Is there any one who used your ACT score at 8th grader for college admission? My daughter got 35 in her ACT and we plan to use it for her college application. Can we do it?Do we need to ask ACT to keep the score? SAT will not keep score of 8th grader and before unless we ask them to. Thanks.
Congratulations! But I suspect the number of CC members qualified to answer this question is extremely small. And this is really two questions - 1) Does the ACT keep 8th grade scores and, 2) Would the score be “too old” to use.
In ACT website, there is no place for me to get this kind of info. I really want to know if I can use the score so she can be free up to study other things more beneficial to her. Thanks.
Good luck with someone who knows answering. On a related note, you indicate that she “studied” for the ACT. If you don’t mind me asking, what study materials did she use? Obviously they worked great.
This may be a moot point as many schools and/or states have mandated testing in HS. If the high school/state does not mandate the test at any point, the answer to your question of if the 8th grade results can be used is “it depends.” You or your daughter would have to ask each college on her list. But the reality is that if she did well in 8th grade, she should be able to match/exceed that result in 11th with little to no prep.
Wow…impressive for an 8th grader. Have you tried contacting the ACT phone number? My son had to reschedule his ACT and when I called I thought they were helpful.
damon30: she did not use anything special for the ACT, just normal practice tests at the public library to get familiar with the format. What I meant is that if she does not have to do ACT/ SAT again, she can go on to study college courses at our Community College with peace of mind. We are homechoolers so we do not follow high school mandates. Can some parents of college students help me with this question: How do we submit the ACT/SAT scores to college? Do we give the college access to our ACT/SAT account so they can see the scores or we print out the scores and attache with the application? She is only 14 and she has no idea which college she would like to apply. Thanks.
@homeschoolers2 Although she should most likely take the ACT again in high school, the 35 from 8th grade should be valid for elite college admissions. If she does happen to score lower in HS (very possible, getting a 35 is a combination of skill and luck), the score can always be deleted and you can use the 8th grade score. Let me know if you have any more questions or want further detail. 
Edit: Also just realized you said will it be saved, yes it will be saved. However, you may have to pay an archive fee ($25 per report) when you send the score to colleges. I don’t believe there is a way to get around the fee.
I just did some googling and found that test scores more than 5 years old may be sent with a letter stating that scores may no longer be valid due to the age of the test. Another site states that they are only valid for 5 years.
My DD scored 1560 in 8th on the SAT last year, roughly equivalent. My first action was to be sure the scores stayed on her record. SAT scores before 9th are automatically deleted until you provide a written request, which I did. I don’t recall the ACT having a similar policy, but it’s better to check than to not check.
From 8th grade, 5 years isn’t a problem. I haven’t found any schools specifically saying at test must be recent, but I haven’t searched exhaustively. I have found that many schools now say they don’t accept pre-2016 SATs, so if the ACT changes their test in the next year or so, there may be an issue. But I think they would have announced that by now.
Most guidance counselors, school administrators, etc., have said she’s need to take them again, though none can tell me why. We won’t interact with colleges for years, so I’ll just hold the question until then.
The hurdle I ran into on the SAT side was that the NMSQT requires a supporting SAT score from +/- 1 year to move beyond semi-finalist status.
“How do we submit the ACT/SAT scores to college?” For the SAT you log into your account, select the colleges, pay a fee, and they are electronically sent to the schools. Almost all schools require scores directly from the testing organization. We only sent them to Hopkins CTY/Duke TIP and haven’t bothered sending to others after the scores arrived, as it’s way early in the process. She’ll be taking Subject tests in a few months and we have selected a few colleges to receive the scores, but only because you can send 3-4 for free at the time of testing. Any time you send a score (for SAT/Subject tests), all previous scores can be sent, so those schools will also get her previous SAT score.
My initial reaction was the same - good, we don’t have to worry about SAT/ACT testing ever again. But after poking around and thinking about it, I’m pretty sure she’ll end up taking it in 11th/12th.
