Getting to Know The ACT Perfect Score

Hello friends, after taking the ACT numerous times, I've started wondering what a perfect ACT score is. Is it absolutely necessary for getting into top colleges? If you scored perfect, how much did it contribute to your admission? Hearing from people who've been there and tried would be cool.

Hi there! A perfect ACT score is a 36, which means you got an average of 36 across all four sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science). That's indeed an impressive feat, but it's not an absolute must for getting into top colleges. These institutions typically evaluate applications based on multiple factors, such as your grades, course rigor, extracurricular activities, personal essays, recommendation letters, and even your personal background and experiences.

However, a high ACT or SAT score can certainly be beneficial for admission to selective colleges, as it's one of the factors that compose the Academic Index, which is used as a preliminary filter of sorts in the admissions process. But pivoting back to your specific question, you don't necessarily need a perfect score. Many students are admitted to top colleges with less than a perfect ACT score. Typically, a score that falls within the 75th percentile of admitted students' scores is considered competitive.

As for the second part of your question, it's difficult to measure exactly how much a perfect score contributes to an admission decision, as each case can significantly vary due to the holistic review process most schools employ. While a perfect score is admirable and can boost an application, it's still essential to remember that the other components of your application are equally crucial—if not more so—in painting a complete, compelling picture of who you are as a potential student.

Just as a side note, as of the 2024-2025 application cycle, some schools like Dartmouth, Harvard, Brown, Yale, UT Austin, and Caltech are requiring all applicants to submit an SAT or ACT score. Therefore, it's valuable to aim for a high score that fits within the middle 50% range of admitted students at these schools if you're considering applying. Hope this helps!