This entire summer and first semester was dedicated to studying for the ACT. In total I’ve taken 25 practice tests and have done hours of homework alongside it. Despite my hours of preparation, I did not expect to reach my dream score so quickly. My most recent tests gave me a 28/29 average, so I was never expecting my dream score of a 32. A 32 was even starting to seem impossible as I was shifting my focus to a 31. I expected to take the Feb 9th ACT and get a 28/29 and eventually get up to a 31 by July 13th. Now that I have a 32, I was wondering if it would be smart to take the other tests I signed up for (March 9th aka my only scheduled SAT, April 13th, and July 13th). I feel like there could be a scenario in which I decide to stop this madness of tests (and the preparation that precedes them), but college officers see that I only took it once and gave up without challenging myself. Obviously they can’t see my 25 practice SATs/ACTs, so I’m not sure what to do. FYI I’m hoping to apply as a legacy to Cornell’s Bachelors of Art and Science and a generic polisci major to (Tufts, Georgetown, Northeastern, Carnegie Mellon, etc). My main question is will it look bad that I only took it once rather than a progression to my best possible score. I’d appreciate any feedback! Oh also, should I retake it for the potential super-scoring benefit?
No one sees one and done as giving up.
Are you sure? I feel like it seems a little weird to only take it once.
I would take the ACT at least one more time especially if applying to top 25 colleges and ones that superscore the ACT. Most test takers do better the second time they take it.
Although I want to do as well as possible, improving my score simply feels time consuming and pretty hard (if I’m being perfectly honest).
Take the July or September test dates and study the sections you scored lowest. Getting a 33 or even 34 will make a difference with those colleges listed. My D also has a 32 but will take the ACT one more time to get her Math into the low 30’s which would get her a 33 superscore. It’s getting more and more competitive to top colleges and every point matters.
So it would be worth continuous studying for another year?
Have you looked up the admission stats for the colleges you are interested in? Middle 50 percentiles:
Cornell 32-34 for class of 2022 enrolled students
Tufts 31-34 for class of 2021 enrolled students; 32-35 for class of 2022 (unclear if this is admitted or enrolled)
Georgetown 30-34 for class of 2021 enrolled students
Northeastern 32-34 for class of 2021 enrolled students
Carnegie Mellon 33-35 for class of 2022 enrolled students; 33 average for social sciences
Being only at the 25th percentile is a challenging spot for admission. Ask yourself whether you would regret not trying again; you may feel differently this time next year, while nervously awaiting your decisions. Consider trying again in July or Sept.
Those are some interesting stats to consider. Do you mind me asking why I should take July or Sept rather than April’s testing date.
^No special reason other than that some people do better the later they take the test. Obviously you would want to do some significant practice/prep before taking it again, so plan that into your schedule.
The admission stats are available on each college’s website. Check them for each school on your list - all of the above are reaches and you will need matches/safeties as well.
“Do you mind me asking why I should take July or Sept rather than April’s testing date.”
To give yourself maximum time to study and get your scores up.
@thewhiteowl So your practice tests after much studying were consistently around a 28-29 and you pulled out a 32 by dint of hard work and maybe a tiny bit of luck? If it were my kid, I’d recommend one and done.
How have your practice SAT tests gone? Are they similar in percentile terms to your ACT result? Better? Worse? If you do better with that format, it might be worth taking the SAT once and then compare the results. If you consistently score significantly better on the ACT, then don’t bother.
Congrats on surpassing your goal!
The standard advice is to shoot for the school’s 75th percentile or close to it–unless you are a recruited athlete, development case, underrepresented minority, etc. The idea is that most of the bottom 25ish percent (could be more, could be less) is occupied by people who have something else going for them. Unless you fit into one of these categories (you will probably get something of a push for being a legacy at Cornell, but that only applies to one school and it is hard to say how big of a push you will get), these are not the people you are being compared to in the admissions process. If you drop that bottom 25%, the 50th percentile becomes the 33rd percentile (below average) and the 75th percentile becomes the 67th percentile (still above average).
