Cretin-Derham Hall Student Aces ACT Test

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Officials at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul announced Tuesday that one of their own has achieved perfection with a college entrance test.

Joseph Vanderwall, a junior at the school, scored a perfect 36 on his ACT college admissions and placement test.

Experts say on average, less than one-tenth of one percent of all those who take the ACT earn a perfect score. Among 2011 high school graduates, more than 1.6 million students took the ACT. Of that number, only 704 students nation-wide scored a perfect 36.

The Minnesota average last year was 22.9, while the national average was 21.1.

Joseph Vanderwall is the son of Kathleen and William Vanderwall of St. Paul.