Im currently on a gap year and im reapplying to colleges but I don`t have money right now to pay for the December 14th ACT. Should I turn in my college application and take the February test and send in late scores?
If you currently have no SAT or ACT test scores, scores received “February 25 - April 3, 2020” (ACT 2/8/20 test score reporting date) will likely not meet the application deadline and wouldn’t be considered a complete application.
You can check individual schools, which often have latest test dates listed, but, IME, it’s usually the December test date.
Typically, college applicants attempting to get into selective colleges and universities take the ACT exam twice: once in junior year and then again early in the senior year. Unless you are applying to a special high school program that requires ACT scores, it is rarely worth it to take the exam in freshman or sophomore year.
If you are trying to improve your score, you need to be sure and retake the exam only after you’ve done some additional exam prep. The ACT has full-length practice exams on its website and UWorld has an extensive ACT practice question bank with detailed explanations to help you master hard concepts and improve your score.
Some colleges accept the Feb ACT for regular Freshman admission while most accept through the December test. It matters not in that evaluation whether you are still a high school student or are in a gap year. Thus, you should check colleges to which you desire to apply to determine last accepted test date, but you should assume that for most you need that December test if you currently have no test to submit.
I believe some colleges accept late scores