Plainfield North Student Earns Perfect ACT Score

Editor's note: The following is a press release issued by Plainfield School District:

Plainfield North High School senior Nicoletta Kijak was already having a pretty good vacation this past summer when things suddenly got a lot better.

While visiting her grandparents in Poland, an email arrived announcing that Kijak had earned a perfect “36” on the ACT college entrance exam. 

Kijak is the third District 202 student (and the second from PNHS) to score a 36 on the ACT since 2007, and the only District 202 student to achieve the honor on last spring’s test.

Only 781 students nationwide earned a perfect 36 on last spring’s ACT administration out of about 1.7 million who took the test. Likewise, only 101 Illinois students scored a 36 out of about 147,000 students taking the ACT last spring. 

Kijak, who plans to study pre-med at the University of Chicago and ultimately wants to be a neonatal doctor said she didn’t do anything special to prepare for the test. “I took one practice exam and then did what I normally do,” she said.

“I was very excited when I found out,” Kijak said, recalling that she had to explain to her grandparents the significance of the achievement. 

PNHS Principal Ray Epperson praised Kijak as one of the school’s top students.

“Nicoletta is a wonderful asset to the Plainfield North Family and Plainfield community at large.  While excelling academically, Nicoletta has found time to volunteer both in and out of school,” he said.

Kijak, who has a 5.53 grade point average (on a 5-point scale) and is ranked 13th in her class also helps with the school’s Peer Tutoring program while also volunteering at her church. “She is a great example of the well rounded young adults we are trying to mold here at PNHS,” Epperson said.

Kijak has also been a member of the PNHS Speech Team for four years and the Key Club service organization for three years including one year as president. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.