NEENAH (NBC 26) — It's a trifecta for Neenah High School, as three students attained perfect composite scores on the recent ACT exams. Juniors Andrew Hou, Ethan Hou and Erik Kraus all achieved the rare honor. Neenah has now had seven students achieve perfect scores over the past four years.
Andrew Hou and Kraus each scored 36 in each subject area of their exam. Andrew’s twin brother, Ethan, achieved his perfect mark through “super scoring” where students can combine scores from subject areas in previous exams for their composite score.
According to ACT data, a total of 5,579 students nationwide recorded perfect scores in 2020. A total of 1,607,497 students took the exam, meaning 0.334 percent of test-takers finished with a 36. The national average for the exam is a 20.6. Two other Neenah students, Joshua Ryan and Caleb Youngwerth, both scored a 35.
The 36 composite score does not necessarily mean the student answered every question correctly. The score represents a combination of the math, reading, science, and English scores. Kraus and Andrew Hou were perfect in all four areas, which is even rarer. Ethan Hou was perfect in math and English and scored a 34 in reading and science. He was perfect in reading in 2020, resulting in his 36 composite score.
Andrew and Ethan Hou are the sons of Yanming Hou and Jie Zhou. They moved to Neenah in eighth grade. Both students participate in soccer and math club, and both students also play viola in the Touch of Class orchestra. Both students took the test for the third straight year. Andrew is considering a major in the medical field and Ethan is exploring math-related fields. The brothers will be touring colleges across the country during the upcoming summer. Both students participated in virtual learning at home during the 2020-21 school year.
Kraus is the son of Charles and Shannon Kraus and attended Hoover Elementary School. He is a three-sport athlete in cross country, swimming and diving and track and field. Kraus is also part of the “Reach for the Stars” program where students with and without disabilities participate together in after-school activities. He also has not made any college plans and will be visiting schools this summer. This year marked the first time Kraus has taken the ACT exam.
