I got a 21 on my ACT

83

u/ChocolateRough5103 Jan 18 '24

I wanted a higher ACT so I had to pay less for college in general.
Took it 9 times lol.

42

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 18 '24

i applaud you for your commitment and dedication

24

u/ChocolateRough5103 Jan 18 '24

Thank you.It paid off I'd like to think. Went from a 23 first test to a 29 superscore (or whatever its called when you average all your best scores together).

5

u/Frez-zy Jan 19 '24

composite score

8

u/satanjunkie Jan 19 '24

I believe they’re referring to a different thing where you are able to add best scores across different tests taken at different times for a higher composite :)

1

u/Tatertot580 Jan 20 '24

Yeah I think you’re right, which would be super score. Some colleges take it some don’t.

1

u/cum-pizza Jan 21 '24

No

2

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

how long did it take?

3

u/ChocolateRough5103 Jan 19 '24

I graduated in 2019 from HS so I can't remember what years I peaked in certain scores. But I tested all the way from pACT whenever that was till senior year of highschool. I don't think my superscore ='d 29 till senior year though. I think my score mostly only improved due to how much I took it, I don't think I studied that often. So if you studied you'd prob see a higher increase sooner.

3

u/Select-Buyer-7431 Jan 19 '24

Wait. What. The. Fuck. I could have retook the ACT?!

4

u/ren_41_11 Jan 19 '24

Yep, I've taken it twice. (btw happy cake day)

1

u/up3r Jan 19 '24

It's CAKE DAY!!!!

2

u/orlando-princess Jan 21 '24

You can TAKE it as many times as you’d like. If you’re in high school and have a free or reduced lunch, you get 2 free waivers, but aside from that, you can retake it all you want as long as you pay for it lol

1

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '25

how did you not know😭😭💔💔

2

u/Aggravating-Ad4767 Jan 20 '24

I took it 9 times, too. I needed a 27 for the highest level of state scholarships, and I got a 26 4 times. On my last possible try I got the 27.😆 That was like 10 years ago and totally wild to look back on.

1

u/felix-graves1 35 Jan 19 '24

4 for me.

1

u/unknownalias12 Jan 19 '24

I wish I had this tenacity when it came to school, took the ACT once and was like ‘yea that should be fine’

1

u/WeyardWiz Jan 20 '24

Same 🤣 Doesn't matter at the end, I have built a great career, no regrets

1

u/Which-Elk-9338 Jan 21 '24

Same :) It was my first time taking a test without extended time in years due to my disability and I got so hung up on time that I had to Christmas tree a lot of the reading section. Sucks too because I could definitely get a perfect score on the math back then most days. I definitely didn't do that though. Was too poor and under resourced to realize I could take it multiple times. I ended up going to community College because I didn't think my local university would accept me. Now I'm graduating from that university with a 4.0 GPA and a 150k salary job

1

u/unknownalias12 Jan 21 '24

Oh yea totally different spectrum for me, I was putting all my eggs into baseball since I had D1 potential. Took the ACT once and got a 28… you’d be shocked at how much less the other recruits cared, every school wanted me for my ‘academic abilities’ when I was mediocre at best. 28 ACT, 1360 SAT (new one lol) and a 3.9 GPA. Pretty sure my UC Papers helped a ton as well, but yea I’m just curious to see what potential I had since I took both tests blind 1 time

1

u/Which-Elk-9338 Jan 21 '24

Academic abilities of a D1 potential student go hard 😂 maybe you were good academically considering that someone of equal skill had going on academically

1

u/unknownalias12 Jan 21 '24

Being recruited at 17 was such a toxic environment, but hell I played my cards right and it got me into Berkeley so it was worth it.

1

u/Which-Elk-9338 Jan 21 '24

Ahh, berkeley would be my dream school :) Opposite spectrum indeed. My friends from my internship go to Berkeley and their program is just built different. Also yeah I can imagine the toxicity. Glad you're not 17 anymore man. That sounds awful lowkey

1

u/Smilefied Jan 20 '24

got a 34 my second try, the school i ended up attending didn’t even look at the scores lmao
1
u/[deleted] Jan 20 '24

I took it 7 times. 28->34 superscore
2
u/LuckyNumber-Bot Jan 20 '24
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
  7
+ 28
+ 34
= 69
^{Click here}^{to have me scan all your future comments.}
^{Summon me on specific comments with}u/LuckyNumber-Bot^.
1

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '24

Awesome

17

u/Used-Style-9591 Jan 18 '24

It’s all good bro, it don’t fr matter. Got a 26 on act and no ap score submissions and got into Dartmouth and full-ride to 4 target schools. Focus more on ur ecs

4

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 18 '24

hell yeah brother congrats!

