ACT Scores
Students planning to begin college in the fall of 2010 are understandably concerned right now about how they did - or will do - on the ACT; while colleges and universities, of course, look at a combination of factors when considering someone for admission, standardized test scores are key. Using scores on the SAT and ACT give admissions officers an easy tool to compare potential students.
In addition, schools realize that their ACT data is public, so they must depend on high numbers to keep their reputations intact. No one will consider a university “elite” or “highly selective” if they admit students whose average composite ACT scores are too low.
That leaves the students asking: What is a good ACT score? Each of four categories – English Language, Reading, Science, and Mathematics – receives a score between 1, being the lowest, and 36, being the highest. The four scores are then averaged together to generate a “composite score,” which is what most colleges and universities look at. An average composite score is around 20; in other words, 50% of test-takers have a score of less than 20.
The students who score a perfect 36 are few and far between – anyone scoring a 34 or 35 will fall in the top 1% of test-takers in the U.S. A score in the high twenties would be considered excellent and would likely earn a student the opportunity to interview with some of the more prestigious universities.
There are two more dates on which you can take the ACT test this year: April 10 and June 12. The registration deadline for the April test is March 5, 2010; for the June test, the deadline is May 7, 2010.
Mon, Feb 22, 2010
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