Scottsdale Prep Senior Atish Bala Earns Perfect ACT Score

Scottsdale Prep senior Atish Bala achieved a perfect ACT score of 36. The ACT, which stands for American College Testing, is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. Only a few thousand students out of over 1.34 million test-takers annually earn a perfect score, about one-quarter of one percent.

Bala admitted that he hadn’t been preparing very far in advance. “I wasn’t really aware that we were taking the ACT until they announced it like a few weeks beforehand,” he recalled. “And so, I was a bit nervous, but what ended up happening is that I decided, okay, well if I have the ACT and we’re going to take it as part of the school, I might as well prepare for it… I went online a lot and took a lot of practice tests.”

When test day arrived, he was hopeful but realistic. “I wasn’t actually expecting a 36 because on my practice tests I usually averaged around a 34. So, I was expecting within that range, but then… I learned I got a 36, so all the studying paid off.”

The news of his perfect score, however, didn’t show up right away. “One of my friends had gotten their scores… and so I was like, ‘Oh, I should check for my score.’ I checked on my account and there was nothing there. So, I asked the college counselors, and they were like, ‘Well, it’s sometimes it takes a little while, there can be delays.’”

While classmates compared results, Bala waited, hoping they didn’t lose his score. After several calls with ACT, a clerical error was found and the issue was resolved. “I was finally able to access my score, and I was like, ‘Wow, I got a 36. This is incredible!’”

Bala’s family celebrated the achievement. “My grandma was thrilled because she’s very big on studying and making sure that my grades are kept up. But I think it was my grandpa who was the most excited out of the whole family, because he immediately started bragging to everyone in our entire extended family. And he was like, ‘This is the first 36 we’ve ever had in our family, he’s a genius!’”

At school, the news spread quickly. “My friends joked about it mostly. They were like, ‘Of course you did,’ because they kind of were expecting me to, I think. I know my math teacher, Mr. Duttlinger, specifically, when I told him, he was like, ‘Fantastic work, Atish. Great job!’ Mr. Duttlinger is a fantastic teacher, so I’m happy that he was proud of me for this.’”

Bala credits Scottsdale Prep with preparing him well. “I’m a Latin student. I kept taking it in high school and I will say that was incredibly helpful because English and vocabulary are very easy to me now. So, I was really good on those sorts of questions. And our math classes are actually pretty on par with what the ACT typically asks. I think our school manages to prepare us well while not focusing on it, which I think is well done on their part.”

He also points to the broader impact of Great Hearts’ classical model. “I think Humane Letters deserves a shout out because it is by far the most distinguishing factor, I think, of the Great Hearts experience… I think I personally have really grown because of HL because in ninth grade when I first like came into high school, I was not talkative at all. I was basically silent, and I was very withdrawn. But because HL mandates speaking and participation, it basically forced me to just get past that and since then I have become much more sociable.”

Now in his final year, Bala balances academics with a full slate of activities. “I’m involved in Concert Choir… I’m involved in theater, where right now we’re producing Mary Poppins, and that’s a blast. And then I think in the spring semester, I’ll be in Murder on the Orient Express. I am president of JCL, which means Junior Classical League… and then along with that, I also am helping out with the writing lab. I think senior year, while it’s incredibly busy and daunting, is also a good time.”

College applications are now top of mind. And with his ACT score, there are a lot of opportunities for him “Having a 36, especially for like in-state schools like Arizona State Univeristy, it’s a pretty safe bet that you get in… it also means for ASU that I get a bunch of merit-based scholarships, which is fantastic, because as someone who likes saving money, I do not want to spend that much on my college education… Because of that, that’s up there on the list,” he shared. “Ideally, I would go to Princeton because I toured it last summer and I thought it was gorgeous. And then I’m also going to be applying to Yale. So, those three would probably be the main three. My college list is actually shockingly short.”

Whatever comes next, he knows the 36 will open doors. But for him, the achievement is just one part of a larger story. “For me, the ACT score is great, but what I value most is how much I’ve grown here. Scottsdale Prep has shaped me into someone more confident, more capable, and more ready for what comes next.”

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