Based on this and your target schools, I would recommend trying to raise your scores. You simply don’t stand an excellent chance at these schools otherwise.
Several pieces of advice:
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At your score, you shouldn’t just be doing practice tests. In my experience, students with scores like yours usually still need to expand their math and grammar knowledge bases. In other words, you should spend more time learning grammar rules and math. These things are highly learnable. Make sure you know all the math and grammar rules tested on the ACT very well. If you do (many students think they do even though they don’t) your score should go up. If your math class in school is covering subjects that are relevant to the ACT that should help your score go up.
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Have you taken the SAT? Sometimes students do much better on one test then the other. I also think the SAT generally rewards practice more than the ACT does. There are also objective advantages to taking the SAT. Namely, more schools superscore it. This is advantageous because there is some statistical variability in how well a given student does on a given day (fluctuations of 30 or so points on a given section in either direction are common). Therefore, even if you don’t improve from one test to another, your superscore very likely will.
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Make sure you learn from the practice tests you have taken. Go back and look at the practice tests you have taken and search for trends in your performance. Are there types of questions you routinely get wrong or are unsure about (it is important to also study the questions you aren’t perfectly confident about)?
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You may find this piece of advice useful or wholly obvious. Remember that on reading comp. questions there is always a good reason why an answer choice is right or wrong. Generally the reason comes in the form of evidence in the passage (supporting evidence, lack of evidence, or contradictory evidence). Make sure to get good at identifying the relevant evidence. Improvements in reading scores generally come from being better able to identify evidence or from learning to read better (which will help you identify the relevant evidence). Practice identifying the relevant evidence for each question. You can even do this for practice tests you have already taken. I would recommend doing this untimed at first to get good at it. Once you get good at it, then you can start doing it timed,
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If all else fails, and if it is financially an option, consider seeking professional assistance. If you aren’t getting the scores you need for these schools, you may want to seek out a good tutor who will be able to identify your weaknesses and help you work on them.
Hope this helps and good luck!
From what I have seen it appears that preparation can help a lot with SAT and ACT scores. However, there is a point where a student has reached as high a score as they are likely to get. After that additional preparation does not appear to do much. Your next score might be slightly higher, or might be slightly lower, or might be just the same.
You have a great score. Schools are not going to be bothered by you taking the test only once and getting a great score.
I think that you should accept the excellent score that you have, and think about other things such as getting great grades, deciding what schools you want to apply to, or just having some fun.
Retake one more time for superscoring
Wow that’s a lot to consider! As of now, each side has around two strong points (super scoring + percentiles vs. being done and using the time to focus on other stuff). Although I have been in debate for years and therefore know how to weigh/decide a question, I am still struggling with this.
Any advise?
@thewhiteowl TBH, I was impressed with your honesty above. You studied hard, did better than you imagined, and are not sure that more preparation would be worth the effort and yield a better result.
My kid was one and done. She scored higher on the real ACT than any of her practice tests. We encouraged her to stop at that point. She got in everywhere she applied.
Given that you surpassed your anticipated upper range, a second score might stay flat or even go down. If your real test came in at the lower end of your practice results, I would have advised a second try.
As I suggested above, if your practice tests for the SAT put you in a higher percentile than the ACT, I would give that format a try. Otherwise leave it and find some better way to spend a Saturday morning.
Congrats on your 32!
I suggest you pull back and look at your big picture. You want to go to college. What career are you pursuing? And what safety schools are you prepared to attend if you don’t get into your top choices?
Have you run NPC on your college choices, and could your parents afford to pay the costs? If not, pick cheaper schools.
Essays are a huge factor that require lots of time and attention. I suggest you take any tests sooner so you leave ample time for essays later.
If you want the top schools, you should try again soon to improve your scores. Ask your parents to hire a test prep tutor, or sign up for test prep classes.
Or hire a college counselor to look at your overall situation-gpa, ECs, rigor, etc. Getting an expert opinion on the strength of your college application package might help you decide.