<p>I'm a first-time ACT taker. I took it in December, and was reading a few ACT-related websites today, one of which was sparknotes. On the website it says that the guidance counselor receives my scores before I do, since I listed my high school code on the registration form. I'm hoping this isn't true, because I'd be bother as heck if my guidance counselor received any of my stuff before I did. I know I can get the scores online early, but I don't want my scores that much... I just don't want anybody else to have them. Can someone please tell me whether or not this is true?</p>
<p>Yes, your guidance counselor will get your scores if you listed your school.</p>
<p>(I've actually seen the score report guidance counselors' recieve.)</p>
<p>Sparknotes says:
"If you follow the ACTs registration instructions, you probably wont receive your score directlyyour high school guidance counselor and any colleges you list will get it first, and then you must retrieve your score from your guidance counselor."</p>
<p>This is not true. It used to be that a high school could choose whether to have student reports sent to the high school or directly to the student's home. Now, all student reports go directly to the student's home. Both high school and student reports are mailed at the same time. So you should get your scores at the same time as your counselor.</p>
<p>This is one of several inaccuracies on the site. Here's another:</p>
<p>"The makers of the ACT dont reveal the formula used to convert raw scores into scaled scores, but we provide you with conversion charts that mimic the ACT conversion formula, so you can get an idea of your scaled performance."</p>
<p>ACT doesn't use a "formula" to convert raw scores into scaled scores, they use the conversion table, which they provide with the practice tests. Each version of the test has a different conversion table, to adjust for slight differences in the difficulty of each test.</p>
<p>"A school must specifically request not to receive the results of the writing test or they will be sent to the school automatically."</p>
<p>A school can NOT request not to receive writing scores. If you have writing scores, they're going on all your reports.</p>
<p>"[Early Scores by Web] is only available for certain test dates."</p>
<p>Not true. It is available for all 6 national test dates.</p>
<p>"In the moments before you take the ACT, the test administrators will give you a form allowing you to submit a list of up to six colleges that will receive your score directly from the company that makes the test. Dont submit a list unless you feel extremely confident that you will achieve your target score on the exam. After all, once you receive your score report and know you got the score you wanted, you can always order score reports to be sent to colleges. True, forwarding your scores costs a small fee after the first three reports, but the security it provides is worth it."</p>
<ol>
<li>You would normally request college reports when you register, not "in the moments before you take the ACT", and the administrators don't collect them on any form they give you.<br></li>
<li>Additional score reports after the test always cost money, not just the first three.</li>
</ol>
<p>Scores are free to view now.</p>