Friday, June 26, 2020

ACT Scores Everything You Need to Know

2 Good ACT test results are the key to getting into the college of your dreams! But what is good ACT Score? For most students, scoring above average, 21 or higher, is a good score. For those applying to elite colleges, scores in the 9Brown University3235 15 (tie)University of Notre Dame 3335 15 (tie)Vanderbilt University3335 17 (tie)Cornell University323Brown University3235 17Cornell University3234 If you’re wondering about the relative â€Å"value† of the SAT vs. ACT in Ivy League admissions, our ACT expert, Kristin, does a great job of explaining that in this video: Final word? Remember that when applying to the Ivies, it’s important for your whole application to, well, sparkle. If you’re scoring slightly below the middle 50% for your dream Ivy (or any of your dream schools, really), it’s worth putting in the time to pull it up. Maximize those chances! What is an Average ACT Score? So by now you know that the ACT score range is 1-36, and that 36 is the perfect score. You also have some idea of where you’ll need to score to get into your dream school. You might already have an idea on how you would score on the ACT if you took the test today, either because you have taken real or practice ACT tests or you can convert your SAT score to a predicted ACT score. But where do you stand compared to the average test-taker? The ACT average score was 20.8 (composite) in 2018. Basically, if you scored above 21 overall, you’re ahead of the curve. To see how far ahead of the curve you are, or the points you’d need to score to reach 21, looking at ACT percentiles is a good place to start. If you’re feeling super competitive, you can also check out how your score compares locally in Average Scores by State. Average Section Scores on the ACT The average ACT composite score of 20.8 reflects the average overall score on the ACT tests. Let’s take a look at how this breaks down for each of the four tests and the essay (which isn’t factored into your overall score) on the following ACT score chart. TestScore RangeAverage Score English1-3620.2 Math1-3620.5 Reading1-3621.3 Science1-3620.7 Essay (subsection of English Test)2-126.7 A Word About ACT Writing Scores If you’re craving more detail on scoring the essay and the English section, find out what we say when students ask â€Å"What is a Good ACT Writing Score?† and â€Å"What is a Good ACT English Score?† (We get a lot of questions around here!) What Is a Good ACT Score for Scholarships? Imagine this: It’s test day, and you’ve finally finished taking the ACT. The proctor calls â€Å"pencils down!† You turn in your test, walking out of the room with a sense of accomplishment, prideand potential fistfuls of dollars. Yup, a strong score can put you in the running for scholarships. But just what is that strong score for scholarships? As in the case of college admissions, there’s no one magic number. On the other hand, there are a few guidelines we can look at. If you’re scoring in the 30s, that’s a great place to start. After all, if you score above 30, you’re in the top tenth percentile of all ACT test-takers. On the other hand, you can still get a scholarship even if you’re scoring in the mid-20s. The main variables here? Which scholarships you’re applying for, and which schools you hope to attend. How Much Money Will I Get? In almost every case, the higher your score, the bigger the payout. For example? Baylor University gives scholarships of up to $21,000 a year to students getting at least a 31. But knock that down a few points to a 28 ACT score (and keep everything else, such as GPA or class rank, the same), and suddenly that scholarship’s $18,000 a year. Arizona State University gives in-state students scoring 21 on the ACT (and a 4.0 GPA) up to $6,000 a year. Four points more, though, and students with a 25 ACT score are eligible for up to $8,000 annually. Some scholarships will also have additional requirements, such as a minimum GPA or an application to fill out, so be sure to thoroughly check eligibility requirements before assuming that money’s in the bank. How to Improve Your ACT Test Scores Whether you have a few years or a few days before you take the official ACT, here are some preparation tips to help you be the best ACT student you can be. (The Magoosh ACT Blog is generally a good place to get free advice on ACT study plans, the best ACT resources out there, and everything else ACT-related). Finally, if you take the ACT in December, April, or June, you have the option of signing up for the Test Information Release service, which will provide you with a copy of the test questions, your answers, and the answer key when you get your score report. You can sign up for this service through your ACT login page between registering for the ACT and up to five days after the test (if you order by mail, you have six months after your test date). Although you have to pay, the Test Information Release gives an incredible amount of information to help you get closer to your ACT passing score. Keep in mind that because the ACT score release dates are typically 3 to 8 weeks after the test, youd want to make sure there are ample test dates available for a retake before youd need to send your scores to colleges. A Final Word on ACT Test Scores Whew! Thats everything you need to know about ACT test scores (and probably more)! Good job, guys. As a reward for sticking this post out and filling your head with all kinds of useful ACT information, check out how your scores compare to those of famous people and get the definitive answer to those eternal questions: Are you more of a Barack Obama or a Marilyn Monroe? Peyton Manning or Sonia Sotomayor? Now you’ll know!