Actually, as I was typing this, I remembered that Hopkins SET and Davidson Institute both have counselors/advisors for those who qualified for their programs. I think I’ll fire off a question - if anyone would know, if would be them - and I’ll come back and post what I hear.
Also, congrats to @homeschoolers2’s daughter and @RichInPitt’s daughter! I also wanted to say that I was in that position a few years ago, as I scored a 35 on the ACT in 7th grade. I ended up skipping a few grades and I am currently a high school senior. I have not retaken the ACT since then (only 3 years ago) and I do not intend to, as I have submitted this score to multiple colleges. Waiting on a few, but already accepted to a few safeties at the T100/T75 level.
I agree with skieurope. Bear in mind that National Merit will consider ACT scores for this coming school year. If your daughter wants to be eligible for that, she will have to take the PSAT first, and then take the SAT or ACT after taking the PSAT as a high school junior. Currently, there is no way around that.
“The hurdle I ran into on the SAT side was that the NMSQT requires a supporting SAT score from +/- 1 year to move beyond semi-finalist status.”
If your kid scored a 1560 SAT in eighth grade, they should have no trouble getting a confirming score on either the SAT or ACT in 11th or 12th grade even if they take the test cold. A bit of a nuisance having to take the test, but not a big deal. My son had no plans on taking the SAT after acing the ACT junior year but ended up sitting for the November SAT because he needed a NM confirming score (can’t rely on the ACT until next year). Didn’t study a lick and did fine.
@RichInPitt: " She’ll be taking Subject tests in a few months and we have selected a few colleges to receive the scores, but only because you can send 3-4 for free at the time of testing." Does it mean that she is going to apply for college next year? Can we select colleges this year (when she takes subject tests in a few months) if she plans to go to college in 2022? Thanks.
Yes. The college just sets it aside until needed.
@slieurope: Great info! We did not know that colleges would set aside the scores few years before they actually receive the application. So she needs to select colleges when she takes SAT/ACT again this year to get those standardized tests out of her way. Thanks.
I’ve emailed SET/Davidson and will post what I get back.
“should have no trouble getting a confirming score on either the SAT or ACT in 11th or 12th grade”.
No, I’m not worried that she won’t be able to score what I understand to be about a 1400-1450. It’s just the worried parent in me thinking she may not be able to score as highly as her first try, and schools that require all test sittings possibly discounting the higher score, focusing on the more recent one as representative. This is the first I’ve seen that ACTs will be accepted for confirming scores starting in 2020 - that provides some options and is good to know. Given her track record of exceeding my expectations, I probably shouldn’t worry - but that’s what parents do.
“Does it mean that she is going to apply for college next year? Can we select colleges this year (when she takes subject tests in a few months) if she plans to go to college in 2022? Thanks.”
No, she’ll apply senior year (2021-22), as normal. But she’s in Pre-calc/Trig now, which is the right time to take the Math 2 test.
Yes, you can certainly select up to 4 schools to receive the reports, for free. I’m pretty sure we were able to do that back in 7th when she took it the first time, though we chose not to. We’re sending them mostly because they are free and it will just get her on their radar, in their records, and start the “displayed interest” factor for those that take it into account.
Generally, colleges do not use tests taken in eighth grade or before to determine admission. Moreover, colleges that require you to provide all scores, do not require you to send, and do not use, pre-high school tests. You will need a test taken in high school.
@RichInPitt I do believe that lower SAT or ACT scores could be deleted from the system, and you could simply report the one from the 8th grade. I took the SAT in 11th grade and did have the option to delete my score.
What is benefit of taking NMSQT if colleges already offer you full scholarship based on your SAT/ACT scores (and other criteria according to each college)? I saw that some colleges offer full scholarship with this requirement but many other colleges offer full scholarships w/o requirement of NMSQT. Do I miss something?