Getting into the college of your choice relies on many factors and the ACT test is certainly one of them. Admission boards also consider high school GPA, community service, extra curricular activities, your personal statement and letters of recommendation. A less than stellar representation in any of the categories can be offset by excellence in another. High ACT scores can render you exempt from certain core classes or earn you placement in honors programs. No matter how you look at it, it would behoove you to prepare as best you can when looking to lock in the best possible ACT score.
One good way to get started is to research and find out the ACT scores of incoming freshmen at the colleges you are interested in. That will give you an idea of what you’re looking at for acceptability. If you end up doing better than that, all the better, right? Here is some more general information:
1. There is an English, math, reading and science section of the ACT. Each has its own score (36 is the highest). Your composite score is the one colleges look at — it’s made of an average of all four scores. That’s a good thing because if you are usually weak in one area and strong in another, your score will be balanced out.
2. You can take the test more than once. In fact, it’s encouraged because 55% of students improve their scores after the first time. Since there’s a cost involved, it makes sense to prepare fully and not get carried away with retesting. Colleges can see when you’ve taken it more than 3 or 4 times and that isn’t too impressive. A good recommendation is to take the ACT for the first time when you’re a junior and once or twice when you’re a senior. Then, submit your best score.
3. The ACT is a curriculum-based test. It shows how well you comprehended the subjects taught to you during your school years. The SAT, on the other hand, factors in other skills such as reasoning and problem solving. Some students do much stronger on one versus the other so it makes sense for you to take both.
For a complete rundown of all things ACT, go to the ACT website.
Thomas Burke assists working adults in selecting online colleges and online degree programs.