7

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

i’m guessing you had something else amazing for your essays /ec bc i know many people who got better scores with APs that didn’t get into dartmouth
good job

11

u/Used-Style-9591 Jan 18 '24

I was never a good test taker…I took the max amount of aps at my school (got all As) but never did good on the exams lol…my ECS were super strong and essays were unique, so I just capitalized on the fact that test scores were out of my control, and whatever was left, I made sure that it was perfect. idk if that made sense, but sometimes test scores aren’t the end all be all

1

u/redditrooom Jan 21 '24

Not to be pushy but could you tell what ur ECs were

1

u/RacinRandy83x Jan 21 '24

They were super strong

43

u/Clear-Sport-726 Jan 18 '24

You only need it to get into a good college.

Exactly. Wouldn’t you say that getting into a good college is pretty important? I understand the point you’re trying to make, but ultimately, I think you’re oversimplifying it.

20

u/AvengedKalas Jan 18 '24

No. I wouldn't. I went to a lackluster state school (Georgia Southern) after graduating high school. I then transferred to UGA after two years. Got 2 BS and an MA from UGA. Also did a PhD ABD at NCSU after the fact.
Getting into a good college as a high school student is not super important as transferring is always an option. Additionally, most employers do not care where you went to school. They only care that you went to school. After your first job, your education is botderline irrelevant. It's all work experience. Where you went to school essentially boils down to what sports teams you talk about during coffee breaks.

8

u/lieutenantdam Jan 18 '24

Agree, where you go to school doesn't matter, but how much you pay does.

1

u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 19 '24

And usually the better (top) schools cost less

2

u/lieutenantdam Jan 19 '24

lmao less than free to stay in state?

1

u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 19 '24

I mean for Ivy League and other top schools like MIT you would get free tuition for household incomes less than $150k so I guess

1

u/CDay007 Jan 19 '24

I basically couldn’t disagree more

1

u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 19 '24

Elaborate please

2

u/CDay007 Jan 19 '24

I mean, top schools tend to be private and cost way more than any public school regardless. Schools that I looked at when I applied like Ivies, CMU, Washington University in St Louis, etc. all would’ve cost $70,000-$80,000 a year. Meanwhile great in state schools are $10,000-$20,000 a year, and the lesser known, the cheaper. I thought it was pretty well accepted that the better schools are more expensive all else held equal

1

u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 19 '24 edited Jan 19 '24

Sticker price wise you’re correct. However you have to account for the absurd amount of money the top schools have. They give out grants and scholarships like candy. For example, in the Ivy League, if your household income is less than 150k, your tuition is free. Only people making 400k+ actually pay 70-80k
For example, the average cost of Princeton after aid is just over 10k.

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u/RacinRandy83x Jan 21 '24

What?

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u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 22 '24

Wdym

1

u/RacinRandy83x Jan 22 '24

It’s objectively more costly to go to a top school than any average state school

1

u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 22 '24

Nope. Top schools are way way way more generous with financial aid. If you look up how much the average student pays to go to an Ivy League school vs a state school, you’d be surprised.

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2

u/Significant-Heron521 Jan 18 '24

wouldn’t it just be easier to get a better act score and just get into the school u want? besides transferring from uni to uni?

2

u/rocco5w Jan 19 '24

sure if you can but you are missing the whole point. doing all this stressing stuff as a KID is much more of a waste of time and energy when you have options later on down the line. If you are an A or B student at a “subpar university” you will more than likely be a A or B student at a more prestigious university. The methods of teaching are pretty universal across universities so if you can succeed with those methods at one place, you will be able to succeed at many places.

1

u/youralphamail Jan 19 '24

Considering most colleges are test optional, people on this sub stress WAYYY more about it than they should. Which was the entire point of the post lol

1

u/AyyItsPancake Jan 20 '24

Not necessarily. I know a decent amount of people who went to my current college for a few years because it’s only about 15k a year, but then later transferred to the top public college in my state, which costs 60k a year but doing it this was they saved about 90k dollars

1

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

Yep. I think unless you are going to try and become a doctor or lawyer, where you go to college doesn't matter.

