To get it out of the way: I’m a senior, so I can’t take the test again unless I wanted to take a year off.
I received the same ACT score of 31 twice in a row, exactly what I dreaded would happen. While my superscore did increase to 32, the overall change is negligible and every minute I put into practice was ultimately for nothing. It’s been eating at me pretty much everyday since I received the results on December 20.
I took a fair amount of practice tests, with focus in math and science, demonstrably my weak areas. Just one point higher of a composite, a 32, and I would’ve been content. The killer is that I would’ve achieved this had I scored one point higher in any section. I missed five questions in Science; the curve was really strict despite the section’s relatively high difficulty… I probably care way too much about this, but the recognition that just one fewer incorrect answer in Science (or any section other than English, for that matter) would’ve allowed me to reach the satisfaction threshold is excrutiating to have festering in my mind. Instead of a 32/33 S, I’m forced to live with a 31/32 SS. Even if my performance in math/science were the same and my Reading didn’t drop below 32, I’d be good. But nope. One. Single. Question.
Could it be that I’ve reached my biological plateau, my brain’s limit? Is performance on the ACT influenced more by innate intelligence or academic background? Maybe I should’ve gotten just one more hour of sleep or maintained a healthier diet in the weeks leading up to the test? Or could it be that I just wasn’t strongly enough aware of the reasons for my errors during practice? Even if there is no definitive answer to why my score stayed the same, I feel that my sadness won’t subside until I find exactly that: an answer, something impossible to ascertain, something unattainable (much like a score above 31, ugh).
If my GPA and extracurriculars were in better standing, perhaps this wouldn’t be as burdersome. But my grades are abysmal and my class rigor unimpressive due to bouts of depression and anxiety - so bad, in fact, that I’m sure the recent upward trend in my grades will be of little convincing to adcoms. All I have fighting for me are my essay(s), my letter of recommendation, and this ACT score that fancied destroying what little self-confidence I have by refusing to budge.
Are your grades still abysmal, young one? At this point?
What I want to say to you most of all is to learn to forgive yourself and to start from where you are.
You have the confidence (gumption?) to look forward, to reach ahead, and at least one person willing to speak to your character. You have written essays which are pleasing to you, so I gather from your post.
There are many paths forward, and many colleges out there.
What do you feel you are ready for, and will you handle the next set back well enough to continue moving forward? (You must.)
So, I ask you to forgive yourself, assess realistically where you may have a strong shot of being accepted, and whether you are moving in the direction that is best for you. It has to be your desire to attend college, and not merely the next step in a life after high school.
FORGOT TO ADD:
There are many kids who would be so very proud of themselves for that achieving that score.
I was in exactly the same situation as you. I got a 31 on the June ACT, spent a month studying, and then got another 31 on the September test with a 32 superscore. I was so angry, but I decided to sign up for the ACT again and not study at all. I told myself that I’d only focus on the SAT, so my ACT score didn’t matter. Because of that, I went into the testing center completely stress-free. With zero additional prep, I got a 33.25, and then got a 1530 combined SAT (which is a 34 ACT). I found that the less I studied, the less stressed I was, and the better I did
First of all congrats on the solid scores. I think the deviation on your subscores shows you just how much an ACT score can deviate overall from one sitting to the next - even though you did get a pair of 31’s. If anything I think your scores demonstrate that it may be good for some to test early and often enough to hit their goal. One or two more at bats and I do think you would hit the 32. Nonetheless excellent scores that you can be proud of - well done!
@my2caligirls Thank you very much. I do think I should’ve started testing earlier in hindsight. I’d probably be in a slightly better position if my first test were in June or September and not October…
Please stop obsessing over this. 31 is an excellent score. It’s done, you can’t go back. Taking a gap year just to improve your ACT makes no sense at all. You need some perspective. There are hundreds of great colleges that would love to have you. They are not Stanford and Princeton.
I see too many students here who retake the test three or four times. It’s nuts. Your score puts you in the 97th percentile. Your scores puts you in the 97th percentile. I will say it again. Your score puts you in the 97th percentile. See the problem? There is no problem. Please look at colleges where your stats are in the 50th percentile and above. There are many. You are going to college.
@Lindagaf Aw… I know how ridiculous it is for me to be so down about this, and I’m sure plenty of people out there would be very grateful with my score. I’m trying to get over it, but it’s so difficult to shake this feeling of inadequacy. It sucks when higher scores in practice look promising and then you underperform. I devoted a month or more of pretty intense prep to this… When you have a 2.7 GPA and want to maximize your chances of getting into nice schools, a duplicate score can be a hard smack to the face.
I appreciate your perspective; it’s easing the tension a bit. I will try to focus less on this despite how much it upsets me… I just want to know that I could’ve done better. I’m not aiming for schools like the one you mentioned, not even close. I almost care more about the type of score I can achieve on a test than the selectivity of schools (already in at Temple). It’s begun to have less to do with meeting a requirement for admission and more to do with proving something to myself.
@NosyCaliparent I’ve been accepted to West Chester and Temple and rejected from Ursinus. I’ve applied to a number of other schools in the region, but I’m most interested in Muhlenberg and Lafayette.
When you have a degree in your hand, you will have proven an awful lot to yourself and those who know you. When you have the keys to your first home, a contract for a job you enjoy, someone to love, maybe kids, maybe pets, and you are achieving concrete things with your life, that’s when you have really proven something.
This seems upsetting now, and I understand that you put a lot of effort into it. It’s possible that you didn’t prep in the most effective way, or you simply did the best you could. It’s more likely that test taking isn’t your strong point, which is true for so many people. This is why more and more top colleges are going test optional. A person is not defined by a test score. Time to move on and be grateful that you scored as well as you did. Make the most of your opportunities while in college and you will do well.
I feel your pain. I’ve never taken the ACT but with my experience with the SAT…When I took the SAT, I was 10 points away from my goal, and it was agonizing. I had studied for the entire summer and all the way to the test date on top of school and all that. I wanted to score beyond my goal. It was really disappointing and felt like a personal insult, but eventually you grow to accept that your score is really great despite your own biases against it (and 31 is really great. A lot of people would do anything for it) Be proud of it and know that your hard work didn’t go to waste; it’s still made you better and more ready to take on any other challenge
