@kassh4 Nope :(( :((
@kassh4 hoping I’m not the only one! I’m prepping for the Sept. ACT and its killing me… 
@aneeshs17 LITERALLY how did you jump from a 26 to a 30!!? i’ve been trying to improve my score but i feel like nothing is working 
my scores are the only thing in my app that i don’t feel completely solid about
@soccergirl2900 what worked for me in preparing for the ACT was this book called the 'black book." If you look around online, there is a pdf version of it somewhere. It’s geared towards the old version of the ACT so the essay tips in there won’t help, but I found the reading section tips to be extremely helpful in the way I approached the test. Hope that helps!
@soccergirl2900 @WhiteDragon @aneeshs17 I can attest to the effectiveness of the Black Book by Mike Barrett, both for the ACT and the SAT. It helped move my ACT score from a 27 to a 33 in less than a month; I even have friends who had higher jumps by following it. You can also email the author of the book whenever you have questions/problems. Good luck!!
i never got all the black book hype. I thought it covered a lot of common sense stuff nothing really helpful.
@soccergirl2900 yeah I get quite a few eyebrows raised at me when I tell people! I don’t physically have that anticipated 34 in my pocket YET, so I can’t call myself that credible.
So basically, I took Feb ACT (26C) and went in with 2 untimed practice tests up my sleeve. I got a 33 and 34c on these practice tests, probably because I allowed myself 5-10 min extra per section on my own. I was aiming for accuracy and nothing else. You can tell how I felt during the time of the real test LOL, it hit me like a brick.
To be completely honest, I think if the ACT had no time limit, 99% of kids like us (above average intelligence) could get a perfect 36 (not even 35). The test is such a middle-school style test - Think about it! The math is algebra 1, geometry, and some alg 2. Reading is bascially find-and-replace. I bet a computer program could answer the reading. The questions are actually awfully simple, but many of us have overanalytical high school brains, trained to analyze everything from a stupid AP Lang class. When I realized time was my only issue, I focused entirely on speed. I get distracted really easily so focusing for 3+ hours was a pain at first. I also noticed a lot of the questions I’ve been missing were common sense, but I rushed too hard. The test is much more common-sense based than you think. that’s why I hate the SAT, because you’re forced to be over-analytical.
So I know everyone’s experience is different, but here’s a few big ones from mine:
-Make sure you push yourself to replicate realistic test conditions. Try 59 min on math instead of 60. Try bubbling answers like you normally would. Don’t have music in the background, etc.
-90% of the time, DON’T read the useless info (for S/R)! Skip the intro passage for science if there’s raw data given, and only read the first sentence of each paragraph on reading. 70% of the info won’t be used to answer any questions.
-Also, practice, practice, PRACTICE! A lot of kids who went from low 30’s to perfect 36’s took 25+ practice tests. I’m aiming for 10 before 9/9. The good thing about the ACT is that it isn’t super volatile like the SAT. Usually, the Feb/march/april/june/sept./oct tests are almost always the same difficulty and format. The format is SO predictable, so that’s where practice tests kick in. Get Barrons/Princeton, also “For the love of ACT science” on amazon for the science section.
Try this:
-Pick a number, and do that many problems each day. For me, its 10. If you miss a day, you do double (20) the next day, on top of the next day’s requirement (so 30 total).
**Also: PENN knows that we’re all 17 and that we’re spending 4 hours in a room with a 10 min. break on a groggy Saturday morning. They get it. GPA always trumps test scores in the end (especially for Penn, they LOVE kids at the top of the class). Don’t stress over it.
Good luck! Sorry this was kinda long, just had to get it out there. PM me if you need any help 
@aneeshs17 I had the exact same experience as you with the ACT. I brought my 32 up to a 34 in a month and my biggest advice (mostly for the reading section) is to keep one finger on the passage and one finger on the question and TURN OFF YOUR BRAIN. If it’s not in the passage it’s not the answer. Also, learning to look at the questions that seem easiest to answer first is a great strategy. The ACT really is not that hard as long as you get down the timing
@WhiteDragon @Jcahill18 tysm!! hopefully it works!
@aneeshs17 thats probably the best advice i’ve gotten from anyone lol I’m top 1% and I’m also a major minority so i really hope that helps… and if i can get the test scores it’ll help so much more!!
@soccergirl2900 Thanks!
Anyways, looks like that helps you big time! If you look at ED results threads for Penn from previous years, it seems like a lot of kids with stats/characteristics similar to yours (high grades/rank, minority, but lower test scores, etc.) have done really well in the admissions process for Penn and similar schools. I mean, I can’t generalize much since it’s just a few handful of in the threads, but that’s just what I’ve been seeing. Unfortunately for me, I’m Asian/Indian so anything below a 34’s probably going straight to the trash can D:
hey guys I’m new here! how far have y’all gotten in terms of essay writing so far?
@xuyulan I’ve only started the common app personal essay and the supplement.
Hi guys! Another UPenn 2022 applicant here. I’m not technically applying through Early Decision, but I’m applying through the Questbridge National College Match, which comes out at around the same time as ED does.
@aneeshs17 I’m kind of nervous about the whole “must be at the top of your class” thing. At my school, there’s about 20 kids graduating in 2018 who currently have averages of 97-98. Sophomore year I was ranked #35-ish out of 250-ish with a 95. Junior year I had a 97, and I know a lot of other students went down because of AP classes, so I may have cracked the top 10%, but I won’t be at the top of my class. Is my rank really going to sink my admissions chances?
@xuyulan I still have my Questbridge essay from when I applied to be a College Prep Scholar, but otherwise I’m starting everything tomorrow when the Common App opens.
@missacademy2018 Yeah, I made a really similar thread about class rank a few weeks back - check it out! It got some good feedback. And top 10% just means that your application is worth a solid read (so like me). If you’re top 10%, they’re generally serious about considering you in their pool of accepted applicants. I’m a bit nervous about the whole rank thing as well, but just make sure that you distinguish yourself vs. the others - what will you bring to Penn that your top 1% friends won’t? I’m focusing my app on/around social impact and that kinda stuff for Wharton, and I’m trying to make my image as optimistic as possible to adcoms. Questbridge definitely helps, as well as ED. Also, they look at how competitive your school is - the more competition, the more okay it is to have a lower rank. I know kids who were hanging in the top 10% (barely) and got admitted, even with 3.7’s, because they told their story in a fantastic and meaningful way.
Just remember that if you tell an awesome story and make a convincing case for them to admit you, then your rank is nothing more than a stupid number on a page. If the adcoms like your overall (hollistic) profile, and really feel you can make a difference on campus, they’ll want you vs. the 4.0, 36, 1600 valedictorian who sits in their room studying all day. After all, your personality, identity, and drive can never be put into numbers. Best of luck
@missacademy2018 I’m also applying to Penn through Questbridge!
Also applying through QB and then ED. Most likely.
When they include Asians in their “colored person” diversity statistics, but judge us more harshly than white people <3
Hi guys! I am wondering what is considered as a “decent” SAT score here?
@Syndicate2018 Anything that is a 32ACT equivalent can be considered decent in my book for IVY’s and such.
Disagree a bit with post above. 32 ACT is a low. I think when you look at posted range, the low end is factored in for athletes, alumni children, and kids with special hooks. If you are applying without a hook, I think 34 or higher is needed. Of course, there are exceptions, but I think generally, I am correct.