Do I Need 2 Update Act Scores.on College Ladder

In that location are tons of numbers associated with college applications: GPA, grade rank, standardized examination scores, possibly some AP tests. It can be a lot to take in. If you lot're taking the Act, then you might be worried about how you lot'll exercise on it. What's the worst ACT score you could become? What's the worst score you lot could get and withal have a shot at getting into your dream plan?

In this article, we'll interruption downward the lowest possible Deed score and explicate why y'all're non probable to actually become information technology. Nosotros'll then hash out the minimum Human activity score for college admissions, how to choose colleges based on your score (whatever it might be), how to set an ACT target score based on your colleges, and what you lot can practice if you think your Human activity score is likewise low for your desired schools.

What's the Lowest ACT Score You Tin Go?

The Human action is scored on a calibration of one-36, meaning that the absolute minimum Human activity score you could become is 1. This blended score is calculated by taking the average of all four section scores (English language, Math, Reading, and Science) and rounding (so anything ending with a .5 would round up). To get a blended score of ane, y'all would have to get either 1 on each department or three 1s and a ii.

The average ACT score is 21. The 25th percentile score is 16, and the 75th percentile score is 24. This means that if you got xvi, yous'd have scored the same equally or better than 25% of all test takers. Meanwhile, the 75th percentile means y'all scored better than 75% of test takers.

To requite you an thought of how rare a score of i actually is, a composite score ranging anywhere from 1 to 11 would put y'all in the 1st percentile—meaning 99% of examination takers scored higher than 101.

For private sections, 99% of examination takers scored higher than 8 in English language, 12 in Math, 9 in Reading, and 9 in Science. Even if yous guessed on every question, yous'd get a blended score of around eleven-13. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that y'all will become the lowest possible score—or even a score lower than 11—on the ACT.

Even this guy got an 11!

What'south the Lowest Act Score Yous Can Take for Higher?

Since it's pretty unlikely for yous to become the minimum ACT score, you might be more interested in knowing this: what's the lowest possible Human action score you could go that would all the same ensure you have a shot at getting into college?

The answer to this question is that information technology depends—primarily on what colleges you're applying to, but also to a certain extent on your other qualifications.

For more than selective schools, yous'll need a high ACT score to accept a decent chance of getting in. If you're aiming for an elite institution like the University of Chicago or Princeton, you'll need to score at least 31-32, and that would be on the low end for both these schools. By dissimilarity, you might however have a shot at a selective public schoolhouse similar the University of Illinois with a score effectually 26-27. Smaller state schools local to you ofttimes accept scores in the 18-22 range.

In fact, public universities typically take special admissions criteria for residents that let or compensate for lower standardized test scores. For example, publicly funded Texas universities generally guarantee admission to those in the top 10% of their graduating high school form, although some have lowered this cap to the top 7% in contempo years. Yous might withal need to submit test scores for these schools, merely they won't keep you from being admitted.

Specialized schools like art schools and music conservatories also often have lower standardized test requirements, every bit a pupil'due south artistic piece of work is the primary criteria used for access.

Mime school only accepts your test scores if you lot can silently act them out.

The truth is that information technology's difficult to give a hard-and-fast rule in regard to the absolute minimum Act score for college. Colleges and universities admit candidates along a range of test scores, though the band is narrower at more selective universities.

Still, you lot can get a general thought of what the lowest score you could get for higher is based on a great statistic called the "heart l%." The middle l% is a statistic that most schools provide on their admissions websites; it gives the score range of the 25th and 75th Human activity percentiles of the schoolhouse's admitted applicants (in other words, 25% of admits had test scores beneath this range, 50% had test scores inside this range, and 25% had test scores above this range). This is a reliable fashion to figure out the scoring threshold necessary to be a viable candidate for access.

Equally for the everyman Human activity score yous can get and still have a shot of getting in, I would say to place that marking a little (think effectually one point) below the everyman number in the middle 50% range.

If you pick a score slightly below the 25th percentile, yes, that does mean that people with a lower score than your "low score threshold" probably got in. There are always outliers and exceptions in the college admissions process—people who had other specific qualifications or strengths that the institution thought would be valuable.

No doubt you also have unique strengths and talents you should emphasize in your applications! However, you should never assume you are going to be ane of the outliers who gets in with an Act score at the lowest believable stop of the admit range.

Now, this does not mean that y'all shouldn't employ if your dream school's heart 50% is 28-32 and you got a 26. Just be realistic that this schoolhouse will be quite a reach for yous, and know that you lot'll actually demand to differentiate yourself in other ways.

By dissimilarity, if your score is a decent cut above the 75th percentile mark (recollect ii+ points), you lot're in a bully position to possibly get in.

Here's a sample chart of some low and high marks every bit compared to some center 50% score ranges:

Depression Score	Middle fifty%	High Score
12	13-16	18
xiv	15-twenty	22
twenty	21-26	28
21	22-28	thirty
25	26-30	32
27	28-32	34
29	30-34	36
31	32-35	36

So how is this information about situating your own score relative to a school'southward middle 50% of admits useful? Well, information technology volition help you choose which schools to use to based on your own ACT score by aiding you in identifying condom, match, and attain schools.

