Is the ACT that big of a deal?

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>I don't really get the whole fuss over trying to get a 36 and anything lower is bad. I personally got a 29 and I'm taking it again because I was sick last time and didn't even finish the reading because I felt like crap. </p>

<p>But anyways, why is it such a big deal? Yeah you are good at a test but colleges also look at grades and if you are a well rounded person. I talked to a Harvard admission director and they said they would rather have someone with a 32 and do other things such as sports, clubs, ect than someone with a 36/2400 that doesn't do anything because that is common there. </p>

<p>With that being said, I probably still don't have a chance of getting into an ivy, nor do I want to. For me, the ACT is just for scholarship. Where I want to go, the average score is a 24 and if I get a 30+ I am pretty set with a full ride. </p>

<p>What I don't get is why people study their brains out and are not satisfied with being in the top.75% of the country. They want to be the top like.00001%. Just because you get into your "dream school" doesn't mean you will necessarily do well where you could go to a school that isn't quite as hard such as case Western, standard, ect and do a lot better. </p>

<p>Can someone explain their side or idea about this or am I the only one that feels this was?</p>

2

<p>Some people think what score you get on a test and what college you go to somehow defines what kind of person you are and how successful you will be in life.</p>

3

<p>This is College Confidential where 90% of the posters are try-hards (myself included) and we want to elevate our chances as much as possible to get into our dream schools haha.</p>

4

<p>It’s just the culture of CC.
For instance, I took my subject tests this past weekend and I’m TERRIFIED of scoring anything lower than 750 even though I know that, realistically, my scores are most likely in the mid 600 range.
Many of us feel our apps must be perfect and stress a lot if they aren’t. Even though many top schools use one’s transcripts to gauge one’s potential more than test scores. </p>

<p>We’re just…cray, lol. xD</p>

5

<p>As someone who professionally prepares people for these tests, I think people get so bent out of shape over them because they are one of the few things they can still control when it comes time to apply for College. The GPA is pretty much set in stone by the time you apply, so are your extra-curriculars, letters of recommendation, etc…</p>

<p>But you can still make a difference with your admission essay and your scores on the ACT and SAT, which seem to be the things that freak people out the most.</p>