June 17, 2023

Jacob Klipfel of Lee’s Summit West High School earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. Approximately .03% of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In 2021, over 1.2 million students took the ACT exam and only 4055 students earned a perfect score of 36. Klipfel is the sixth student in the history of Lee’s Summit West High School to earn a perfect score.

Klipfel, a 2022-2023 junior, is the son of Jason and Tricia Klipfel. He is an International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme candidate and has earned academic letters each year in high school. He has a passion for science and is currently planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry with the goal of pursuing a career in biomedical research or attending medical school in the future. He will be attending STA next year enrolling in the Capstone PLTW Medical Intervention/Biomedical Innovation course. Klipfel has been selected to attend the Life Sciences Quest and Mini-Medical School programs at the University of Missouri – Columbia. These programs select a limited number of students that spend time in campus labs and research programs for a few weeks this summer. Klipfel volunteers regularly as a Clerical Aide, Student Tutor in the A+ Program, as well as at his local church. He has over 145 volunteer hours to date. He has been a member of the Air Force Association’s National Youth Cyber Education program, Cyberpatriots, since middle school. He serves as a Titan Ambassador as well as is a member of Spanish Honor Society, the Chess Club, and the Investment Club at West.

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1 to 36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. Some students also take the optional ACT writing test, but the score for that test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score.

ACT test scores are accepted by all major U.S. colleges. Exceptional scores of 36 provide colleges with evidence of student readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.