New Trier High School Twins Achieve Perfect ACT Scores

Dean and Aiden Elhadary, students at New Trier High School, accomplished a remarkable feat by both earning perfect scores on their ACT exam. The twins completed their sophomore year before achieving this milestone.

Aiden Elhadary expressed his satisfaction upon receiving the exam results in class, saying, “I got an email in class saying my scores were released and when I found out my score, I was pleased and relieved.” He shared the excitement of discovering his brother Dean also scored perfectly, noting, “Then I texted my brother to see what he got and it was the same score — which was exciting.”

Shared Passion for Sciences

The Elhadary twins share a keen interest in science and have clear intentions for their academic futures. Dean plans to pursue a pre-med track, while Aiden aims to major in biology or chemistry. Both achieved a composite score of 36, an achievement attained by only 1 in 400 students, according to ACT Communications Director Juan Elizondo.

The ACT is normally taken during junior or senior year; however, some sophomores take the test early outside of school administrations to explore college opportunities. Aiden mentioned their early testing was to identify areas for improvement for future preparation.

Preparation and Support

Jenny Elhadary, their mother, shared insights into the twins’ preparation process. She noted the twins worked with a private tutor for a month each before the SAT and ACT, dedicating an hour each week to tutoring and completing practice tests independently. “I know she gave them practice exams and that’s all they did,” Jenny remarked, emphasizing their dedication to self-study.

Hamdy Elhadary, their father, humorously noted that one twin showed more interest in studying than the other.

Family Background and Aspirations

The twins, alongside their parents, stood proudly at New Trier High School’s Winnetka campus. Both parents work in healthcare; Jenny is the vice president for clinical services at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, and Hamdy is a physician assistant specializing in plastic surgery at Endeavor Health. Discussions about the medical field have been part of the twins’ upbringing.

Outside academics, Dean and Aiden engage in Science Olympiad, an extracurricular activity that involves nationwide engineering competitions. They also contribute to the Science Olympiad program at Marie Murphy Middle School by coaching students one or two times a week.

The family recently visited Duke University, a top choice for the twins’ future college endeavors, and are exploring other options as well. Hamdy expressed pride and disbelief at their achievement, stating, “This was very shocking and rewarding. I want them to realize how exciting and great this is.”