I asked the question in another thread and then realized I should not threadjack, and ask it in the appropriate location.
I read a lot of commentary here about the ACT scores, and how 34 is the same as 35 or 36 and one score won’t help you more than another… and I have believed it because the argument makes sense and was put forth by posters whom I respect and are quite experienced.
But then I got to thinking…
… if that is true, that 34, 35 and 36 are the same thing, then why don’t they just score the ACT 1-12?
@Postmodern I do not see any post and am giving it a try here…
While the argument makes sense, I am not sure how much is 100% (or over whatever percent) accurate…However, this argument aside… when I read about the merit scholarship discussion threads (off my head, I think Temple U), there were speculations that merit scholarship awarded to those with 36 and 35 a lot earlier than awarding to the 34s…
therefore for those schools, there is a difference between 34 and a 36 with all things equal
Thanks, @annamom . How do you think this affects those who are advised not to test again from 34 to raise their scores? That was a position I agreed with until I started thinking about it… still not sure, wanted other thoughts.
In my opinion, I feel like this is asking something similar to why people will rate movies on a scale of 1 to 10 when they could rate it on a scale of 1 to 5. I think making it out of 36 gives students a greater range to show their proficiency in a subject, if that makes sense. For example, if on one movie rating site, they rated the movie 3 out of 5, but on another site it’s listed as 7 stars out of 10. 3/5 could translate to either 6 or 7 out of 10, making it either a better than expected movie or worse. By making the movie rating scale out of more “points”/stars, movie sites give you more information on just how good the movie is. The same could be said for score reports on the ACT. By making the test out of more points on the scale (36), the ACT is able to convey to colleges just how well a student did on each section of the test with more detail. At some colleges, where competition is high, I assume that the difference between a 34 and a 36 ACT could mean something.
This is just how I see it, though. I haven’t read the other commentary arguing for the 1-12 grading scale.
Well put and understood completely, @whenyoubelieve . However here on CC many very experienced posters posit that 34, 35, & 36 are essentially equal and there is no reason to take it over again, or that a 36 won’t give someone an admissions advantage over a 35. Shouldn’t the distinction between the levels be at the divisors that do make a difference?
To be clear why I am asking this: I can’t decide which position I agree with. I understand the logic behind posters who say there is no real difference; yet, if that is true, why is there a difference at all?
@Postmodern I think the potential for variation between scores makes it so that a 34 isn’t much different from a 36. A student that takes the ACT probably, if they took the ACT multiple times, would see that their scores can generally vary one point above and below their average score. Because of this, one test might not show the student’s best abilities, and I think that’s why admissions sees 34s the same as 36s. In my opinion, I would say the greater grading scale is mostly for those who score under the 30s. Admissions officers probably take into account the scores more seriously the lower are go on the scale. I couldn’t explain why 36 is the max and not 34, though.
The “34 is the same as 35 or 36” may make sense, but I suspect not many of us actually know what the adcoms think
and I guess many are just repeating what they read (say the colleges do not consider writing). When considering whether to take the ACT again, I always look at what the downside may be…Given the score can be deleted, I don’t se much downside except time and money…
IMHO, a 34 is NOT the same as a 35 or 36. For a student trying to get scholarships at a highly selective school, a 35 will put their app ahead of a 34 with an otherwise similar transcript. I encourage my students with a 34 to give the test at least one more shot just to see what will happen. However, I have always believed, based on personal and observational experience, that the only difference between a 35 and a 36 is a single question, and in some cases something as simple as zoning out and bubbling in the wrong answer on one question (personal experience there) can cost a perfect section or composite score.