17 students at the same Ohio high school aced the ACT

Having just one student get a perfect score on the ACT standardized college admission test is an accomplishment for any school, but Walnut Hills High in Cincinnati has that beat — 17 times over.

The ACT has four sections — English, math, reading, and science — with possible scores ranging from one to 36. At Walnut Hills High School this year, 17 students — nine juniors and eight seniors — received perfect scores of 36, and about two dozen additional students almost reached the top, with scores of 35.

A spokesman for ACT told The Washington Post that in 2018, only 0.2 percent of all students who took the test received a perfect score, with the national average 20.8. Walnut Hills is known for its rigorous academics, and most students take college-level courses. Principal John Chambers told CNN the students took different versions of the test during separate times, and they should be commended for their high scores. "It's all the students," he said. "It's their work and their work ethic, and I would give credit to their teachers because their teachers prepare them extremely well."

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