BSM Students Achieve Perfect Score on ACT Exam

Two Benilde-St. Margaret’s students have been recognized for achieving a perfect score of 36 on the American College Test (ACT) college readiness exam. Juniors Brynja Lockman ‘25 and Jonathan McMerty-Brummer ‘25 scored in the top 0.25% of all ACT test takers in the United States.

“We are very proud of Brynja and Jonathan who finished with a perfect 36 on their ACT exam,” said Heidi Wessman, counselor for both members of the Class of 2025. “They are both great students at BSM who value their experiences in class and have worked hard over the years.”

Lockman has taken Honors and AP courses and is on the high honor roll for semester one of the 2023-2024 school year. She is active at BSM with the Red Knight Volunteer Corps (RKVC), speech, mock trial, Model UN and the National Honor Society.

“When I saw my scores, I initially thought there was a glitch with the system and dismissed them entirely. After I checked with the counselors and they confirmed it was accurate, I was still in shock,” Lockman said, adding, “I am extremely grateful for the support from my family and friends, this is an amazing opportunity.” She plans on pursuing an undergraduate degree in political science before attending law school.

McMerty-Brummer has also taken Honors and AP courses and is on the high honor roll for semester one of the 2023-2024 school year. “I feel extremely lucky and grateful to have achieved the score that I did. I feel blessed to have had my family push me to do well on the ACT and am grateful for their support,” McMerty-Brummer shared, “While my experience at BSM has definitely given me a holistic understanding of the subjects on the ACT, I felt that I was set up for success due to the resources I had available to me.” He plans to study STEM subjects in college after graduation in 2025.

McMerty-Brummer is also involved in RKVC, Model UN, and recently placed ninth at a recent quiz bowl competition, qualifying for postseason competitions in the state tournament. He also participates in knowledge bowl, boys’ volleyball, e-sports, Link Crew, math league, bowling, and productions of the drama department.

For Wessman, the strong scores reflect BSM’s commitment to academic excellence. “Our college prep curriculum helped prepare Brynja and Jonathan for these important exams. They have taken Honors and AP courses that have challenged them in good ways, helping them be academically engaged, inquisitive, and ready for life after graduation.”

Out of the nearly 1.7 million students nationally who took the ACT in 2023, only approximately 5,500 finished with a perfect score of 36. Just over half of all BSM students take the ACT each year with strong results - the top 10% of Red Knights earn an average score of 34.6.

While the national average for ACT test scores has declined for six consecutive years, students at Benilde-St. Margaret’s have shown continued strong results. BSM’s Class of 2023 had an average ACT score of 25.2 as compared to the Minnesota average ACT score of 20.8 and the national average score of 19.5.