Hey guys. I took the ACT in the spring. I got a 34 composite (36 English, 28 Math, 34 Reading, 36 Science), and 11/12 on the writing portion. I plan to apply to Princeton University, Brown University, Davidson College, Boston College, and some other small liberal arts colleges. I intend to major in a politics/government or law-related field.
By the way, I took the SAT prior to the ACT and got a 1510 (790 English, 720 Math). If relevant, I got a 4 on my Calc AB AP exam.
I’m wondering if I should retake the ACT this fall before I apply. I feel that my ACT score is strong, but I am concerned that the 28 math subscore will strongly diminish my chances of acceptance despite the fact that math is not related to my intended major.
Should I retake the ACT and try to get a better math score, or will it not make a significant difference on my chances of acceptance?
My gut feeling is not to bother. You’re not gunning for engineering programs or MIT/Caltech. A 34/1510 is not going to keep you out of these schools, and a 35 won’t significantly shift your prospects. Your score profile seems to be reflecting your strengths accurately, and your intended major path is consistent with those strengths. You might be able to improve your math subscore, but then again your 720 SAT-math subscore is already better than your 28. You would have to get your ACT subscore all the way to a 32 to even replicate what you’ve already done on the SAT. All that effort to match something you’ve already done seems like a dubious investment; and doing even better than a 32 seems like a long shot.
Since you already took Calc AB, are you taking stats this year? You are going to need some quantitative chops for public policy type stuff, but it will be more in the realm of statistics than higher math. How’s your GPA in general, and your math grades in particular? If you’ve performed well in the classroom, it will be evident that you do just fine with mathematical challenges in real life.
For a lot of students the speed of the ACT math section is what holds their scores down - it’s a faster-paced test than the SAT. Did you have trouble finishing the math when you took the ACT? Did you prep beforehand, or take it “cold”? If you didn’t practice the problem-types and strategies for getting through them quickly, then the likelihood is that you could raise your score with practice. The question is whether it’s really worth it. Your time is finite, and putting the time into writing great essays and carrying on with a strong senior year could make a lot more sense.
Thank you for your very detailed reply. I am taking AP Stats this year. I have a 98.492 weighted GPA and a 95.119 unweighted GPA. I’ve done pretty well in math, taking honors math courses my freshman and sophomore year and AP Calc my junior year. Including weighting, I’ve maintained a 4.0 or higher in all of those classes.
I did very little prep for ACT math, and struggled a bit with time, but I think the lack of prep had a greater effect than time.
I’d be careful to make a wise decison. You say public policy, then describe politics/government. Just be sure you check courses needed for those majors at your targets and understand how they can lean on math understanding and courses. So, adcoms may wish you had a higher ACT math score and the 720 may be on the low side, competitively.
Not to alarm you. But you need to create a full strong picture for the more competitive targets. For PP or poli sci, do you have related activities outside school?