<p>Hey everyone, I'm a junior in high school right now and looking to take the act for the first time in April. I'm not sure, but I think I got a 22 composite on my practice which is horrible. I'm looking to get a 30-32 and I'm confident I can within 5 months of preparation and studying everyday because when I set my mind to something I get it done. I'm looking at northwestern so I feel like since my GPA is only a 3.85 I'm going to need at least a 30-32 to get in while applying ED. Money isn't an issue so just let me know like the 5 best ACT prep books that can help me get this 8-10 point increase. Also, let me know my chances for NU if you can.
GPA-3.85
ACT-32(hopefully)
A bunch of Extracurriculars but just base your opinion on the act and GPA. </p>
<p>Please let me know. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I really don’t think it matters what prep books you get as long as you do them. I bought a cheap one at walmart and it had the exact same stuff in it that the free pdf from the ACT has. So it’s not so much about which one as how many. My math teacher had 5 free practice tests on her website that I downloaded, the ACT had a free practice test, I bought a book that had three free practice tests in it, I got an app on my iPad (that was actually really helpful), and I found some more practice tests online. Basically, I just took a bunch of tests over and over again. When I came across a question that I either missed or didn’t know how to do, I circled it and took it into the teach of that subject, and they were all more than happy to help me with it. If your teachers won’t do that or you don’t have access to them, Khan Academy is a great place for math and science questions. I also got used to the speed by doing so many so I could do the questions faster. By doing this, I managed to raise my composite by three, but in English, Reading, and Math I went up about seven points each which was tremendous! Sadly, I neglected to study Science because I thought I had it down and ended up losing two points which brought my composite down considerably. </p>
<p>Anyways, the moral of the story is: Do lots and lots of practice tests from anywhere you can find and ask a teacher, google, Khan Academy, or something for the questions you miss or don’t know how to do. Hope all goes well!</p>
<p>Practicing in a timed setting with Real ACT Tests is the best way to prepare.</p>