Local High School Boasts 3 Students With Perfect ACT Scores

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO  (CBSLA)  —   A local high school has bragging rights after it was revealed three of their students got perfect scores on their ACTs.

About 2 million high school students took the ACT, a college readiness exam, this year. Only one one-tenth of 1 percent (about 2,200) will get a perfect score of 36.

CBS2's Craig Herrera reported from San Juan Capistrano, where three JSerra Catholic High School students pulled off the near-impossible.

One of the three, 17-year-old Austin Brotman, got the news about 1 o'clock in the morning and he want to bed.

"My parents got mad at me the next morning for not coming and telling them about it," Brotman says.

He's applied to 14 universities and even though he's wearing a Cal sweat shirt, he has a few schools he'd love to get into.

"Stanford and Pomona are my top choices," he says.

And has a good idea of what he wants to study.

"I've really wanted to go into medicine since I was real young," Brotman says. And he knows what area he wants to focus on.

"I think pain management looks really interesting," Brotman says.

That's because he knows about it all too well.

"It comes from when I was in rehab. Because I was in rehab at Craig Hospital for a spinal cord injury. I broke my neck about two years ago"

It happened while on a family trip to Florida.

"I dove off a boat, the front of a boat and the water was just a little shallower than I thought it would," Brotman says.

Up to that point Austin was a competitive swimmer and on the water polo team. Now a paraplegic and in a wheelchair, Austin is still helping out his team.

"I do a little bit of coaching for the swim team," Brotman said.

And two of his classmates also got perfect scores.

"I'm just you're average engineering nerd. Just out playing video games with friends, that kinda stuff.," said Deven Douglas.

One jokingly told Herrera she thought her perfect score was an accident.

"I was super excited, but when I told my family, my dad's first response, was that out of 100? I was like 'Ahhh,' " said Christine Zhou.

All three graduate June 2 and they're looking forward to a summer free from studying.