Are my ACT scores good enough?

Students and parents ask me this all the time. My quick answer is “It depends”. Your test scores are important for getting into college and should not be underestimated. Consider the chore college admissions officers have in comparing grades from high schools nationwide or weighing the merits of one student’s participation in a band versus another student’s spot on the football team. And let’s not forget that colleges are getting thousands more applications per year due to the ease of the Common Application. The test scores alone compare students from all over the country by the same yardstick and provide an easy means for admissions officers to reduce potential applicants.

The quality of your score depends on which universities you are applying to. The more selective a university, the higher the score required to be admitted. Once you’ve begun making a list of schools you’re interested in, visit their websites or call them and ask what scores they require on the ACT. You can also check websites like College Simply. Just plug in your score, and a list of the colleges in every state for which you qualify is generated.

Two other points to keep in mind. First, many colleges superscore the ACT, meaning if you take multiple ACTs, they will combine your top scores on each of the four ACT sections to make a “superscore”.  Therefore, you should take more than one ACT, especially when research shows that students score best on a second test after prep.

A final point to keep in mind is that higher ACT scores can earn you more merit scholarship money, and with no ceiling to college costs in sight, every point you earn means less debt down the road. Besides merit money, higher ACT scores can gain you admittance into honors programs with preferential scheduling or honors dorms as perks.  Our next blog entry will explore these last points in detail.  Stay tuned.