How Good is A Score of 31 on the ACT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my kids had a 31. It's pretty middling to low for competitive schools. DC got into SLACs ranked in the 25-50 range, which were good fits for DC.

Funny...my DC got a 31 and currently sits in a top 25 university (without a hook).

+1....same for us.

+2. Nephew got 32 ACT, A- gpa. Will be atrending UPenn. Music hook.

Can you elaborate on the music hook? How good do you have to be for it to be a hook & does it have to be an unusual instrument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my kids had a 31. It's pretty middling to low for competitive schools. DC got into SLACs ranked in the 25-50 range, which were good fits for DC.

Funny...my DC got a 31 and currently sits in a top 25 university (without a hook).

+1....same for us.

Just means the uni is not top 25

say what? dumb post.

Why was it dumb?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP, but I'm wondering if a 31 today is harder to get than it was say 30 yrs ago. Has the test become harder b/c there are so many more kids taking it? I only ask b/c that's the score I got way way back.

Easier to get a 31 now. Old 31 is more like 32 or 33 now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow I am feeling pretty optimistic because DS got 31 as a rising sophomore in the summer during a mock test.

You should feel pretty good about it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ACT 33, GPA 4.2. Did not make it in to UVA. Very tough around nova.

Thanks for sharing stats. My DD w/ 4.4 and 35 ACT did make it. My friend's DS w/ 36 ACT did not. Agree very tough here in nova.

+1/ Yet another parent with a Nova kid who got in but many of his friends didn't. ACT 34, including writing, 36 on retake. 4.05 GPA. Good scores on the SAT II subject matter tests. A nationally-recognized prize. But, interestingly, of all of DS's friends, the three Eagle Scouts he knows all got in to UVA, but they had top GPAs and test scores as well. DS loves it there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ACT 33, GPA 4.2. Did not make it in to UVA. Very tough around nova.

Thanks for sharing stats. My DD w/ 4.4 and 35 ACT did make it. My friend's DS w/ 36 ACT did not. Agree very tough here in nova.

+1/ Yet another parent with a Nova kid who got in but many of his friends didn't. ACT 34, including writing, 36 on retake. 4.05 GPA. Good scores on the SAT II subject matter tests. A nationally-recognized prize. But, interestingly, of all of DS's friends, the three Eagle Scouts he knows all got in to UVA, but they had top GPAs and test scores as well. DS loves it there.

In these cases I think the essay and ECs make the difference. They aren't just looking for kids with good stats, but kids with some personality and something to offer the college community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ACT 33, GPA 4.2. Did not make it in to UVA. Very tough around nova.

Thanks for sharing stats. My DD w/ 4.4 and 35 ACT did make it. My friend's DS w/ 36 ACT did not. Agree very tough here in nova.

+1/ Yet another parent with a Nova kid who got in but many of his friends didn't. ACT 34, including writing, 36 on retake. 4.05 GPA. Good scores on the SAT II subject matter tests. A nationally-recognized prize. But, interestingly, of all of DS's friends, the three Eagle Scouts he knows all got in to UVA, but they had top GPAs and test scores as well. DS loves it there.

In these cases I think the essay and ECs make the difference. They aren't just looking for kids with good stats, but kids with some personality and something to offer the college community.

For what it's worth, the people who study this stuff on College Confidential say that UVA, in particular, is looking for smart, well-rounded personalities. That seems to be the case in my DC's UVA class. Or her group of friends just happen to be very accomplished but also very considerate and nice to one another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP, but I'm wondering if a 31 today is harder to get than it was say 30 yrs ago. Has the test become harder b/c there are so many more kids taking it? I only ask b/c that's the score I got way way back.

Easier to get a 31 now. Old 31 is more like 32 or 33 now.

actually a 34, since I was really tired from walking there uphill both ways. that diminished my score,somewhat, since I was worn out by the last section.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I think UVA accepts based on looks. It really helps to be good looking at that school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ACT 33, GPA 4.2. Did not make it in to UVA. Very tough around nova.

