So two weeks ago I took the ACT Plus Writing as a baseline to see where I was at. The test was right after all my final exams were completed (I was studying hard to bring a 91 flat to a 92.5 in math to secure the 4.0) so I strolled in and took it. 29 Math and English (not surprised here) 24 science and 22 reading (I am so mad at myself, yet not surprised since I completely zoned out at this section). An 8 on the writing as well, which is pretty decent, since I didn’t even include a conclusion :D.
I am wondering how this compares with juniors who are getting 34s and up when they were Frosh. I have a 4.0 and all my classes but 2 were Honors which is the hardest that I can do at my school as a Frosh if that matters.
Peace out
As you know, most people don’t take the ACT in grade 9 (were you hoping for us to be impressed that you did?), so there is no good data set for change patterns between grade 9 and grade 11. If you are aiming for super selective colleges than you are off to a good start with a 4.0 (presumably UW). Remember, though, that strong test scores and grades are necessary but not sufficient for getting into top tier programs: it’s numbers AND whatever else you bring to the table. These posts from MIT is a good place to start:
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways
http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/there_is_no_formula
Taking the ACT for giggles as a real reportable test is not very sensible unless you are getting a stellar score. Hopefully you realise that you need to work for it and not waste any test sittings again. Some schools want all your scores, but ACT scores can be cancelled.
If you’re aiming high, they like consistency over the hs years, a high level of excellence and rigor. Nothing can be known from 9th, alone.
Rather than try to predict after one year, do some interesting,challenging things. And learn what the tippy tops look for. As collegemom3717 said, that includes the rest of what you bring, not just stats. Learn what that means.
How do you cancel it? I didn’t take it for giggles, my parents wanted a baseline score.
Go on the ACT website and you will see how to cancel it.
There are plenty of free practice tests available if you want to know your baseline score. Why pay for it?
My D got a 28 as a frosh, 33 as a soph, 34 as a junior. S got a 26 as a frosh, 26 as a soph. They are both better at the SAT.
I got 201/240 (SAT equivalent to 2010/2400) on my PSAT freshman year which is about a 30 on the ACT.
Sophomore year I got a 1460/1520 on the PSAT which is about a 32 on the ACT
Junior year I got a 1500/1520 on the PSAT which is about a 35 on the ACT and a 36 on the actual ACT.
I didn’t study much freshman or sophomore years (maybe a practice test or light Khan Academy practices) and studyed more junior year. I used Khan Academy and some of their tests for the PSAT and took 5 practice ACT tests I found for free online. I got a 34, 34, 35, 35, and a 36 respectively on them.
I would recommend officially deleting your score.
The first time I took an ACT practice test (freshman year), I received a 28. I was disappointed in my score, so I did a significant amount of prep work before I took the test in June at the end of that year. I used Barron’s books exclusively; Barron’s 36, Barron’s Math and Science, and Barron’s English, Reading, and Writing, and I ended up scoring a 33 C (35 E, 31 M, 34 R, 31 S) as a freshman.
Since then, I haven’t made huge strides, scoring a 34 C (36 E, 36 M, 34 R, 31 S) in September as a junior. But I also haven’t done near as much prep since I took it my freshman year.
Your score will almost certainly increase as you progress throughout high school, especially if you set aside a decent amount of time to do test prep (I recommend during the summer). The ACT is much more of a how-well-did-you-prep test than an achievement test.
Many other members are suggesting that you delete your score. I disagree; I wouldn’t delete your score until you have another, higher score to use. A 26 is by no means subpar! It may not be Ivy League material, but it can get you into some great colleges.
Best of luck!
Late to this thread, but my kid took it 8th, 9th, and 10th and got a 23, 27, and 31. 4 bump per year without a ton of prep other than some regular rolling math review. He’s hoping to bump 2-3+ points more for the last time spring of junior year and he may put a little more effort into that one. He’s not a natural ACT tester (though he is naturally high achiever/smart - would hit ceilings on oral tests in elementary school). Anyway - I would expect most kids working academically would gain several points per year through high school.
I wouldn’t delete that score either. It’s nice to reference next to new scores side by side and you can always get rid of it later. I seriously hope a school wouldn’t hold a pretty decent freshman score against you anyway.