You don’t have to be Albert Einstein to realize Cade Rasmussen is a smart guy.
The 2023 Fremont High School grad recently was one of 24 Nebraska students honored recently in the Rotunda of the State Capitol for earning a top score of 36 on the American College Testing (ACT) exam. Their families and friends also attended the event.
Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Education recognized the students, encouraging them to follow their dreams.
Rasmussen was a sophomore when he learned in April 2021 that he’d earned that top score. The Fremont Public Schools Board of Education honored him as a junior.
He appreciates the recent ceremony in Lincoln.
“I was honored and I was thankful for the recognition,” Rasmussen said.
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In all, 31 students in Nebraska received a top score of 36, representing 17 schools. Two students earned two certificates, having taken the test on two occasions, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
John Clark, senior director of state government relations from ACT, noted that only one-quarter of one percent of students nationally earned the perfect score.
How does someone get a perfect score on an ACT exam?
Rasmussen believes success isn’t so much about knowledge as it is about knowing how the test works.
“It’s testing intelligence,” he said. “It’s not a knowledge test. It’s an intelligence test.”
He further explains.
“In a sense, the ACT is testing your intelligence by giving you – not insanely complicated content matter, but irregular question patterns – and therefore testing your reasoning and logical abilities,” he said. “If you go into it knowing what it’s testing and you practice the things that it’s testing - which is reasoning – then you’re set up for success.”
To prepare for the test, Rasmussen said he used the right resources – such as the ACT Black Book - to build his test-taking ability and his confidence.
“There were extended practice sessions in my classes in high school, especially English and science,” he said.
He noted something else.
“If you go into it with the confidence, knowing that you can find the things you need to find through some reasoning instead of feeling like you have to know everything, then it becomes a lot more manageable,” he said.
The son of Matt and Cari Rasmussen plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and major in biological systems engineering and go into radiology.
In his congratulatory remarks, Pillen encouraged students going outside the state for their education to return to Nebraska.
“Always remember that Nebraska is your home,” Pillen said. “We want you to return and utilize your talents here. There are many opportunities and there are many good paying jobs. There truly is no place like Nebraska.”
Deborah Frison, interim commissioner for the Nebraska Department of Education, noted the support that students received to achieve such a high score.
“Having this level of academic success is not easy and it would be far more difficult without the love and support from your families,” Frison said. “Remember to thank your parents.”
