Hello everyone, I'm considering applying to the University of Kentucky, and I'd like to know the average ACT score for admitted students. I want to know if my score makes me a competitive applicant or if I should retake the test. Thanks for your help!
Hello! The average ACT score for admitted students at the University of Kentucky falls within the middle 50% range of 21-28. This statistic means that 25% of accepted students scored below a 21, 25% scored above a 28, and the remaining 50% fell within this range.
If your ACT score falls within or above this range, you will likely be considered competitive for admission. However, if your score is below this range, it may be worth considering a retake to improve your chances. However, the stronger your application in other areas, the less emphasis there will be on your test score, so if you have a strong GPA or excellent extracurriculars, a retake may not be necessary.
If you want to know how your application as a whole stacks up at UK, I'd check out CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable elements of your application, including not just test scores but also GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars, and so on to give you personalized odds of acceptance at UK and hundreds of other colleges: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator/.
This tool will also give you suggestions on how to improve your chances, whether by raising your ACT score slightly or some other step, like earning a leadership position in one of your extracurriculars. Or, you could experiment yourself with entering slightly higher ACT scores to get a concrete sense of how much your chances would improve.
Finally, it's worth noting that UK is officially test-optional, so you actually are not required to submit an ACT (or SAT) score. However, you're smart to still be thinking about target ACT scores, as there can still be instances where including a standardized test score with your application can be a good idea. For detailed guidance on how to navigate test-optional policies, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional
Good luck with your applications!
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