exercises to progress more rapidly.

He also added some personal tips for doing well on the American College Testing exam, advising, “[…] make sure to actually familiarize yourself with the test beforehand by taking practice tests. If you get something wrong on a practice test, make sure you know why you got it wrong. Besides that, it’s just the normal test taking tips like sleeping and eating well,” additionally adding, “Oh remember to wear a watch.” All of the mentioned steps are absolutely crucial in order to attain a notably extraordinary outcome.

The test definitely isn’t an easy obstacle. Wang conceded to the fact that the diminutive amount of time allotted makes finishing the given amount of questions seem impossible, but practicing and staying calm is sure to hinder the challenge. Test anxiety is a common conflict among adolescents and can be confronted by acquainting oneself with similar questions as presented on the actual ACT. Fortunately, the ACT can be taken as many times as desired so a not-so-great score isn’t to be dreaded upon. Youjia Wang has undeniably inspired the community and has brought upon a new challenge for tenacious students to work towards in the future.