Choosing a college is just like choosing a pumpkin, except completely different.

Choosing Schools to Apply to Based on Your Deed Score

If yous've already taken the ACT and have your score, yous might be wondering how to selection which schools to utilise to. In full general, you'll want to apply to some safety schools, some match schools, and some reach schools.

A safety school is one where you are more qualified than the typical admitted student, a match schoolhouse is ane where yous are every bit qualified, and a attain school is ane where you are less qualified.

Here's what this means in terms of Human action scores:

Rubber school: Your score well exceeds the centre 50% range (recall 2+ points)
Friction match school: Yous fall within or only above the middle 50%
Reach schoolhouse: You autumn in the lesser finish of or just below the eye fifty%

Very selective schools, such equally the Ivy League, MIT, Stanford, UChicago, etc., are reach schools for everyone because they are so competitive.

Let's say Jared got a 24 on his Human activity. How should we classify the following schools he is interested in: equally prophylactic, match, or attain?

Northeastern Illinois University (centre 50%: fifteen-22)—With a score 2 points in a higher place NIU'southward middle 50%, we tin can consider this a safety school. Jared's ACT score would put him in the top 25% of applicants by a decent margin.

Illinois Country University (centre 50%: xx-27)—With a score right above the midpoint of ISU's middle 50%, ISU would be a match school for Jared.

Academy of Cincinnati (eye 50%: 23-29)—Because he is at the bottom of the center 50% range for UC, we would consider it a reach school. Not a huge or unreasonable reach, but all the same a reach, every bit around 75% of applicants had ameliorate scores than Jared. He'll really need the rest of his application to be stellar.

Quinnipiac University (middle 50%: 23-28)—Jared is within the middle 50% at Quinnipiac, but on the lower end (only ane point above the lesser). This is one of those schools that sits right on the edge between being a match and a reach. Just so long as you are applying to a variety of schools relative to your own test scores, it'southward completely fine if an individual school'due south classification seems a little cryptic.

There are of course other factors to consider when it comes to choosing condom, match, and reach schools.

Schools normally provide information almost the GPA and class ranks of their admitted students, and then you'll want to consider those factors as well. If you're on the low finish of the middle 50% in examination scores but way on the high end for GPA and class rank, it could be a friction match school.

Unique talents or other interesting qualifications can too go a long fashion toward mitigating an ACT score that's a little on the depression terminate for a certain school.

But what if y'all already have schools in listen and haven't taken the Human activity yet? How tin you lot figure out what score to aim for?

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He should probably go an pointer if he wants to hit that target.

Choosing an ACT Goal Score Based on Your Dream Schools

You might already have some schools in heed before taking the Human activity. In this case, you can utilise the middle 50% for those schools to set an ACT target score. An ideal goal score would be the highest 75th percentile marking of the center fifty% among the schools you lot are interested in. That mode, even if you lot fall a piddling short, you'll nonetheless be well-positioned for the other schools on your list.

Starting time, make a list of all the schools you lot're because. When you have a consummate list, look up the middle 50% range for each schoolhouse. You can go to the schools' websites or search for "[School Name] PrepScholar" to find each schoolhouse's admission requirements page in our database.

Then, notation down the middle l%—i.e., the 25th and 75th percentile—for each school. You can practise this for the total score, past section, or both—whatever is nigh useful for you. Note that some schools simply report blended ACT scores and non section scores.

When you take all the necessary info written downward, find the highest 75th percentile score in your chart; that'll be your target ACT score.

Let'due south work through an example. Here'southward Alicia's initial list of schools she's interested in:

University of Virginia
Syracuse University
University of Connecticut
Emory Academy
Princeton University
University of Maryland
Johns Hopkins University

And here'southward what her middle 50% table looks like when filled out*:

Schoolhouse	Human activity 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile
UVA	32	35
Syracuse	25	30
UConn	27	32
Emory	33	35
Princeton	32	35
UMD	31	34
Johns Hopkins	34	35

*Note: The heart 50% Human activity scores for some of the schools listed above are based on data from students who chose to submit ACT scores with their application for access and thus may not fully reflect the Act scores of all admitted applicants. Some of these schools do not currently require submission of standardized test scores (equally they accept adopted test optional policies).

Given the schools she wants to attend, Alicia should exist aiming for a 35 on her ACT. She's got her piece of work cut out for her!

You can use the post-obit tabular array to make your own list and find your ACT goal score:

Schoolhouse	Act 25th Percentile	ACT 75th Percentile

Past listing the 75th percentiles of your match and reach schools, you lot tin can figure out your target ACT score.

But what if once y'all become your ACT scores, it looks like every school is a reach? Are you out of luck?

Did your 4-leaf clover wilt?

What If All Your Schools Are Reaches? 7 Possible Options

Say you lot get your Human activity scores simply realize that your score is at or beneath the 25th percentile for all the schools in your nautical chart.

If your score is low enough that you are concerned about being accepted at any college you're interested in, in that location are several strategies you might consider using to address the result.

