Welcome to the PreACT Rising Stars Program!
Welcome to the PreACT® Rising Stars program, designed to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of students who have excelled on PreACT 8/9 during the 2025-26 school year. This initiative aims to honor the highest academic achievers and provide them with the tools and resources to plan the next steps in their educational journeys.
Wondering where the PreACT Rising Stars are located?
Our interactive tool shows the cumulative number of winners in each award category – Distinguished Scholars, Rising Scholars, and Early Scholars – by state, district, and school. Round 1 2025-26 winners will be published in January 2026.
Promotional Resources
Download these resources to promote your students’ success and spread the good news in your schools, districts, and communities.
Program Highlights
Eligibility
Any U.S. student who will take the PreACT 8/9 (online or paper) from Sept. 2, 2025, to May 29, 2026.
Award Categories
PreACT Distinguished Scholars:
Top 3% (97th Percentile and Higher in U.S. Rank)
PreACT Rising Scholars:
Next 4% to 10% highest-scoring students (96th to 90th Percentile in U.S. Rank)
PreACT Early Scholars:
Next 11% to 50% highest-scoring students (89th to 50th Percentile in U.S. Rank)
Award Distribution Schedule
Awards will be distributed to schools/districts in the rounds below for students whose tests were taken and scored within the listed timeframes.
Round 1 – Early February 2026
Test timeframe: Sept. 2, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026
Round 2 – Early May 2026
Test timeframe: Jan. 1, 2026, to Apr. 31, 2026
Round 3 – September 2026
Test timeframe: May 1, 2026, to May 29, 2026
PreACT Rising Stars Winners
Filter by state, district, or school to see the number of Rising Stars recognized in each category. The data below currently reflects 2024-25 winners. 2025-26 winners will be added in late January 2026.
STATE
SCHOOL DISTRICT
SCHOOL NAME