I just received my ACT score yesterday and my composite was a 32 (33 English, 29 Math, 34 Reading, and 30 Science). This was with minimal studying, and I would really like to improve my score to a 34 or higher. Obviously my math and science scores are quite low. On the math section I ran out of time, so that definitely contributed to the 29. I am a bit at a loss for how to improve my science score though. Does anyone have any studying tips? If my score were not to improve what universities would I be a competitive applicant for with a 32 ACT, 4.7 GPA, and (I think) fairly good extracurriculars and background (ballet dancer at a high level, daughter of a first-gen immigrant, work with local immigrants and refugees weekly, etc)
I’d say I’m in a similar situation (32 with minimal studying) except my scores were on a different range. For science, I felt that the majority of the questions were based of scientific reasoning and processes rather then scientific fact. I think practicing interpreting scientific data in a short period of time would likely help. Do you have any tips for reading or english? My scores felt lower on those subjects.
Hi! I’m not sure how qualified I am to give reading/English help, but I’d be happy to share how I personally went about the test! For English, I simply read everything aloud in my head and chose what “sounded best”. I realize this is not necessarily a sure fire way to receive a high score, and I definitely will study some grammar rules before I retake the ACT (I’m hoping to improve my English score to a 35). I did the same thing for reading, and I found it was beneficial for me to read the passage in its entirety in order to avoid missing out on little details. That’s probably not super helpful, sorry!! I wish you all the best on your next ACT!
My daughter got a 32 on the science section the first time she took the ACT, also with minimal prep. She did very well on the English/Reading sections, so for the next test she only practiced math and science. Did about 5 science practice tests from the official ACT book and improved to a 36. She also started looking at the questions before reading the prompt. For my second child, I just bought ‘For the Love of ACT Science’ by Cerro. She hasn’t used it yet, but heard it is supposed to be really helpful. Good luck!