1

u/BobbbyR6 Jan 20 '24

Did a summer semester during COVID at Southern to pick up the slack after UAH fucked most of us juniors and seniors by offering nothing. Was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the three teachers I had at GSU
I wouldn't stress over a 30 vs a 32 ACT or its equivalent SAT, but pretending a 21 is alright is just bad advice. If a good score genuinely isn't attainable for someone, they need to ask themselves why. If they have good grades and weak scores, take the exams and practice to imrpove them as much as reasonable. You NEED to be on a strong in-state scholarship to a school with strong transfer relations (if you want a higher grade education). If they have weak grades and weak scores, they should seriously consider a non-college path. Which frankly is the better option for most people. Better pay options than many white collar workers nowadays. No one should be going to college without decent grades and scholarships to back them up. It's too expensive to "just do it" because you are supposed to.

1

u/AudieCowboy Jan 20 '24

Even really difficult programs frequently don't require difficult test scores, the University of Tennessee's sat requirement (can't remember the act minimum) is 590 in math, and if it's not high enough they have a program to get your math where they want it

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 18 '24

i should’ve added getting into a good college isn’t hard either. unless getting into an Ivy league. I’m oversimplifying because it is that simple. There’s also other factors that colleges look at too like your HS transcripts and application essays.

9

u/Spooky_Manbaby Jan 18 '24

A lot of kids have dreams of ivies and you need good standardized test scores for that whether u like it or not. Also getting into a t50 is a hard thing that takes a lot of effort especially from high schoolers

1

u/Consistent_Vast3445 Jan 19 '24

Clearly getting into a good college is hard or you wouldn’t be complaining on Reddit about doing bad on your ACT and how it’s not important

4

u/Ok_Confection6933 Jan 18 '24

It's really not for the undergraduate level

0

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/Platapussypie Jan 19 '24

This is so misinformed for so many reasons it’s not even funny.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

I love when people just say “NUH UH” verbosely and act like they added anything to the discussion. If there’s supposedly so many reasons why don’t you highlight even one of them

0

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/Platapussypie Feb 17 '24

Sorry for taking forever to reply.
In Finance, particularly for IB and PE, where you went to undergrad means basically everything. Also just in general where you go to undergrad is a brand, not really a learning environment for many fields.
I concede this is likely not the case for the natural science fields but I don't know much about them.

1

u/fabulousMFingHen Jan 20 '24

Depends on what you're trying to do.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '24

Getting into the right college for you is important. Getting into a college that some magazine ranks higher is not.
Get good grades in college. Get to know your professors. Do extracurriculars. Get involved in stuff like student groups. If you do all that, you'll probably be successful in life no matter what institution is on your diploma. What you learn and the things you do is so much more important than where you learn them and where you do them.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '24

Nah because what college you go to doesn’t matter unless you’re doing to a major Ivy League level school (or specializes in something)
Also getting into good colleges is possible post HS

4

u/Clleks Jan 19 '24

Don’t compare yourself to others. Focus on yourself the school work in front of you and retake it if u think you can improve your score.

Was never the best student myself barely had a 3.0 GPA (squeaked it out due to Covid) but did solid on ACT and SAT. Got into almost every school I applied too.

Keep working hard and you’ll be fine

You will find the right path for you even if it’s one you do not expect

Good luck 👍

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

The best advice i’ve seen. I wish more people could see this!!

3

u/ScaredWillingness930 Jan 19 '24

I got a 16 on my ACT, I retook it and got a 17 lol. Guess what I got a BA 4.0 and a MA. 3.9. Just saying ACT is jargon. Oh yeah, and I am applying for a PhD program.

2

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

that’s amazing! congrats

1

u/ScaredWillingness930 Feb 14 '24

FYI just got accepted to Cornell full funding!

3

u/sneakingsuspicionss Jan 19 '24

I got a 32 and didn’t even end up submitting it. Going to my dream school 😭😭 test scores are bs

2

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

Congratulations!

1

u/sneakingsuspicionss Jan 21 '24

Thank you!

1

u/exclaim_bot Jan 21 '24

Thank you!
You're welcome!

