<p>Ever since I was young, I've always dreamed of U of M. I fell in love with ann arbor itself, as well. I remember as a high school freshman I went to the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Ann Arbor was AMAZING, and the U of M campus was amazing as well. Something about me being there just felt right, and I couldnt help but hope and dream of me being in the same place four years later as a college student. I remember I looked my best friend in the eyes and said "I'm going to this school." I worked ridiculously hard in high school to reach the open door to U of M. I managed a 4.427 GPA with lots of strong AP classes and a class rank of 5 along with numerous extracurricular activities and volunteer experiences. The door to U of M slammed in my face when I took my ACT. I scored a 22. I took it several times and the highest score I got was a 25 (probably by luck). I tried "studying" for it in the summer and my score dropped a point. Who knows, I might've forgotten stuff in the summer. I signed up for another testing in October, but I've pretty much lost hope with this test and that will show when I get my scores back from that testing, so I'm thinking about just missing that test date since its the same day of my senior homecoming! My subscores are english:29, math:26, reading:19, science:24(whats killing my score is the reading and science because I'm very analytical and I always take too long, not that its a bad thing, just bad when it comes to this test) I wanted to go to U of M and become a doctor. To be a doctor, you need a high MCAT. I did horrible on my ACT, therefore I will do bad on my MCAT. Since probably wont get accepted into U of M for college, I probably wont get into medschool. See the parallel in my future? But I cant help but have this grudge against myself about the ACT, and I can't help but feel I've failed as a high school student. I must've done something wrong in high school. I should've studied for the ACT when I was a freshmen, made myself took practice tests every day in the summer, or maybe I'm just dumb?</p>
<p>I've been pretty upset with myself ever since this ACT. It kinda ****es me off how this ACT score limits my college options and scholarship money. I've asked admissions counselors and done my research. The most money I'll get for my academic performance is half tuition from Wayne (where as, if I got 3 more points on the ACT and maybe had a 3.7 instead of a 4.4 I could've gotten a full ride). As of right now, I'm hoping to get into Lyman Briggs at MSU. I spoke to MSU's Honors College Director and she was very sympathetic to my situation, but she can't make any exceptions. I spoke to the admissions office at U of M and they didnt seem to care too much. Its unfortunate how the system works, how a college judges me so much off of a test that I took for four hours on a random saturday morning over the hard work I've done for four years. But that's how the game is played.</p>
<p>My boyfriend thinks I'm being overdramatic! But this is truley how I feel about this test and an indication of my future! what do you guys think?</p>
<p>Have you taken the SAT? Some students do significantly better on the SAT than on the ACT (and vice versa).</p>
<ol>
<li>Obviously you have not failed high school. You have kicked its ass.</li>
<li>If it is true that your score problems are the result of being too analytical and taking too long, that is something that can absolutely be overcome with testing strategies and practice. A proper test prep course (as opposed to self-study books) might be a worthy investment.</li>
<li>I’ve got a doctorate in higher education and I know of no studies off the top of my head that relate ACT scores to MCAT scores. There is no reason to believe that you’ll do poorly on the MCAT four years from now. For one thing, you’re going to develop as a person a lot in the next four years, for another you’ll have a lot more knowledge, for a third you’ll develop new study and test taking skills over the next four years.</li>
<li>Michigan isn’t off the table. Take the SAT as annasdad recommended. </li>
<li>Seek an assessment for learning disability related to test taking. If you get a diagnosis, include it in your Michigan application. I don’t know what their policies are around such situations, but it’s worth a shot.</li>
<li>Michigan may or may not work out in any case. You should be looking to some other schools as back ups. Test-optional schools were made with you in mind. Apply to them and your ACT scores will have no impact on your aid package.</li>
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<p>Chin up.</p>
<p>Now I know you’ll probably ignore my advice like all of my friends do, but the first time I took the ACT I got 29 and I was able to raise it to 34 just by reading. Reading improves your grammar and teaches your brain to process words more quickly.
This helps in math and science because the faster you can understand what the problem is asking, the more time you have to calculate/look for the answer.
The benefits to the reading and English sections are obvious. Practice makes perfect.