#i: Prep for the ACT and Take It Once more

If at start you don't succeed, try, try over again! By strategically preparing for the Deed, you really can meliorate your score quite a lot. If you lot nonetheless accept a few months left before your higher awarding deadlines, taking the Act again is probably your all-time choice.

Y'all might try out a targeted, personalized ACT program, some Human activity prep books, and/or tutoring. Check out our guide to see all the pros and cons of these Human activity prep methods.

#2: Accept the Sabbatum Instead

The SAT and the Deed used to be very different—enough that students would perform dramatically differently on them. This is less true now ever since the SAT'due south redesign in 2016, which made it a lot more similar to the Human action.

If you lot are especially weak in the Science section of the Act, then the SAT might be amend for you lot. Instead of having a dedicated scientific discipline section, it has some chart- and information-estimation questions scattered throughout. Taking the SAT could help if yous're just hoping for a niggling boost.

#3: Evaluate Whether You lot Demand Testing Accommodations

If you accept a medical condition, learning disability, or psychiatric disorder, yous might qualify for special testing accommodations for the Act. If you're on an IEP or a 504 programme at your school, it is specially likely that y'all are both eligible for and would benefit from test accommodations.

Comport in listen that requesting accommodations is a time-consuming process, and then you'll demand to start early—months before you programme to accept the ACT again!

#4: Arrange Your Expectations

If your Act score is also low for all the colleges on your list, await at some less selective colleges. A 28 is as well low for Northwestern, but it's a expert score for Ohio Land and the University of Iowa. It'south likely that yous'll exist able to find less selective colleges that have the same qualities you lot are looking for.

Some collegiate ivy, exterior of the Ivy League.

#5: Apply to Schools That Accept Alternating Scores

Some schools volition have AP scores or IB scores in lieu of more traditional SAT or Human activity exam scores. If you've already performed well on AP or IB exams, this could exist a good strategy for you.

Examples of schools that accept alternating tests include the following:

University of South Dakota: Accepts scores of 3 or higher on the English Linguistic communication Arts and Mathematics Smarter Balanced Assessments
Hamilton College: Accepts combos of AP and IB scores in lieu of ACT/Sat
NYU: Accepts combos of AP, and IB scores in lieu of Deed/SAT

#half-dozen: Apply to Test-Optional Schools

In the past yr, many colleges take implemented test-optional admissions. This means that while yous tin can transport examination scores in with your application, they're not actually required. In this case, your GPA, course records, essay, recommendation letters, and other application materials volition be the determining factors in your access—not your test scores.

Test-optional colleges are a particularly good selection for applicants who are overall good students but not slap-up standardized test takers.

Hither are some well-known exam-optional schools:

Wake Forest University
Bates College
Wesleyan University
Bowdoin College
American University
Mount Holyoke College
Sarah Lawrence College
Bryn Mawr College
Smith College

Y'all can find a more comprehensive list of exam-optional and test-flexible colleges here.

#7: Get to Customs College

If your score is low enough that y'all're actually worried about getting accustomed to any college, yous might consider starting out at a nearby customs college. Well-nigh local customs colleges are open to anyone in the area with a high school diploma or GED.

Yous can start taking classes at a community higher and then transfer to a four-yr academy upon completion of your associate degree, usually after most two years. Your transcripts from there will exist much more important than your standardized test scores.

The august facade of Bronx Community Higher.

Recap: What's the Minimum Human activity Score for College?

The absolute minimum ACT score yous can become is a 1, although this is very unlikely to happen. You might exist more worried near getting a score high plenty to get into college. While it's hard to set any specific threshold that is too low for higher, the more selective the school, the higher you'll demand to score on the ACT.

You can utilise a statistic chosen the centre 50%—the score range of the 25th and 75th percentiles of admitted students for a given schoolhouse—to cull your own safety, match, and attain schools based on your Human activity score or to ready a target ACT score based on the schools you're interested in.

If you find yourself with a depression enough ACT score that you lot're concerned nigh getting into colleges you're interested in, you have several options for what to do side by side:

Prep for the Deed and take it again
Accept the Saturday instead
Figure out whether you might need special testing accommodations
Adjust your expectations and apply to less selective schools
Employ to test-alternate or examination-optional schools
Consider attending community college if your scores are besides low for most 4-year colleges

Ultimately, if you want to pursue college education, there are many strategies to make that happen in a way that works for you, regardless of your Act score.

You'll find the right rainbow for you!

What's Next?

For some assistance with the ACT, bank check out our free guides to Deed prep, all gathered in one place. Or maybe you lot want to know just how of import the ACT is for your college applications.

Demand aid coming up with your own higher application timeline? We've got yous covered with our expert guide.

Nosotros can also help yous identify target schools and determine how many schools to apply to.

Want to ameliorate your Human action score by 4+ points? Download our gratuitous guide to the top 5 strategies yous need in your prep to better your Act score dramatically.

Raise Your ACT Score by 4 Points (Free Download)

Have friends who also need assist with exam prep? Share this commodity!

Well-nigh the Author

Ellen has extensive education mentorship feel and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.