<p>Can a high test score kinda compensate for an average GPA, regarding UIUC? I have a 34 on the ACT which is decent, but my UW gpa is barely 3.3. I'm from a very rigorous school in Mass.</p>
<p>Ask College Confidential, they said. It’ll be helpful, they said.</p>
<p>Google “university of Illinois urbana test scores” and choose the web page by Allen Grove. He has a nice chatter graph showing admissions and rejections with various gpa and test scores. The graph tells me that it’s better to have high grades with any level of sat score than low grades. Low grades can mean not being accepted regardless of test scores.</p>
<p>Rigorous high school curriculum, excellent essays, and extracurriculars are also very important in the admission process. If your gpa is weak, put a lot of effort into the essays, etc.</p>
<p>How rigorous a high school? Is it one with an established history of grade deflation? If you are in MA, why are you taking the ACT?</p>
<p>Rigorous means that you are taking honors or advanced placement classes or going for an IB diploma. If any of those things are available and you are not taking advantage of them, then you are not taking a rigorous course load. The admission committee has access to a report which tells them how many honors/advanced placement/IB classes are available. My son’s high school automatically sent the report with his official transcripts.</p>
<p>Also, I would suggest taking the SAT and ACT…then submit only the best scores. That is what my son did. The tests are different enough that one style might be easier for a particular student than the other. That was the case with my son and he did substantially better on the ACT so U of I never saw his SAT score.</p>
<p>Allright. Thanks for the help, momgrad76.</p>
<p>Wait… is sending just the ACT scores and being a Massachusetts resident bad? (I know midwest tends to take ACT and East coast take SAT)</p>
<p>Outonalimb, It doesn’t make any difference which test scores you send. The choice is yours. UIUC accepts both ACT and SAT scores (unlike some schools which take only one or the other). Don’t stress over this. A 34 on the ACT is very good.</p>
<p>I am confused by the suggestion to take the SAT after a score of a 34 on ACT. IMHO, the potential of scoring a higher equivalent on the SAT is simply not worth the time and expense. AN ACT of 34 is EXCELLENT. </p>
<p>OP, I don’t really know how to answer your question though. I have been told that the state schools in particular will value a high test score more than the LACs (and might be more tolerant of a lower, but still good, GPA) but I don’t know if that is true in general or true at UIUC in particular.</p>
<p>Itsafamilyaffair, You are absolutely correct. My error----I was speaking in general about taking both tests. A 34 on the ACT will certainly help with admission. Absolutely no need to take any more tests with a score of 34. Outonalimb, submit the score and be proud of it.</p>