I've been focusing my studies on the ACT, but I'm not sure what I should be aiming for. Could someone tell me what's a high ACT score? What should I be aiming for to get into a good college?
A "good" ACT score largely depends on the colleges you're interested in. That being said, the ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest possible score.
Nationwide, the average composite ACT score hovers around 20. If you score above that, you're doing better than half of all test takers. Yet, when it comes to more selective colleges, an ACT score of 20 may not be competitive. To give you some perspective, a score of 25 to 28 is generally the lower end of what is usually considered competitive at selective colleges. For the top Ivy League schools and similar institutions, you should target a score of at least 33.
Remember though, a high ACT score is only one piece of your college application. Schools also consider factors like your GPA, course rigor, extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation during the admission process. While standardized test scores can play a part in college admissions, they are often not the most crucial element of your application.
Ultimately, the best practice is to research the middle 50% ACT scores of admitted students at the schools you're interested in. This will give you a clearer idea of what score you should aim for.
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