<p>what kind of a college can that get you into?</p>
<p>considering that everything else is good?</p>
<p>is a 30 good enough for harvard, etc?</p>
<p>My brothers friend had a 30, and he's at Pomona.</p>
<p>Edit: it depends on the rest of your app.</p>
<p>30 is usually within 25/75 range at highly selective schools. It isn't going to be your calling card, but it won't cripple an app by any stretch.</p>
<p>A 30 is an excellent score. However, there's no way to really tell if Harvard will accept you.</p>
<p>Your question should not be where can I go with a 30, but how can I get this score up. You're obviously smarter than most people; don't you think you have a good shot of moving that up to a 32 or 33. If you can to that, you could be talking a whole different tier of colleges.</p>
<p>Do you think there's a big difference between a 32 and a 30?</p>
<p>Does it matter if you're coming from an SAT-dominated state and get a 30? </p>
<p>Also, Snoopyischool mentioned Harvard...And redknight mentioned a whole different tier if you can get it up to a 32-33. If the rest of your app is very strong, how is a 30 viewed?</p>
<p>Sorry for all the questions. I'm taking the ACT again in September (scored a 29 the first time), and I'm just trying to become informed on it. :] I'm working for a 34, though. (We'll see if that happens)</p>
<p>A 30 is fine for all top tier colleges if the rest of your app is superb. But it shouldn't matter anyway, your score will never be the defining factor. A higher score is always better, but you shouldn't lose any sleep over a 30. It's a perfectly great score.</p>
<p>Unless you have a real big hook or are a URM, 30 will not get you into Harvard. HYPS has no shortage of top-test takers, so if you don't have anything else to bring to the table, or even if you do, it's likely there's another applicant in the pool of 20+ thousand that has what you do plus higher test scores. Lately, colleges have really been giving great importance to test scores...</p>
<p>ide say a 30 is fine for all except for maybe Ivys, stanford, duke, and maybe a few more. For most it is sufficient.</p>
<p>What about a 29 ACT score?</p>
<p>Is that pushing it at top colleges?</p>
<p>A 29 could be your downfall at HYPS.</p>
<p>i have a hard time believing there is THAT big of a difference between a 29 and a 30, that a 30 is fine but a 29 will break you.</p>
<p>if it's the first time you've taken it, try to take it again and get it higher. but i refuse to believe that an ACT score in the 95th percentile will be the breaking factor, no matter where you're applying.</p>
<p>Could one get into Duke with a 29 ACT. (In-state)-like that makes a difference!
Waiting on second scores from SAT in June. First time(January)-1950</p>
<p>"i refuse to believe that an ACT score in the 95th percentile will be the breaking factor, no matter where you're applying."</p>
<p>The top 5% of all ACT takes nationwide aren't going to get into top colleges. there aren't enough spots. 30 is on the cusp, if the rest of your app is superb. 29 looks bad. obviously, it wouldn't RUIN your chances, but it would be a negative.</p>
<p>Mj93 - You are clueless.</p>
<p>Harvard 25/75 - 30-34
Stanford - 29-33
Duke - 29-33
Columbia - 28-33</p>
<p>29 doesn't wow them, but it certainly isn't out of the ordinary for even the most prestigious schools in the nation.</p>
<p>that's the median for each school...gotta remember that these schools have large numbers of legacies, athletes, VIPs, and development cases. </p>
<p>applicants who do not fit into these categories had best do better.</p>
<p>Actually that is soooo far off it's not funny.</p>
<p>Athletes at the Ivies - marginally weaker than average, Stanford or Duke - OK. Legacies, need to be within range, if not quite as interesting, VIP's and developmentals - what 30 per class.</p>
<p>So being at the 25% is still a possibilty of entrance, though it certainly should be your 'calling card'.</p>
<p>Does it make any difference if you are from an ACT or SAT dominated state?</p>
<p>And...it seems like the average ACTs are less than the average SATs. Why?</p>
<p>Most highly selective LACs and universities, outside of the ivies, have average/middle 50% ACT scores of 28-32. I'd say a 30 is a fine score.</p>
<p>I wasn't going to reply to this thread, but finally I thought I'd provide a reality check. My S had ACT score of 34, great GPA, great SAT's and truly impressive EC's (he won "Renaissance" scholarship. He did not apply to HYPSM, but his results at top schools were: Acceptances: 3, Rejections: 3, Waitlist: 3.</p>
<p>His friend, just below him in all stats but ACT (got ACT 35) did not get into any top 20 schools, Uni or LAC, but did get accepted into a very nice LAC. I thought this info. might help.</p>