I sent my first ACT (32) to four colleges I plan on applying to. This score had pros (writing score was great) and cons, but it definitely was not my final goal. I recently took the ACT again (sent the scores to the same colleges) and feel I did better. Regardless, if I end up with a 34 or 35 in the end, will that 32 hurt the strength of my application? I took the first ACT in the fall of my junior year. Thanks!
Depending on college and assuming both ACT tests are timely submitted to be considered for admisison to a university: (a) the university will use that test with the higher composite to determine admission and ignore the other one, or (b) it will superscore the the two tests using the higher section scores from the combined tests to determine admission, or © it will have a hybrid method between the former two in that it will use the test with the highest composite as the one to principally determine admission but parts of the university may also give some consideration to one of the higher section scores in the other test, e.g., the engineering college of the university may consider the other test’s higher math score.
If colleges are to be believed, none will use lower scores against you (except that obviously a college in group (a) may ignore a higher section score in another test that has a lower composite).