A 14-year-old Cole County girl has joined the extremely small percentage of students who score a perfect 36 on the ACT college entrance exam.

Ava Fleury, a Jefferson City native, has become one of the 0.313 percent of students who achieve a perfect score on the test, where a score of 21 is above average and a score of 34 puts you in the top one percent, according to the website PrepScholar.

The test is intended to be taken by 10th, 11th, and 12th-graders, and as a 14-year-old, Ava would normally be considered too young. But Ava has been attending a virtual school, Mizzou Academy, and will graduate this year at the age of 15. She also took specialized classes at Blair Oaks High School. "I'm kind of a perfectionist and always try to do my best," she said. She became a member of the National Honor Society at age 13 and was also one of the first students from Blair Oaks Middle School to receive the Outstanding Achievement Award from the school for her efforts on the ACT.

Aside from her academic background, Ava said a lot of taking the ACT is knowing how to take tests. "The questions aren't that hard once you learn the various test-taking strategies," Ava said. "I took a lot of practice tests."

After graduation this year, Ava plans on going to college, preferably at a local school; at 14, she said she's too young for dorm life. While she has family connections to Columbia College, Ava said she's leaning toward MU where she plans on majoring in either biochemistry or bio-medical engineering and minoring in music. She has been playing the piano for seven years.

Eventually, she wants to be a doctor -- either in neurology or cardiology.

Through it all Ava said she has determined one very important aspect of her success: "Achieving the goals that I want takes a lot of hard work," she said.