<p>Hello, </p>
<p>I recently took my first ACT that counts as junior. It is by no means my first, but the first that counts. I was overconfident, thought I would score in the 32-34 range, and scored a 30. My reading and writing was fine, but my math and English were subpar. My writing was the best it's ever been at a 10. I KNOW I can do better because I've scored higher on the individual subjects (perhaps excluding science) in the past.. as a FRESHMAN. So... a little disappointed in myself.
Yes, I know, a 30 is not bad- It will get me into several colleges- but I know I can do better. My top 3 schools in mind right now are University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of California Berkeley, and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. I am aware my score 'falls' into their ranges but it is not amazing. I'd like to raise my score to improve my chances. (I live in Illinois, btw)
As far as college goes, I'm planning on majoring in Economics, perhaps minoring in International Relations, and keeping up with my foreign language study (Mandarin).
My unweighted GPA by the end of junior year should fall anywhere from 3.8-3.95. I have a range of extracurricular activities- bands, volunteering, Chinese honor society. </p>
<p>Now, for the real question:
Junior year is getting tough, and I am loaded down with hard AP classes left and right. I have to focus on keeping good grades, because that is very important this semester. However, I'd like to increase my ACT score as much as I can in this short time period. I have not taken the time to look through any books of any sort (perhaps this why I did not meet my expectations the first time?) But have several "Practice ACT test books" and "ACT Math" books that I will be spending a lot of quality time with after school, on weekends, and during spring break.
My school offers an ACT for free, but does not offer writing, in about a month. This doesn't do me much good because the colleges I have in mind require writing.
I have already signed up for the April 13th ACT-Writing test, and will probably sign up for the June 8th Writing test.
Since I am pretty early on in the game, what should I do to maximize my studying in these next few months before school ends? The situation is not ideal, but I would like a score of at least 32.... any tips, suggestions? I only have a few months.
Thank you!</p>