Gail Bennison Special to the Business Press
Fort Worth Country Day junior, John Callaway, 17, achieved the highest possible composite score of 36 on his recent ACT test, an achievement that is significant and rare, says Jon Whitmore, CEO of ACT Corp. “On average, less than one-tenth of one percent of all test takers earn the top score,” Whitmore said. Among ACT-tested U.S. high school graduates in the class of 2012, only 781 out of more than 1.66 million students earned a composite score of 36. ACT scores are accepted by major U.S. four-year colleges and universities. In a letter recognizing exceptional achievement, Whitmore wrote: “While test scores are just one of the many criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT composite score should prove helpful as you pursue your education and career goals.” In addition to this accomplishment, Callaway maintains a 4.0 GPA taking six cognitive courses primarily in the Honors and AP levels. He has earned nine varsity letters participating in football, wrestling, and track and field. Callaway is a member of the Will Stansbury Club which recognizes students participating in three sports each school year. He is currently one of four high school students participating in a collegiate Society of Physics Students grant to the University of Texas at Arlington to build a Rodin coil. Callaway is a founding member of the FWCD whiz quiz team. He has received numerous awards recognizing his excellence in Latin including The Randolph College award, honoring his achievement in undergraduate Latin studies. Over spring break, Callaway traveled to Geneva for an extensive tour of CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics. He is involved in church activities and is a devoted and compassionate brother to his special needs sibling. His parents are Amy and Tull Bailey and Neal Callaway. He is the grandson of Jean and John Roach and Bill Callaway. “I was glad to see my score when it came out, as it seemed commensurate with my own thoughts about my performance on the test,” John Callaway said. “As I currently stand, I would like to pursue a physics major in college.”