<p>Is it worth retaking a 34, if I was one subscore point away from a 35? Thanks for any opinions.</p>
<p>bump!</p>
<p>Well honestly I had a 33 and retook and I got a 35, because I knew – or at least I thought – I could improve my composite one or two points. Are you a senior, if yes you shouldn’t retake you don’t have a lot of time and should concentrate on other things. I mean 36 and 35 are better but I think ( this is my opinion ) the difference is petty and not that important, even for top notch schools. If you’re a junior and have time why not retake you can probably gain a point or 2, which never hurts.</p>
<p>very true. I am a senior, and I just think the effort could pay off. If it doesn’t, then not a big deal I guess since 34 is pretty solid. Thanks for the advice though!</p>
<p>Well you seem like you want to retake it. So do it, I mean will the results come in time though ?</p>
<p>Yes they will!</p>
<p>Ok well then do as you wish, you really seem like you want to do it. i wouldn’t it but that decision is yours, if you feel confident with that, retake.</p>
<p>I have the same score and am also a senior. I had wanted to retake it, but then life happened; I had no motivation to study either lol. If you have the time and wish to spend it studying for the test, then go for it. </p>
<p>Check out the correlation between perfect ACT vs 34-35 ACT and admission to top schools. This busts Myth that ACT scores above 33 don’t matter.
<a href=“College Admission: Facts, Opinions, and Myths - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1690095-college-admission-facts-opinions-and-myths-p1.html</a></p>
<p>@voiceofreason66, I really liked that analysis, even though the “CC 10k club” crapped all over it. One legitimate issue is that the data just isn’t sufficiently granular; the available data are from schools showing, for example, how a 36 did vs. 33-35. That’s a pretty big spread of scores. I’m surprised there haven’t been any publications in education journals that go into detail on this. I did a cursory look and didn’t find anything. If one could aggregate all the Naviance data out there it would be some pretty interesting data, but I bet there are strict non-disclosure requirements…</p>
<p>Back to the OP’s question… My son had the same issue and also decided to retake, but much earlier in the year. He felt he “left something on the table” having only taken it once. But he did it early in the school year (September). The challenge with doing it now is juggling school plus apps while also studying for the ACT. If you’re going to do it again and want to get into the rarified 35/36 area you probably need to do some prep. I wouldn’t simply count on doing better next time.</p>
<p>@mobius911 I agree with you more data would be helpful, but I think the data that is available does suggest that higher scores are better so aiming for a perfect 36 would help an applicant’s chances even though odds are still pretty bleak but not as bad as those with lower scores.</p>
<p>I fell for the same myth about scores “that after a certain point it doesn’t help your admission chances at HYP et al.” Because of this, when my son scored in the top 1% without any prep, I told him he didn’t need to retake because it won’t mean much to AdComs after a certain point. But it looks like I was misinformed. </p>
<p>BTW I do understand that getting a high score doesn’t mean that even with additional prep that one can actually obtain a higher score. There is a reason why there were only a handful of students who had perfect ACTs last year. </p>
<p>This is another myth that is circulated here and elsewhere that raising one’s test scores is as simple as getting the right test prep or practicing enough. IF that was the case, why is the average increase in scores for multiple tries not that substantial. For the SAT, the average gain is less than 10 points on any section. </p>
<p>OP believes he can do better then he should retake, but there is no guarantee that OP will improve on the composite 34, but might fair better on a specific section thereby getting a higher composite if it is super scored by whatever institution that accepts super scores. </p>
<p>@voiceofreason66 Agree on all your points. I’m also certain that more granular data would only serve to reinforce that higher scores increase chances. I’d just love to see how the slope of the curve looks and to play with that data!</p>
<p>As long as paying for it isn’t an issue, I don’t see why not keep retaking until you get a 36, unless you have to report all scores.</p>
<p>@Ch1746 It is not just $$. It is also time, which is IMO more valuable. Given that there is no guarantee even with a great deal of additional study/prep that one could do better, keep trying until one gets to a 36 might be essentially a waste of time. We all have our limits.</p>
<p>@mobius911 My guess is that the chance increases with scores are more logrithmic than linear once the minimum level of achievement is attained.</p>
<p>Can you name a school that would reject you with a 34 but accept you with a 35 or 36?
