Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, not trying to make this harder or rub anything in here. DD did great on ACT (35). Hooray! She is interested in applying for some top schools for engineering, and her math was a 33. I know this is still a great score, but it's probably below the mid point for some of the schools. Do schools look at the sub scores closely? For those with admissions knowledge, should she consider trying again for a better super score? On the one had, I feel like test scores are not a huge factor anymore, and this should be enough, and it would be nice for her to just move on. But on the other hand improving by a couple of points in math would be pretty easy, and there is no bonus consideration for one and done.

I know this seems picky, but if it might make a difference, she might want to do it.

If she has to get merit aid, or go to a school like Princeton that offers spectacular need-based aid, or she’s a true child prodigy who had stomach flu or the like while taking the test, and she wants to be with her people, then she should retake it.

Otherwise, she shouldn’t. She should aim for schools where 33 is above the 75th level for math for all students, or you have the engineering school figures and a 33 is at least somewhat above average for engineering majors.

Many students slide out of engineering school. Doing anything special to get into a top engineering school is an enormous mistake. Going to a solid program as a great student is a lot better than going to MIT as a loser.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, not trying to make this harder or rub anything in here. DD did great on ACT (35). Hooray! She is interested in applying for some top schools for engineering, and her math was a 33. I know this is still a great score, but it's probably below the mid point for some of the schools. Do schools look at the sub scores closely? For those with admissions knowledge, should she consider trying again for a better super score? On the one had, I feel like test scores are not a huge factor anymore, and this should be enough, and it would be nice for her to just move on. But on the other hand improving by a couple of points in math would be pretty easy, and there is no bonus consideration for one and done.

I know this seems picky, but if it might make a difference, she might want to do it.

Anonymous wrote:NP

DS is a Junior and got these scores:
Math - 36
Reading - 36
Verbal - 35
Science - 31

Overall, its a 35, but he wants to do CS and the STEM score is a 34. Retake, right? Or don't sweat it?

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP- my Junior took ACTs for the first time 9/10/.

He scored perfect 36 in reading and 36 in verbal. Science and Math were both 32. So his composite was 34.

Unlike your daughter, he's heavily into history/govt. and definitely not going into math/computer science/engineering (his lower scores).

However, his prep was on the lighter side this summer (after sophomore year) and he just started Honors Precalc this year. He does very well in Honors Math and AP science classes (As)- though not his favorite subjects/preference.

He will likely take it again after the school year is over (next summer) and prep just science and math because with superscore, if he raised those by a point he'd have a 35. It's crazy because when I was in HS, a 34 was the holy grail. Test optional has driven up the Universities test averages in the past 3 years by a full point in most places. It's a direct factor of only kids with very high scores submitting scores.

I think a 35 is fantastic and doubtful your daughter even needs to re-take it, no matter her intended major. ACTs are different than SATs and for a long time they didn't even allow superscores (some places still don't). The composite is really what they are looking at, so I have been told.

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP- my Junior took ACTs for the first time 9/10/.

He scored perfect 36 in reading and 36 in verbal. Science and Math were both 32. So his composite was 34.

Unlike your daughter, he's heavily into history/govt. and definitely not going into math/computer science/engineering (his lower scores).

However, his prep was on the lighter side this summer (after sophomore year) and he just started Honors Precalc this year. He does very well in Honors Math and AP science classes (As)- though not his favorite subjects/preference.

He will likely take it again after the school year is over (next summer) and prep just science and math because with superscore, if he raised those by a point he'd have a 35. It's crazy because when I was in HS, a 34 was the holy grail. Test optional has driven up the Universities test averages in the past 3 years by a full point in most places. It's a direct factor of only kids with very high scores submitting scores.

I think a 35 is fantastic and doubtful your daughter even needs to re-take it, no matter her intended major. ACTs are different than SATs and for a long time they didn't even allow superscores (some places still don't). The composite is really what they are looking at, so I have been told.

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP- my Junior took ACTs for the first time 9/10/.

He scored perfect 36 in reading and 36 in verbal. Science and Math were both 32. So his composite was 34.

Unlike your daughter, he's heavily into history/govt. and definitely not going into math/computer science/engineering (his lower scores).

However, his prep was on the lighter side this summer (after sophomore year) and he just started Honors Precalc this year. He does very well in Honors Math and AP science classes (As)- though not his favorite subjects/preference.

He will likely take it again after the school year is over (next summer) and prep just science and math because with superscore, if he raised those by a point he'd have a 35. It's crazy because when I was in HS, a 34 was the holy grail. Test optional has driven up the Universities test averages in the past 3 years by a full point in most places. It's a direct factor of only kids with very high scores submitting scores.

I think a 35 is fantastic and doubtful your daughter even needs to re-take it, no matter her intended major. ACTs are different than SATs and for a long time they didn't even allow superscores (some places still don't). The composite is really what they are looking at, so I have been told.

Anonymous wrote:This is not the advice you came here to get, but if the colleges your DD are going to look askew at a 35, then she is looking at too many schools that are rejective.