Hello everyone! I'm a junior and took the ACT a while back. I'm not quite sure how to gauge how well I did. Is there like a distribution or curve of ACT scores I can check out to see where I stand nationally?
Yeah, absolutely! While I don't have the exact percentages to hand, I can tell you that the ACT scores are distributed based on a bell curve, with most students scoring around the mid-range, and few students scoring in the top and bottom extremes. By standard distribution, the most common score you'll find is around 20.
To give you a rough idea, around 25% of test-takers score below a 16 and another 25% score above a 24. A score of 21 is just about the 50% percentile, meaning approximately half of all test-takers get that score or below. If you've scored above a 30, you're in the top 5% of students nationally, and above a 33 puts you in approximately the top 2%.
Make sure to assess your score in relation to the average score ranges of the colleges you're considering, as these averages can give you a good idea of the score you should be aiming for. Every college usually publishes this information. Keep in mind, though, that what really matters is your overall profile strength, which is more than just your ACT scores. Good luck with your college applications!
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