When Caitlin Deane’s high school friends began receiving their ACT results, the Summit High senior wasn’t quick to proclaim her success on the college entrance test.

”You don’t want to know,” she told them. ”No, really, you don’t want to know.”

But friends know how to nudge a secret free, and Caitlin ended up spilling her score. She earned a 36, the highest possible number.

Her friends rolled their eyes and announced the number was no surprise. Caitlin is an academic super-achiever.

Not only did she do well, the 18-year-old did better than almost every other student who took the test nationwide in December. She was the only one in Oregon and one of 38 students out of about 332,000 test-takers in the country to get such a high score.

The test evaluates what a student has learned in school in English, math, reading and science. Because of the way the test is scored, a student can miss a few questions and still get a 36, said Kristin Crouse, a spokeswoman at ACT, the Iowa-based nonprofit that does education assessment and research.

But a 36 is a 36, after all, and the Bend La Pine School District announced Caitlin’s high-flying score at a board meeting several weeks ago.

The thing is, even Caitlin, with her 4.0 GPA and her expected valedictorian status, was surprised by her achievement. She remembered feeling good about the test but didn’t think she’d done perfectly. This isn’t the child of parents who set out to raise an overachiever. Her mom, Norma Deane, says the family didn’t push her. They just wanted her to do her best.

”We’ve always tried to keep you humble,” Norma Deane told her daughter.

Nevertheless, it was clear early on that Caitlin wasn’t average. As a 21-month-old baby, Caitlin read the letters aloud on the Safeway sign, her mom recalls. When she was about 3, she started reading greeting cards aloud at the card shop.

In second grade, Caitlin recited a chapter from a book word for word, her mom said. Despite her gifts, school hasn’t been simple, her mom said.

”I’ve been challenged enough, but not overwhelmingly,” Caitlin said. She’s worked hard to be successful, studying 4 to 5 hours on school nights to get her school work done.

And she’s made time for things other than school work – making music a part of her life. These days she’s the school’s only oboe player.

”I like being kind of the only one,” she said. ”It’s more unique. I’m not just someone in the crowd.”

Brian Seed, Summit’s band teacher, says Caitlin stands out among his students.

”She’s probably one of the brightest students I think I’ve ever had,” he said, ”which kind of goes with the instrument she plays.” He noted that the oboe is difficult to play.

Other students respect Caitlin for her musicianship and academic prowess, he said. The teen is the senior drum major of the marching band.

At the same time, he said, ”she’s kind of in a position where she’s so much more mentally mature than a lot of the other ones that I think some of the younger students find her somewhat intimidating.”

As for what happens next, the future remains up in the air for Caitlin. She’s debating among several Oregon schools and might pursue a science-based career once school is done.

Now, with the world looming, Caitlin is a little apprehensive of what is to come. In some ways, she can’t wait for high school graduation.

”In some ways, I wish I could stay in high school forever,” she said.

Julia Lyon can be reached at 541-617-7831 or at jlyon@bendbulletin.com.