Hey folks! So I've taken the ACT and ended up with a score of 30. Is it good, bad, or in the middle? I understand it can differ depending on the colleges I'm aiming for, but, in general, can anyone shed some light on what this score really means for my college applications?
Hello! Firstly, a score of 30 on the ACT is indeed a strong score. It places you in the 93rd percentile of all test takers, meaning you scored higher than 93% of students who took the ACT.
However, as you've mentioned, the impact of your ACT score on your application success largely depends on the specific schools to which you're applying. For example, a 30 ACT score is above the 25th percentile at many selective schools, such as University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Michigan (UMich). On the other hand, this score would be near the middle 50% range for highly selective institutions like Harvard, Yale, or Stanford.
Remember, while your ACT score is an important part of your application, colleges consider many other factors as well, including GPA, rigor of your high school courses, your essays, involvement in extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. Therefore, it would be beneficial to focus on strengthening these aspects of your application as well.
To sum up, a 30 is a great ACT score that should make you a competitive applicant at many colleges. Be sure to review the academic profile of accepted students at the colleges you're considering to ensure your score fits within their range. Keep up the good work and best of luck with your applications!
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