I got a 34 on the act and want to know about the range of act scores for colleges such as cornell, dartmouth, georgetown, and ova. I search what the average act scores are it gives me a range like 31-34. I wanted to know what people think the actual average (one number) act score is at these colleges, and does a 34 on the act make me below average, average, or above average. In other words, will my 34 be looked as an advantage for my application, or does almost everybody have this type of score who is applying to these schools.
Go to the college’s CDS (Common Data Set) or search for the college on College Navigator (then click on Admissions section) and you will (usually) see the SAT and ACT scores for the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile of “enrolled first year students.”
“Average” is meaningless for this purpose. You will not find the number for the 50th percentile, which might be what you have in mind, but you can pretty easily see where your score falls compared to new enrolled freshmen.
Your 34 is on par and above many other admitted freshmen even at top institutions. However, that’s only one hurdle. The majority of 34 scorers (and above) get rejected as well.
Your 34 will get you consideration at ALL of the top schools. What will get you admitted is “something else.” The Added Extra that all admissions counselors are looking for. Some sort of hook or outstanding achievement. Something special that you’ve done or overcome. The “It” Factor.
That’s what you need.