The top 0.005% of the entire state.
This is the select group Junior Calley Murphy put herself into when she became one of only five people in the entire state to score a perfect 36 on March’s state wide ACT/MME according to ACT media relations coordinator, Nancy Owens.
Equally impressive, Sandi Spencer, the BPS District Assessment Coordinator, believes that in the past five years only two other people in the entire district have gotten a 36.
Seaholm Principal Terry Piper explains, “it’s very significant because doing the very best you can do on a test is very rare on this test."
Perhaps most impressive was that Murphy’s prep did not include a tutor or ACT readiness class.
“I did one or two practice ACT’s,” Murphy said, “But only the reading sections, since that was where I needed to improve the most.”
The perfect score was unexpected.
“Yes, I was very surprised,” Murphy explained, “I was unsure about several questions in the English section, and had to rush because I ran out of time in the Reading section, so I wasn’t expecting a very high score.
With a perfect ACT, Murphy seems to have almost limitless possibilities for college
“I have a lot of colleges that I want to visit,” Murphy said, “But right now the ones at the top of my list are MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and of course, Michigan.”
Murphy said she is looking into specific programs, but finances will be a factor.
“I am looking at the good engineering schools, but scholarships and sports will also play a large role in my final decision,” she said.
Murphy explains, “I’m pretty sure I want to be an engineer,” which is another positive attribute since female engineers are less common.
Murphy is also a standout athlete, especially in the pool. Murphy has qualified for the state meet for the past three years and finished seventh in the 100 meter breast stroke this year.
While most juniors are scheduling mainly easy classes next year, Murphy is continuing to challenge herself.
“Next year, I’m in AP Physics, AP Environmental Science, and AP Calculus BC, and I’m considering adding AP Gov,” she explained.
Beyond next year, Murphy’s future appears to have few limits.
“Someone who is that talented academically can do almost anything they want to,” Piper said. “She’s just a great example of how focused and how academically talented our entire student body is. She’s a great representative of our student body.”
