I know it’s very impressive to achieve the 36, but how much significance it is really?
I know for some schools, accepting someone who a 36 ACT helps boost the avg ACT at the school,
But some schools may reject or wait list the student cuz they feel he’s overqualified…
Or some say they reject cuz he’s not a “good fit” for the school.
Ideas?
False dichotomy: You realize that achieving a 36C ACT will immediately qualify that individual for full tuition scholarships at many schools, right?
Think about what I just said. That test score is worth tens of thousands of real dollars to that person. It’s extremely rare and for about 95% of US colleges, it’s an auto-admit with tons of merit scholarship.
Overqualified? That’s arm chair quarterbacking for entitled kids who don’t present themselves well to very selective schools. They turn in a 36C and sound mediocre in essays = rejection. All the time. Yep – if 36C ACT kids apply to very competitive schools, they BETTER have something more than academics or else those schools won’t worry about rejecting them. Because they have top scholars applying in surplus.
But for the other 95% or schools, not so, whatsoever.
how good is a 36 act really? not so great, one could do better
It completely depends on the context . . .
A stellar profile including a 36 score may indeed get you rejected or waitlisted at certain schools, unless you can show some genuine interest.
For top schools, the difference between 34 and 36 is negligible. However, that 36 could help in other ways. It depends on the context, as others have said.
Yeah, you’re dead on. Make sure to at least miss a few points, so you don’t get labeled as an “overqualified smart person…”
Sounds like Reverse Tufts Syndrome.
An ACT score of 36 is in the top tenth of the 99th percentile. In 2014, the latest year for which I could find data, 1,407 students got a 36. These days, a perfect score on ACT or SAT is a good credential for admission at the most selective schools, but by no means an automatic admit.
A 36 is obviously a terrific score. But a strong ACT alone doesn’t guarantee you admission into a very selective college.
A 36 is a good score. In the eyes of the admission officers, you have a good test score. Now you need to focus on the other parts of the application.
Per a moderator the OP is no longer a member of CC.