It doesn’t matter what you read; fantasy, action, a journal article. Just pick up something, go to a coffee shop, and read for a few hours straight!</p>
<p>You’ve worked hard, done well in HS and you should be proud. Take the SAT and some SAT II subject tests in your strongest subjects. Your dream of med school is still very alive; one test does not a trend make. </p>
<p>Their are many paths to med school and Ann Arbor is just one of hundreds available to you. Don’t give up so easy … keep fighting.</p>
<p>Good luck!!</p>
<p>annasdad-I’ve only studied and practiced the ACT! I’m not familiar with the SAT what so ever. So I never bothered taking it, and the next SAT is in november which is too late for early action for University of Michigan. I already signed up for the October ACT, but that would make it my fifth time taking that test. My confidence shattered when I got my September scores back and I dropped a point:( I just feel stupider and stupider the more I take that test and the more I score in the mid-twenty range because I know it shouldn’t be where I’m scoring at. The ACT is in two weeks and I’m just thinking about missing it and losing my money. Some people are telling me to just “try one more time and see how you do.” But I did try in September and now I feel heartbroken that I could even drop a point after doing some practice! Let’s be realistic guys, the ACT is in two weeks. I dont have enough time to study enough to increase by that much, so why bother? It’ll only make me feel worse about myself if I don’t do so well on this ACT.</p>
<p>lynxinsider-I’ve talked to therapist about standardized tests and how I worry about them so much. This one time I took an AP test and I was crying in the middle of the test because I thought I would do bad…and what do ya know, I did end up doing bad… She thinks I have an anxiety disorder but can’t fully diagnose me until I’m 18(2 more months). </p>
<p>Profrogue-what’s funny is that the people who scored in the 30s, do read A LOT. I’ve realized that you don’t necessarily have to do well in high school to do well on the ACT. So I have no idea what an ACT score proves! My friend has a 2.9 gpa and scored a 32 composite on the ACT because all the reading he has done helped him on the test. Do you think reading would help me with my MCAT as well? I know there is a verbal portion, and I’ve heard its 100x harder than the SAT verbal section.</p>
<p>CatnPhx-I guess I can always transfer to U of M if I do really well my first year?</p>
<p>Thanks sooo muchhh guys for the encouragement 
I’m feeling much better than earlier. Maybe I was destined for a heartbreak now, in order to make me work extra hard to reach my dream of medical school? Who knows. Maybe I was destined to go to Michigan State instead of U of M. How do you guys feel about Michigan State for premed?</p>
<p>It is a myth that you need to attend a top tier college to earn a lot of money or to lead you to a promising career. I would argue that you shouldn’t take a rejection from Michigan too hardly. Keep your eye on your objective of becoming a doctor and away from superficial details such as “prestige”. </p>
<p>As a matter of fact, many insightful, aspiring medical students choose to pass on top public universities to escape the phenomenon of “grade deflation”. Public universities also do not tend to be ideal places to fish for recommendation letters due to large, predominantly lecture hall style teaching.</p>
<p>
Time limits are more generous on the SAT and questions are more difficult. Time limits for the ACT tend to be more strict but the questions tend to be easy. </p>
<p>Many students feel that the ACT tests students more on what they’ve learned in high school whereas the SAT tests overall intelligence. (The SAT has a 0.82 correlation with IQ tests.)</p>
<p>I don’t know too much about the MCAT but I think reading helps your brain learn to manage any new information, so probably!</p>
<p>holly i second sentimentgx4… if you dont go to u of m for undergrad, find a school that offers great pre med advising. I know my son’s school begins with this in freshman year, with mcat strategies, mock tests, mock interviews, seminars, shadowing opportunities. If you get a school that is lower cost, that may also help for med school costs later.</p>
<p>where does your son go?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Ditch the ACT. My cousin literally got a 26 on the ACT then got a 2270 on the SAT. She got into WashU and Northwestern among lots of other great schools. Sometimes I think you need to “drop” something that isn’t working. The SAT might be your thing. If you really want advice, I highly suggest taking that test instead.</p></li>
<li><p>If you want to go to med school you might actually better off for going to a less competitive school than Michigan. You will get a better GPA and it might be beneficial for you.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t worry! Life is long and full of options. You can always transfer if you don’t love where you start school now and grad schools will take you from anywhere as long as you do well.</p></li>
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