She won’t get into UGA, period. Alabama has some surprising rejections this year. You need more safeties on your list.

3.09 GPA, and adhd diagnosis. She’s terrible at math and science, always has been. She’s a good kid otherwise and is very invested in the college process. We’re full pay

What did she get on the SAT? She should take that and see if she does better. Then whichever test is a better fit, she should focus on that and study for it.

I'd get a one on one test prep tutor. It can be expensive, but turning a 27 into a 30-32 opens up so many more possibilities for college.

Take the SAT. She won't get into UGA. She's probably just not a good test taker.

Anonymous wrote:My Junior has taken the ACT now twice and gotten a 27 both times, even with lots of prep between. We’re at a top private and she completes her work on time and is an otherwise engaged student but test scores continue to be a problem and have been for a very long time. It is worth taking a third time in the fall?

Asking because our private makes it seem like these scores are abysmal and she will never get in anywhere. Alabama, TCU, and UGA are her top choices

has she been tested for adhd? sounds like our daughter, we funally got her tested in 9th grade, was able to get accommodations for tests, though ACT is a PITA to get them for, and it helped a ton. good luck

27 is a terrible score. i don't know what "top private" is supposed to add.

Have you tried an ACT tutor?

If test scores have been a problem for a long time, but she does well in other areas, have you had her evaluated for learning differences?

Depends on your budget. I've seen very high dollar tutors yield very impressive results with kids that you wouldn't think could pull it off (26-28 turning into 32-34). That said, some of them are insanely expensive.

Have they taken the SAT? have you dug deeper into why the score is not budging? is it a content gap issue? or a test taking issue?

Those scores are pretty low compared to the average at top privates. How are her grades in school? Did she take the sat as well, and is she in a higher percentile there? I see two paths:

A) find a school that will take her with these scores. They exist, especially if you are full pay.
B) go test optional. But will she be able to pass her classes at a school that is more demanding than her act scores indicate she can handle?

One thing to consider is if her scores are bad across the board, or if she struggles in one area. If the latter, she may want to look for schools without a core curriculum so she doesn't have to take more classes in the areas where she is deficient. Or maybe schools where more of the classes have projects rather than tests, or grade pass/fail the first year, or there are lots of externships or work co-ops?

I recommend posting this to the colleges and universities forum. That said, I also recommend you seriously consider universities that are test optional.

Anonymous wrote:My Junior has taken the ACT now twice and gotten a 27 both times, even with lots of prep between. We’re at a top private and she completes her work on time and is an otherwise engaged student but test scores continue to be a problem and have been for a very long time. It is worth taking a third time in the fall?

Asking because our private makes it seem like these scores are abysmal and she will never get in anywhere. Alabama, TCU, and UGA are her top choices

UGA's middle 50% is 29-34, so it's low for that school (and UGA requires testing)

My Junior has taken the ACT now twice and gotten a 27 both times, even with lots of prep between. We’re at a top private and she completes her work on time and is an otherwise engaged student but test scores continue to be a problem and have been for a very long time. It is worth taking a third time in the fall?

Asking because our private makes it seem like these scores are abysmal and she will never get in anywhere. Alabama, TCU, and UGA are her top choices