35 English
34 Mathematics
35 Science
32 Reading
Because of the fact that I am aiming for the Ivy tier schools, should I consider taking the ACT a second time to up my reading score and get perfect in science and math? I know it is definitely possible, but I’m just indecisive because I don’t know how much it will benefit me. I am probably going in as sci/math major btw
Thanks!
34C is very good. Do not worry about it.
It will benefit you provided you do get a 35 or 36, especially at schools that allow you to send in only the scores you want, but of course you will have to actually improve the score and it could hurt you if the score goes down.
I wouldn’t. 34 is a very good score as it is. If you retake the ACT, there’s the chance that your score can go it, and that wouldn’t look good on your apps. In the end though, if you want to retake it, by all means, go ahead, nothing’s stopping you.
It depends on the school. It’s generally believed that the Ivies don’t really differentiate between a 34,35,36 once you reach that upper level all your other stuff is more important. But it’s also generally believed that a number of schools like Vandy, WashU, Rice, and similarly ranked like the high score applicants to boost there average ACT/SAT score admits. So getting a 36 will greatly increase your chances.
The question is whether that is your plateau score or you are expecting higher. A higher score will still marginally help the admission. More important, it may help you to get more merit aid at other schools.
My daughter got into an Ivy with a 34. I think what will matter more than another point or two on the ACT is the rest of your application package. If the rest of your application is good enough to get you into an Ivy with a 35 or 36 on ACT, it will still get you into an Ivy with a 34. There is no magic cutoff at 35, or guarantees of admission for perfect 36.
I would suggest taking the SAT because you have a great ACT score and taking the SAT and having a really good score will definitely help you get into the Ivy leagues. Taking the ACT again is not that much effective since they consider 34, 35, and 36 on the same level.
Instead of spending time trying to improve your score one more point, maybe invest that time in doing something that would result in creating something amazing. Then you can add that to your application, which would probably end up helping you get into college more than the extra point.