Glacier student perfect on ACT test

The first time Glacier High School student Ryker McIntyre took the ACT as a junior, he achieved a high composite score of 31 out of a possible 36, quite an achievement.

Despite the high score, McIntyre took the national college entrance exam a second time hoping to improve a few points in specific content areas such as reading and English.

“I thought if I studied really hard on the reading section, I could at least improve a little bit. I improved my reading score by 11 points,” McIntyre said. “I was stunned.”

The second time paid off: McIntyre, 17, a Glacier senior who lives in Whitefish, achieved a perfect composite score of 36.

He also has a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

Among test-takers in the high school graduating class of 2015, only 1,598 of more than 1.92 million students earned a composite score of 36 on the ACT.

On average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT around the nation earn the top score.

“I found out in November. I was looking online at my scores and it was taking a long time,” McIntyre said as other students logged on at the same time. “All my friends saw their scores and I was getting frustrated. I finally saw it and I was getting confused because I was not sure if it was real.”

The ACT is a national college admissions test covering English, math, science and reading with an optional writing component. The composite score is an average of the four scores not including writing, which is reported separately.

His achievement may be a first for Glacier High School, which opened in 2007.

“We can’t remember a student scoring a 36,” Glacier Principal Callie Langohr wrote in an email to The Daily Inter Lake. “It is an amazing accomplishment,”

What made the difference between the first and second scores is that McIntyre did more studying — not just subject material, but on what types of questions might appear on the test and how they would be worded.

In addition to taking the ACT, McIntyre took the SAT, another college entrance exam, earning a score of 2170 out of a possible 2400.

McIntyre is a member of the National Honor Society. He is a National Merit semifinalist and has received Glacier High School’s Advanced Placement “Scholar of Honor” award. He is also a member of speech and debate, DECA and Business Professionals of America in addition to playing soccer and tennis.

While he is undecided about what college to attend, McIntyre said he eventually would like to land a career in the math and science field.

McIntyre is the son of Janet Vandermeer and Curt McIntyre.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.