Hi guys, I'm wondering about ACT score ranges and what they mean for me. Like, what's considered a good range to be in if my goal is entering a competitive college? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm glad to hear that you're actively thinking about how your ACT scores will fit into your college application. It’s important to remember that what's considered a "good" ACT score can vary considerably from one college to another. A "competitive" score for one university may not be the same for another.
As a benchmark, you might consider the typical ACT score ranges for admitted students at the schools you're interested in. Most universities will publish an ACT middle 50% range for admitted students — you can often find it on their admissions page or their CollegeVine school profile. This gives you a sense of the bandwidth of scores they accept. For example, if a school's middle 50% range is 30-34, then 25% of the accepted students scored below a 30 and another 25% scored above a 34.
To be competitive at highly-selective schools, an ACT score of 34 or above is generally considered good; however, even within that range, a 36 is obviously more competitive than a 34. Ultimately, the higher your score within that range, the better. That said, remember that your ACT score isn’t everyting. Admissions factors in many aspects, like your GPA, your essays, your extracurricular activities, etc. Good luck with everything!
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