Did he do noticeably worse on any one specific section of the test? If all of his subscores are >30 (except writing) he should be ok.

Anonymous wrote:A 34 ACT will get you in any Top 10-30 liberal arts college IF you go ED.

And you are full pay.

Strike that.

A 34 ACT will get you in any top liberal arts college if you are full pay and go ED...and you are a male.

A 34 ACT will get you in any Top 10-30 liberal arts college IF you go ED.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I wasn’t clear. He is looking at schools where a 34 is mid range (33-35). So a 34 is right in the middle. So that would be a situation where score should not hurt (but probably also not help). Am I thinking about that correctly?

Thanks.

Oh I get it now. Yes, a 34 shouldn't hurt his chances anywhere. Those top schools (top 30 or so) admission is less stats driven so unless he brings other factors/hooks, good stats are really nonevermind kinda thing...

Thank you. That is what I hoping I guess- that I 34 would be worth submitting to get the app in the pile to be considered, so to speak.

Have a close relative who has worked in admissions at two select schools - nearly verbatim: "35/36 goes in one pile and 34 goes in another." It's a great score, but it doesn't get in that pile.

Well, duh. But 33 goes into another pile, and 32 and below in another…. See how that works?

Sounds like you're good at sorting.

Relative said it because 34 is great score...but it is not a 35/36, so no need to get out over your skis.

I really have no idea why OP would think DC might consider test optional with that score. If the kid is coming from an aflluent school district/family, admissions will probably assume the ACT is 24 not 34 if the applicant goes test optional.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 34 ACT is 99th percentile (not 96th). It is helpful but not decisive for every school in the country. GPA and rigor are more important, though still not decisive anywhere.

Princeton Review says a 34 is equivalent to a 1520-1550. Yes, 99th percentile. No need to retake, and fine for any college in the USA. But of course you need more than a test score to get into a highly selective college, OP. You need luck.

Here’s the ACt’s own data, which says equivalent of a 1490 to 1520. https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT-SAT-Concordance-Information.pdf

I would trust that over Princeton Review.

Does it matter? The chart you linked is 3 years old. Does that make a difference?

99th percentile is fine for any T20 college. It's not going to cut your kid off as long as he has good grades, recommendations, etc. After that, it's a crap shoot at the top colleges.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 34 ACT is 99th percentile (not 96th). It is helpful but not decisive for every school in the country. GPA and rigor are more important, though still not decisive anywhere.

Princeton Review says a 34 is equivalent to a 1520-1550. Yes, 99th percentile. No need to retake, and fine for any college in the USA. But of course you need more than a test score to get into a highly selective college, OP. You need luck.

Here’s the ACt’s own data, which says equivalent of a 1490 to 1520. https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT-SAT-Concordance-Information.pdf

I would trust that over Princeton Review.

Anonymous wrote:A 34 ACT is 99th percentile (not 96th). It is helpful but not decisive for every school in the country. GPA and rigor are more important, though still not decisive anywhere.

Princeton Review says a 34 is equivalent to a 1520-1550. Yes, 99th percentile. No need to retake, and fine for any college in the USA. But of course you need more than a test score to get into a highly selective college, OP. You need luck.

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I wasn’t clear. He is looking at schools where a 34 is mid range (33-35). So a 34 is right in the middle. So that would be a situation where score should not hurt (but probably also not help). Am I thinking about that correctly?

Thanks.

I'm sorry, but what???

Do you realize that there are other parts of a college application aside from the test score(s)?

At my kids' high school, the kids with the perfect grades and SATs did not get into the top schools. Why? I suspect that they are not all that well rounded or interesting kids. I can think of one girl in particular who is an unbearable child. (She was on my child's sports team.) I can't imagine any teacher writing a nice recommendation for her! But she had a 4.0, and did well on the SAT.

The kids I know in the 1500+ 3.6+ range got into some of their reaches and got rejected from others. They're nice, smart, interesting kids who don't focus 100% on test scores and grades.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gtfo. An ACT score of 34 is in the 96th percentile and is roughly equivalent to a 1500. Just submit it. If you’re so concerned then have them retake for a 35 or 36. Jeez.

