Tips to Improve a 34 ACT?

Test Preparation
1

I took the ACT once and received a 34 (35 E, 34 R, 33S, 32M). (Took sat twice for a 1470, won’t submit)

  1. Should I retake it?
  2. What areas should I focus on to improve it to a 35 or a 36?
  3. Are there any books focused on testers seeking to move up to a 35 or 36?

Thank you for your help!

2

Some important questions to ask before you dive into the ACT again: What are your grades? Are you a 4.5 GPA kind of kid or are you just barely cracking a 4.0? You don’t want your scores to be out of line with your grades. And what schools are you aiming for?

3

My UW is a 4.0, my weighted is a 4.83. @lauriejgs I’m looking to apply to some Top 10 schools including SCEA at Harvard (mega reaches, I Know), so I want to maximize my chances. Is there a significant difference between a 34 and a 35/36?

4

Yes. If you’re looking at the Top 10 schools, it’s always better to have the absolute top score you can, only because you need to distinguish yourself however you can.

5

Check out some of my previous threads. I improved from 34 to 36!

6

Your scores are great! :-bd

7

If you have spent time on the site you know that plenty of 35 and 36 stduents are rejected all the time. I will argue that it’s actually beneficial to not be perfect. A 34 is still a tippy top score.

8

@lauriejgs I disagree. At top colleges a 34 and above is usually regarded as the same and it makes sense why- standardized test scores are only used to make sure that the applicant is ready to do well once they get into college. And once someone gets a 34 or above, they have already proven that they can thrive in any academic environment possible. You do need to distinguish yourself for top colleges, but the way to do that is through extra curriculars, teacher recs, and essays; not by a super high test score.

I guess if this person wants to re-take it they can, but not cause of their 34 composite. If we were to go by the 34 rule, then a 34+ in every category proves that they have mastered every section, so I guess they can retake if they wanted to improve science and math (especially if that’s the field they want to go into). However, getting a 36 vs 34 will not help anyone standout to Harvard; extra curriculars, teacher recs, and essays have to do that.

9

34 is outstanding paired with a 4.0. Kids with 33 get accepted and 36 get rejected. Focus on other things. ECs are what they are at this point but spend lots of time on your essay. That’s a way to stand out.

10

The selective colleges look at test scores in context, I’m not commenting on whether that’s right or wrong, but your race, gender, family situation, potential major will be looked at. A 32 in math is fine for non-asian in liberal arts, but would be low for an asian majoring in engineering, where most if not all the applicants will have a 35 or 36 on the math. If you don’t want to reveal your background, that’s fine, but maybe your potential major or school (arts and science vs. engineering, vs business…).

11

You will get differing opinions as to whether a 34 vs 36 makes a difference. Remember, many of the top schools will require you to submit all tests take. So you may hve to submit the SATs.

12

I’m seeking to major in polisci @theloniusmonk

13

The other consideration is that your score might go down, Stanford and Yale require all your scores not just your best shot. In that case if you were to score a 32 next time that would be a negative. Scores don’t always go up.

14

the colleges, even the most selective ones will superscore, so don’t worry about your scores going down. You’re fine with 34 for poly sci, if the colleges do see all the scores, then you taking the act again, meaning four total sats/acts could send a flag that you’re too test focused.

15

I’d suggest focusing on the SAT IIs and just sit tight with your 34.

16

FYI: You can permanently delete any ACT scores from a National Test Date (not State Mandated Tests). So don’t worry if your score goes down from C34. No one ever needs to see it if it no longer exists.

So whether you go for C36 or not, is entirely up to you. If going for it won’t affect anything else in your life (like ECs, grades, etc), I’d go for it just for the “cool” factor.

Future:

Son: “Dad, you don’t know anything. What did you get?”
Dad: “C36.”
Son: [Shuts his mouth.]

17

@theloniusmonk Very few schools superscore ACT.

But, a 34 is great. No need to retest.

18

Lots of interesting and not completely right information here.

  1. You CANNOT ERASE an ACT score after it has been reported to you.
  2. Almost all schools superscore. Any school that does will superscore your ACT or your SAT. Some even super-super score, taking the best Math and English score from each.
  3. For top ten schools, there is a non-trivial difference between a 34, 35, and 36. Certainly, a 34 score is not a blemish and is an excellent score. So, if you don't choose to retake, you're not hurting yourself. But you can increase the internal score the ad coms give to you with a slightly higher score. If you were at a 32, then you need to retake. But at a 34, you're in good shape, but can be better.
  4. Some schools only require you to send one test if you don't need to superscore. That's called "score choice." Others require you to send all your scores from all tests. Stanford requires this, but superscores. It's really to make sure you have not taken the test 9 times to get the score you want. But no school will punish you for taking it twice, and even if you get a 32 the second time, it won't matter to them.

You should be proud of your score and other accomplishments.

19

1 above is not correct. ACT does have a procedure where you can submit a written request to delete a test result. But, why on earth would anyone want to delete a 34?

20

2 is also incorrect, or perhaps misleading. Many schools do not superscore the ACT. Here is a list (I believe current) of the colleges that do and do not superscore the ACT. (Click on the link embedded in the article for the PDF: https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/colleges-superscore-act.)

I don’t think I’d retake a 34.