This student is one point away from a perfect ACT score. An admissions consultant advises whether she should retake it. https://www.collegeconfidential.com/articles/will-an-admissions-decision-hinge-on-the-difference-between-a-35-or-36-act/
Scores can go down as well as up. I usually advise kids to get that app out with that score, retake the test after you sent out the apps and wait until you get the results to decide whether to send or not.
A 35 in one take is better than a 36 in two takes.
My take.
nobody will care. I think schools have seen enough perfect scores by now to not be overly impressed. a 35 checks off the box for ACT/SAT and now it will be up to other factors.
As the parent of a kid (DS19) who scored a 36 on the ACT, I don’t think a perfect ACT score is that big of a deal when it comes to getting into elite schools. For one thing, a 36 isn’t that rare anymore. There were two other kids in my son’s graduating class of 140 (public suburban HS) who scored 36. For elite school admissions, a 36 checks a box - one of several boxes that need to be checked - and that’s all it does. A 35 checks that same box. If you are chasing merit money at a less selective school, it might be worth your while trying for a 36, but if you are gunning for Ivy level or near Ivy level schools, no reason to retake after scoring a 35.
Ahem, a 36 is not in itself a “perfect” on the ACT. Four individual scores of 36 make a “perfect.”
Does anyone really think a 35.25 (rounded to 35) to 35.50 (rounded to 36) moves the needle? Now, 34.50 to 36.00? Maybe for some candidates.
I 100% agree with you but I could also see adcoms caring slightly more for 36 score applicants (no matter how many times the applicant takes it to get the highest score) as it will drive up their overall median ACT scores for reporting purposes, even though the 35 applicant is just as capable as the 36 applicant.
I also go back to the theory that college is “big business” and right or wrong are always looking after their bottom line and institutional needs.
Does anyone even see anymore if you got that 36 in one take or if you took it 10 times (which is crazy but possible)? Other than Georgetown, I didn’t think you had to send all scores to anyone anymore.
Yes.
Georgetown is the only university that requires all scores from all tests (ACT/SAT/Subject Tests),but there are a handful of schools which require you to send all ACT if you want to submit any. In other words, if you took both ACT and SAT, but only opted to send SAT, you don’t have to send any ACT. But if you want to report one ACT, you need to report them all. Specifically, Yale, CMU, Barnard, and Cornell. And while I use the word “send,” some schools allow self reporting and only require the official score report on acceptance.
Well, it’s not always simply about the Composite, don’t we know? Subscores matter.
There’s a hint of that in the article, but yo!, too much is made of re-taking a 35, just because it’s not a 36.
And how about the free advertising for a pro consultant?
I know the UCs require all test scores but they will use the highest total score.
Given how frequently Alabama seem to be the default answer for “looking for scholarship money”, it is worth noting that a 36 helps give a better scholarship than a 35: https://scholarships.ua.edu/freshman/out-of-state/ and https://scholarships.ua.edu/freshman/in-state/
I’m curious, being out of this game for a while: Is a 36 a “perfect” ACT score or simply the highest score? When I took the LSAT many (many) moons ago, I scored a 796. I got 134 out of 150 questions correct. One more right answer, i.e., 135/150, would have given me an 800. Thus, a person getting 150/150 correct got the same score as someone getting 135/150 correct.
I want to be able to use the correct terminology when my kids are a bit farther along in the process (they are currently sophs).
^ A 36 is not necessarily a perfect score. A 36 in M, 36 in R, a 35 in English and a 35 in Science will composite out to a 36. Even a 36 across all 4 subjects may contain a few wrong answers depending on the scaling of that test.
Its the highest score as you surmised. Again, as previous posters stated, not worth retaking unless a specific scholarship requires it. Also the single sitting vs multiple sittings is becoming less a factor as more schools superscore. The final review board will not even see how many times someone took the test, only the AO who is advocating for you would know that.
I’m a test prep tutor. I’ve seen many students retake a test (with an already-high score) and get a lower score. Now, is it a MUCH lower score? No, but once a kid reaches a certain level, you are literally talking about getting a single question wrong and the score can drop.
I read about a study a few years ago which shows that up to 40% of test takers will get a lower score on a retake, if they already started out with a high score.
So what’s the problem with taking another test? More money has to be spent, more precious time on a Saturday morning, more studying time, more stress. Literally, a handful, and I mean maybe a few dozen?, will be able to get a 36 if they retake from a 35. I guess to some students who want merit aid, it might be worth it, but the vast majority who are looking for a perfect 36 simply want bragging rights or were forced by pushy parents.
Bottom line, Harvard isn’t going to care about a 35 over a 36 if the rest of the package is there.
My daughter got a 35 in October of her junior year. Her principal is all about the perfect score, and he could not believe she wouldn’t take it again. She was done. In fact, we had a college consultant (who was in college admissions before) and he personally thought it looked kind of “greedy” and “needy” when kids take it again with a 35. I think confidence in that score is great! LOL, my younger son with a 34 is taking it again though–one more time.
Retaking also risks reversion to the mean, as well as looking obsessed.
@luckymama64 , I hope your son is aware that his score is very susceptible to going down, as well as up. If he’s applying to tippy top schools that require all scores, he runs that risk. Good luck to him.
The article reinforces the very worst of the out of control college advising industry. Parents and students, don’t drink the Kool Aide! And if this site were not ok about also fueling the frenzy the article would not be featured here.