Navigating the ACT: What Colleges See and How It Impacts Your Application

Applying to college can be a stressful time, filled with questions about standardized tests like the ACT. A common concern among students is whether colleges can see all their ACT scores, including those from multiple attempts. Understanding college policies on ACT scores and how they impact your application is crucial. This article provides a comprehensive overview of ACT score reporting, superscoring, and related factors to help you navigate the college application process with confidence.

ACT Score Reporting Policies: What Colleges See

The fundamental principle to understand is that colleges generally only see the ACT scores you choose to send them. The ACT allows you to select which test dates you want to share with colleges through a feature called Score Choice. This means that if you've taken the ACT multiple times, you have the power to submit only your best score, provided the colleges you're applying to don't have specific requirements to the contrary.

Exceptions to the Rule: Colleges Requiring All Scores

While most colleges allow Score Choice, some institutions require applicants to submit their complete testing record, including all SAT, ACT, and/or SAT Subject test scores. Prominent examples include Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), and Rice University. These colleges argue that having the full testing history allows them to assess applicants across the pool fairly.

If you're applying to colleges that require all scores, it's essential to be transparent and submit your complete testing history. However, even in these cases, colleges often focus on your highest scores, using them for superscoring purposes.

Finding a College's ACT Score Policy

To determine whether a college requires all ACT scores, follow these steps:

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Check if the school is on a list of colleges that require all SAT scores, as these schools are very likely to require all ACT scores as well.
Visit the college's official website and navigate to the "First-Year Requirements" or "Freshmen Admission" page.
Look for information about standardized testing requirements, including whether the school requires or recommends submitting all test results.
If the initial page doesn't provide clarity, search for a "Testing Policies" or "FAQ" page for more detailed information.

Superscoring: Maximizing Your Potential

Many colleges practice "superscoring," which involves taking the highest score from each section of the ACT, even if those scores were achieved on different test dates, to create a new, higher composite score. For instance, if you scored a 33 in English, 33 in mathematics, 33 in reading, and 33 in science on one ACT administration and then a 32 in English, 32 in mathematics, 36 in reading, and 36 in science on another, the college would combine the 33s from the first test with the 36s from the second to create a superscored composite.

If your superscore is based on multiple ACT attempts, it's prudent to send in all the relevant score reports to take advantage of this policy.

The Impact of Multiple Attempts on Your Application

The number of times you take the ACT can have varying impacts on your application. Generally, taking the ACT two to three times is considered normal and won't negatively affect your application. It can even demonstrate your commitment to improving your score.

However, excessively retaking the ACT (five or more times) might raise concerns among some colleges. They may question your test-taking strategies or wonder if your time and energy would be better spent on other aspects of your application, such as essays and extracurricular activities.

Factors Influencing Score Release and Reporting

Several factors can affect the release and reporting of your ACT scores:

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Score Availability: Over 97% of ACT scores are available online within two to four weeks after the test date. The initial score release table provides the dates when scores start becoming available.
Score Verification: You can request ACT to verify your multiple-choice and/or writing test scores up to 12 months after your test date.
Score Cancellation: ACT reserves the right to cancel test scores if there is reason to believe they are invalid. Outside of state and district testing, you may request to cancel scores for a particular test date.

Self-Reporting Scores on the Common App

Most colleges use the Common App, and most colleges that use the Common App allow students to self-report scores. When self-reporting, it's important to accurately report your highest ACT section scores and your highest composite score from a single test date. The Common App system will then calculate your ACT superscore.

Self-reporting scores provides more control over the process, reducing pressure on test day. Knowing that you can choose not to report a particular score can lead to less anxiety and potentially higher scores.

Strategic Considerations for ACT Retakes

Before deciding to retake the ACT, consider the following:

Score Improvement: Evaluate whether additional preparation and testing are likely to result in a significant score improvement.
Time and Resources: Assess whether the time and resources required for additional test preparation would be better invested in other aspects of your application.
College Policies: Understand the score reporting policies of the colleges you're interested in, including whether they require all scores or allow Score Choice.

The Cost Factor

The ACT charges $19 per test date and per school to send your scores. If you've taken the ACT multiple times and are applying to colleges that require all scores, the cost of sending your complete testing history can add up quickly. This is important to consider when deciding how many times to take the test and which scores to send.

Test-Optional Policies and the Coronavirus Pandemic

As a result of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, many colleges have dropped their test score requirement for the admissions cycles and others have gone permanently test optional. This means that, for these schools, you don't need to submit any ACT or SAT scores with your application.

When to Apply for College

You can't apply to college/university unless you are on track for graduating from HS by the time you finish your current year of schooling. So you cannot apply in 9th or 10th grade. You can apply in 11th grade if you are graduating 1 year early because you have satisfied all graduation requirements for your High School.

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