Hey peeps, so I just got my ACT score back and it's a 29. I'm proud of how I did, but I'm a little unsure about how competitive this is for college admissions. Can any of you provide some perspective on how good a 29 is on the ACT?
An ACT score of 29 is definitely above average. To put it in perspective, it's in approximately the 92nd percentile of all test takers, meaning you scored higher than 92% of all students who took the test. It's impressive!
However, how "good" your score is also depends on which colleges you're aiming for. For some colleges, a 29 would be above their average admitted student's ACT score, while for others, particularly those that are highly selective, it might fall in the middle or possibly below range. For instance, at a more selective college like Dartmouth or Brown, the middle 50% of accepted students typically have ACT scores ranging from 33-35, so a 29 would be on the lower end. On the other hand, a score of 29 would be on the higher end at schools such as University of Wisconsin, Madison or University of Oregon, where the middle 50% range is usually between 24-30.
It's important to keep in mind that while a strong test score can be an asset in your application, colleges are increasingly considering other factors as well (such as GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars, and essays) as part of a holistic review process. If you're happy with your score of 29, great! If you feel like you could do better and want to retest, that's also a valid choice. Ultimately, try to aim for a score that aligns with the average admitted student's profile at the colleges you are aiming for.
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