ACT super score of 33 - retake or good enough?

[Anonymous]

Good enough for what?

[Anonymous]

Dont colleges post the avg ACT/SAT score? Can't you do some research for whatever it is you think this might be good enough ?

[Anonymous]

the only way I'd have her retake is if you can get a tutor for math to bring that up. I pushed my DD to retake after she had a 33 for all the reasons cited above but her score went way down!

[Anonymous]

Is a 33 vs a 34 really going to be materially different? Am in a similar boat with DS, who has scored very well in all but one section and I don’t see a third test changing it. Otherwise, he’ll have a strong package for his apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD has a 33 super score after two ACT attempts. Achieved the same actual test score of 32 but did better/worse on different sections between the two tests. Worth taking again or good enough?

It wouldn't hurt to do it again, as long as your DD is on board. My DD took her first ACT without any prep. Got a 33. Math pulled her down. She took geometry in 8th grade and had forgotten much of it. Anyhow, she revised her basic math and took the test again. She improved her math score from 30 to 34 and her overall score to 35. IIRC, she went down a point on the science section the second time she took it. 35 was good enough for where she wanted to go and helped her get some merit aid. She never took the SAT. I sometimes wonder if she should have done the Khan Academy ACT prep (or something similar), gone for a 36, and applied to a T10 school, but she was very happy with the SLAC she chose.

Getting into a good school has become so competitive that bumping up one's ACT by a point or two could give your DD a little edge. Given that she did better/worse on different sections between the two tests, it seems quite likely she has some room to get her score a little higher. I don't think it's worth letting her get stressed out about it, though. A 33 SS is very good, and she should get into a nice school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH's cousin used to work in college admissions at two highly selective schools:

"We divide up by scores. So let's say ACT - 35/36 go into a pile, then 34, then 33. Blah blah."

OP, as you can see, that puts your DC in the third pile before even read.

This isn’t relevant at most selective schools who don’t get many applicants with 36/35 scores. At the tippy top, sure.

Okay, I misused "selective" here: the cousin worked for 2 T5 LACs and 1 T15 university early in career. They know what they are talking about.

It’s a bit different today. You get a point score based on rest; and a point score for GPA; point score for ECs and point score for LOR and the points for other….

They don’t start by segmenting by tests….

Well, the cousin still does it for a living so it's basically today.

No, they don't start by segmenting tests but they do divvy along with everything else they are divvying.

[Anonymous]

I would take it one more time. And just focus on the weak part. Get the super score.

34 does seem to be the basic minimum for the better schools. Unhooked white and Asian kids from the burbs do need to submit. Test optional has not been wonderful for them. Test scores are in the stratosphere presently. But 34 is good enough for anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the only way I'd have her retake is if you can get a tutor for math to bring that up. I pushed my DD to retake after she had a 33 for all the reasons cited above but her score went way down!

OP here - that’s why I’m inclined to just leave well enough alone. Maybe that one additional point could make a material difference but to get there is unlikely. Two times and math went from 27 to 29. And that’s with a tutor.

[Anonymous]

Don't make your child take it again. So stressful for a teenager. My DC scored 33 on only attempt, never took SAT (did score high on PSAT) and got into Harvard, MIT, and Cornell. Colleges are looking for a minimum and then they don't differentiate. We have no connections and are not wealthy. Child graduated from MIT. Most of college admissions is luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD has a 33 super score after two ACT attempts. Achieved the same actual test score of 32 but did better/worse on different sections between the two tests. Worth taking again or good enough?

How far below a 34? If you are at 33.25 and need to bump up to 33.5, that is obviously more easily achievable than if you were at 32.5 in the current superscore and need to get to 33.5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is a 33 vs a 34 really going to be materially different? Am in a similar boat with DS, who has scored very well in all but one section and I don’t see a third test changing it. Otherwise, he’ll have a strong package for his apps.

yes, it is a significant difference because the ACT is pyramidal. Go google it. Those that get a 36 is a very small pool; the 35s are a larger pool; and 34s are even larger. It's much like the Richter school. It IS a big deal to come up from 34 to 35 to 36. And almost every case I know of coaching resulted in the child jumping a digit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH's cousin used to work in college admissions at two highly selective schools:

"We divide up by scores. So let's say ACT - 35/36 go into a pile, then 34, then 33. Blah blah."

OP, as you can see, that puts your DC in the third pile before even read.

This isn’t relevant at most selective schools who don’t get many applicants with 36/35 scores. At the tippy top, sure.

Okay, I misused "selective" here: the cousin worked for 2 T5 LACs and 1 T15 university early in career. They know what they are talking about.

It’s a bit different today. You get a point score based on rest; and a point score for GPA; point score for ECs and point score for LOR and the points for other….

They don’t start by segmenting by tests….

Well, the cousin still does it for a living so it's basically today.

No, they don't start by segmenting tests but they do divvy along with everything else they are divvying.

i don't think so. You were using the term "piles" throughout your narrative. Yes, that's what we used to do. Put folders in piles. That all stopped with the advent of the computer. So you are a troll or repeating a very old story

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't make your child take it again. So stressful for a teenager. My DC scored 33 on only attempt, never took SAT (did score high on PSAT) and got into Harvard, MIT, and Cornell. Colleges are looking for a minimum and then they don't differentiate. We have no connections and are not wealthy. Child graduated from MIT. Most of college admissions is luck.

I agree but am curious if the child had a 36 in the math section and lower in Reading, etc to get into MIT with a 33? My child has a 33 one attempt but math was lower than the other three sections, so they want to retake once after working only on math review. Not applying to MIT but SLAC most likely ( in 11th). I kind of wish they would be happy as is but don’t want to tell them not to retake if they want to. Hate the stress.

[Anonymous]

I think the difference is similar to a 1500 vs a 1550 on the SAT? So it greatly depends on the schools apply to if that matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:the only way I'd have her retake is if you can get a tutor for math to bring that up. I pushed my DD to retake after she had a 33 for all the reasons cited above but her score went way down!

OP here - that’s why I’m inclined to just leave well enough alone. Maybe that one additional point could make a material difference but to get there is unlikely. Two times and math went from 27 to 29. And that’s with a tutor.

If your DS is inclined to submit the 33, choose colleges where that score is in the 75th percentile ( check CDS). He'll be fine.