Hi all!
I got a 29 on my first ACT, and a 31 on the second. The second breakdown was 31E, 28M, 28S 35R. My GPA is about 3.7 in all-honors/above ap classes, and i’ll have taken 6 university classes after I’m done with this semester, all with As. I have pretty good extracurriculars and leadership. I’ve been told my essays are good and my teacher recs should be outstanding. I know I can’t change my somewhat low GPA, and the other stuff I’m happy with, so I’m thinking of taking the ACT again in October and aiming for a 33-35 composite. My top colleges are Barnard, Swarthmore, Grinnell, and NYU liberal studies. Would raising my score change things? Any advice is appreciated!
An ACT score of 33-35 vs 31 would definitely put you in a stronger place for admission. Even one point matters, in my opinion. If you are up to the prep and someone is willing to pay for it, sure! Just watch for any EA/ED deadlines and make sure you have time to get your apps done…but it sounds like you are in good shape.
Are you a junior or a senior? If you are a senior, you are done.
If you are a junior, I would forget about until about February, prep a bit and try it in April. My kid went from a 31C end of sophomore year to a 34C end of junior year without much effort.
From a strategic perspective, I would recommend taking the test often. For $50 or so and a morning’s worth of time you can 1) potentially increase your chances of admission at schools and 2) potentially increase your merit aid award at schools that offer merit aid. Even if you are a senior, there is still time to take it again. Also, several schools use the super score, so even if your composite score stays steady or even goes down, you could score higher on any given one component and raise your super score.