Thanks for sharing stats. My DD w/ 4.4 and 35 ACT did make it. My friend's DS w/ 36 ACT did not. Agree very tough here in nova.

+1/ Yet another parent with a Nova kid who got in but many of his friends didn't. ACT 34, including writing, 36 on retake. 4.05 GPA. Good scores on the SAT II subject matter tests. A nationally-recognized prize. But, interestingly, of all of DS's friends, the three Eagle Scouts he knows all got in to UVA, but they had top GPAs and test scores as well. DS loves it there.

In these cases I think the essay and ECs make the difference. They aren't just looking for kids with good stats, but kids with some personality and something to offer the college community.

For what it's worth, the people who study this stuff on College Confidential say that UVA, in particular, is looking for smart, well-rounded personalities. That seems to be the case in my DC's UVA class. Or her group of friends just happen to be very accomplished but also very considerate and nice to one another.

Yes. Scores are just 1 small piece of the story. You can find many students with 34+ scores and grades who did not get into top schools and kids with lower scores who did. The key is to create your own hook and fill a niche the school is looking for - a top score is not enough these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP, but I'm wondering if a 31 today is harder to get than it was say 30 yrs ago. Has the test become harder b/c there are so many more kids taking it? I only ask b/c that's the score I got way way back.

Easier to get a 31 now. Old 31 is more like 32 or 33 now.

actually a 34, since I was really tired from walking there uphill both ways. that diminished my score,somewhat, since I was worn out by the last section.

LOL

They have renormed the test. Priors to 1989, a score of 29 on the ACT put you in the top 2% of test takers. Now a score of 29 puts you in the top 9% of test takers. You need a 34 or 35 to be in the top 2% of test takers now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt, Emory, Georgetown, shoe-in for your state flagship.

Not so for a girl. My daughter scored higher, had spectacular grades (straight As, 5s on APs, etc) and multiple awards. She was rejected by Vandy, and the main Emory campus rejected her as well. Waitlisted at Boston College.

For girls, it's BRUTAL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt, Emory, Georgetown, shoe-in for your state flagship.

Not so for a girl. My daughter scored higher, had spectacular grades (straight As, 5s on APs, etc) and multiple awards. She was rejected by Vandy, and the main Emory campus rejected her as well. Waitlisted at Boston College.

For girls, it's BRUTAL!

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's disappointment. But there are more data points to consider than just her gender and test scores. For example, many if not most schools take into account the program/major applies to. Her major may have been very competitive and she was weighed against all applicants aspiring to be a writer/nurse/engineer/etc...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP, but I'm wondering if a 31 today is harder to get than it was say 30 yrs ago. Has the test become harder b/c there are so many more kids taking it? I only ask b/c that's the score I got way way back.

Easier to get a 31 now. Old 31 is more like 32 or 33 now.

actually a 34, since I was really tired from walking there uphill both ways. that diminished my score,somewhat, since I was worn out by the last section.

LOL

They have renormed the test. Priors to 1989, a score of 29 on the ACT put you in the top 2% of test takers. Now a score of 29 puts you in the top 9% of test takers. You need a 34 or 35 to be in the top 2% of test takers now.

This is what Google says:

Score Number of Students Percentage of All Test Takers
36 2,235 .108%
35 10,993 .526%
34 18,746 .897%
33 25,031 1.197%

So, 34 within top 2%, 35 within top 1%, 36 within top 0.1%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt, Emory, Georgetown, shoe-in for your state flagship.

Not so for a girl. My daughter scored higher, had spectacular grades (straight As, 5s on APs, etc) and multiple awards. She was rejected by Vandy, and the main Emory campus rejected her as well. Waitlisted at Boston College.

For girls, it's BRUTAL!

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter's disappointment. But there are more data points to consider than just her gender and test scores. For example, many if not most schools take into account the program/major applies to. Her major may have been very competitive and she was weighed against all applicants aspiring to be a writer/nurse/engineer/etc...

Like the fact she's white? Yes. That was a huge factor.