Kid bummed out by ACT score (and I'm also a bit sad and kicking myself and frustrated)

Parents Forum
1

This is a bit of a rant…and I know I have to shake it off and I will by tomorrow.

But

So my S gets his ACT score this morning and it’s a 29. The exact same score he received the 1st time he took it. No movement whatsoever. Incredibly frustrating after all that work and tutoring. And – because he moves in a smart crowd - his buddies are texting about the 33s and 34s they received…I have no problem with this,btw…

(and before you read the rest, I know that 29 is great! But)

But here are my issues:


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he didn’t want to take the test in February but I pushed it because it’s the last free non-traveling weekend that he has that aligns with the ACT test schedule. So i thought, “hey, he’ll get another point or two and then he’ll take it one last time at beginning of senior year.” He’s SWAMPED with debate and school and lacrosse right now and i shouldn’t have pushed it. But I’ll get over this…i have bigger things in life to feel guilty about :slight_smile:
But even if I hadn’t pushed the date, i think 29 is going to be his score…and then here’s where the frustration part happens…he’s every bit as smart as his older sibling (now a college freshman) but because she was an amazing test-taker, the world was her oyster when it came to colleges. We’re a donut-hole family – that is, we make too much money to qualify for financial aid but not enough to pay for private college. So D successfully hunted down a lot of merit aid. That’s not going to happen with my S. So I have the anger thing going about why these stats mean so much.
So you would say, “hey go with the state college” and I’m with you! We have 2 very good state colleges (one liberal arts, one more tech-oriented) but, honestly, a 29 isn’t going to get him into those colleges either. He might slip in…but it can’t be counted on.
So then you would say “choose one of the thousands of great colleges out there that would love a kid with a 29” and I"m with you…but then we have the tuition issue rise back up.

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Okay, as I’m writing this, i realize that i"m being an idiot. It will work out…and we will find a way to pay the tuition…if he doesn’t get into the flagship, there are several other colleges here in-state that would be fine as well.

Its just frustrating…that one number makes so much of a difference. Grrrr. I’m going to buy a donut.

2

It is not so easy to improve ACTs because the score is the average of the 4 sub-scores-not the sum.Some colleges super-score the ACT. Did the sub-scores change at all? Has he tired the SATs? Is it worth changing the plans for a weekend to have him try the SATs? If not, have him work on a application that will sway colleges.

3

I completely understand the frustration.

IDK if this will help but I’ve been there.

My S’12 (a late-in-the-cycle recipient of my CC knowledge) had a 28. He retook it fall of senior year on a bad day and got a 26. So he used the 28. His GPA was just under 3.0 UW (no weighting at his school then). He took some APs and challenging classes despite them not being weighted which was a tad unusual then.

He applied to 6 or so schools and was offered merit aid at all of them, in a couple of cases it was significant merit aid. We’re in Ohio, he didn’t want to go far, so his were all schools here or in neighboring states. CTCL schools were in the mix, as were some other LACs. There was one state U and it gave him a couple thousand.

The various “B student” threads here have a TON of info on great colleges, even if your S is an A student, he may wish to look at some of them. He’s a boy. If he wants a LAC, many great ones will want him. Sounds like he has lots going for him (debate? LAX?).

Also…there is a long and growing list of test optional schools, if he wants to aim at some where his score is under the 50% mark.

4

Has he tried the SAT to see if he does better on that than the ACT?

5

http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ lists some colleges with large scholarships that a student with a 29 ACT and sufficiently high GPA can get automatically.

6

How far is he away from a 30? Was he at 29.25 or 28.5? If he was close to the 30, then it is worth taking again as he would need just an improvement of 1 on 1 section to get it. While a 29 and 30 seem comparable, a 30 allows colleges to check the 30-36 box for score reporting on the common data set, so moving from a 29 to a 30 can be a very big deal.
Don’t kick yourself over this. No test date is perfect - kids are always busy, not feeling 100%, tired etc. And I think no matter what the score, it is natural for kids to want a point or two higher. It’s good you have the scores now so you can make a plan, vs taking the test for the first time come June.

7

He’s a junior. He can retake it, or take the SAT a few times, if that’s what he wants to do. Or he can use the 29 and get merit aid at plenty of good colleges, as noted above. He has many options. Try to shake it off.

8

I feel your pain. It’s hard to watch this kind of thing, and to push them through yet another exam sitting.

