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I have to wonder how many kids really stay in Alabama. @mom2collegekids - Are your kids going to stay in Alabama?
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You’d be surprised how many WANT to stay in the state. They may not go into this with that goal, but once in the state, they like the jobs, the beauty, the weather, the people, the food, the low housing prices, etc.
I’ve seen parents move here or at least buy property here in order to retire here.
But, much depends on how things go…grad school can be elsewhere, jobs may end up elsewhere, and love interests may take them elsewhere.
My kids like the state. But who knows where their careers will take them.
@barristerdad118,
I think that you misunderstand me.
Most colleges do not super score the act.
Thus, this upcoming last one should aim for the highest score AND also take it with writing so that it meets the requirements for the act since most colleges want it with with writing.
And no, it does not matter about the colleges that want to see all of one’s testing history. The colleges that require all testing history submitted are not the types of colleges that will give merit money for a 32 or 36 act score.
OP, your son is fortunate to have been able to incrementally climb up ACT score each time from a great starter score.
Sounds like the competition, or some other way to entice him to put some preparation and effort into another test time. Important things, I am not opposed to bribery/cash reward.
Older DD improved her college scholarship by $12,000 over 4 years by increasing ACT by 1 point, which she achieved Oct of Senior year. For some schools, putting in the testing effort is definitely worth the scholarship/merit payoff.
DD2 started with baseline ACT/SAT at end of sophomore year. Just concentrated on ACT. On final accepted score, Dec of HS senior year, 6th or 7th time for ACT (had taken it once under Duke TIP in 7th grade and state honor in english), scored the ACT 30 needed for Presidential/Engineering. No kid likes to take these tests, but the goal was there and she wanted to achieve that scholarship level (HS GPA 4.0/4.2). Her first year GPA at UA in eng is 3.4. Somehow never could score high on ACT science section, so had to over-ride that with the other scores.
Test prep classes and test tutor was used. Test tutor had a full ACT test session the Sat before the actual test. Did practice test sections between tutor appts.
We cleared a lot of stuff off first semester senior year to have the time to get the ACT testing done properly. Second semester senior year was enjoyable because things were in place.
I am wondering if I should retake the ACT because I have not done as well as I could have on the math section
I am a rising senior in high school. On my first attempt on the ACT during my junior year, I scored a 34. However, my math score was a 29. I retook the test and my math score dropped to a 28. I have scored a 32-33 on the math section on a practice ACT test and my SAT math (710) equates to a 32 ACT. Unfortunately, my SAT score of 2220 was not as high as my ACT.
Realistically, I am not going to be able to raise my ACT composite, but I could get a 35 superscore with just a 2 point improvement in math. Will that matter at all for merit scholarships? Two of the schools that I am planninng on applying to (TCU and Tulsa) consider superscores.
A 34 or 2220 is good enough for most anywhere. The only reason to re-take would be if you are going into engineering at a top 10 school, which typically requires math of 33-35 for mid 50%. How are your subject tests and/or AP math scores? An 800 on SAT II Math 2 or a 5 in BC Calc would go a long way in mitigating the 29 in on the ACT.
@rbkgeneral ,
If you are concerned about raising your score in one ACT section, particularly the Math, you should go back and analyze your correct and incorrect answers and target your practice. I hope you ordered your test booklets from your sittings. If you learn that you are missing more of one type of question, then you can work more intently on those.
Also, if you are looking at TCU and Univ of Tulsa, you might also look at Baylor Univ in Waco. From what I have heard, Baylor offers generous merit scholarships based on a combination of grades, class rank and ACT/SAT scores. My D was not interested in Baylor. But when I plug her stats in this interactive calculator, I see that she would have qualified for the Regents’ Gold Scholarship (!):
https://www.baylor.edu/estimator/index.php?id=867887&s=1
Thanks for the input.
Unfortunately, I have not taken AP calc yet though I am taking AB Calc first semester and BC calc second semester. Obviously, I won’t get the AP scores until next summer. I did take AP Physics I and II as a junior and I am hopeful that I got 5s on both. These classes were algebra based, but lots of math.
@AttorneyMother
Funny you mentioned Baylor to me.
I made four campus visits over spring break. I visited Baylor, Tulsa, TCU, and Texas A&M. I was really impressed with Baylor and definitely plan to apply. I did not mention them in previous post because my ACT score is probably not going to factor into the merit aid formula at Baylor. I am waiting for the state cutoffs for national merit. I am confident my PSAT was high enough, and if so, I can attend Baylor tuition free as a NMF.
One thing to consider if merit aid is important. There is a very wide difference between colleges in terms of what percentage of students are awarded merit aid and how much. For example Notre Dame only awards merit aid to 2 percent of students while GW awards merit aid to something like 20 percent,
@rbkgeneral , If you are shooting for NMF, make sure you have the confirming SAT score and that you take care not to jeopardize your grades. There are posts in the NMSF subforum in which people have reported being disappointed after having qualified as NMSF under their state’s cutoff score. Good luck to you.
@dadof1 from May 14. S is in similar position to your D. He improved one point in 3 tests in his composite score and I just convinced him to sign the ACT release to get a copy of the April test. Grandpa and I are going to gently nudge him to take the September exam to try to eek out a 31 or 32. It seems that is quite realistic, especially if we review areas in the exam where he is weak. Moreover, the scholarship jump can be almost seismic at some of these state schools with clear benchmarks for the amounts of aid.