<p>Hello everyone! I received my ACT scores today, and I must say I was a little disappointed with the 29 I received. My hope was to at least receive a 30 this time around (this is my third ACT), and finally start moving up into the 30s with the next few tests. I was close, but not quite there. I have dreamed of going to Georgetown, Claremont Mckenna, or Tufts for a while now, and I've worked extremely hard to have a chance of acceptance. I have a 3.8 GPA with several AP classes, I'm taking 3 languages, I have a couple leadership roles within and outside of school, my ECs are unique (a sport and an academic team) show a lot of dedication and success/award winning, and I have two great teacher recommendations on the way. Is there any hope of getting into these colleges with only a 29 ACT? Or Maybe a 31-32 after the next test?
Thanks </p>
<p>You’ve taken the ACT three times? If so, just accept that 29 is your best score. It’s not likely to go up the more you take it again in the future. Have you considered trying the SAT? Perhaps your style is better suited to that exam.</p>
<p>Sorry, but a 29 is too low for Georgetown. Good luck on the SAT.</p>
<p>I suggest you try the SAT. Although it is statistically rare, some people DO in fact perform better on the SAT than the ACT </p>
<p>A 29 ACT score is about equivalent to a 1900-1950 sat score.</p>
<p>I’m assuming you’re a junior, so you better start that SAT prep!</p>
<p>You know as well as anyone on this board that a 29 is low, but not totally impossible for the schools you like. I think you should 1) consider trying the SAT and 2) revise your college ideas to be more in line with your current score (one or two reach schools is fine, but you can’t have your heart set on them and you need good options that are more in line with your scores).</p>
<p>The ACT and other standardized tests are not the most important part of your application. According to it’s common data set for 2011-2012, 25% had an ACT score between 24-29 and 4% between 18-23. You can check for yourself here:
<a href=“CDS Dashboard”>http://oads.georgetown.edu/facts/cds/</a></p>
<p>The bottom 25% of any school is generally populated by developmentals, athletes, legacies, and URMs. If you are not one of those, you generally want to be at or above the 25% line to have any decent chance. Some schools superscore the ACT, so always know what that number is. But odds are, yes, after 3 ACTs, you probably don’t have much more potential score there.</p>
<p>If you have considerable rigor to go with your 3.8 GPA (hopefully that’s unweighted), which means 6-8 APs, mostly core, I can say from experience that you stand a very good chance of being admitted to many very good schools at the 25% line. Concentrate on those schools as your low reaches, but don’t focus on just one school. Any time you are below the 25% line, whatever it is, start to realize you definitely need a Plan B. There are many, many good schools just below Georgetown in the rankings that you should take a look at - some you’ve probably never heard of. That doesn’t mean they aren’t any good, it just means you haven’t heard of them yet. This time last year, D’s school of choice was barely on the radar, now she loves it, came back from accepted student day happy as a clam.</p>
<p>Georgetown claims it does not pay much attention to Racial/ethnic status, Alumni relation etc, but you are right in saying that majority of those people are definitely anomalies and he should not raise his hopes up too much just because of it. </p>
<p>If the score & GPA are below the mid 50 range, you do need something to make you stand out from the crowd to be admitted into a competitive school. Remember, the applicant pool with credential below the 25% may be larger than the pool between 25-50%. Even there are some students admitted with below 25% score/GPA, the admission rate would be much lower.</p>
<p>You definitely don’t want to take the act more than 3 times. So take the 29. That’s a solid score that will get you a chance at the schools you’re looking at. But have you tried the SAT? If not, study up and take it! Who knows, maybe that’s you test!!! I know a kid at georgetown who got a 30 act so a 29 will definitely not keep u out. Also, tufts is big on their essays, make sure you nail those!</p>
<p>Chance me back!</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1643813-duke-ed-chances.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1643813-duke-ed-chances.html#latest</a></p>
<p>Get yourself a few non-reaches; these three are fine to have as reaches but they are just that: reaches.</p>
<p>Agree that your 29 will not likely budge after having taken the test 3 times. You can improve your entire testing package by scoring highly on at least a couple of strategically selected SAT IIs and AP tests (though APs are not technically considered for admissions purposes, they do end up on the Common App). And if you give a lot of care and attention to your entire application, particularly the short answer questions and essays, and try to convey your own particular “hooks”, you might be able to make yourself stand out apart from your scores.</p>
<p>But it will be tough. Admit rates this year for Tufts and Georgetown were %17, and for CMC, %10. Put together that solid list of matches/ safeties!</p>
<p>@sss15645 I’m going to Tufts in the fall and I had a 29 ACT. Don’t stress about it and make sure you have good SAT IIs</p>
<p>I would advise you spend more time picking out schools where your scores are in range, learn about them, and embrace some of them. Because the odds are much, much higher that you will end up at one of those than the schools you listed. Without a hook, your odds are very slim at all those schools. You can apply to a couple as reaches, but you need to focus more energy on the schools that are likely to accept you. What about Dickinson as a possible match?</p>
<p>A 29 does not make you a hopeless applicant. i had a 29 ACT (and a 12 essay) and got into Bowdoin, Wesleyan and other top LACs.</p>
<p>Bowdoin is test optional… you wouldn’t have to send them a 29. Collegebound752, Wesleyan isn’t going to take many 29s (that is below the 25% range for them), you must have had some other hook.</p>
<p>Connecticut College is test optional and a great school-particularly strong in IR and looking at your reach schools it seems that may be an interest of yours?</p>