My DS took the ACT three times . . . April, June, September. Same exact composite score every single time, with wildly fluctuating sub-scores. For instance on one sitting he got a 34 in science; on a different exam he got a 28. One exam he got a 36 in English - the one time he didn’t take the writing (which was very low compared to the other subscores). And he didn’t go into the exams with any strategy of super-scoring - i.e., trying to improve one section.

I agree with the suggestion above to try SAT and see how that goes. We only did one SATII exam (Math 2). Looking back I might have had him try SAT. That being said, be aware of score choice policies at wherever he is thinking of applying. Also, I’d be a little nervous about the new SAT.

Hang in there! 29 is still a very solid score and many schools would love to have him!

9

Sigh. That’s tough, and real. I was in the exact same place this time last year. My daughter took the ACT in Jan or Feb (not sure–maybe it was March) for the first time and scored a 27. All those exact emotions. Worry that sister had all the choices and this equally smart and amazing kid would end up living at home and commuting to our local state university, and feeling inferior. Fast forward a year and things are looking up. She was worried too, but looked at what she wanted, engaged in the process, had some better success on those stupid tests after studying herself, and we may just have a bunch of (affordable) possibilities in April (right now we are waiting and seeing, and that’s hard too).

Also, just keep in mind that there are lots of ways for him to reach his goals, and they don’t all end with a 29 ACT, even if it doesn’t go up later. My own DH is an example of a guy who started at community college (yep–didn’t get into university on first try) and ended up with a graduate professional degree, with honors, and is successful in his career. He didn’t have the options straight out of high school that others do, but he worked towards his goals with what he had, and made a go of it.

Don’t let this get you down. It’s going to be fine. :slight_smile:

10

29 doesn’t seem that bad to me. Also - any chance of lacrosse scholarship, maybe not D1 but D2?

What about his GPA? What about ECs - you note lacrosse and debate, not too bad…

What does HE think? Where does HE want to go? What does HE want to do?

My one son might end up in votech and trade school. He is very bright, but what he wants to do is what he wants to do. It’s not a “waste” if he wants to do something else.

PS - if he is bummed out, consider having him NOT retake the ACT. He needs to use this as a motivation to check out his options, and move on from there. If he does want one of the state schools but is “borderline” in your mind, why not see if they have a summer pre-college program? Or have him go on a tour as a motivator?

11

It is what it is, but he is able to take it again, right? Some kids don’t improve with multiple re-tests, and some do. But IMO, three times is the limit I think. Statistically, there isn’t much score improvement after the third try.

Don’t worry too much about this. The test score isn’t everything and it certainly doesn’t define who your son is at all. Holistic admissions is a way for him to present his whole self, and it seems like he has lots of good ECs going on!

My oldest daughter took the ACT in the fall of her junior year and got a 29. She retested in the spring of her junior year and got a 32. My youngest daughter took it once in her junior year and got a 33 first time. Both equally very smart but very different test takers. Oldest daughter probably has a bit more test anxiety and youngest daughter is very much more laid back about the whole thing.

Both go to elite colleges, but you’d be surprised about the range of SAT/ACT scores at their colleges. A 29 is not the end of the world.

12

Southern Hope: I was in your shoes last year. My D’16, second kid had an older sister who did very well, and had all the offers and attention she could want. D’16, who played a competitive sport that required a lot of travel, plus school etc was not getting the same kind of scores. She took to SATs in Jan 2015, and again…March I think. Still good, not great scores. She was working with someone, and it just didn’t help. I had her sign up in June last year for both SAT 2, and ACT. Her sport was mostly over, in May, plus after AP exams, school wasn’t so intense. And she did a couple of ACT practice tests. NO prep for the SAT 2s. That’s it! We didn’t expect much. So we were shocked by her scores. She got a 34 on the ACT, and a 750 on SAT 2 Lit, plus something like that in Math 2. Rested, and her mind was in the test taking zone from practice tests. That was the difference.

From my two kids, it seems that you have to figure out what the problem is and solve it. For mine, they each had a different problem.

13

You talk about “all that work and tutoring,” and you seem surprised that your son got a 29 again, but you then say “that’s probably his score.” Didn’t all that work and tutoring include practice tests? How did he do on the practice tests – what were you reasonably expecting on that basis?

