ACT score submissions and super scores

[AFS26]

Hey all! I am currently signed up to take my first ACT on Feb. 6th, I’m still a Junior so the PCQ hasn’t opened up yet but I was wondering if I should still forward my scores to USAFA so they receive them at the same time I do? Should I hold off until later in the application? When is the last time I will be able to submit new scores? And to follow all of that up, if I submit multiple scores this way, will USAFA super score my results?
Thank you all!

 

[justdoit19]

If you are wondering about sending them as one of the ‘free’ schools when you take it, absolutely no harm in doing that. it saves $13, which can add up depending on where all you are applying!!

If you are talking about sending them for fee, past the free deadline, I would recommend waiting. Only Bc they are presently knee deep in ‘25. And busy. As you aren’t on their radar, they wouldn’t have a place to ‘put‘ them.

I recall one of mine sending as part of the free option, before he was a candidate, and they got lost. It wasn't a huge deal, he had to call the testing board, get some sort of date, and a batch code, forward that to the SA. Believe it or not, SA’s (at least USNA did) physically have to go and grab the score. Used to be from a disc.

 

[CrabbittMom]

I personally would not send the first test at the same time you receive yours but would wait. Hopefully the first test is amazing but if it is a disaster you will be on an uphill battle to improve them on your official record. It’s no harm no foul to wait except for having to pay the $13. You have most of the year to get your super scores so no need to rush.

 

[HCopter]

Whether you use the free scores or not..be deliberate, and do well. Given world events, if you have a seat for testing, don't squander it -get your anchoring scores! Or at least a few great subscores!

Ideally you want to be done with SAT/ACT testing, your CFA, and triggered DoDMERB before the end of the summer rising senior year. It will make the entire college application process easier - in more ways than just the check marks. You have time, but make great use of it. Emphasis on tremendous effort now in understanding the process and what elements are required, in particular how many items, which items, which SA will trigger DoDMERB.

No one really mentions this on SAF, but here goes: get your parent or even you can set up a practice common app. Open it, and start filling out the sections. Most are tedious fill in the blank, except 4 in particular: list 5 honors (here you might put some thought into which ones), your activities record (10 things with the character count of a tweet!), main essay, and (optional) covid statement. That's the minimum and each civilian college might ask for more college specific questions. Ideally when that opens, you can blast your way through and fill in all the information without having to stop and ask your parents their degrees, colleges, years, etc.

 

[AFS26]

Whether you use the free scores or not..be deliberate, and do well. Given world events, if you have a seat for testing, don't squander it -get your anchoring scores! Or at least a few great subscores!

Ideally you want to be done with SAT/ACT testing, your CFA, and triggered DoDMERB before the end of the summer rising senior year. It will make the entire college application process easier - in more ways than just the check marks. You have time, but make great use of it. Emphasis on tremendous effort now in understanding the process and what elements are required, in particular how many items, which items, which SA will trigger DoDMERB.

No one really mentions this on SAF, but here goes: get your parent or even you can set up a practice common app. Open it, and start filling out the sections. Most are tedious fill in the blank, except 4 in particular: list 5 honors (here you might put some thought into which ones), your activities record (10 things with the character count of a tweet!), main essay, and (optional) covid statement. That's the minimum and each civilian college might ask for more college specific questions. Ideally when that opens, you can blast your way through and fill in all the information without having to stop and ask your parents their degrees, colleges, years, etc.

Thank you so much for the advice! On my application for the Summer Seminar, there was a question asking if I wanted to use that application as my PCQ, so I imagine the PCQ and the USAFASS application will be pretty similar, would this be counted as the common app? Thank you!

 

[USAFA_86]

Thank you so much for the advice! On my application for the Summer Seminar, there was a question asking if I wanted to use that application as my PCQ, so I imagine the PCQ and the USAFASS application will be pretty similar, would this be counted as the common app? Thank you!

The USAFASS application is identical to the PCQ. When I applied to Summer Seminar I chose to use that application as my PCQ and I think that was the right move. As for the Common App question, the service academies do not use common app. It is a great tool to apply to normal colleges across the country, but the service academies have unique portals and many many many many many more hoops to jump through. If you choose to use your summer seminar application as your PCQ, and you are deemed competitive by USAFA, your candidate portal (the official application) will open in early July.

