Do I have a low ACT score? (How can I improve?)

Michael R.

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
64
Hey guys, thanks for reading and I want to wish the best of luck to all applicants. I got done with my app and everything has been sent to the final place since September 15th. I applied to the following schools:
Univ. of Michigan
NC State
UNC Chapel Hill
Georgia Tech
Univ. of South Carolina
My stats:
ACT -- Math: 33 Science: 25 English: 25 Reading: 23
GPA: 3.95
10+ AP Classes (Including Physics 1/2 and Calc 1/2 )
Leadership: Cross country captain senior year
Co-founder of Computer Coding club and VP
Sports: Varsity Cross Country and Track Varsity for three years (Few Awards)
Club Swimming (Few Awards)
AFA - Near Perfect

Any recommendation outside of the ACT? Is my score awful/okay/good? I'm retaking ACT in December. Thanks for the help!
 
Hey guys, thanks for reading and I want to wish the best of luck to all applicants. I got done with my app and everything has been sent to the final place since September 15th. I applied to the following schools:
Univ. of Michigan
NC State
UNC Chapel Hill
Georgia Tech
Univ. of South Carolina
My stats:
ACT -- Math: 33 Science: 25 English: 25 Reading: 23
GPA: 3.95
10+ AP Classes (Including Physics 1/2 and Calc 1/2 )
Leadership: Cross country captain senior year
Co-founder of Computer Coding club and VP
Sports: Varsity Cross Country and Track Varsity for three years (Few Awards)
Club Swimming (Few Awards)
AFA - Near Perfect

Any recommendation outside of the ACT? Is my score awful/okay/good? I'm retaking ACT in December. Thanks for the help!

Your Math score is pretty good. Wouldn't hurt to improve the others. Take practice tests online and figure how why you got the wrong answers that you do get. There is a methodology to these tests. There are also plenty of recent threads that discuss how to improve. Find them and read them.
 
I read somewhere that it is pretty common to improve your score by three points average when you retake it. My son for some reason did not think he needed to retake it even though he only got a 27 overall. A decision he later regretted. But that was adequate for the Marine scholorship. I'm not sure if that score would get you into the University of Michigan or not. It is very competitive
 
One's frame of mind alone is probably worth 3-4 ACT points to the good or bad.

Both my sons smoked the Math SAT, but had problems with Verbal. We used a private tutor for each, spending about $30-40/hour for 6-8 hours. BTW, we didn't pay the tutor to watch them take the tests. He taught them the techniques which they employed while taking the practice tests at home. He then analyzed the results with them looking for consistent weaknesses, most of which were correctable.

In both sons' cases, it was intimidation by and dislike of the Verbal section feeding off of each other. Once they learned the "tricks", it became more of a game. There are general strategies for test taking, but also tactics for standardized tests. The SAT and ACT even have their own individual peculiarities. There is a specific way to read each question. For instance, one can eliminate answers almost without reading the question, thereby giving more time to go back and check one's work before the buzzer sounds. The tactics are few and they are simple. Learn the skills and then employ them with practice tests. After doing that, you will walk into the test looser and with greater confidence.

Whatever you do, don't simply grind through endless practice tests. You'll only frustrate yourself. I'm sure you've heard of "practice with a purpose." The best athletes arrive at the game with a few butterflies, but also with confidence based on an attention to detail and technique during practices which he/she made meaningful. Make sure you walk in with that same mindset.

Best of luck!
 
33is a good math score. Your composite is low for Michigan, however. DS 1 did not get in with 4.0 and a 28. Graduated last year from Michigan State and really enjoyed the game this past weekend.

in state vs. out of state makes a big difference at U Mich. If OP really wants to go there, he should apply early decision, as did my DS 2.
 
The math is good... the others are low (comparatively speaking with most scholly winners). I am always baffled how kids can have such good gpa's and score low on standardized tests. Does your high school send lots of kids to 4 year colleges? It is great to take all the AP classes, but your competition will be fierce. Good luck.
 
33is a good math score. Your composite is low for Michigan, however. DS 1 did not get in with 4.0 and a 28. Graduated last year from Michigan State and really enjoyed the game this past weekend.
Haha, stop bringing up dark memories
 
33is a good math score. Your composite is low for Michigan, however. DS 1 did not get in with 4.0 and a 28. Graduated last year from Michigan State and really enjoyed the game this past weekend.

in state vs. out of state makes a big difference at U Mich. If OP really wants to go there, he should apply early decision, as did my DS 2.
I'm out of state, thinking about early action.
 
Your English is low.

What state are you from?

I am going to say that unless you have a hook on your resume for admission, UNCCH, even IS would be considered a reach. In every ranking from every magazine, UNCCH is considered a Public Ivy. Traditionally it will rank in the top 5 of the nation for state colleges.

NCST OOS may be a reach too.

Something you need to understand is many states limit the percentage from OOS. VA state universities limits to 30% at the top. this is a state law that they adhere to for admissions. I believe NC is either 25-30%. UNCCH is renown. People across the country will apply.

Are you applying for a ROTC scholarship? If so, which branch?
~ AFROTC avg ACT for a type 7 is close to 29. If you intend to go to UMICH OOS, and only get a type 7. You will have to convert that to a type 2 3 year. That means your freshmen year is on your dime. The remaining 3 years they will pay up to 18K tuition. Currently UMICH OOS is 21.5K per yr tuition, assume at least a 5% increase annually, but can go up as much as 10%. Thus, it is not unrealistic for the tuition to be 28K by the time you are a senior.
 
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Your English is low.

What state are you from?

