I am planning on going ED to Brown University this coming fall. I got a 31 composite on the ACT and an 11 on the writing. While I understand it isn’t at the very top, I have a massive plethora of extracurricular activities and leadership positions. Is the ACT worth retaking in September or is this score okay to apply with?
Retake.
I would retake it. Shoot for a 33-34
Retake it. Definitely. Aim for a 34+. You want to be 75% or above, unless you are a recruited athlete/URM, and even then, it’s a good idea to be higher than lower
With very few exceptions, ECs are not what get you in. Retake, aim for 34 if possible.
@Lindagaf interesting, what does get you in? You cant say just stats, because scores and GPA’s are too wide a range for that to make sense. The head of admissions at Harvard told me to look at it like a pie, 1/2 the pie is academics (of that half, 2/3 GPA and 1/3 test scores), the other half was EC’s, essays and other intrinsic parts of the application. I tend to believe him.
I’ll assume you meant that EC’s by themselves are not going to get you in which is quite true.
Yes, @CU123 , that is what I meant, and I thought that was obvious.
She means you need both…
Thea acceptance rate at Brown is under 10% so (barring a hook) any major deficiency in the “pie” will likely lead to a rejection. These top schools do not have enough room to take all of the highly qualified applicants.
A “massive plethora” of EC’s will hurt your chances. It will sound like you do and join things just to build up your application.
@nrywil, study and retake. ACT practice tests really help, and working on your timing within the 4 sections may be all that you need to do to raise your score. That is what one of my kids discovered. Your ECs will help, so keep plugging away and you will make it into a great school whether it is Brown or not. Revisit your ED choices after working on your personal statement, other essays, and retaking the ACT.
For Ivies in general 33+ is where you want to aim. You could maybe get in with a 32 if you ED/EA, but most likely you’ll be deferred. A 34+ is ideal. Your EC are there to help boost your appeal, but schools like Brown will not even bother looking at all the other stuff you offer if your test scores and GPA are below their average.
ECs are very important. OP asked about an Ivy.
But I have no idea what “a massive plethora” means. Quantity tells us zip about quality. And that pie comment is odd. Holistic isn’t about a formula, per se.
No. A 32 isn’t magically better in ED.
No, a 31 is low for Brown. Retake the ACT and shoot for 34-36.
@CU123 I believe what Harvard told you, but they didn’t mean was that one half of the pie can make up for weakness in the other half. While 31 is not a weak score, it is not particularly strong for a school like Brown. Of course there are kids who get in with 31, but not likely many who don’t have a hook. The OP has nothing to lose by taking the ACT again
I agree with you, it was the statement that EC’s don’t get you in that was misleading, they are part of the evaluation.
@itsgettingreal17 @Emsmom1 @ConcernedRabbit @Lindagaf @Sam-I-Am @JMS357 Thanks for the info. I’m definitely going to retake it.
@lookingforward I have a wide variety of quality ECs. I should have elaborated on it in my OP, but you can safely assume I have all that I need for ECs. That’s why the ACT has become the major focus for me.
A better question is: why not retake it?