Two District 202 students earned the highest possible ACT Composite score of 36 on the April 2026 ACT, an achievement earned by fewer than one percent of students nationwide.
Plainfield North High School senior Evan Aler earned a “double perfect” ACT score, receiving a 36 in all four sections of the exam: English, math, reading and science.
PNHS senior Yesh Nagelli earned a perfect Composite score of 36.
“Evan and Yesh’s perfect ACT Composite score is an incredible achievement that speaks volumes about their work ethic,” said Ross Draper, PNHS principal. “Reaching a top score of 36 is rare, and we couldn’t be prouder to have both Evan and Yesh represent Tiger Nation.”
Evan Aler
Aler’s accomplishment was the result of months of preparation and practice. He began preparing for the ACT in the fall, taking more than 10 full-length practice tests between October and December 2025 and working through the official ACT practice book during Thanksgiving break and on several weekends.
Aler first took the ACT in December, allowing him to become familiar with the pace and difficulty of the exam before taking it again in April.
“I was extremely proud and happy that my hard work paid off,” Aler said.
Outside of the classroom, Aler participates in tennis, robotics, math team, Byte Club, symphonic band, jazz band, National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
“I would like to thank all my amazing teachers at Plainfield North, especially Mr. Patel, my physics teacher, and Mrs. Prosser, my pre-calculus teacher, for inspiring me to challenge myself and helping me grow,” Aler said.
Aler plans to study electrical engineering in college.
Yesh Nagelli
Nagelli’s accomplishment was also the result of several weeks of preparation.
He studied for about six weeks, typically completing one to two full-length practice tests each weekend and using the week to focus on areas he missed.
“I was very excited when I learned I scored a 36,” Nagelli said. “I prepped for the ACT for a long time, and it felt great seeing all my hard work pay off. I was also relieved I no longer had to stress about it and could direct my focus into other things.”
Outside of the classroom, Nagelli serves as president of the PNHS Computer Science Club, founded the school’s robotics program, and competes on the math team.
“I would just like to thank my peers for pushing me to work harder and become better,” Nagelli said. “I would also like to thank many of my teachers here at North who went above and beyond to support me.”
Nagelli plans to study data science in college.
Districtwide Results
The strong results extended beyond the two students who earned perfect scores.
Of the 2,337 District 202 students who took the ACT in April, 217 earned a Composite score of 30 or higher, meaning nearly 10 percent of students who tested reached that benchmark.