<p>I got a 29 on my first try. What would be a reach score and what would be a relatively safe score to get in? Thanks.</p>
<p>There’s no “safe” score, but a general score to shoot for would be a 32-33. Although they don’t post mid. 50% for sat/act, an admissions rep has personally told me that the average score for regular decision applicants is a 33 on the act.</p>
<p>Of course, grades, ec’s, what state you’re from, etc all factor hugely into it. A 36/2400 isn’t going to make up for really crappy grades.</p>
<p>Well, Wash U reported for the entering class of 2012 that the middle 50% ACT score range was 31-34. So at the risk of stating the obvious, 25% of people had lower than 31 and 25% had higher than 34. I think it is a fair assumption that there were more 30’s in that <31 group than any other score, so 29 is definitely low. So it would seem safe to say 31-32 is reach, and 33-34 puts you solidly into the game. Now stating the obvious again, there are many other factors, and (again) obviously 25% did get in with <31 on the ACT. I think that is as far as one can take the analysis, since it is only one factor out of many.</p>
<p>There is no such thing as a relatively safe score. There are people that get 36 on the ACT and/or very high SAT’s that do not get in for a variety of reasons. Try to get that up to a 32 or above, and then get really great recs and especially work hard to do a killer essay. If you can get that score up and Wash U is definitely your first choice, go ED.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Would applying early decision make a difference?</p>
<p>Yes, it shows you are very sincere about attending Wash U and so if you are qualified, it is a good deal for Wash U as well. But it only makes sense if you are sure Wash U is your #1, and you can go even if you don’t get a scholarship or the financial aid isn’t what you had hoped for. I mean you can get out of an ED acceptance if you can’t afford going there, but you won’t know what their offer is before the ED notification.</p>
<p>Shoot for 32-33. As has already been stated, there is certainly no “safe score” as not even a perfect 36 will guarantee admission. What you don’t want is your ACT scores to serve as a detriment to your application. That being said, the 32-33 range is about average for WashU students and I feel that it is a good threshold to shoot for. Obviously the higher the better, but after a certain point they get the idea that you can take a test pretty well and the help that a higher score could give you is minimal.</p>
<p>Just remember that what you have been involved in and achieved in your four year high-school career is far more important than what you achieved in a three hour test. Make the rest of your application shine and you will be fine.</p>
<p>And lastly, yes applying ED helps immensely. While it won’t get underqualified students in, applying ED could provide the boost that a student who would normally get waitlisted in the RD round needs to get admission. So my recommendation is to weigh your options and find out if WashU is your first choice, and if so, apply ED.</p>