<p>I would agree that practice can make a lot of difference. I took the ACT for the first time in December 08, without any prep and got a 32 composite, but my science was only a 26, 7-8 points lower than everything else. Then I basically spent the next three months taking as many practice tests as I could and in April 09 I got a 35 composite and a 34 science. So also don’t believe people when they tell you that 3-4 points is as high as you could raise your scores. Everyone kept asking me if I were going to go for the perfect 36, but I think the difference between a 36 and a 34 or 35 is not significant enough to change an admissions decision. A 35 is already the 99th percentile, no school would reject you or not consider you for being in the 99th percentile. Additionally, my counselor says that if you are in the mid-range of ACT scores for the school you are applying to then it will neither make or break you, and being above it won’t qualify you for automatic admission.</p>
<p>I can’t believe I said that. Oh well, I’m pretty content with my 29 
Hopefully it will be good enough when I apply to transfer next year.</p>
<p>Well I was going to post but you seem resolved now.</p>
<p>Hey guys I realize that this is a very old thread, but I am freaking out about the ACT, and I thought this thread would help.
I got a 26 on a official Practice ACT. And I need a 31+. And i read on here that you guys used the book Dissecting the ACT. Was it helpful.
And also kcbdancer23 how did you prepare for the ACT to get a 35. I mean like did you just consistently do practice tests and where did you get them???
THANKS for the help.</p>
<p>You bumped a fairly old topic and you are definitely not going to go from a 26 to a 35 no matter how much you study btw.</p>
<p>I thought this was interesting though:
</p>
<p>I just got differed from U of Chicago with a 34. :P</p>
<p>Guys, get a life.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It wasn’t because of your test scores that you got deferred. I’m sure of it.</p>
<p>Cousin just got into Northwestern with a 32</p>
<p>
I got accepted with a 34. The ACT is really just one piece of your application. Especially with a school like UChicago, something like the essay ends up being more important than the ACT.</p>
<p>My essay was fairly good imo. Probably my GPA that got me (3.75) though. </p>
<p>Not really fair tho cuz I had a 3.95, 3.95, 4.0, 3.95 in 10th and 11th but a 3.3 in 9th.</p>
<p>I bet no one who got into UoChicago had 99 mining and cooking in Runescape when they were in 9th grade or watched 22,700 youtube videos though.</p>
<p>^Dude. I remember in 6th grade, I would wake up at 5:00 clock each morning so I could mine some coal in Lumbridge swamps lol. Good times…</p>
<p>^I was in like mid 9th grade Al-kharid mines, woke up 7am in morning and power mined iron all the way to 1 am in the morning to get 99 mining. 'Twas good times indeed. I was pretty sure I completed my live’s goal when I bought my 99 mining cape. Rank 767 out of 2,000,000, almost like a 36 on the ACT LOL.</p>
<p>I’m not even sure where the hell al-kharid mines even are lol. I think I stopped when I realized I was spending time watching a pixelated character hit a rock for 40 minutes. lol</p>
<p>^Lol, WOOH:</p>
<p><a href=“http://img.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/v82/cjgone/99mining.png[/url]”>http://img.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/v82/cjgone/99mining.png</a></p>
![http://img.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/v82/cjgone/99mining.png[/url]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/cjgone/99mining.png%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
<p>Sun Nov 18, 2007</p>
<p>Still a better achievement than a 34 on the ACT undoubtedly. 
Good thing I quit that game before 10th grade. To bad I can’t put this in my additional information in common app.</p>
<p>Haha, noob attack + defense. My guy woulda raped you :p</p>
<p>Hahaha, I need to log in and start playing again and train up one day. :)</p>
<p>Too bad LRC undermined all prestige in 99 mining. (I.E. Made it equivalent to wc/fish.)</p>
<p>Fishing was dumb. Smelting was where it was at.</p>
<p>I went from a 22 to a 34 in 9 months. Anything is possible. Also, keep in mind that i studied my butt off during 5 of those 9 months.</p>