Perfect ACT Score

[Anonymous]

DS who is a junior took the ACT yesterday. Prior to taking the test, he had been tracking on his mock tests at 35-36. Hoping to see him get a perfect score or 35.

DH thinks if he gets 35 that he should try again for 36. I disagree because why?

Is there any reason to do this? His grades are excellent (3.89 unweighted GPA), but his rigor is not strong enough for likely admission to top 20 (only 2 APs and 2 honors this year). He is at a private...not a public where there are APs galore and inflated grades. Next year he plans to take 4 or 5 APs.

DH seems to think the perfect score will be significant and help the fact that he wasn't one of those students that took each and every AP available to him. I don't think so, but thought I would put it out there to get some opinions.

[Anonymous]

As the parent of child with a perfect ACT score and perfect grades, I would tell you not to bother. It means nothing in today's college arms race.

[Anonymous]

Don't bother.

There's nothing a 36 gets you that a 35 doesn't. Taking it again also gives the opportunity to do worse.

However, why are you even thinking about this prior to getting the score.

Also, why all those APs next year? He is who he is by that point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS who is a junior took the ACT yesterday. Prior to taking the test, he had been tracking on his mock tests at 35-36. Hoping to see him get a perfect score or 35.

DH thinks if he gets 35 that he should try again for 36. I disagree because why?

Is there any reason to do this? His grades are excellent (3.89 unweighted GPA), but his rigor is not strong enough for likely admission to top 20 (only 2 APs and 2 honors this year). He is at a private...not a public where there are APs galore and inflated grades. Next year he plans to take 4 or 5 APs.

DH seems to think the perfect score will be significant and help the fact that he wasn't one of those students that took each and every AP available to him. I don't think so, but thought I would put it out there to get some opinions.

Ouch! You had to add that...

My DC's first try was a 35, retook and got a perfect 36 C (and all 36s subscores). The only thing that a 36 will get you that 35 will not is Presidential Scholar thing. 36 will get you nominated and a 35 (probably) will not. As for the college admission process, it won't matter much. There are too many high stat kids anyway.

Also, keep in mind, your DC's score CAN go down. At that level, the margin of error is so very small.

[Anonymous]

OP,

Calm the F down. Honestly. This is not the end all that be all.

And the comments about private is ridiculous. My daughter is in a top private. You can't take AP's until junior year and most classes are considered honors but are not labeled or inflated. But that is the rigor of her school and that is all you need to be worried about. No one in her school has a weighted GPA over 4. Getting an A is an anomaly. But there are plenty of kids going to Ivy each year. Colleges compare your child's classes to and grades to those of your child's school. So the comment about public means nothing but a jab.

I feel bad for your son. Let him enjoy what little left of his childhood he has.

[Anonymous]

I would let him retake it if he wants. It doesn't do any harm. And I think his number of AP classes is right in line with the number of AP courses our children took. Anyway, I would certainly prefer to let him retake it rather than have him fret about it or get himself later into that "shoulda coulda" self-recrimination about opportunities lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS who is a junior took the ACT yesterday. Prior to taking the test, he had been tracking on his mock tests at 35-36. Hoping to see him get a perfect score or 35.

DH thinks if he gets 35 that he should try again for 36. I disagree because why?

Is there any reason to do this? His grades are excellent (3.89 unweighted GPA), but his rigor is not strong enough for likely admission to top 20 (only 2 APs and 2 honors this year). He is at a private...not a public where there are APs galore and inflated grades. Next year he plans to take 4 or 5 APs.

DH seems to think the perfect score will be significant and help the fact that he wasn't one of those students that took each and every AP available to him. I don't think so, but thought I would put it out there to get some opinions.

You're a jerk, OP.

[Anonymous]

I doubt you’re DS will even get a 35. He’ll probably wilt under the pressure of the real test, which if far different than the controlled conditions of a practice test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt you’re DS will even get a 35. He’ll probably wilt under the pressure of the real test, which if far different than the controlled conditions of a practice test.

Actually ACT practice and actual test grades are very similar. It really is managing time once you are that high in practice scores. A 35 to 36 is just 1-2 questions wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt you’re DS will even get a 35. He’ll probably wilt under the pressure of the real test, which if far different than the controlled conditions of a practice test.

Actually ACT practice and actual test grades are very similar. It really is managing time once you are that high in practice scores. A 35 to 36 is just 1-2 questions wrong.

Statistically scores are similar doesn't change the fact that a sizeable percentage of the test population do not get the same score the next time around.

Many go up, but some go down. More go up than down, but from what I read the difference is accounted for by additional prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

Calm the F down. Honestly. This is not the end all that be all.

And the comments about private is ridiculous. My daughter is in a top private. You can't take AP's until junior year and most classes are considered honors but are not labeled or inflated. But that is the rigor of her school and that is all you need to be worried about. No one in her school has a weighted GPA over 4. Getting an A is an anomaly. But there are plenty of kids going to Ivy each year. Colleges compare your child's classes to and grades to those of your child's school. So the comment about public means nothing but a jab.

I feel bad for your son. Let him enjoy what little left of his childhood he has.

OP said public was inflated. Not private.

[Anonymous]

Is there any reason to do this? His grades are excellent (3.89 unweighted GPA), but his rigor is not strong enough for likely admission to top 20 (only 2 APs and 2 honors this year). He is at a private...not a public where there are APs galore and inflated grades. Next year he plans to take 4 or 5 APs.

DH seems to think the perfect score will be significant and help the fact that he wasn't one of those students that took each and every AP available to him. I don't think so, but thought I would put it out there to get some opinions.

OP, you seem to simultaneously claim that his school doesn't offer many APs while also implying that there were plenty of APs he could have taken, but just didn't take. If his school really doesn't offer many APs, then I wouldn't worry about lack of rigor.

Still I would let him (not your DH) decide if he wants to take it again. Expecting a perfect score seems like a lot of pressure, but if he's put a lot of time into prep and practice tests in pursuit of a 36, sure why not? I have a kid who was happy with a 34, but he didn't prep for it and just did one practice test. 34 was the highest score he expected and he's not exactly a perfectionist.

Also, why all those APs next year? He is who he is by that point.

What is this supposed to mean? My kid only took two APs (and four honors) as a junior and is taking 5 APs next year. He wasn't interested in the one AP class that sophomores take (AP World) or two of the AP classes that a lot of juniors take (APUSH and AP Lang), and he is interested in the AP classes that fit in to his senior schedule. Is the school supposed to put a "LOSER - NO MORE APS FOR HIM" note in his file because he didn't take 4 or 6 junior year? He's not taking the classes to impress anyone - he's just taking what he wants to take.

[Anonymous]

Hey, relax.

All I meant was that your fall semester senior year isn't going to change things all that dramatically since it will be one of seven semesters.

If he applies early action, they won't even see those grades at all.

Really. Chill. The polite response was "hey, I don't understand your point. Would you mind elaborating?"

[Anonymous]

Let the kid decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt you’re DS will even get a 35. He’ll probably wilt under the pressure of the real test, which if far different than the controlled conditions of a practice test.

Actually ACT practice and actual test grades are very similar. It really is managing time once you are that high in practice scores. A 35 to 36 is just 1-2 questions wrong. [/quote]

Yeah, sure. But so is a 35 to 34. Just 1-2 more questions wrong.