Hi people! I've been hearing a lot about this thing called 'ACT superscoring'. Can anyone explain to me how it works? Moreover, how do colleges use ACT superscore data in their review process? Thanks in advance, I appreciate any help I can get!
ACT superscoring refers to the process where colleges consider your highest score in each section of the ACT across all of the ACT tests you've taken, rather than your highest composite score from a single test date. So, for example, if you took the ACT twice and got an English score of 30 the first time and then a 32 the second time, your superscored ACT English score would be 32. The same would apply to Math, Science, and Reading sections.
Once your highest scores for each section are compiled, they are averaged to calculate your superscored ACT composite score.
As far as how colleges use this data, the answer varies by school. Some colleges are very explicit about the fact that they superscore - this is generally a great benefit, as it allows students to focus on improving in a specific area for each test date. It's always a good idea to check a school's testing policy on their admissions website to see whether they superscore the ACT.
Other schools, however, consider all scores but do not explicitly 'superscore'. This means they'll see all your scores and might give more weightage to your highest scores, but there isn't a formulaic approach of averaging the highest section scores together.
In any case, keep in mind that while test scores are a significant part of many college applications, they are just one piece of the puzzle. Colleges look at a variety of factors including your GPA, course rigor, essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities.
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