Retake a 33?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>Chance me and I'll chance back. Mainly I need to know if I should retake a 33 on the ACT. It was my first try. Here's the breakdown:
English: 34
Math: 35
Reading: 30 (I read slowly by nature, so I was screwed when I got here)
Science: 32 (missed a question I shouldn't have, realized it after time was called)
Writing: 10 (Oh it was so worth a 12)</p>

<p>I have a 4.0 at a USNWR and Newsweek top 10 high school, full IB diploma candidate.
My course load:</p>

<p>IB Biology
IB Chemistry
IB Physics (Ok, I know I'm insane for taking 3 sciences, but I do better in science than in my other classes so it made sense)
IB Spanish
IB History
IB Lit
Dual enrolled for Stats @ OU</p>

<p>Last year I took AP Calc and did well on the test (5). During freshman and sophomore year I took all pre-IB honors course work.</p>

<p>As for ECs, I am VP of MUN club, class officer, member of youth symphony for 6 years (french horns all the way!), and Spanish Honors Society officer/member. NHS member, but I hate all the NHS bureaucracy.</p>

<p>My college list: Duke (really want to qualify as Robinson scholar), University of Michigan (in state), Washington and Lee (really want to qualify for Johnson scholarship), Davidson, and Vandy (possibly Harvard, but idk. I do have legacy status, but I haven't visited Harvard and don't just want to apply because of the prestige).</p>

<p>So do I retake the 33? I'm really hoping for some merit scholarships, because my dad won't be financing my education (yet could easily afford it, meaning no financial aid :( )</p>

<p>Thank you! Again, chance me and I'll chance back!</p>

2

<p>Anyone? Please?</p>

3

<p>no. dude. come on.</p>

4

<p>By all means retake if you think you can get the reading up as it seems that you have the skillz to do so</p>

5

<p>Definitely. Even a composite bump of only a point will help significantly.</p>

6

<p>I think that if you really think you can score better, re-take. I mean, if you want to… do it. Would I? No.</p>

7

<p>Functionally, there is no real difference between a 33 and, say, a 35. A 33 is already a very good score. It’s not like college admission officers use some mysterious equation to figure out whether you’re in or not, so a bump in score will not improve your chances of getting into a school. College admissions at the top privates is a crapshoot. You can’t predict whether you’re in or not.</p>

<p>In my point of view, it would be a total waste of $40.</p>

8

<p>Why is there no difference? It seems to me as though test scores have become more and more stressed in admissions. I personally hate standardized testing and don’t think it is a good marker of intelligence but it seems as though admissions offices look at scores to sort out scholarship candidates. Or am I imagining things?</p>

9

<p>Absolutely. A 33 is average at best for top schools and that includes the 40% who have hooks.</p>

<p>There is a big difference in the percentage of 33’s that get accepted vs. 35’s at any top school. For a rare Duke merit scholarship, a 33 won’t cut it.</p>

10

<p>^smartcookie: </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Have you seen the MIT/Stanford RD decision threads? This is becoming increasingly untrue. Admissions is actually becoming more subjective at the top privates … how do you fit on campus? What is unique about you that could convince the top schools that you belong on campus? Remember college admission officers are building a class, not just collecting all the high scorers. If they did, everyone would turn out to be robots. </p>

<p>^hmom5: </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I’d like to see that statistic, because I really won’t like to believe that almost everyone who applied to a top school at my high school (all with brilliant ACT scores … we’re talking 34s, 35s, perfects) got shafted. Sure, a 33 won’t cut it for scholarships, but it won’t get you rejected at a top school. Admission, again, is very holistic and pretty much subjective these days.</p>

11

<p>33 is either 98 or 99 percentile.</p>

<p>I’m going to say no. Anything above a 32 really shouldn’t be retaken in my opinion.</p>

12

<p>Ab2013, simply check out common data sets, the acceptance rates for those with a 35 are much higher than those with a 33. It is not to say most or all 35’s get in. Two different questions.</p>

13

<p>hmom5:</p>

<p>I would argue that it has less to do with the ACT score, and more with the rest of a typical 35-scorer’s stats.</p>

14

<p>I wouldn’t. The stats at top schools show us the schools really care about both. This is not to say a 33 will keep a kid with something outstanding out, but the higher each of the key stats, the better the chance.</p>

<p>The other common argument here on CC is that it doesn’t matter if you’re val or sal as long as you’re top 5%. Also not true. The val and sal have a much better chance at any ivy peer.</p>