<p>I just got a 32 on the February test. I was hoping for anything above a 31, honestly, but I was secretly wishing for a 33 haha. My superscore is a 33. At this level, will i be hurt for my applications at places like Cornell/Chicago/Stanford?</p>
<p>Probably not Chicago, but it’s low for Stanford. Don’t know much about Cornell, sorry, but if I had to guess I would say it’s okay.</p>
<p>A 32 is an excellent score. It’s either 98th or 99th percentile, isn’t it?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t bother retaking a 32.</p>
<p>If you can get your score up, it’s worth it to re-take to increase your chances at some of those places. A 32 is on the lower side for those universities, but it certainly is a good score.</p>
<p>32 is in the 98th percentile and I’m in the same boat as you.
I signed up for the April ACT on impulse, I guess I’ll find out near the beginning May if that was a good idea or not…</p>
<p>I mean, Chicago recalculates composites. But would an adcom see say, a 35 as a much stronger applicant, or only marginally better?</p>
<p>once it gets to the 30s, I doubt they put too much weight on it. After all, the difference between a 36 and a 32 might be 15 missed questions on a 215 question test.</p>
<p>
I got deferred from Chicago with a 34; I got rejected from Carnegie Mellon, which is comparable to Cornell in difficulty of being accepted.</p>
<p>
15 questions is a huge difference. 5 questions is a big difference in fact.</p>
<p>yes, it may be. But a 32 score with good extracurriculars and exceptional essays will probably have an edge over a 33 or 34 with average extracurriculars and essays.</p>
<p>that’s what i was hoping, but I mean, a 34 is a considerable difference to me. 34-36 seems like no difference to me though.</p>
<p>@CJgone: I’m sure your deferral from Chicago had nothing to do with your 34. Their essays are weighed much more than anything else. As for CMU, I don’t know.</p>
<p>
There’s a pretty big difference between a 34 and 36. 10 or more IQ points difference, I would bet.</p>
<p>32 is a great score, but it’s average, if not on the low end, for the elite universities you’re talking about. If you think you can get it up, you would certainly benefit.</p>
<p>retake for stanford for sure</p>
<p>Wow bro a 32!!! Amazing!!!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Honestly, once you get to a 34 it seems that it really all comes down to the specific test, how much sleep you got, the humidity (haha), and things like that. Once you have the knowhow to get a 34+ it’s really all down to concentration.</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>Agreed. There is NO difference between a 34 and a 36. I got a 34 my first time (no prep) and a 36 my second time (no prep). Different test, different day, different score.</p>
<p>Most people who can get 34 can get 36 on a different day and will bounce between a 34, 35, and 36.</p>
<p>^If you had no prep for the first test, then the 36 could reflect better preparation. After all, it would have been the second time taking the test, and you would have had an entire practice run. In other words, the 34 is not interchangeable with the 36.</p>
<p>Think about it-- for a composite score to drop from a 36 to a 34, one would have to do 2 points lower on average for EVERY section. I don’t buy the idea that any 34 is interchangeable with a 35 or 36; clearly 34s are much easier (at least statistically).</p>
<p>Most colleges consider a 32+ to be perfect. :)</p>