Landenberg resident Tennyson Nelson, who attends Avon Grove Charter School, has earned a perfect score on the ACT test, according to The Daily Local News.

Nelson scored 36, which is the highest possible score and difficult to accomplish.

For reference, only 5,579 out of 1.6 million students who took the ACT in 2020 earned the full score. That’s about 0.33 percent of test takers. The average score ranges between the low- to mid-20s.

It was his first time taking the test, with a tutor and practice exams to guide him.

What’s more, he scored a 1550 out of 1600 in his SAT.

“This is an amazing accomplishment,” said Matthew Messick, high-school principal. “Tennyson has consistently pushed himself academically, and it is not a surprise that he scored high. But a perfect score: Wow! We look forward to seeing where his résumé takes him.”

Nelson thanked everyone for their support and said, “I am glad that I don’t have to retake it.”

He has attended Avon Grove Charter School since first grade.

As a current junior, he plans to explore opportunities at Rice University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, California Institute of Technology, or the University of Chicago for aerospace engineering.

Read more about Tennyson Nelson in The Daily Local News.

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Although it may not result in a perfect score, preparation tactics like those presented here can increase a student’s shot at a good ACT score.