Hi everyone! I need some serious help about whether or not my ACT score will affect my chances of getting into top schools. I just got my ACT score back from the June test and I have a 34 composite score with a 35 in reading, 35 in writing, 35 in science, and 29 in math. I also took with the essay and scored a 10/12 10/12 and 11/12, which averages to a 10 overall for an ELA score of 33. My stem score is a 31 I believe. I placed 99% nationally but 97% in New Jersey. I’m really proud of my score, but am worried about my math score. I’m unsure of whether to just retake the math section in July and pray for a point higher or to accept my scores as is. Separate from my ACT, I want to know if those scores will potentially hurt me in the Admissions process. I want to pursue Environmental Science and/or English in college. I have had straight A’s and A+'s since freshman year, with only three A-'s freshman year: 2 in trimester electives and an A- in Spanish 2 (which transformed now into an A in Spanish 3 and an A+ in Spanish 4). I have all A+'s for my Junior year: I even ended with an A+ in AP Literature and AP Environmental science. I will also be a Commended student for National Merit. I am president of the Activism Club, Diversity Committee, and am chief editor of Yearbook and Literary Magazine. I also am a part of a selective student program at a mental health facility and am interning at a University of Michigan lab for the summer. I have also played varsity volleyball for three years. My school is an academically rigorous girl’s school in central Jersey who only reports final grades to schools: no GPA, class ranking, or trimester grades (except for senior year). I’m looking at schools like Notre Dame, Yale, UC Santa Barbara, Stanford, and others right now. With all of this in mind, should I take my chances at these top schools with the credentials and scores I have? Or is it worth trying to score higher on ACT math?
First task is to find out from your parents what they will contribute for your college costs. Then sit down with them and run net price calculators on the web sites of the colleges of interest, including your in-state public universities. Cost limitations are the primary factor in most students’ choice of college.
You should be able to calculate your GPA easily. If you have all A grades without consideration of +/- (as is commonly done with high school GPAs), then your GPA without weighting is 4.0.
My parents are paying for my undergrad tuition and are more concerned about the ranking of the school I go to, and not so much the cost.
If you are going to pursue any STEM field, including env. science, then yes, I think a 29 subscore in math could hurt at the very selective schools you mentioned. That said, Stanford, Yale, ND are long shots for everyone so you need to decide if it’s worth your time to retake or just focus on the rest of your application.
If you were definitely applying as an english major, I would say to move on and not worry about it.
As far as I know, you can’t just retake one section of the ACT, you need to retake the entire test.
@chickadee13 UCSB is certainly in your wheelhouse as a match. The other three are reaches. Discuss with your college counselor how to narrow the list.
you should probably take it again but as momof senior noted you have to take the whole test (not sure on the writing if you signed up for that). Any hooks - urm, legacy, first-gen?
I’m legacy at Notre Dame! (dad and aunt went there)