My most recent ACT score, a 26, was significantly higher than my others. I took that test December of 2016. I have just received a letter in the mail today, August 4, 2017, from ACT stating that my test was put under investigation due to the jump in numbers. They are saying in a lot of words that I basically cheated on the test. They gave me options to resolve the issue.
Option 1: Cancle the test and throw it away
Option 2: Schedule a retake
Option 3: write in and explain how i studied and convince them that my score is legit
This is where the issue comes in. I LEAVE FOR COLLEGE NEXT WEEK!! I was accepted into The University of Mississippi mid May. I was wondering if I chose option 1 would that result in me being kicked out of the school. Even though I’ve been admitted for quite some time and have payed all of my fees. I used this ACT score to get into the school. I do not feel the need to do the other options because school is starting in a few days and I feel like it wouldn’t make a difference if I did them or not. I just wanted to get any extra advice on what I should do. They say they will notify all sources that the ACT scores were sent to but I didn’t send this school my ACT scores. They retrieved my scores from my transcript, so will they even get notified? If anyone has any extra knowledge it would really be helpful. These are the main questions. If I cancel my ACT scores that were used to get into the school, will that result in me getting kicked out even if I’ve been admitted since May? Will my school be notified if they didn’t receive my scores directly from ACT? Will my school know if my ACT score is not on file with ACT anymore?
What actually happened? Did you study a lot more for this test? If so, do you have any way to document that?
All I have is my transcript to show that I took ACT prep courses in school
“I took ACT prep courses in school”
Is this the underlying cause of your improvement?
Yes and overall I was more focused. I took the test 3 times. The first I wasn’t feeling too well, the second was school administered, the 3rd I had took at a testing center and had no distractions. I was more focused and much more prepared. What I really want to know is if I do option 1 will that have any effect on me moving on with college.
You have to ask U of Mississippi. Are any of you merit awards based on that 26? If so, fight it. If Ole Miss says they don’t care and you have another valid score, you should be fine.
You should take option three. Write them a letter and attach a copy of your transcript showing the ACT prep class you took at school. If you want, then you could also say that you were on the wall the first time that the conditions weren’t optimal for testing the second. Good luck!
I think that you have two choices.
One choice is to call the university that you are going to attend, explain what happened and why, and ask them if cancelling this particular ACT would have any affect on your attendance. Point out that you have a legitimate reason for your improvement and you have the option of appealing to the ACT, but that you would prefer to focus on moving into your university and doing well in your classes rather than fighting the cancellation of your scores or retaking the ACT. Remain calm at all times.
The other choice is to document the reason for the improvement in your scores and appeal to the ACT with option 3.
Out of the few people I’ve talked to they feel that since I’m already enrolled in the school and in all of my classes that it will not effect me if the scores are thrown out. Do you have any thought on that? They also believe that since my scores weren’t directly sent to my school from ACT that they will not be notified of this occurrence
If anything changes about your app, they have the right to reevaluate your acceptance.
Why wouldn’t you just take Option 3? You have a valid reason for the jump – the prep classes.
Option 1 is being considered because it would be the easiest. With it being my first year I would like to not have to worry about things outside of school
Do you really want to risk your ability to go to college this year over not wanting to have to worry about this issue?
Oh and none of my other scores meet the requirement to get into the school. But since I am already admitted does the cancelation of my scores matter?
If my ACT score is canceled but I am already admitted into college, will I be kicked out? I start school next week and I’ve had a little problem with ACT and want to know. I look some things up and it said that if scores are canceled there is no way t retrieve them. I’ve already been placed in classes based off of those scores and class starts on the 16th. Will I be removed from the school if my scores are no longer on file with ACT?
Yes, if the score was needed for you to get admitted, then the cancellation of your score will matter and could cause your admission to be revoked. You need to either explain the issue to the university and see if they are okay with it, or explain the reasons for your improvement to the ACT and get them to not cancel your score.
My lab partner had a roommate who was dismissed from the university three weeks into the semester. She thought she had slipped through the cracks.
The universities don’t play games. You can’t “hope” your way into thinking that no one will notice.
Are these people admissions reps? If these “experts” are not on the admissions committee, then I would disregard their “feelings”.
The universities have no problem in dismissing you and keeping your fees, especially if you try to slide out of your requirements.
You need to do option three and talk to the university. I find it strange that you haven’t already talked to them. This is your college education on the line. Yes, it’s a pain. Too bad though. ACT is calling the shots now and you have to play ball. If you didn’t chart,MYou have zero to lose by complying with them.
If the college rescinds your admission after you start, you may still be required to pay for the fall semester. You could also be considered a transfer by other schools instead of a freshman and that would make you ineligible for freshman grants.
If I were you I’d provide documentation to the ACT people and make your college aware of the situation. I think it’s a mistake to hope that just because you’re starting college soon that there’s nothing the ACT organization can do or that the college will ignore it because the score was reported on your transcript. By doing nothing you may just be confirming their suspicion that you cheated. You really need to address this issue head on.
3 is the only option of those presented and calling the school on Monday and explaining the situation to find out how they respond.
Are you sure the letter is legitimate? I am surprised how long it took for ACT to identify a significant jump in your score. That’s something that should have arisen at the time the results were available. I know ACT and SAT will delay scores from being released if they find they need to look into the scores. Waiting almost 9 months to raise an issue and then recommending to an individual to retake the exam after the student would presumably be attending college doesn’t seem logical.