 

[HCopter]

Thank you so much for the advice! On my application for the Summer Seminar, there was a question asking if I wanted to use that application as my PCQ, so I imagine the PCQ and the USAFASS application will be pretty similar, would this be counted as the common app? Thank you!

Each SA has it's own application portal.

The Common Application is the main platform for most civilian colleges. Completely different. It's what you will be doing when you hear the advice of "working on your civilian Plans B C D etc". If you are from Texas, you really need to confirm with your GC what other platforms your school uses, in particular for TAMU and UT -ApplyTexas and/or Coalition as well.

 

[lipton_hot_tea]

Whether you use the free scores or not..be deliberate, and do well. Given world events, if you have a seat for testing, don't squander it -get your anchoring scores! Or at least a few great subscores!

Ideally you want to be done with SAT/ACT testing, your CFA, and triggered DoDMERB before the end of the summer rising senior year. It will make the entire college application process easier - in more ways than just the check marks. You have time, but make great use of it. Emphasis on tremendous effort now in understanding the process and what elements are required, in particular how many items, which items, which SA will trigger DoDMERB.

No one really mentions this on SAF, but here goes: get your parent or even you can set up a practice common app. Open it, and start filling out the sections. Most are tedious fill in the blank, except 4 in particular: list 5 honors (here you might put some thought into which ones), your activities record (10 things with the character count of a tweet!), main essay, and (optional) covid statement. That's the minimum and each civilian college might ask for more college specific questions. Ideally when that opens, you can blast your way through and fill in all the information without having to stop and ask your parents their degrees, colleges, years, etc.

This is great advice. Do as much as you can early.

 

[Echodriver]

Any insights??
DD did well on SAT 700/730. She then took the ACT on a whim just to see if that test was suited to her and scored 36v 26m. The verbal is obviously really good but math subpar. Any ideas if that ACT score is working against her given she has a decent SAT math score? She submitted both tests so the ship has kinda sailed I suppose.

 

[FlyFalcon]

Any insights??
DD did well on SAT 700/730. She then took the ACT on a whim just to see if that test was suited to her and scored 36v 26m. The verbal is obviously really good but math subpar. Any ideas if that ACT score is working against her given she has a decent SAT math score? She submitted both tests so the ship has kinda sailed I suppose.

Act has 60 questions in 69 mintues and the questions get harder as you go ( act has said this). Plus the content I feel is a wife range and more wordy than the SAT. It's a nightmare if you just got done reading a ton for english and don't understand ACT wording that still take 2-3 mintues to read understand.

 

[SomeCasualLt]

Not sure if somebody mentioned this and I missed it, but the latest you can submit new scores for your USAFA application is January 31st. They will super score until then.

 

[FrauTeufelshund]

I would wait to send the score and see it as a trial run. My DS took the ACT as a practice run without any prep right before covid hit. He planned on retaking a few times b/c of superscoring but then there were no test dates available for months and months. His mediocre score of 26 went to all the SA he applied to and I am sure didn't strengthen his file against the competition. He was able to redeem himself somewhat with two SATs later in the year but in retrospect he wishes he didn't send the ACT at all.

 

[Heatherg21]

Last cycle, our son did have a base SAT that was okay- not subpar, but not in orbit kind of score. He chose not to send his scores for free at each subsequent test for retrys on SAT and on ACTs. We did spend a small fortune paying for those score sends later but he was able to select his best scores for submission that way.
Heaven forbid you have a bad day, under the weather, no sleep, just off kind of day and send in an abysmal score, and in the wacky world of Covid and scheduling, you were unable to retake.

 

[FlyFalcon]

Last cycle, our son did have a base SAT that was okay- not subpar, but not in orbit kind of score. He chose not to send his scores for free at each subsequent test for retrys on SAT and on ACTs. We did spend a small fortune paying for those score sends later but he was able to select his best scores for submission that way.
Heaven forbid you have a bad day, under the weather, no sleep, just off kind of day and send in an abysmal score, and in the wacky world of Covid and scheduling, you were unable to retake.

Yeah, for everyone else take it early. State shut own before my first one and I got to take it twice ( thankfully) but still math ended up with 24.