Hey guys, I recently just got a 32 on my acts (second time, 1st was a 29). I was wondering if it is enough to have me be competitive at these schools:
Georgetown
Boston College
Babson
NYU Stern
Emory
Carnegie
Tufts
William & Mary
Not if you want to be rock solid. I would shoot for a 33 or a 34
All through Google searching
Georgetown- 75%ile ACT = 33
BC- ACT = 30-33
Babson- Middle 50% 28-32
NYU Stern- 75%ile ACT = 34
Emory- 30-34
Carnegie- Average 31
Tufts- Mean ACT 32
William and Mary- 29-33
75%ile means 25% of admitted students had a score greater than that
i.e, if 75%ile is 33, 25% scored a 34 or higher
So for schools like Stern and Gtown, I would have to get at least a 33 to even be competitive?? or is a 32 enough? because with ap and sat ii coming up, it’s hard to find time to study
32 is pretty competitive for most schools. Not a bad score at all! If it is realistic to possibly get a 33, or even 34, then you’ll absolutely be good. but if 32 is really your best, then that’s fine: you don’t always need the highest score. These are the middle fifties, meaning half scored higher, half lower. Gtown shouldn’t be a problem because it seems like you’re in the top half (of admits), NYU is similar: you seem to be right around the middle. Remember: tests aren’t the most important thing, Getting good grades with a rigorous schedule, and writing good essays really is what sets you apart.
A test score alone is not going to make you competitive at any of those schools, it just will keep you from being immediately ruled out. These schools will also want to know what is your GPA and course rigor like? What are your ECs? Do you have an unusual story or hook? What do you want to major in? Absent a good answer to any of these, even a 36 ACT could very well see you shut out from that list. That said, Babson is a step below the others aside from its excellent entrepreneurship program. You’d face excellent odds there as a liberal arts major with a 32 as it’s not their forte but you’d be better off in that case at UMass-Amherst, UVM, UConn or a host of other nearby schools.
First, make sure you are looking at the admission stat, not the enrolled freshmen stat. The latter can be somewhat lower except for the very top schools. Second, having a score at 75% of top school admission still does not mean you have more than 50% chance of admission. You may have much better chance than the average applicants that have the chance around the admission rate of that school though. 32 is a good score but may be not sufficient for those very competitive ones.
A 32 is enough for all of those schools. Once you reach a certain point, test scores don’t mean much. You’re already in the 99th percentile. Focus on other parts of your app. Trust me. You will NOT get rejected because of your test scores.
It’s true, a 32 will not keep you out (of any school). But if your GPA is mediocre you will be in a tough position regardless of your course rigor. Make sure you have a solid list of match and safety schools. Also consider applying EA, certainly ED (esp to the LACs) if you have a favorite that you can afford.
Focus on doing really well on your subject tests this spring and if you need to retake ACT in the Fall you can study over the summer. But do aim for 700+ on those subject tests and good luck!
A few top schools (WUSTL comes to mind) have a reputation for chasing test scores to elevate their US News profiles. A higher score would make a difference in those places. It also could improve a merit scholarship offer. I’m not recommending this as a good course of action, but a 32 and 36 are going to be viewed differently by many schools. That said, most schools prefer a well-rounded student and your efforts will be much better spent there with a great score already in pocket.
32 is competitive.
There is no score that will may anyone rock solid anymore. You have to play the odds.
@calicash 32 is NOT in the 99th percentile, while 33 is in the border of 99th percentile. ACT 32 is at the 98%. In other words, the number of students getting 32 is rough the total of students getting 33-36 (i.e. top 2% is double the number of top 1%). It is still below admission average for many schools within the top 30 (which are around the top 1% of universities in the US).
@sltxdad wondering how you’ve come to that conclusion concerning washu?
Hey guys!! thank you for all the input… just wanted to let you guys know my other stats:
SAT II: US history 750, will be taking Lit and Math II this June
UW GPA: 3.7/4.0
W GPA: 4.69-4.7/5.2ish (this is awful, i know, i screwed up freshmen/sophomore year)
No rank at my school, but top 15% most likely
APs: US (5), World (4), taking 5 AP classes this year, will have taken 11 by graduation
Awards: State finalist for a yearbook writing competition
ECs: Founder & president of Greenpeace, Secretary of Global Citizen, Key Club, Varsity Cheerleading, chair for Model UN, debate, student council, best buddies, TedxYouth (finance manager for a big event at my city), volunteer at my church and hospital
Teachers recs will be excellent, already asked my two teachers (they love me, basically only thing going for me right now)
Counselor rec will most likely be generic
Essays will likely be great
Ethnicity: Asian Female
Uber competitive public high school, sends tons of kids to top 30 schools each year
Hooks: first gen
Plan on majoring in Econ/Finance, minor in poli sci
Hey guys! Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Your GPA is a bit weak but it does indicate your school is quite competitive (3.7 at 15% of class). Nevertheless, admission stat of top 30 schools would put your GPA at or below the 25th percentile. Also, overwhelming majority (>>90%) of the admitted students are within the top 10% of the class for the top 30 schools. Although you are a student with good standing, your ACT score, GPA, and class rank are all mediocre and likely below the average of the applicants for top 30 schools in the country.
Whatever Bill.
Either way, numbers matter less as the prestige of the school increases in a way. Because everyone is so competitive, they evaluate you in different ways. Test scores mean nothing once you are deemed academically qualified. They begin to look at other parts of your application: essay, rigor of courses, ECs, letters of recommendation
@jackrabbit14 There are a few schools who are frequently accused of gaming their US News rankings with aggressive marketing campaigns and careful manipulation of their stats. WUSTL, U of Chicago, and Northeastern are three that come to mind off the top of my head, but there are many more. It won’t be hard to find a lot of anecdotal evidence with a quick search of this forum.
All three are fine schools, but their admissions processes and the way they’ve climbed in those rankings over the past couple of decades provide some support to the idea. Each ACT point matters a lot to the social climbers with a keen eye on US News.
OP, the schools you list are reach schools for everyone. There is no harm in applying if you are able to afford them. But please line up some other schools that are less competitive to round out the list. Prestige and rankings should not be the only criteria for selecting the schools to which you apply.
IMHO a 32 gets you in the door - and then you get judged on ECs and GPAs. And yes, you are uber competitive for the schools you listed.
***BTW - re your ECs: “Founder & President of Greenpeace?”- that was in like the 70s! You mean "Founder and President of X Chapter of Greenpeace?! 
You will do fine- no worries…