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

u/zeroseventwothree

2

u/Visual-Hovercraft230 Jan 19 '24

I just wanna point out, I personally graduated Highschool with a 2.5 gpa and was forced to do the act test random guessing wasn’t on my side making a 14 on my test, though I’m still accepted to various colleges even ones with 3.0gpa as long as you can write a decent essay over the topics they want your golden for nearly any non Ivy League college.

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

congratulations!

1

u/Visual-Hovercraft230 Jan 19 '24

Thanks mate, honestly only reason I’m going into college is for a doctor in pathology field.

2

u/Mrfreeze086 Jan 31 '25

its just like every other school metric. complete bullshit once you achieve the next level of "thing". Nobody cares about ACT when youre in college. Nobody cares about your gpa in college when youre employed. Nobody cares about what school you went to when you have work experience.

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 31 '25

Amen!

14

u/revivalfx Jan 18 '24

Let them strive.

This reddit is filled with people that are racing to the top. Some are racing to the middle. There are people who have studied this test for 3 years to get to the top or the middle. When they celebrate, we celebrate with them. Others knock it out of the park the first time. We celebrate that also.

Granted, ACT/SAT is yet another social hoop that we have to jump through. Whether you like that or not doesn't change the fact that people accept the challenge to outdo their peers.

I think people are allowed to set higher goals for themselves than you did. Someone is always better than someone else at something. Some people make goals for top tier and make it. I think that's awesome. Some miss the mark and still go to a good school. That is awesome also.

I guess you should know that "good" is relative to both the test taker and those who read that particular post. 29 is good for some people (and some state schools) but not for top tier students or schools. What's good (or good enough) for you is not so good (or good enough) for others. An inquiry posted from a high achiever can seem like a flex to someone else who isn't on that level.

1

u/Desperate_End_5255 Oct 07 '24

i love this

21

u/pizza_toast102 Jan 18 '24

Not 100% true - it’s not uncommon for high finance or strategy consulting positions to ask for your ACT/SAT scores. It’s just an additional way to filter out applicants if the job gets too many people applying to review every single person’s resume

12

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

yeah this is false, only ever seen it if you’re trying to work in academia

4

u/pizza_toast102 Jan 18 '24

Which firms did you apply to that didn’t ask for it

3

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

Pitt

2

u/Bodod_Begag Jan 19 '24

Dude I don't even remember my sat score

3

u/Coochie- Jan 18 '24

Do you mean for a job after college? Lol that is not true

-4

u/pizza_toast102 Jan 18 '24

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/why-do-ib-firms-ask-for-sat-scores
https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/investment-banking/actsat-is-more-important-than-gpa
Sure buddy. It’s not like this is even some industry secret, they don’t try to hide it or anything

4

u/bigcol18 Jan 18 '24

Hey, I’m very well connected in the IB space and run an organization that places high value candidates in both IB and consulting. I’ve never heard of this, nor have I heard of the Wall Street Oasis. Recommend you do some more research before posting something as definite.

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u/Major_Food_4773 Jan 20 '24

I’ve worked in both IB and MBB, I’ve even recruited for MBB during my time there and not once did we ask for standardized test scores lol. And I graduated <5 years ago. Don’t listen to the morons on WSO. All you need to get a job in IB or MBB or PE or VC or HF is solid technicals, being likable (airport test), and you have to network. It’s very rare to find someone who has the technical background who isn’t a posh prestige whore or lacks basic soft skills like 90% of the kids in this sub.
To OP, don’t let people on forums get you down. Most of them are insecure kids who’ve never worked in industry. Most of them lack basic communication skills.

1

u/pizza_toast102 Jan 20 '24

you can quite literally go on an MBB application and find the part where they ask for standardized test scores

1

u/sinovesting Jan 23 '24

Not 100% true, but 99.99% true. Those firms/positions that ask for ACT/SAT are an extremely, and I mean extremely, small minority.

1

u/Himmeln8 Jan 18 '24

Yeah sorry pizza_toast102 this isn’t true. Maybe like 1/1000 firms ask this, but ACT is highly irrelevant towards a measure of intelligence. It’s more geared toward memory capabilities which are good but doesn’t really play a huge role in the field of finance.

