Landon Johanningmeier, a soon-to-be junior at Mount Vernon High School, earned a perfect composite score of 36 on his most recent ACT exam.
The ACT, which many students take to boost their chances of college admission, consists of three mandatory sections that must be completed: mathematics, English and reading. The composite score, ranging from 1-36, represents the average of these three categories. In addition, students may optionally complete a science and writing section, although these are not included when calculating the composite score.
Having earned a 36, Landon is part of the less than 1% of students nationwide who achieve this score each year. In addition to preparation through AP and advanced courses, he said this feat was made possible due to rigorous independent study and practice exams.
“I took a couple practice tests, and I just looked at what I missed on those and reviewed those areas,” he said.
Despite the pressure often associated with standardized tests, Landon said he was able to remain relaxed by employing the same lessons he learned during preparation and considering one question at a time. His strategy also consisted of answering simpler questions first and giving himself more time for those that were particularly challenging.
Jessica Johanningmeier, Landon’s mom, said she received an email about the ACT scores being in while she was cheering him on at a baseball game. Although she was confident Landon would perform well due to his ambition and past academic exceptionalism, she said receiving this news was “incredibly exciting.”
“I think I let out a sigh of relief,” Jessica said. “Knowing him, it’s not at all surprising, but it also — of course — is a shock just because it’s so hard to do that well across all the sections. I was very proud of him and really happy for him for all the hard work he put in…just to see the smile on his face made me feel really, really happy for him”
Getting an early start to his future beyond high school, Landon has already toured multiple colleges and has many more he would like to visit. He said he would like to pursue mechanical engineering due to a longtime interest in design as well as “making things work.”
Reflecting once more on her son’s accomplishment, Jessica expressed to Landon the importance of self-faith in achieving his goals.
“I think that it’s really important that you believe in yourself and you acknowledge that you can do anything,” she said while looking at her son with a soft smile. “Have confidence in everything you do, because you are amazing and you can do anything that’s hard.”