Me neither. </p>
<p>Story about DS, who can find a silver lining on most things. He got 2360 on his SATs. The frustrating thing to him was that he only got one question wrong on math, a very easy question (he called it “count on your fingers easy”). There was also a crazy curve on that test, where one wrong would dock you 40 points (even on math, it’s usually no worse than -20). </p>
<p>He thought about retaking it, and then decided that AOs are always bragging that they rejected some kids with perfect 2400s, so he had actually dodged that bullet by being close but not perfect. He did something similar on SAT IIs: 800, 800, 780. :)</p>
<p>Long story short: concentrate on your essays and recs. good luck. </p>
<p>IxnayBob No one is saying that a student with a 34 can’t get in at any top school, however the likelihood of acceptance to all the top schools seems to go up with a higher score. If your son can get a perfect score then he should try to do it at least once. </p>
<p>Your statement helps perpetuate the myth that scores after a certain level don’t matter, when the data seems to point otherwise.</p>
<p>My opinion: Don’t retake</p>
<p>If you set your mind to it, I’m sure you could improve. I’m sure if you spent enough time studying, and doing practice tests, you probably could get that 35 (a 36 is still a stretch, at 5 subscore points away). But is that truly worth it? Think of the possible downsides…</p>
<p>(1) What happens if you do worse? Not only did you just waste the $55, but some schools require you to send all ACT scores. And trust me, if those schools were going to accept you with a 35, they were going to accept you with a 34. But, flukes happen. You could get sick. Or you could get bored during the test. And what happens if you come out with like a 29, and you now have to send that to colleges. It will give them a reason to think your 34 is a fluke, while I’m sure it isn’t. </p>
<p>(2) The opportunity cost of studying for the test is way too high. Which do you honestly think is more important in college admissions? 1 point on the ACT (albeit, 1 point means something when you are lower, but means much less when you are 33+), or writing (a) solid essay(s). I’m sure your schools have supplements, and your time would be much better spent perfecting an essay than gaining one point.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the decision is up to you. In all honesty, it sounds like you want to retake it just so you can get the 35/36. I’m sure you know that it will make no difference in the long-run. And if that’s the case, and it is just for pride, why not wait? I completely understand the pride thing, so why not just hold off until after the college apps are out - if that’s the case, then you really have nothing to lose. </p>
<p>If that’s the case, just wait until April, throw away the $55, and go for that 36. Yeah, it will mean nothing, but it will be just as meaningless if you took it now. </p>
<p>That’s just my two cents. </p>
<p>I don’t agree, but such is life. </p>
<p>My son decided that one and done was fine for the tests. He concentrated on his essays. He was accepted at his first choice. </p>
<p>ETA: this is in response to #15, not the post immediately above. </p>
<p>jamesjunkers OP’s score is no “fluke”. It may be his upper limit on the ACT but definitely no fluke. I high jumped 6’6" in high school and never jumped that again, I never considered it a fluke. It was just my limit. OP won’t really know his limit until he takes it at least one more time. I would not recommend he take over and over again because of what you outlined for opportunity costs. </p>
<p>IxnayBob Good for your son. I would probably recommend that he not retake given his 2360 SAT, but if he scored 2240, I’d tell him to try once more.</p>
<p>@voiceofreason66 , I don’t know what DS would have done with a 2240, and to be honest, when I looked it up I was surprised that an ACT of 34 matches up with an SAT of 2250. I guess that I subconsciously compressed the ACT as one does with the SAT. So, maybe I agree with you after all. I will have to rethink my ACT recommendations on CC, where I’m accustomed to seeing threads about “should I retake a 2340?”</p>
<p>That said, you can’t really ever know if you and your son were misled, unless the AO comes out and says, “with a higher score we would have made a different decision.” As a father, I think I can imagine how you feel, but remember that the selective schools are mysterious and nobody should take it personally if they’re not accepted. </p>