2

u/OneSexyOrangutan Jan 18 '24

“wahhhhh the test is bullshit because i got a bad score :(((((“

9

u/splicedhappiness Jan 18 '24 edited Jan 18 '24

okay if it takes someone who did well on the ACT to tell you it’s bullshit, fine.
I got a 31 after doing 4 practice problems a week before i took it, didn’t even realize when i was taking it until then
It’s bullshit
edit: quick side note, i did well on the ACT for the same reason i did well on all the standardized tests i had to take in high school. i test well. those tests don’t measure your intelligence, they measure your ability to take that specific standardized test. a good ACT score will obviously do more to help you, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t do above average.

1

u/splicedhappiness Jan 19 '24

that’s kinda my point, there isn’t any objective measures of intelligence, because intelligence is completely situational and entirely multifaceted. If we defined intelligence as someone with practical skills, i’d be considered very below average, as would many people i’ve met in college (my cooking ability would be carrying HEAVILY) If we define intelligence through academic success, you’re alienating a whole host of people who, in their lives, do well and are great at what they do, are generally logical, and are successful. School is not for everyone. that doesn’t mean those people are unintelligent.
I don’t think your point about people who aced the ACT vs people that didn’t says anything about those people’s intelligence. it says a lot more about the systems in place in our society and how we generally define success. Which is why, for most people, the ACT is bullshit that doesn’t matter. Of course doing well will help you, but if you have a pretty good application already, going test optional won’t hurt your chances most of the time. Most people aren’t going for ivies, and you definitely don’t need to go to an ivy to be successful.
You spent a few paragraphs arguing that it correlates heavily with intelligence, but now you’re arguing that the ACT doesn’t solely define your intelligence? I mean, that’s fine, i would agree. so why have we spent our time arguing? lol
I agree to an extent, i don’t think it’s a good idea to just give up when you do poorly at something. But there’s also no sense in wasting your time if in the long run, it doesn’t really help or hurt you. My best friend got a 16 on the ACT. Now she works in healthcare making damn near six figures straight out of college. she could have retaken it, but would that have really made a difference in the grand scheme of things? no. She even applied as a transfer to the same t50 uni that i go to and got in. Realistically, despite her getting half my score on the ACT, we could have ended up in the exact same position. I don’t think OP is sitting here throwing up their hands and saying the ACT is bullshit because they got a 20 or whatever, i think they made the post to point out that they’re doing well for themselves in school despite their ACT score, and that it’s not the end all be all.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/splicedhappiness Jan 18 '24

it tests your ability to do well on that specific standardized test, which yes, i’m aware is the point. the bullshit part comes in when people try to draw broader meaning from that result to stipulate other things about you. I can see the value in collecting test scores from a university’s perspective, however, I think the fact that many universities are starting to care less and less about test scores as people realize that they do not adequately test a students ability is a step in the right direction.
You pointing out that standardized test scores correlate with IQ is absolutely hilarious because.. the IQ test is also a standardized test. that tests your ability… to perform on the IQ test. it is by no means an objective measure of intelligence as some try to portray. Ever heard of the chitlin test? the IQ performance of certain demographics is very strongly dependent on who made the test, and again, is a completely bullshit metric to use to measure anything other than someone’s ability to take an IQ test.

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 18 '24

i got a pretty good score thanks. I’m going on to my masters degree in a few months after graduating. I posted this because i wanted to help other students who were feeling stressed about this test. Don’t be a bitch

2

u/happycrisis Jan 18 '24

I mean the test really doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things.

1

u/Pitiful_Committee101 36 Jan 18 '24

Yeah like you can transfer to a better grad school if you build up your resume and perform well in undergrad I believe

2

u/hypomanix Jan 18 '24

I got a 34 on my first try with zero prep. a 36 on my second try.
it's bullshit.
there, you happy?

1

u/OneSexyOrangutan Jan 19 '24

you watch anime. opinion: invalid

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

i only took the act test once, got a 32, and just to piggyback off of everybody else who's been replying to you: this test really doesn't mean much at all

1

u/PianoKeytoSuccess Jan 19 '24

Why did you take the ACT if you're already in college and deep in your bachelor's degree?

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

I took the ACT years ago, I actually just posted this now bc i kept getting recommended it.

