Hey there, squad! Quick question about ACT superscoring. I've taken the ACT a couple of times and my scores varied each time. I heard colleges might 'superscore' ACT results but I'm not 100% sure what that means. Can anyone explain how they calculate the ACT superscore and which universities typically do this?
Sure, happy to help with your question!
"Superscoring" the ACT means that a college will consider your highest individual section scores across all test dates, rather than just taking the composite score from one single test. For example, say you took the ACT twice, with the following scores:
1st Test - English: 30, Math: 33, Reading: 28, Science: 31
2nd Test - English: 32, Math: 31, Reading: 30, Science: 30
A college that superscores would take your highest scores from each section, regardless of the test date: English 32 (from second test), Math 33 (from first test), Reading 30 (from second test), and Science 31 (from first test). They would then average these section scores to get your superscore. In this case, your superscore would be 32.
As to which universities do this, many do, but there's no hard and fast rule. Some universities that do superscore the ACT include Boston University, Connecticut College, MIT, and Vanderbilt University, amongst others. But it's always a good idea to check the admissions sites of the specific schools you're interested in to know their policy.
Remember that while a good ACT superscore can strengthen your application, it's only one part of the picture. Your grades, extracurriculars, essays, and recommendations all matter too!
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