Hi I am a sophomore and just took the ACT cuz i wanted to see how it was and got a 33. My friends say it is a good score. Should I retake or just stick with my 33 and be done with it? Advice
Where are you thinking about applying for college? What do you think you are looking to study?
I"d suggest putting your time and effort into a more meaningful activity. There is no appreciable difference between a 33 and a 36 which are both at the 99th percentile.
You’re a sophomore. Study for it and take it again. There’s a big difference at the top schools between a 33 and a 35 or %6, which you seem capable of.
Well, I am from California, so UCs, UCLA, Cal, and UC San Diego. My dreams are Pomona and Stanford.
A 33 is definitely competitive for all the schools you listed there, even Stanford. However, there really isn’t much reason not to take it again. Even if you don’t get a 34 on your second take, some schools (stanford for example) superscore, or consider the highest score achieved in each section across multiple test dates. A 33 is good enough to allow you admission anywhere, but a higher score will improve your chances (though it is debatable how much it will affect). It depends how much you care really. If you just want another point(34) then you can probably get there with 10 or so hours of studying. However, the difference in your chances will probably be very small. If you really care a lot about it and are willing to devote a lot of time, a score like a 35 is very strong(fewer applicants apply with one) but it will likely take more studying and more practice tests. If I were you, I would put a good amount of practice into it and take it again. Just know that a 33 is at least moderately competitive at every single school in this country. (and at Stanford, it is average among attending students! Though it could be said that recruited athletes drive the number down…)
I am sure you have better things to do with your time than to retake the ACT.