As a junior, I'm beginning to stress about the college application process and the importance of my ACT score. What's a good ACT score to aim for when applying to colleges? I know it varies by school, but is there a safe minimum? I'm not applying to any top-tier schools. Thanks!
A good ACT score to aim for depends on the colleges you're interested in attending. Since you mentioned you're not applying to top-tier schools, rather than focusing on any particular score, you'll want to look at the middle 50% range of accepted students' scores at your top choice schools. The middle 50% range represents the 25th to 75th percentile, which means that the majority of admitted students score within this range.
To get an idea of what that might look like, let's consider a few examples:
1. A small liberal arts college may have a middle 50% ACT range of 22-28.
2. A mid-size state university may have a middle 50% ACT range of 24-30.
3. A larger, flagship state university may have a middle 50% ACT range of 25-32.
Considering these examples, aiming for an ACT score of 25-28 would be a safe minimum for many non-top-tier schools. However, it is essential to research the specific schools on your list to understand their respective ACT ranges and admission standards better.
Keep in mind that while having a good ACT score is important, it is still only one piece of the college application puzzle. Colleges evaluate your application as a whole, including your GPA, course rigor, extracurricular activities, essays, letters of recommendation, and more. So, while aiming for a solid ACT score is essential, make sure not to neglect other aspects of your application.
Finally, it is worth noting that many schools are currently test-optional, so submitting an ACT (or SAT) score may not be required at some of your schools. That being said, you're smart to still be thinking about target ACT scores, as a strong score certainly never hurts, even if the school is officially test-optional. For detailed guidance on how to navigate test-optional policies, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional/
CollegeVine's blog also contains a series of free posts focused on ACT prep, which you may find helpful: https://blog.collegevine.com/category/standardized-tests/act/. Best of luck with your ACT prep and college application journey!
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