Hi guys. So I just finished my junior year and I have a weighted GPA of 4.05, and unweighted of 4.00. I just took the ACT test for the summer (June) session.
I didn’t not prepare well for it; I had the ACT Online Prep program, but I only spent ~4 hours on it in total doing practice questions. I never did the actual practice test on it (and I kinda regret it now, as I ran out of time on my reading test with 10 questions left), but I did look at the tips & tricks, along with doing short tests.
My question is, what score on the ACT would be comparable to my GPA? I need to know this so I decide on whether it’s worth the bother to retake it again for a couple of point bumps or not. I know the test follows a standard deviation bell-shaped curve in terms of the upper and lower ends of the scores, but I really do feel like if I did the ACT again I would do significantly better. (My score arrives in 5 days, so maybe I’ll bump it then?) Thx.
You can’t “match” ACT score with GPA. They’re two independent entities.
@Muad_dib That’s not what I meant. I meant what score on the ACT would be on level with my GPA. For example, I know the average ACT is 21 and the average GPA is 3.0. That’s what I mean.
I need sort of an indicator whether I should retake it or not, so my application looks stable in all aspects.
You aren’t comparing apples to apples. There are too many variables that go into a 4.0 as well - course rigor, school grading scale, etc…
Wait until your score comes out and then look at the average ACT of colleges you are interested in applying. If you are in the ballpark, you are good. If your score is low, prepare and take it again.
GPAs are high school dependent, so it’s difficult comparing one school’s grades to another. The ACT is a standardized test, and hence, a more level playing field.
GPA is not a standard measure. One school’s can differ materially from the other. More so when different class rigor and weighting scheme are added to the mix. Do you know, in your HS, how your GPA fall on the ladder and what kind of colleges the students with similar GPAs as yours are going in general? If you do, maybe look up accepted students’ dots in naviance (if you have it), or look at those colleges’ websites for the stats they publish.
By the way, is the June score coming out in a week? I thought scores need at least 2 weeks.
@whataboutcollege They told us at the end of the test that it will come out in a week or 5 days. In my high school, GPA is on the regular scale (out of 4.0;5.0). A lot of students do have a 3.0-3.5ish. Most kids end up going to nearby schools, such UOP, UC:B, and CSU:S.
I don’t really use Naviance, so I don’t know how to compare my school to others.
Let’s use this analogy here: ACT is a square peg. GPA is a circle hole. Not gonna work buddy.
As others have said, GPAs are a relative measure, they can’t be directly compared between students. Colleges also take into consideration the rigor of the courseload.
Just focus on doing the best that you can.
Are you hoping to get into Berkeley? Or a UC in general? Do you have a major in mind yet? You say you don’t really use Naviance, but do you have an account? If so, this (or next week, after you have your ACT results) is the right time to start, especially if you haven’t really decided where to apply yet. If you have an account, log in and click on the ‘colleges’ tab and click on ‘scatter plots’ and choose a couple of places you like (UOP? UCB? etc) and see what percentage of kids from your high school with your GPA got in at various ACT levels.