there is always something more you can do, one more point on a test, one more pull up...and a great couple of backup plans.
I cant agree strongly enough enough with Dial the gate.
One challenge that Dial the gate had was that Dial the gate's DS was redistricted to a more competitive district. Had Dial the gate's DS' application cycle been the year before odds would be better.
We were in tough district when my son applied and the slate winner from the yr before my son had a 36 ACT as well. The slate winner the year before that had a 35. DS knew this and he knew that he had to maximize every single detail to be competitive in our area. A 32 was not close. Oddly e were redistricted this year to a less competitive district (of course there can always be an outlier)
Regarding the "27/27 being competitve"...Read the following article particularity the section titled: "The Three Card Monte Test Score Range"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevecohen/2012/09/29/the-three-biggest-lies-in-college-admission/
-------------------------------
Taking the test over and over doesn't guarantee better scores.
Actually time2 you are statistically incorrect. I do educational diagnostic testing for a living and had the opportunity, at a professional conference to sit down with some of the research staff @ ACT. Here is what they tell you and here is what the dont tell you.
ACT tests are valid and reliable in the
composite score BUT NOT in their sub scores. In other words at each testing date, when given the ACT the same person should get the same COMPOSITE score each month given-though the actual tests are different. This is NOT true for subscores. Subscores can range (statistically) tremendously. USNA does not care about the composite only Math (weighted more) and English (weighted less). Interesting enough the English section is the easiest to move, Reading is the hardest to move, with Math and science being in the middle.
WHAT THEY TELL YOU: The
average test taker improves 2 COMPOSITE points on the second test and halves that improvement exponentially which each subsequent test. In other words between test 1 and 2 it is +2, between test 2 and 3 it is +1, between test 3 and 4 it is +.5 The higher your score the less likely to move the composite and the tipping point at 34 the composite may go up or down. However, ACT does not keep data past four tests. This may seem like limited variability however...
WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU: subscores range significantly as the test is not designed to demonstrate strong validity and reliability between subscores. And again USNA only cares about Subscores: Math and English.
So while you are correct it does not
Statistically it is a very good idea to test and retest. (but use score choice!)