I don’t mean to reinforce an obsession with high test scores. As others have said, a 29 is fine. If that’s his best score, it may limit some college choices to a very small extent viewed from any perspective other than CC, but it won’t limit his life one bit. However, if you happen to care about this more than you reasonably should – as the OP seems to indicate – it’s not clear from what you wrote that it’s time to give up.

If he was scoring well above a 29 on practice tests, he ought to be able to do that on a real one, with the proper rest and confidence (from practice testing, of course). If he wasn’t scoring well above that level on the practice tests, then, yes, it may be time to accept that as the score that will be on his applications, but you should hardly be surprised or resentful about it. If he wasn’t taking practice tests and scoring them under time pressure and other test-like conditions . . . then, yes, you were probably wasting money and time on all that work and tutoring, because practice tests, and using them to identify areas to improve, are a key component of anything that possibly works. But if he hasn’t been using practice tests extensively yet, you can’t really know whether he’s maxed out on his score, because he hasn’t been serious and systematic about doing better.

14

How engaged is he in the process right now? Does he understand his options at a 29 versus something higher? If he doesn’t, then his motivation may not quite be where it would be if he understands. Of course, you don’t want to stress him out with it right now.

Looking at old threads, looks like you can pay 35k or so per year? That is what it looks like you are paying for your daughter? That is still a pretty good budget to work with for him.

There are big flagships that discount for a 29 ACT. Looks like you are familiar with Alabama (which gives half tuition for OOS for a 29 and 2/3rds for a 30-31.) Oklahoma gives 7,000 a year. Those are two I am familiar with. There may be more closer to you.

I agree with taking the SAT and taking the test when he is rested.

15

It helps to find how the glass is half full. See if his sub-scores are better for what he thinks he might want to major in. We talk about composite on CC, but the colleges will see it all.

I have no idea what schools you all hoped for. But try to see if you can play to his strengths (aside from scores, figure what schools would want him and why. What academic strengths in the hs work and what’s he got besides sports and debate, something need to be added?) Work on the LoRs. We’re an SAT family, and my kids’ scores were groaners. Best wishes.

16

My younger D is an excellent student but completely bombed on the SATs, despite using a (supposed) great tutor. She was scoring pretty well on practice tests but really froze or something on the real ones. Did move from 1680 to 1830 but that was it. She then took the ACT after only doing some practice tests on her own and got a 30 and we were absolutely thrilled. So we/she figured she might be able to improve Math with a bit more practice so she took the test again and got a 29 composite. Math went from 28 to 34, but science for some reason went from 30 to 25 so she didn’t even want to send them to schools for them to superscore. At that point she decided, and we supported her, that it wasn’t worth the stress and time to retake it and figured it was a pretty decent score (outside of the CC world) and with her #10 ranking and high GPA and good ECs, she would get into some pretty good schools (we are not looking at Ivy’s or those similarly ranked, but she has been accepted at Tulane so far and her other schools are in that area.

My point is that some kids - my daughter included - apparently get stressed or anxious when taking these tests for real - even though she totally didn’t realize it at the time. Her real world scores just don’t match her practice tests, and while for some kids it might make sense to keep taking these for real in the hopes that they will relax, in our case the process itself was stressing her even more and we felt her time was better spent on getting really good grades senior year and working on her ECs. In fact, she moved up in rank considerably senior year (to the top ten) and I guess many of her peers either slacked off a bit first semester, or were very focused on their testing or applications and their grades slipped a bit and she profited from it.
So if you think your son might benefit from trying the SAT, or taking ACT one more time, that is fine and like others mentioned, I’d have him wait until a time when things are less stressful for him. Otherwise, let him work on the other areas he can control - grades, ECs, applications etc and don’t worry so much about one or two points. Sometimes it just isn’t worth it.
Best of luck!!

17

Just want to reiterate @OHMomof2’s point that 29 doesn’t mean zero merit, even at some very cool schools. For instance, at Trinity U in TX, that plus a 3.75 gpa will get you $17K/year: https://new.trinity.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid/academic-merit-scholarships-first-year-students

So there’s definitely merit aid to be had out there for a kid with a 29. It won’t get you money at the very most selective schools that offer merit, but that still leaves open a lot of attractive possibilities.

18

Agree that test optional schools might be worth a consideration. What where his subtest scores each time? Have you calculated a superscore composite?

