At this point, I’ve narrowed down the school that I most likely want to go to after high school, the UMN in Twin Cities. I just finished my sophomore year, I have a 4.0 Unweighted GPA with 4 honors classes and 1 AP so far (I’m taking 3 APs next year and 1 Honors) and took the ACT very early. I scored a 31 composite, (36 English, 30 Mathematics, 28 Reading, 31 Science) and I don’t know whether or not it would be worth it to go through the process of preparation for that test again for an increase in points or if I should prepare for the NMSQT this October to ensure that I’ll be a National Merit Scholar. Is a 31 ACT and 4.0 GPA good enough for a guaranteed spot at the CLA at UMN if Inamed it my first choice, and if they saw that I took both the SAT and the ACT, how would they react to seeing a higher score on one exam? (I’m pretty sure I would score higher on the SAT (my state pays for every junior to take it in April) because of the fairer timing constraints)
I have pretty decent ECs, I’m a captain of the speech team at my school, I’ve been in my school’s top choir since I was a freshman, and last year, I was the sophomore in my school’s history to make state choir in one of the most competitive states. I know that the UMN is pretty much a stats school, but this is just something to consider, too.
I’m certainly not an expert, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
With a 4.0 GPA and a 31 ACT, you’re significantly above the average admit as of Fall 2017. CLA is not the most selective college at UMN, so that makes you stand out even more so. I would say you should focus on becoming Nation Merit Scholar and focus on maintaining your current work ethic, and when it comes time for the SAT, knock it out of the park. That should give you an excellent chance of admittance to UMN, as well as significant scholarship opportunity. It couldn’t hurt to retake the ACT so long as it won’t interfere with your primary responsibilities and you can prepare enough for it to boost it a decent amount. But if you get busy with taking more APs and Honors courses, then don’t stress about it too much.
Again, let me reiterate, I’m certainly not the most knowledgeable on the matter, but there are plenty of people here that can chime in and probably give you a better idea of what to do.
Are you in-state or out-of-state? Out-of-state has a bit of a harder time getting in, all else equal so the higher the stats the better.
Your stats seem fine for CLA right now but why don’t you study for and take the PSAT/NMSQT and then, if warranted, sit the SAT in junior year? It might be a better exam for you and help you achieve an even higher score as well as open up the possibility for the Gold and other scholarships associated with National Merit. A high SAT/ACT along with that wonderful GPA and continued rigor in your course load will almost guarantee an invitation to the Honors Program.
The PSAT has the additional advantage of being fantastic prep for the SAT. Kahn Academy is a great (and free) tool to help you prep, and your prior ACT experience will also help. You might like the SAT because it’s not as time pressured.
If your PSAT results aren’t commensurate with National Merit and/or you find out the SAT isn’t your test, you can always resit the ACT in Junior year instead. A year of additional curriculum will help you nail a higher score.
Check out the test score mid-50 range for honors in CLA:
https://admissions.tc.umn.edu/honors/review.html
Good luck to you!