When Grapevine High School senior Darren Yang took the ACT this summer, he wasn’t expecting a perfect score.
In fact, he hadn’t planned on taking the ACT at all.
After scoring a 1580 out of 1600 on the SAT, a different college admissions exam, Yang was happy with the results. But when his friend, Alex, asked him to take the ACT with him this summer, Yang thought, “Why not?”
When scores arrived, “I was pretty surprised,” he recalls. “I was at work so I couldn’t visibly react. It was more of an internal celebration.”
He had just scored the highest possible score of 36 on the ACT. According to ACT, in 2024, the average ACT score was 19.4.
Yang credits years of challenging coursework and academic preparation in GCISD with helping him build the skills needed for success. He was in the district’s ASPIRE program, and also pointed to advanced academic opportunities offered in GCISD, such as the PSAT preparation and summer camps. He also credits his teachers at Cross Timbers Middle School and Grapevine High School.
“They do a really good job of, like, challenging their students,” he added. “It all comes together and trains our critical thinking. They are also all very kind and very driven.”
The accomplishment runs in the family. Yang’s older brother, Derek, who is a Colleyville Heritage High School Class of 2025 graduate, earned a perfect ACT score in 2024.
For now, Yang will focus on his senior year and the college application process. He is considering studying business, but plans to use college as an opportunity to explore his interest.
One thing he knows he won’t be doing again is taking the ACT.
“I’m super happy with my score,” he said.