Taking the ACT is no small feat, with many studying for months in advance in the hopes of at least getting a 30. To many, a 36 is simply unrealistic.

This is not the case for Rachel Pang, junior, who earned the coveted 36 score the first time she took the ACT in September.

“It was pretty surreal,” she said. “I had to refresh the page and log in a few times before I was sure that I was reading it right and it hadn’t messed up my score or something.”

Her friends and family were just as surprised about it as she was.

“My dad was definitely taken by surprise because the entire week before I took it, he kept talking about how I wasn’t studying enough,” Pang said.

She studied primarily by looking at tips for the ACT. She also took a practice version of the Reading section and reviewed a few math equations.

Once she took it, she found it to be much easier than she had expected.

“They were definitely significantly easier than most practice questions,” she said. “I think the biggest issue is probably timing and not making careless mistakes.”

She advises students preparing to take the ACT to not stress too much about basic concepts.

“Once you really understand the question,” she said. “The answer isn’t difficult.”

After she graduates, she plans to study finance in college. She also plans to study abroad for at least one semester.

“I really want to travel and see as many new places as I can,” Pang added.