Battling a cold, Amy Zhang walked into Starkville High School in July to take the ACT for the first time.
Though just a rising ninth grader, Zhang carried with her unusually lofty expectations for a college entrance exam newbie.
“I was aiming for at least above a 30, maybe a 33 or 34,” she said. “… It was just a way to see where my strengths and weaknesses were.”
Meeting her goal would have been enough to place her among the top 4 percent of test takers. Even so, she sold herself short, logging a 36 instead — the highest composite score possible.
Zhang’s score on the timed, standardized test used to help determine college admittance and scholarships, made her one of the first members of SHS’ “30-Plus Club” for 2018-19 (which ultimately ended the school year with 43 members) before she even took a class on campus.
SHS Principal Sean McDonnall, who helped the 30-Plus Club members celebrate their achievements with a party last week at Lost Pizza Company, said it was definitely the first time one of the school’s freshman had scored 36 on the exam, and it was the first time in possibly decades any Yellow Jacket had accomplished the feat.
“I was shocked, especially when I found out it was a ninth grader,” McDonnall said. “It just tells me Ms. Zhang is going above and beyond in school. We preach to our students that the ACT is the only test you can take that the higher you make the more money you’ll get. With that 36 she’s got now, not that she’s going to do this, but any state college will give her a full ride and even pay her to go to school. She’s very bright. She’s shown what she can do and we enjoy having her in our hallways and classrooms.”
Only 21 students among 2018 graduates in Mississippi scored 36 on the exam, ACT public relations head Ed Colby said. Only 3,000 students nationwide — out of nearly 2 million test takers — did so.
“Most of those students took it as a junior or senior,” he said. “For a ninth grade student to earn a 36 is exceedingly rare. Ninth graders aren’t typically our examinees so it’s very, very rare for us to see a score like that for a ninth grader.”
For Zhang, having a perfect composite score hasn’t ended her pursuit to do even better.
“I’m planning on taking it next year to improve my writing score and science score,” Zhang said. “I missed one question on (science), so I got a 35 there. I’m sure I missed other questions, but the overall score was a 36. I have until my senior year, so I have time. Hopefully I have a lot more time to prepare and I won’t get sick.”
Music, studies, frozen yogurt
When Zhang isn’t competing in speech and debate or working with the school’s National History Day club, she’s taking piano, flute or violin lessons. Her favorite by far is the piano.
“Every year when I learn a new piece, that becomes my favorite piece,” Zhang said. “Right now, I’m playing a sonata by Mozart and it’s in F major. I like classical music a bit better because I get to express different dynamics and musical ideals more than other styles of music.”
Zhang still carves out time for things she’s passionate about, including dance.
“I have done ballet for the longest,” Zhang said. “I’m not very flexible and that’s kind of something dancers need to have but it’s pretty cool.”
When her lessons and school work are done, she tends to find herself jogging in her neighborhood, sleeping in, watching Netflix or sitting at Local Culture, a yogurt store in Starkville, with her friends.
“I like the frozen yogurt there and we go there every week or every other week,” she added. “I would say I have a sweet tooth so I really like it there.”
Zhang’s parents, Ling Li and Xiaosi Zhang, are both pleased with their daughter’s hard work.
“I think it’s a surprise, but I’m very happy,” Li said. “I know she is always studying very hard.”
Zhang said she was inadvertently studying for the test at Armstrong Middle School by competing in math competitions with her Mathcounts coach, Maggie Wood.
“I was surprised, but only because she was a freshman,” Wood said. “I’ve never had the pleasure of having Amy in a regular class setting, just extra curriculars. With Mathcounts, she did make sure everybody was where they were supposed to be. She just works well in a group. I think that speaks very highly of her individual skills.”
Right now, Zhang isn’t sure what she wants to do. But at 15, she’s got years to figure that out.
“I’m just really thankful for all the teachers and the school,” Zhang said. “I’m really thankful for my parents as well because they keep pushing me to do my best and they play a really important role in helping me prepare for these types of things and I’m just really thankful.”
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