<p>Ugh, I just couldn't do it. I took the ACT and got a 28. I don't understand why the hell I did poorly. Whenever I practice at home I kept getting over 30s on all of my sections. I don't know. I'm really depressed. I have one more shot to get above a 30 for some of the schools on my list. Is it feasable? I have about four weeks before the December exam. Also, for people who got over a thirty this time, could you give me some tips. UGH. I don't know. I'm really depressed. My reading dropped eight points. I have no clue how that happened.</p>
<p>Im trying to break the 30 barrier as well, stuck at 29. Science and to a lesser extent math keep killing me. I can get really high 30's in english and reading (33 reading, 31 english this time, 34 last time), but then get a 23 and this time 22 in science. I mean honestly...</p>
<p>You've been using practice books? I used Kaplans. I felt it taught me all the tricks I needed to know and on test day I was laughing at the ACT in some parts...</p>
<p>But it sounds like you might be freaking out on test day. I got a 29 the first time and a 31 one and a half years later. My best combined is a 32. The most important pointer I can give you is to calm down - right now, and on test day. I went into the test knowing that I was going to do the best I could do and that was ok.</p>
<p>I know many people on here dont like to talk about this - but ivy league or not definitely isn't the end of the world. If the rest of your app isn't impressive enough that your ACT score won't matter, should you really be going there? Or, if the rest of your app is strong but you think your score will pull it down (which in my opinion doesn't happen) then do you really want to go to a school that only cares about your grade on a trivial test?</p>
<p>Call me naive but I think Ivies (some/most of them) care about more than numbers. We let these tests drag us down when they are such a non-issue. We let them trample on our personality, the one thing I think matters most in a college application. Then we get this idea that ivy league is the only option. Do you want to know why I am so calm? It's because I know that if no one else accepts me, I would still be me, and happy, at my safety school.</p>
<p>At least think about it.</p>
<p>for the reading, the best prep is doing a lot of reading. cliche, but reading a article or short story a day, and thinking about them, and possibly asking yourself questions the ACT might ask from them can be really useful. if you have a class like ap lit, it can have the same affect, just step your participation up a notch.</p>
<p>during the test:</p>
<p>a strategy I found to work well for reading is to first go to the questions and underline each one, really really fast. for me at least just underlining 'cements' it in my brain, that way I have a general idea what the passage is about/what context I am supposed to be reading the passage in.</p>
<p>next I do the ones that give a line reference, that gets questions answered while continuing to give me a better idea of the passage.</p>
<p>at this point I skim or read the passage completely depending on how well I think I understand it from doing the two things above. and then answer the remaining questions.</p>
<p>make sure you leave the questions that ask for a general conclusion, or insight about the passage to the very end, because at that point you will have the absolute best idea of the passage that you can.</p>
<p>hope this helps!</p>
<p>Do you guys recomend studying profusely? Like an hour or so every night before the exam?</p>
<p>I am just picking my two lowest subject areas and focusing on them, but mostly on my absolute lowest score. I made the mistake of trying to improve all 4 sections last time, and improved nothing. I figure if I improve my 2 weak sections, and my strong stay strong, and it has, I should improve my score.</p>
<p>I dont know if this would work for you since I dont know your subscores.</p>
<p>Jay! That's what happened to me. I tried focusing on everything and my score stayed the same. My lowest were reading and science. So, do I devote as much time to them? Then again, I still have to do some english and math work, right?</p>
<p>Reading - I read the passage first to get a general idea and reference back with the questions. Oh, and elimination is your friend. </p>
<p>I wouldn't suggest studying past 5 or 6 on the night before, (unless you have a dire circumstance such as frantically reviewing all US history since you had no time in the weeks before to do so :p wonder where that thought came from?) </p>
<p>Stinks about that though, I don't have a problem with reading, but my math and Science abominate....</p>
<p>I would focus on them completely, ignoring your two strong points, until a week or so before the test when you can add a light review of your two strong subjects, math and english. </p>
<p>This really depends on how high math and english were however, think about how high you think you can reach on reading and science (if you study for them really hard) then average them with your current math and english scores, if you can then reach the average that you want, then this would be a good plan.</p>
