Jacobs Students Earn Perfect ACT Scores

Whiz Kids' Names: Brad Searle and Erik Hansen

Whiz Kids' Grade: 12th

Whiz Kids' School: Harry D. Jacobs High School, 2601 Bunker Hill Dr., Algonquin.

Whiz Kids' Accomplishment: Searle, 18, of Algonquin, and Hansen, 18, of Carpentersville both earned a perfect 36 composite score on the 2010 ACT test.

The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions for English, mathematics, reading and science. The overall average composite score in 2010 for District 300 was 20.4; for Jacobs High School 21.6; and 20.7 statewide in Illinois, according to ACT test results.

Whiz Kids' Key To Awesomeness:

Brad Searle: "Hard work, and my parents really getting on me to study."

Searle also credited taking the ACT-36 preparatory course at Jacobs, reading three ACT study books and completing the practice tests with helping him prepare for the exam.

Erik Hansen: "The diversity in classes and extracurricular activities I took. I participated in music, sports and clubs, and having that diverse background really helped me on the exam."

Hansen added that taking advanced placement courses in English and physics "really helped" him as well.

Searle and Hansen are members of the National Honors Society and the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Club, WYSE, at Jacobs.

Searle is president of the Information and Technology Club at Jacobs and plans to study computer science in college. He has not selected a university, yet.

Hansen was a member of the school's varsity football, wrestling and LaCrosse teams and sang with the Jacobs' Goldenaires choir. Hansen is leaving on a two-year church mission trip upon graduating from high school. He plans to attend college when he returns.