<p>The first time I took the ACT I got a composite score of 32
English: 34
Math:34
Reading:25
Science:33
Essay: 10, Combined English/Essay: 33</p>
<p>So I did TERRIBLY on the reading section, but ive heard that can be one of the hardest sections to raise. My main problem with that section is that I do badly on the literature/humanities part of it and on top of that I can never finish on time. </p>
<p>I’m planning on majoring in something with math or science, will colleges look heavily on my reading score? Should I retake and try to do better next time? Does anyone have any tips on how I can increase my reading score? I dislike reading but if reading a lot over the summer may help me get a much better score in September I’d be willing to give it a try. </p>
<p>Has anyone had success in raising their reading score? How did you do it?</p>
<p>I definitely understand that the reading section can be difficult, but the key to this is to keep practicing. If you practice a lot of ACT reading sections, then you can easily raise your score. I would take it again because if you could get your reading score up even a few more points, you will be able to raise your composite. Your composite score is really good, and your already going to get some scholarship money depending on the school you apply to for that score alone.</p>
<p>You may not want to hear this, but the reading section is the most important for colleges for several reasons. It (or the Critical Reading of the SAT I) is the single section that best indicates college success, and admissions people are aware of this. </p>
<p>I imagine that a large part of the reason you are struggling with the prose and humanities passages is that you are unfamiliar with those topics in general (for example, “the use of perspective in paintings during the Renaissance…” I’d be pulling out my hair too). </p>
<p>Perhaps, you can try to simply punt the first passage (just skip it: it is always prose) and focus on the remaining three. The humanities passage may induce comas, but it is really more or less similar to the other two. Try to read the entire passage before looking at the questions. Identify the main idea and purpose of every paragraph, and underline only the most important details. </p>
<p>For the prose section, you should ask yourself how the narrator feels about any characters introduced or events that occur. This should go a long way towards helping you frame how you read that section.</p>
<p>@ACTWizard what is your reference for the reading being the most important section? I’ve never heard this. A 35 reading and a 25 in math won’t get you much love from the engineering department.</p>
<p>Please help me with reading too. I have been getting 28 consistently. Also, I have heard people shoot high English scores. How can one do that either?</p>
<p>@ACTWizard, I am also curious as to your frame of reference. Is this perhaps insider admissions knowledge that we may not be privy to?</p>
<p>Based on study done in 2011, ACT English and Math are shown to be much stronger indicators of Freshman academic success than ACT Reading. In fact, the correlation is tenfold in favor of the former.</p>
<p>As for reading techniques, I always start off by introducing my students to the Schaffer method. It provides a foundation from which I can adequately build off of.</p>
<p>@Preply, if that study is accurate and true then I have a little more hope for my son. He got a 35 on both math and English for the April ACT. Maybe he can apply to a little higher reach.</p>
<p>The study was an independent study and had no correlation to college admissions rates. I do not know if any colleges place any emphasis on the E+M subscores, except if you are applying for a STEM-major.</p>