ACT Scores Are Back, Now What?

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Most Utah high school students take the ACT for the first time in the spring of their junior year.  These three-hour, multiple choice standardized exams cover reading, writing, math, and science. Park City High School students took the test on March 21st and should receive their scores by the end of April.

Students have the option to use the scores as part of their college applications.  And while the test companies advertise that the scores measure “college readiness,” the scores don’t always match up with a student’s performance for a variety of reasons – test anxiety, timing/pacing issues, or unfamiliarity with the specific content.  It is not uncommon for 4.0 students to score below average on the ACT.    

The landscape of standardized testing has changed significantly since I was in school (many years ago) and even from when my nieces applied to school (5 years ago).  COVID-19 shut down test sites nationwide and colleges adopted test-optional policies recognizing that students were not able to take the test.  Admissions offices were flooded with applications from a wider diversity of candidates.  Students with good grades, but lower test scores, historically choose not to apply as schools seemed out of reach.  Without the need to submit scores, students felt more schools were possibilities for them.

Recognizing this benefit, over 1,800 colleges and universities continue to have test optional testing policies.  The National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest) publishes an interactive list of list of test optional and test free schools. When you filter by state for Utah, you will see 16 colleges including the University of Utah, BYU, Utah State University, and Westminster have Test Optional policies.  FairTest also identifies exceptions.  A common exception is that home-school students are still required to submit scores.

Test optional means it is up to you to submit your scores.  Colleges will not penalize you if you do not submit a test score, nor will you be specifically advantaged for submitting one.  Instead, colleges use a “holistic” approach based on grades, academic rigor, extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation.   If your grades are strong and you took the most difficult classes offered, then an ACT score doesn’t add much value.  However, if your grades are “spotty,” then submitting a high ACT score can help.  Submitting a score that is below the mid-50 percent range can hurt your admissions chances.

How do you know what the range is?  Google your target college’s Common Data Set.  In section C, find the distribution of reported test scores.  For example, the University of Utah reported for students starting in the fall of 2022 that the range was “22 – 25 – 29.”  This means that 50% of the students scored between 22 and 29 and 50% scored above 25.  For Stanford, the range is 33 – 35 – 35, and for the University of Washington the range is 29 – 32 – 34.   If you scored a 28 on the ACT, you would submit your score to Utah but not to Washington or Stanford.

Test-free means that a school won’t even look at your scores if you send them in! In 2020, California banned the use of standardized tests in admissions for all publicly funded colleges and universities.  Their research showed that grades are the best predictors of college success and that using the test scores disadvantages women, low-income students, and underrepresented minorities.  In addition to California, there are just over 40 colleges that are test-free including Washington State Universities, Boise State, Pitzer, and Reed College.

However, not all schools are bought into the effectiveness of test optional admissions.  Some notable schools that still require tests include MIT, Georgia Tech, all public universities in Florida and North Carolina, and three service academies – Air Force, the Naval Academy, and West Point. 

Students that retake the ACT generally improve their scores.  With twelve weeks of test prep, we consistently see improvements of 3-5 points.  Due to the standardized nature of the test, practice really helps.  But do you really need to invest this time?  It depends.  Here are some reasons why you might want to retake the ACT:

  • You are considering applying to colleges that require tests

  • Your scores do not reflect your grades

  • Your grades are “spotty”

  • You are home-schooled

  • Your scores do not fall in the mid-50% range of your target schools

  • You want to keep your options open

Upcoming test dates for the ACT are June 10, July 15, September 9, October 28, and December 9.  The last opportunity for most regular admission applications is the December test.

Finally, remember that test scores don’t always equate to merit, and they are not a measure of your worth.  There are many great schools out there that would love to have you as part of their class.