DD just told me her 34 is the equivalent of a 1525+ on the SAT. Dunno where she got that number, but a 34 is good enough for any T20 college.

It’a equivalent to around 1490-1510 which is 99th percentile for the SAT, but otherwise agree.

Anonymous wrote:Gtfo. An ACT score of 34 is in the 96th percentile and is roughly equivalent to a 1500. Just submit it. If you’re so concerned then have them retake for a 35 or 36. Jeez.

DD just told me her 34 is the equivalent of a 1525+ on the SAT. Dunno where she got that number, but a 34 is good enough for any T20 college.

Alternatively, they could move down a rung and end up with full rides at some great colleges. At a 34, I think you do a ton of work on sending out lots of apps - the Ivy reaches + places where you could get fully-paid four years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I wasn’t clear. He is looking at schools where a 34 is mid range (33-35). So a 34 is right in the middle. So that would be a situation where score should not hurt (but probably also not help). Am I thinking about that correctly?

Thanks.

Oh I get it now. Yes, a 34 shouldn't hurt his chances anywhere. Those top schools (top 30 or so) admission is less stats driven so unless he brings other factors/hooks, good stats are really nonevermind kinda thing...

Thank you. That is what I hoping I guess- that I 34 would be worth submitting to get the app in the pile to be considered, so to speak.

Have a close relative who has worked in admissions at two select schools - nearly verbatim: "35/36 goes in one pile and 34 goes in another." It's a great score, but it doesn't get in that pile.

My three kids (2 w/ 36, 1 w/35) had miserable results with reach schools. The most important lesson for OP's kid is make sure you have good target/safety schools you can afford.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I wasn’t clear. He is looking at schools where a 34 is mid range (33-35). So a 34 is right in the middle. So that would be a situation where score should not hurt (but probably also not help). Am I thinking about that correctly?

Thanks.

Oh I get it now. Yes, a 34 shouldn't hurt his chances anywhere. Those top schools (top 30 or so) admission is less stats driven so unless he brings other factors/hooks, good stats are really nonevermind kinda thing...

Thank you. That is what I hoping I guess- that I 34 would be worth submitting to get the app in the pile to be considered, so to speak.

Have a close relative who has worked in admissions at two select schools - nearly verbatim: "35/36 goes in one pile and 34 goes in another." It's a great score, but it doesn't get in that pile.

Well, duh. But 33 goes into another pile, and 32 and below in another…. See how that works?

And test optional is yet another pile. My point is — going test optional when you have a 34 isn’t going to get you into the 35/36 pile. You’re still better off in the 34 pile.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I wasn’t clear. He is looking at schools where a 34 is mid range (33-35). So a 34 is right in the middle. So that would be a situation where score should not hurt (but probably also not help). Am I thinking about that correctly?

Thanks.

Oh I get it now. Yes, a 34 shouldn't hurt his chances anywhere. Those top schools (top 30 or so) admission is less stats driven so unless he brings other factors/hooks, good stats are really nonevermind kinda thing...

Thank you. That is what I hoping I guess- that I 34 would be worth submitting to get the app in the pile to be considered, so to speak.

Have a close relative who has worked in admissions at two select schools - nearly verbatim: "35/36 goes in one pile and 34 goes in another." It's a great score, but it doesn't get in that pile.

Well, duh. But 33 goes into another pile, and 32 and below in another…. See how that works?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I wasn’t clear. He is looking at schools where a 34 is mid range (33-35). So a 34 is right in the middle. So that would be a situation where score should not hurt (but probably also not help). Am I thinking about that correctly?

Thanks.

Oh I get it now. Yes, a 34 shouldn't hurt his chances anywhere. Those top schools (top 30 or so) admission is less stats driven so unless he brings other factors/hooks, good stats are really nonevermind kinda thing...

Thank you. That is what I hoping I guess- that I 34 would be worth submitting to get the app in the pile to be considered, so to speak.

Have a close relative who has worked in admissions at two select schools - nearly verbatim: "35/36 goes in one pile and 34 goes in another." It's a great score, but it doesn't get in that pile.