What is a Good ACT Score?

What is a good ACT score? You undoubtedly want to know how you did if you took the ACT and got your test results back. Or perhaps you’re preparing for the ACT and want to know what composite score you should go for. So what constitutes a good ACT score?

We’ll talk about what constitutes a strong ACT composite score in this article. We also provide you with a step-by-step guidance for determining what an appropriate ACT score is for you based on the universities you intend to apply to.

Your college and sometimes, scholarship application’s success depends on the ACT. Find out your ideal ACT score based on the colleges you’re applying to.

• You can improve your chances of getting into elite institutions by having a high ACT score.
• Any ACT score in the 75th percentile or higher, or at least a 24 is generally considered to be a good score.
• Students should strive to achieve or above the middle 50% of ACT scores at the universities of their choice.
• The optional ACT Writing section has a different scoring system and is not required.

An exceptional standardized test result, along with a compelling personal statement, high GPA, and strong letters of recommendation, can help you get into a good college.

The ACT, one of the two main college entrance exams in the United States, evaluates students’ verbal, math, and scientific abilities. Although there is no minimum passing score, getting a high score will help you be accepted to universities with higher admissions standards.

Standardized test scores are not required for admission to all colleges. Due to COVID-19, numerous colleges have introduced test-optional policies. Before you sign up for a test, make important to find out whether your chosen institutions require ACT or SAT scores for admission.

Every test taker should take the time to determine their target score. What is a good ACT score? What grade will you need to get into your ideal college, more importantly?

What is a Good ACT score?

With a strong ACT score, you stand out from the bulk of test-takers. As a result, any composite score that is higher than the 50th percentile, or 19–20, might be regarded as being excellent.

However, a 20 is insufficient for admission at many selective universities. Because of this, it’s preferable to aim even higher, ideally for the top 25%, which corresponds to a composite score of about 24.

Four areas make up the ACT: English, Math, Reading, and Science. A scale from 1 to 36 is used to grade each subject. The average of your four section scores makes up your overall ACT score. Therefore, you should strive for a score of around 24 on each part to attain a strong ACT score.

Percentiles allow students to see how their ACT scores stack up against those of other test-takers. Based on percentiles, the following table displays a typical range of excellent ACT results. Keep in mind that percentiles can vary a little bit annually.

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What Is a Good ACT Writing Score?

Students must compose an essay outlining their point of view on a topic for the optional Writing part of the ACT. Only if the essay is required by at least one of the schools you are applying to, do you need to complete this portion. Be warned that the ACT with Writing is more expensive ($85 vs. $60) than the ACT without Writing.

The ACT Writing section is graded on a scale of 2–12 as opposed to the scale used for the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections. This score is presented individually and does not factor into your composite score.

Your essay is graded on a scale of 1-6 by two readers for each of the following four categories: organization, language use and conventions, development and support, and ideas and analysis. Your final Writing score is then calculated out of 12 by averaging these domain ratings.

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In Light of Your Colleges, What Is a Good ACT Score?

The idea of a good ACT score is relative because different colleges and universities have varying score requirements. In the end, it comes down to what your schools are looking for and how competitive their applicant pools are to determine whether a score may be deemed good. A score that is on par with the typical first-year student average at the universities you are applying to will be considered good for you.

The middle 50% of entering students, which covers the 25th to 75th percentiles of ACT scores, is what many universities report. The ideal score is one that is in the 75th percentile for your school. However, if it proves to be too challenging, try aiming for a location closer to the bottom of that range.

Look for a first-year class profile page or a statistics page on the school’s website to locate the middle 50% of its students. The school’s name can also be found by using the search term “ACT score range.”

Let’s use the example of applying to Emory University. The ACT scores of enrolled students are reported by Emory on their first-year profile page. The middle 50%, based on the data, falls between 33 and 35. This indicates that if you score at least a 35 on the ACT, you will have a good chance of enrolling in Emory (assuming the rest of your application is just as impressive).

The types of ACT scores that schools look for in candidates vary greatly. More competitive universities frequently prefer scores in the 32–36 range, but less selective institutions frequently accept scores that are closer to the national average (21).

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