<p>I got a 34 composite on the ACT (35 English, 34 Math, 34 Reading, 33 Science, 8 Essay) and I want to know if it is worth it to retake the test.</p>
<p>I'm a bit worried because I did an English and Math section out of a review book tonight and got a 30 and around a 27 (but I'm convinced at least 1 question is wrong or misprinted), respectively. I looked at my mistakes and most were just careless mistakes or things I had forgotten and immediately realized, but I am a bit worried. The test is Saturday, so I don't know if I'm prepared enough.</p>
<p>I will probably do more book work tomorrow, if I take it Saturday. But I would almost rather just reimburse my mother for the cost and take it again later, or should I leave it at a 34?</p>
<p>I did take the SAT for the 2nd time a month ago, and my score went up by 80 points, putting me across the 2100 threshold :D</p>
<p>From my personal experience I advise against retaking when your score is already strong. But that is only because I went from a 34 to a 32 when retaking. Colleges typically only look at your highest score and the shot to my confidence wasn’t worth retaking.</p>
<p>your ACT score is really good enough, my child took the ACT 3 times, first in Dec2010, then April 2011 and the last one was in June 2011, there was very little difference and not as high as yours! SAT and SAT subjects test were also taken 3 times but with little difference in scores. </p>
<p>If I were you I should just probably concentrate more on my senior year, aim for good marks in your strength subjects and aim for an award in Academic Excellence, practice on my essays for the college supplements, these forms an important part in college admissions applications.
Good Luck!</p>
<p>Answers to these questions tend to fall into one of two areas: People either say that you have a great score so there is no point in retaking, colleges don’t care whether you have a 36 or a 34 and you could spend the time doing something else OR that you might get better merit aid with a higher score and if you don’t retake you’ll always wonder whether you could have improved.</p>
<p>I would consider the source of the comments as you make your decision. I sometimes wonder of some of the people advising you not to retake your 34 are doing so because they don’t want you to catch up to their 35! </p>
<p>Some colleges require all scores be sent. To know the answer for each college you’re consider, you’ll need to research their policies. As you’ll have to find out the application requirements for each college anyway, you might as well research this now. Within those that require all scores be sent, there is a group of colleges that will choose your top score to put on the material that the admissions officer sees, so it has the same effect as if you chose the top score to send.</p>
<p>I think that your question is one question to which the correct answer will be different for different people. What are your goals? Is merit aid important to you (and available at the colleges you’re considering)? Would you like to see how well you could possibly do, or did your mom make you sign up and this isn’t important to you? Would you really do something better with the time you save by not taking the ACT, or would you be playing video games instead?</p>
<p>My son is trying to decide whether to re-take a 35 because he was one answer away from a 36, and believes he could accomplish it. Many people won’t understand this. It is his decision to make, and I’ll support him either way.</p>
<p>Wow. Thanks Schokolade, that is a lot to think about. I am glad you bring that up because I did feel as though I was getting very polarized responses. </p>
<p>I do think I can improve. But I wonder if it would be wiser to just focus on SAT II’s</p>
<p>As to SAT IIs–I recommend checking to see whether the colleges you’re considering require or recommend them; most do not. </p>
<p>Also, the timing of SAT IIs should be affected by the courses you’re taking (and some SAT IIs don’t correspond to the courses my son has available to him). For example, my son took the SAT subject test for US History in May of his sophomore year, after taking AP US History. He will probably take the SAT subject test for English Literature and Chemistry in the fall of his senior year, while taking AP English Lit and AP Chem. As a result, it is pointless for him to prepare for SAT subject tests this year, his junior year, so he is concentrating on the SAT and ACT now. </p>
<p>Post 4 has a good list that is a starting point for your research as to whether you should take them.</p>
<p>If you are currently taking courses that relate to SAT subject tests and you feel that SAT IIs will be helpful for you, then I agree, you should concentrate on those in order to take subject tests in May or June, and then decide whether to retake the ACT in the fall.</p>