<p>same here sith, whats your plan?</p>
<p>I went into my first (and only) ACT without knowing anything about it... I tested on standby last minute, went out the night before, and was up till 2 the night before filling out the endless packet of information. I quickly ran out of time for English and Science sections, so I ended up just skimming passages and questions and going with the most immediate logical one. Just goes to show that no one winning strategy will work, you can do well in any situation.</p>
<p>First off, don't worry so much. I know you're frustrated and all, but that won't do anything to help.</p>
<p>Your name is one thing which kind of strikes me as uh...scary. Don't think of Ivy Leagues that way. It'll bite you in the ***, and you know it! Some people work their entire high school career to go to a specific school even if it isn't a fit. I'm not implying that you aren't fit for ivy leagues, but make sure to think about it. Let's say you get into the school of your choice: do you feel that you can do well and compete successfully in this school...or is it a fairytale situation?</p>
<p>I'm not trying to discourage, I just want you to think about it.</p>
<p>For reading, this helps me a lot (I got 35 reading with this, and I tried it on the 2nd test (cause I'm a moron) with a DIFFERENT method and I got a 29 (thank god for dec. retest).</p>
<p>Read the first 2 or 3 paragraphs (depending on length) and make sure to underline. Do not underline in order to refer back, because you should underline nearly everything. But when you underline, that one extra second implants the info. in your brain. Anyway, after you read the first 2 or 3 paragraphs, LOOK at the questions and find one or two questions that correspond to what you just read. Can't find any? Just keep going. Eventually, you'll find some, and when you find some, the rest come easily. The reason WHY this method works is that you read a certain amount to the point whree you are so focused that you remember everything, then you answer the question. Essentially, its divide and conquer.</p>
<p>Science: I'm only ok at it, I'll tell ya when I find a strat. that works, haha. Although I did hear something quite profound the other day: treat it as if it was a logic test, not a science test.</p>
<p>Anyway, best of luck man. I hope you get into an ivy league; you seem to really want it, and in my book, that's as good as actually being there. But if you don't go, no worries. Your school isn't going to foce you to stop studying, become stupid and get drunk while eating cheetos all day. Only you can stop yourself. Some of the smartest people I've ever seen came from community college. You get the point. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>uhhh a 28 is not that bad.</p>
<p>i think too much test preparation can cause just as much test anxiety as too little! back in the dark ages when i took the act, we just showed up and took the test. which is the exactly the same way both my boys approached this exam (much to my chagrin!) i am probably in the minority here, but i firmly believe that "you know what you know" and the only test preparation you might need is a review of how to take the test and how the exam is scored....and that's it!</p>
<p>I love you guys.</p>
<p>I am convinced that for at least science and math, you have to do some test prep though, because the problems (not quite so much the math though) are presented so differently than I did them in highschool. </p>
<p>For science? My stragy was do the best on 4-5 sections, and kind of randomly bubble the rest, otherwise I end up just kind of bubbling the entire test. We will see how it worked, two more weeks! As this was my last time taking it, here's hoping...</p>
<p>I got a 32 and my tips are: MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR OWN WATCH/STOPWATCH, it was so important for me to see how much time i had left easily, For reading just make jots next to the paragraph telling whats it about.. for ex. childhood, marriage, sucess... ect... </p>
<p>For science i got a 22-26 on all my practice tests and i came off with a 31 strangly on my oct. test... suggestion is that you shouldnt think too hard, the questions are actually often very easy and are just testing your ability to read graphs (direct, indirect relationship) my suggestion is to spend more time looking at the graph and figuring out what it is saying instead of going to it question by question. Also, there is usually an introduction that is very important... underline the key phrases!!</p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>wow you people really do a lot of test prep, I wish I did that.</p>
<p>in April I walked into the test center not really knowing the format of the ACT ( I never took a practice test) and I ended up with a 30 that im not sending anyway, but I guess I could have got higher</p>
<p><em>bows down in amazement at the 31</em></p>
<p>lol let's get something straight with the ACTs.
I hate science, I am not good at science, and I barely scraped a 4 out of the Chem AP exam and a 5 in the IB exam.
I got a 36 on the ACT. Why? It's not science. It's math.</p>