I am going to say that unless you have a hook on your resume for admission, UNCCH, even IS would be considered a reach. In every ranking from every magazine, UNCCH is considered a Public Ivy. Traditionally it will rank in the top 5 of the nation for state colleges.

NCST OOS may be a reach too.

Something you need to understand is many states limit the percentage from OOS. VA state universities limits to 30% at the top. this is a state law that they adhere to for admissions. I believe NC is either 25-30%. UNCCH is renown. People across the country will apply.
Im from North Carolina
 
Your English is low.

What state are you from?

I am going to say that unless you have a hook on your resume for admission, UNCCH, even IS would be considered a reach. In every ranking from every magazine, UNCCH is considered a Public Ivy. Traditionally it will rank in the top 5 of the nation for state colleges.

NCST OOS may be a reach too.

Something you need to understand is many states limit the percentage from OOS. VA state universities limits to 30% at the top. this is a state law that they adhere to for admissions. I believe NC is either 25-30%. UNCCH is renown. People across the country will apply.

Are you applying for a ROTC scholarship? If so, which branch?
~ AFROTC avg ACT for a type 7 is close to 29. If you intend to go to UMICH OOS, and only get a type 7. You will have to convert that to a type 2 3 year. That means your freshmen year is on your dime. The remaining 3 years they will pay up to 18K tuition. Currently UMICH OOS is 21.5K per yr tuition, assume at least a 5% increase annually, but can go up as much as 10%. Thus, it is not unrealistic for the tuition to be 28K by the time you are a senior.
Im applying Naval for Computer Eng
 
U Mich does take a lot of out of state students. Go for it.......

Yes. It is also a huge school with an even huger applicant pool from all over the world. Again DS 2 was one of them who was admitted. He applied early decision. His best friend in high school, with a perfect SAT and 1/350 class rank, was admitted to Columbia University and denied at U Mich. He had applied early decision the result may have been different.
 
NROTC, impo is probably the hardest/most competitive of all of the branches to get a scholarship.

It is also important to understand that admissions will rejig your cgpa to their algorithm. Many old posters like me, pay no heed to your cgpa because we know this.
~ There are over 2K HS in the nation. 3.95 means very little without what is also included in your sealed transcripts.
~~ 3.95 cgpa or wcgpa? If wcgpa out of what 4.5, 5.0 or 6.0.
~~ 3.95 cgpa, but is it on a 7 point or 10 point scale

They will also include your class rank. Top 15% and 25% go Ivy looks differently to them than top 15% and 0% go Ivy. One says to them that the school is competitive and does not hand out A's like xmas presents. The other says something different.

I am always baffled how kids can have such good gpa's and score low on standardized tests.
I worked in the educational field for several years where the EOGS (gateway tests...3/5/8/10 and exit) were given annually. Such a high discrepancy in scores would throw up red flags to teachers.

My thing is the test anxiety issue for some of these students. I know NC, and VA do these EOG/SOL exams at gateway years. Plus, if the kid has taken multiple APs, they will also traditionally take the AP exam. I am not saying the anxiety does not exist. I am just saying that what you hear all the time in the educational world is they are teaching the test. These kids are tested via standardize/time test constantly compared to what we did as parents when we were in HS. I do not want to start a firestorm or divert the thread. I am just wishing we would stop the gateway program. Part of the reason why is I think it also created test anxiety for some of our kids. (Fail the practice and they get additional academic instruction out of the classroom...not a confidence builder there). Plus, most states still have parental rights. In essence, it means the folks can say promote them even if they fail the EOG/SOL, thus what good did all of this do in the long run?
 
U Mich does take a lot of out of state students. Go for it.......

Yes. It is also a huge school with an even huger applicant pool from all over the world. Again DS 2 was one of them who was admitted. He applied early decision. His best friend in high school, with a perfect SAT and 1/350 class rank, was admitted to Columbia University and denied at U Mich. He had applied early decision the result may have been different.

Which again may come down to the resume, or a hook on the resume. Hence, why nobody here should in my eyes say anything, but what RedDragon said...go for it, because none of us sit on their admission board.

You can't live your life in the world of what ifs?
 
Apply everywhere and don't be discouraged by what you read on here. My daughter had a 1300 SAT and 26 ACT composite and was accepted at Michigan. The AROTC LtCol there was "banging down our door" (via weekly phone calls) to get her to go there. Good luck to you!!
 
Yes go for it and yes apply early decision. It is non-binding. It shows a level of interest and intent that other applicants, like DS's best buddy, don't show.
 
cb7893,
They are not applying ED, the OP has acknowledged that they are applying EA. That is binding.

They are also going NROTC, my assumption is they are applying for the scholarship. That means if they need the money to attend OOS, and UMICH says yes for EA, they are now on the hook for the cost of attendance, regardless if they get an NROTC scholarship. NROTC can award them a scholarship to UNCCH, USC, or GTech, but not U Mich. They will than have to wait until next spring before they know if it wil be transferred.

Only the OP can decide if they can afford with out the scholarship the 54K a year OOS for attendance. Tuition is 43.5 OOS, R & B is 10.5K.
~ To me that is a heck of a lot of money to pay, especially when you take into account that is just for 2015/16, not 2016/17 when they will enter. Nor what it will be for the school for 19/20.
~ GATech would be 27K OOS for tuition.
~ USC OOS is 30K for tuition.
 
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I may be mixing terms. There is Early Action, Early Decision, Early Admission and who knows what else. I have probably mixed them up.

When DS applied to U Mich three years ago, he got his app in by a certain early date and was guaranteed a decision in Jan. The decision was non-binding. He was admitted in Jan, received the 4yr NROTC scholarship, was medically DQ'ed and executed plan B which did not include U Mich.

Was on the hook for nothing.

That all may have changed.
 
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