How did he happen to do onthe PSAT? I am also in the "wait and see how the new SAT test shakes out before jumping to take it) camp, but if he aced the PSAT (though we don’t yet know what those scores will mean, despite lots and lots of hypotheses) it might be worth considering the SAT maybe after we see how the first two of the new SATs look. Good luck!

19

You’re right. A 29 is a great score! I’m surprised that someone hasn’t already pointed out that your son already qualifies for acceptance into the Alabama Honors College with half tuition…I know how frustrating it can be to have put in all the extra time, effort and money in the hope of raising that stupid score. Been there. Done that. But as you can see from the previous posts, many of us have dealt with this issue, and in the end have had very good results. So please don’t let this hang over you, and especially not over your son. Right now he’s probably feeling pretty down hearing about other kids having received higher scores (probably even some with lower GPA’s than him), so what he really needs is a lot of encouragement and support. It’s human nature to compare one’s self to another, but we all have different gifts and talents. I’m certain your son has many. A lot of CC posters tend to focus on highly selective schools and kids with high stats, and it can be a bit depressing to read, so I encourage you (and your son) not to. There are thousands of us that don’t fit that mold. What I have learned when it comes to college addmissions, is that it is truly a “holistic” approach, and it is a matter of highlighting one’s gifts and talents that will make a difference. The AO’s know that your son is not just a number, so don’t let a ACT score define who he is or limit his college choices. Scores are just one piece of the application. And as others have said, he still has time to retest iff he wants, take the SAT, or focus on other areas like essay writing, or just forget the test and continue developing your sons interests and skills. When it comes time to apply, just choose wisely. Don’t solely focus on the usual schools that everyone talks about. Expand your son’s horizons, and you’ll be surprised how much merit aid is out there for someone like him. Trust me. Also, many schools will super score the ACT (just Google it to find the list of schools), and also look into "test optional"schools (there are many excellent schools out there). Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, we faced a similar dilemma last year, but thanks to a post by Maggpie, we found a solution that worked for us. It’s from a thread titled “Where did your 30 to 31 kid get in?” (Sorry, I’m a CC novice and haven’t figured out how to hyperlink yet - anyone?)
Hang in there. You’re not alone!

"Follow this link - http://www.stateuniversity.com/rank/act_75pctl_rank.html
It is colleges ranked by 75% ACT scores.

First, don’t worry, everyone wishes they had another point or two on the ACT. Even the kids that got 32’s and 33’s.
31 is a very good number that will give you great opportunities.

We used this for Child #3. It worked perfectly. He got into all his schools, but his 2 that were slight reaches did not give enough money to attend. We told him that might happen, so it wasn’t a shock. He had 5 other fantastic offers to pick from.

So, go to the list, here is my free advice prediction on how it works. (of course, your rigor and GPA will bump you up and down a bit). I found that the kids are admitted on their grades and rigor, but merit aid is much more determined by test score.

Apply to schools that have a 75th percentile of 31 or 32. Anything above that is a reach. You may get in, but low chance of money. I’m assuming you don’t want to pay full price if you can help it.

31 schools - you should get some merit aid, maybe the highest or second highest level the school gives.
30 schools - you may get the top merit award
28-29 schools - you may be a strong candidate for their full tuition awards

The only problem with this method, is you may have too many schools to choose from in the end! But, you won’t have to apply to more than 6 or 7, because again, you will get acceptances. Those app’s cost $100 apiece, when all is said and done. Plus 2-3 essays each.

Also, be careful with out of state public schools, many do not give merit aid. Read their websites.
Good luck!"

20

Sort of in your shoes a year ago – bright, hard-working kid with strong ECs, just a weak standardized test taker. He could even do quite well in practices, but the test itself, he did not score at a level which would have been consistent with the rest of his record.

We too knew we needed merit aid to close the gap between our savings and what we would have to pay. And, our kid was clear that our public flagship, which would have been affordable, was not an option because he really is a LAC kid, needs that small nurturing relationship right off the bat, no lectures of 250 with discussion sections and then moving into seminars in his major later on (which is what our older one has at another flagship, and thrives in).

Test-optional schools to the rescue! He applied to Earlham, Lawrence, Knox, Kalamazoo and others,and was admitted EA with 1/2 tuition scholarships at all of them. His well-rounded portfolio of strong academics and ECs made him a very attractive candidate. We were even pleased that at a few of the test-mandatory schools he also received substantial merit awards.

If LACs are an option, definitely look at those test optional schools. Good luck, and hang in there.