33.25 retake?

Applying to College
1

Hey everyone - I need some advice I just took my state wide ACT and got a 33C 31E 34M 32R 36S which works out to a 33.25. On my practice tests I scored a 35 on reading so the 32 is marginally lower then I usually get (took two official ACT prac tests).

Basically should I retake? I plan on double majoring in Finance and either management or marketing and I am not sure how my scores will be viewed since my humanities are lower then my STEM - though I am relatively confident I can get a 5 or worst case a 4 on the AP lang exam.

If I can get some advice from people who’ve had experience with these borderline scores I would appreciate it :slight_smile:

2

Hmm usually the ACT English supposed to be a strong subsection for many people and is usually fixed by, in my case, studying the grammar rules and getting more practice. (went from a 32 to a 35 in the English subsection on my second and last ACT)

3

Look at the colleges that you are thinking of applying to .
Would >32 make a difference in scholarships? Would it be significantly better/near/below the averages for that school?

4

Most students I know take the ACT at least twice. If you do better test prep, it’s highly likely your composite score goes up.

5

Sure.

6

This is part of my problem, my school is considered pretty competitive (I think based on Naviance) and I want to maximize scholarship money. So I think retaking would be for the best, but I’m worried that I’ll be dinged if my STEM score goes down on a retake (particularly science) for schools that require all scores sent, basically if my next ACT has a slight drop in stem, would that have any negative implications?

7

Remember, you CAN delete ACT scores - even after you see your score.

8

Moving from a 33 to a 34 or 35 is unlikely to make much difference. Adcom’s expect scores to increase on retakes.

9

They don’t always and I do not think they care why scores go up as long as they do. English is considered the most learnable subsection

10

33 to a 34 or 35 is unlikely to make much difference.<<<

’ I disagree, 33 is 98th percentile. IME it is in the nice but no cigar pack. Take it again and get into the top percentile. For my kids it didn’t even get top merit money with an otherwise good to great resume in the no name state 4 yr. That was for the 34/35/plus kids. English can be improved with targeted prep.

11

Up until 2015, a 33 was 99th percentile. I agree with the advice to retake. Make sure to make good use of all prep materials available to you so that you can do your best.

12

Just remember, as much as your english score can go down, your science and other sections can go down (or up) too and sometimes you end up with the same score, a better score, or a worse score. But as I and someone else said, if you think it’s worth your time to learn all the grammar rules (the English section is fairly easy to learn and grab ahold of), then go for it. I think you have a decent shot!