I got a 35, 36, 35 for the other sections and I only got a 33 in science. Is it worth it to retake the ACT to raise the science score?
No. Focus on the rest of the components of your application. Congrats on a great score!
In general, I would say NO…but I take it you are a junior? My understanding is that starting next year, you can re-take just a single section. (One year too late for my student, sad to say!) So I don’t see any harm in retaking just science if you want to see if you can raise that score.
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/more-choices-for-the-act-sept-2020.html
No. A 35 is excellent and I wouldn’t risk dropping the other scores when you try to raise that science score (which incidentally is very good too). As @BookLvr said though, if you can take one section when the rules change next year, and will have time to prep for science, you can certainly go for it.
You can retake the section test in September, but you will need to get a 36 in science to get a superscored composite of 36. Not all schools superscore, nor do we know how schools will treat these new section scores.
I would definitely not retake a full test. Maybe take the section test in the fall if you have schools on your list that superscore. What schools are you targeting?
Thank you guys for your answers! @Mwfan1921 I want to get into more prestigious schools like Stanford and the Ivies. I probably will go into computer science, so the science score slightly worries me. But the section retake next year is an idea that I may consider!
If you’re looking for elite schools, I’d say go ahead and take it. The worry about dropping in other areas really doesn’t mean much IMO - worst case, you stay with what you have. Single day or superscore, you’re no worse off. (Yes, Yale and maybe one or two others require all scores - but they say they “focus” on what is effectively superscoring. I suppose if you got all 25s it might be a concern…)
I’m pretty sure AOs are smart enough to know the difference between a 33,35,35,36 = 34.75 (35) and a 35,35,35,36=35.25 (35). They understand fractions and rounding. So I don’t think the argument that you need a 36 to make a difference is valid.