When Emma Willey studies for a test or competes with her school’s academic team, she doesn’t settle for anything less than her best.

“I’m definitely kind of a perfectionist,” she said. “I really can’t let myself halfway do anything. So I’m always going to do everything I do to the best of my ability, and I always want to push myself to just do as well as I can.”

That attitude recently led the South Warren High School junior to score a perfect 36 on her ACT.

It’s an incredible feat given that, on average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2016, only 2,235 out of 2.1 million graduates who took the test earned a composite score of 36.

Willey was excited to learn she was among that elite group.

“It was kind of one of my goals for high school,” she said, adding she also took the exam in seventh, eighth and ninth grades. She scored a 31 on her first try and 34 the next two times.

“I thought I was capable, but I didn’t know if I would actually achieve it,” she said. “So when I saw that I did, I was obviously very excited.”

The ACT includes tests in English, math, reading and science, with each scored on a 1-36 scale. A student’s composite score is determined by averaging their four scores. Some students also take an optional writing test, but that score is reported separately and is not part of the composite score, according to the ACT.

Earning a perfect score has been a longtime dream for Willey. “In ninth grade, when I got the 34 again, I was like, ‘Well, I’m not really going to dedicate my life to this, but if I do get it, it would be neat,’ ” she said.

To get better, Willey recommends taking practice tests to get a feel for the test and the time constraints.

“The timing was more challenging than anything,” she said of her experience with the ACT.

As for her success in school generally, Willey recommends students learn time-management skills and avoid procrastination.

Willey’s effort will open doors for her.

In a letter recognizing Willey’s accomplishment, ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda wrote: “Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare. While test scores are just one of multiple criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT composite score should prove helpful as you pursue your education and career goals.”

Willey is still figuring out what she wants to do after high school. In school, she enjoys Spanish and wishes she’d discovered it sooner. She spent part of last summer at Yale University studying international affairs and security in the university’s Young Global Scholars program

“It made me more interested in political science and just being more informed about what’s going on in the world and how we should respond to it,” she said.

For now, Willey enjoys competing with her school’s academic team.

The school’s Future Problem Solving Team recently qualified to compete at the International Global Problem Solving Competition in June in La Crosse, Wis. The team is raising money for the trip. Anyone interested in supporting the team can contact the school at 270-467-7500 or email the team’s coach at Amar.Patel@warren.kyschools.us.

South Warren Principal Jenny Hester congratulated Willey for her success. “We are very proud of her,” she said. “She works extremely hard and is very committed to her academics and education. I think she just has a really bright future.”