Bhav Jain of Murrysville wants to be a neurosurgeon when he grows up.

And the Franklin Regional junior isn't wasting any time shoring up his educational resumé: Jain, 16, recently earned the highest possible score in each of four sections on the ACT college entrance exam, achieved a perfect score on the ACT essay and also scored 100 percent in biology and math SAT tests.

“I did about 50 sample exams — as many as I could do,” Jain said. “I looked at areas I was weak on, and I worked to build some more confidence in those areas.”

Earlier in the year, Jain devoted at least an hour a day to exam preparation. In the weeks leading up to the December tests, “I probably did about four or five hours of studying each day after school,” he said.

On average, about one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT exam earn a top score. Of roughly 1.8 million students who take the test each year, only about 1,000 earn a composite score of 36.

The ACT consists of tests in English, math, reading and science. The composite represents the average of the four individual subject scores.

“While test scores are just one of multiple criteria that most colleges consider when making admission decisions, your exceptional ACT composite score should prove helpful as you pursue your education and career goals,” ACT Chief Executive Officer Marten Roorda wrote in a letter to Jain.

And while the scores will certainly aid him with his personal goals, Jain is putting his knowledge to use helping others, teaching a test-prep class at Chinmaya Mission in Monroeville on Sundays since November.

“I give exams and we go over the different sections,” Jain said. “We've learned a lot there, myself included, because I started there as a student.”

Jain had some simple advice for fellow students looking to get the most out of their college entrance exams.

“I would just say work hard every day, speak with others and learn as much as you're able to,” he said. “The internet is a huge resource. There are all these forums where people are actively speaking about math and these other interests, so I think just being involved is a huge first step.”

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.

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