For those of you who took the ACT on April 13th, scores are available today on the ACT website. If you took the ACT Plus Writing, you can expect the score on the writing section to appear about two weeks later. (Each essay gets evaluated by two trained readers, so essay scoring is a much more time-intensive process than the multiple choice section.)
If you find that you are unhappy with your scores, don't panic. There are now about 850 test-optional colleges, and even at schools that require the SAT or ACT, the exam is just one part of the application. Most selective colleges have holistic admissions, so the admissions folks will also be looking for a winning essay, meaningful extracurricular activities, demonstration of your interest, and good letters of recommendation. Most important of all is a strong academic record.
If you'll be applying to colleges in the fall, you still have lots of time to beef up your test-taking skills and retake the exam. Retaking the exam doesn't always result in a better score, but students with a disciplined study strategy will often see improvement (read more: When should I take the ACT?)
If you're wondering what your ACT numbers mean, read this overview of ACT scores. To see how your scores measure up to the middle 50% of matriculated students at different colleges, check out these comparison charts:
- ACT scores for the Ivy League
- ACT scores for top universities
- ACT scores for top liberal arts colleges
- ACT scores for top public universities
- ACT scores for top Catholic colleges and universities
- ACT scores for colleges in: California | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Missouri | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Tennessee | Texas | Virginia | Washington | more states
- More ACT Comparison Charts
- GPA, SAT and ACT Score Graphs
- Convert ACT Scores to SAT Scores
- Overview of Kaplan ACT Test Prep Options
Comments
Good luck with your scores everybody, improve them by getting some good books. This article helped me out, ACT Books
My son’s scores haven’t been posted or received in the mail. All his other friends received theirs on April 30th.
Same here, still waiting. They know kids need these scores. Why is it taking so long? He took it April 14 Plus Writing and all the websites say 2 weeks after April 30. Today is May 17! They need to worry up.
My online status still shows up ‘Registed’ I am waiting for my ACT scores and I took the exam on 8, Dec 2012. What should I do?
I took it on Dec 8th also. I still don’t have my scores and it still says registered! I called and they said it just takes awhile and they post them on Wednesdays and Fridays.