Hi,
I took the ACT last April and scored a 25. I know this is extremely low for the colleges I am looking at. By the time I take it in the fall (twice), I’m hoping to get it to at least 30. My question is: has anyone on this forum made this much of a significant jump when studying over the summer? I also scored a 1210 on the new SAT and I am waiting for the June one to come out (though I doubt it will be much higher considering the new SAT math section is hard for me).
Here are some schools that I am considering:
Notre Dame, College of the Holy Cross, Boston College, Villanova, URichmond
I have a similar question about that 5 point leap. Hope someone replies.
BUMP
As a parent who has shepherded one kid through the process and who is ramping up for another, I have this question: Why not select your college “apply to” list based on your scores instead of hoping for a better score?
In terms of making the 5 point leap, I’m sure it’s possible and it’s been done before…and IMO, it’s pretty easy to see if you’ll be able to do it by taking some practice tests under test-day conditions. The question becomes, “what are you doing to prepare yourself for the test?” You mention that you’re “studying”, but how rigorously/systematically…are you using a tutor or doing it on your own, etc.?
Best of luck in your process, but if you were my kid, I’d encourage you to revisit the “apply to” list.
ND is a super reach, and BC and Richmond are a reach with a 30 ACT; agree that the list should better correlate to a high 20’s ACT or it will likely be a frustrating Fall…
Thank you for your replies. Anyone on this thread know if there are schools similar to Notre Dame that correlate to my ACT score, assuming that it goes up?
In regards to your original post, if you put in the time and effort into studying over the summer then you’ll definitely get the 30+. I had one from my December test (28) to the February test (33) by just studying rigorously and taking a bunch of practice tests. In the same time frame, my friend went from a 26 to a 35 by hiring a (expensive) tutor that worked him like crazy. Anyways, on top of what you’ve already studied this summer, and with continued effort into it, you should be fine. Good luck
Hey! On the PSAT that juniors took this year i got a 1250 (yes the one based on the new SAT), after some pratice i managed to get a 1380 on my last SAT (740 Math) (640 english). I do believe going from a 25 to a 30 is possible, but only if you’re willing to put the hours of practice everyday. And don’t ask me how many hours is that because there isn’t a certain number of hours that allow you to get a 30, just practice, practice and practice and then go and kill that test!
my son’s first score on old SAT was 2060. on new SAT he scored 1550, which translates to 2290. so he improved 230 points.
if you translate that to ACT he increased from 31 to 34.
all he did was self-study (and study more) with a couple of the SAT study books you can get from Barnes and Noble.
so a big improvement is certainly possible.
My brother went from a 26 to 31 from his first and second test so I’d say it’s possible, but it might not be realistic for certain students that don’t study or are studying the wrong way
@Wien2NC That’s awesome that he was able to make that jump…Was that over the course of a year or a few months? Did he have a set number of hours he studied each day? I started studying a few days ago and my biggest problem is managing my time…
his first try was June 2015. he went in cold without studying b/c he just wanted a high enough score to test into taking community college classes. he got 2060. next was Fall 2015, he got too cocky and did not study much, basically got the same score. he got more serious for March 2016, he concentrated on Critical Reading and studied hard on that for about three weeks. he got a 760 on CR after getting 640 and 670 his other two tries. problem was his Math slipped 20 points. since he took mostly college classes last semester, he was mostly done in May and really took the time to hit the books and practice tests for both Math and Reading, for the June SAT. he got 1550 / 1600 on that (780 reading, 770 math). if you can set aside the time you can see a big improvement. good luck.
Most of my tutor’s clients jumped at least 4 points with weekly summer practice tests.
It is attainable!
YES. It is possible. My official first score was 31, but I had taken a mock exam provided by the ACT in an actual testing environment with the real grading system and scored 28. The latest one I took (April) was 33.
Was this your first time taking the ACT? I’ve seen many students who don’t do so well in their first one just because they are nervous and needs some time adjusting to the format/environment. I think the main reason why my score improved was because I took AP Lang and Physics which helped me improve a lot in my reading and science section. (But I did practice with every prep book available.) Try to do your best but don’t stress yourself out too much because it hurts you when you get too nervous. Lmk if you have any more questions and I am more than welcome to give you some tips!
Wow! You did really well! I don’t know about OP, but when I got a 25 it was my first time.
My school doesn’t have those courses sadly. :-<
I am going to get some prep books from the library. What do you recommend? Also, since you are open to giving advice, how do you recommend I study for a retake?
My score breakdown: English: 28/ Reading:24/ Science:24/ Math: 24. Thank you.
My sister scored a 23 on her first practice test, a 26 on her first “real” one, and last spring scored a 32. It definitely is possible to increase your score significantly, especially if there’s a reason why you’re performing below your potential (poor time management, haven’t taken Algebra II yet, etc).
In April 2016 I got a 25, and in June 2016 I got a 29. It’s definitely possible if you work hard enough. I met with a tutor twice a week and did one full practice test every week for a month and a half. Hoping to get a 32 in September!
@TheYellowBiscuit I got a 25 on my first try too…back in April of my junior year. Maybe the first try is the worst for some people?
Whoops.
@microssrunner17
Good job! That sounds like a good idea. I can’t afford a tutor, but I will definitely be studying more.
@mack900
I guess so. We can do it! At least get into the higher 20s. How was your score breakdown?