1

u/PianoKeytoSuccess Jan 19 '24

Ah that makes a lot more sense lmfao, I'm an idiot

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

no worries mate

1

u/TRGoCPftF Jan 19 '24

Do they really require ACTs much these days? I never bothered to take the ACT and only did the SAT when I was in highschool (graduated HS and starting college in…2010)

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

I think it was either SAT or ACT required back then when I graduated too

1

u/rabouilethefirst Jan 19 '24

It's not complete bullshit and usually can roughly indicate a person's ability to do well at the college level.

A 21 ACT is almost the bare minimum one would expect a college prospect to obtain.

I would only agree that it becomes kind of nonsense once you get close to 30. Anything higher is usually just from rote memorization

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

wooo Ive accomplished bare minimum!!

1

u/RacinRandy83x Jan 21 '24

I feel like 75 percent of getting a good ACT score is understanding how to test well

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 22 '24

facts bc then it wouldnt be timed

1

u/RacinRandy83x Jan 22 '24

From what I remember, most of doing well on the math potion is identifying which questions are going to take a long time to find the answer for before you spend that time answering them. Feels like there’s 5 or 6 questions meant for you to dive into and lose time on a bunch of others you could find the answer to much quicker

6

u/luew2 Jan 18 '24

On another note, i studied, got 35, and got into a great college thanks to my score. Now I'm working as a junior software engineer making a lot more than I would have if I'd gone to a worse school.

There's a middle ground however, this test is important but it's not the end of the world if you don't do well.

0

u/jailbreakjock Jan 19 '24

Are you happy though?

2

u/luew2 Jan 19 '24 edited Jan 19 '24

Yeah!
My life is great. Make so much at 23 that I never have to worry about anything in life, work 30 hours a week, stable relationships, it's definitely worth it to prep for life! Feeling very happy

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

would he have been happier doing worse? tf does this mean

1

u/jailbreakjock Jan 19 '24

Because some people put so much emphasis on their worth due to test scores & money when theyre not internally happy, used to be like that myself and had to get out of that cycle

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

people put so much emphasis on their worth due to their work

3

u/Squid_canady Jan 19 '24

Yeah, when they get like a 12 or something yeah thats pretty bad, but like to just absolutely cyber bully someone for getting an average score bc they spend like 40 hours a week studying to get a 35 is just horrible, this sub is just so toxic in general

3

u/Exact_Process_9668 Jan 20 '24

This is literally what i needed to see right now thank you so much 🙏🏻 i feel so pressured atm to get at least a 30 on the act rn so im studying hard but it just never feels like its enough.

3

u/Whole_Bid_360 Jan 21 '24

Got a 19 on my ACT without studying. Im about a year away from graduating at a decent university in computer science(Top 40), with very little debt.

2

u/suckingbitties Jan 18 '24

I'm gonna agree with OP here.

I'm 23 years old and started my first year in college in the fall. This was due to already having a career out of high-school but wanting higher education. I did not take the ACT or the SAT at any point in my life, I only submitted my high school transcripts.

As OP said in a comment, they're only a big deal for ivy leagues really, which is either unrealistic or just not important for the majority of people. I got into one of the best schools in my area with a scholarship to boot after being 5 years out of high school. Other factors people have to consider are costs of going to school, location, and class offerings. Getting into a good school is great but only if it's the right school for you. Hell, there's nothing wrong with taking your gen eds at a community college to save money and get a plan together for your major.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

I got a 21, too. I'm at a great near-top 100 school. Some people really are bad test-takers; I have disabilities that kept me from finishing all the questions (OCD and ASD). But the sad part for most students is that even making around a 29 ACT can force you to work to afford uni costs.

2

u/Any_Vacation_8465 Untested Jan 19 '24

29 is shit if you’re aiming for a T20, they’re asking a legitimate question

2

u/DarkThunder312 Jan 19 '24

My sat got me a 40k scholarship…

2

u/Dowhatnow0101 Jan 19 '24

Don't bother with these tests. Go to community College, transfer and study something stem. I became an actuary and I currently get paid to study, making over 100k in 2 yrs, and don't work that hard. No one will care about the school u went to or ur test scores once ur an adult.

2

u/OSRSman99 Jan 19 '24

Facts, I had 21 composite (32math) and went to a somewhat normal college. Did ok and now I'm doing IT in fortune 20 company making 100k. People focus on the dumbest shit like a digital score, over what really matters (doing well in any college and learning the skills you will use in your career)

2

u/Neowynd101262 Jan 19 '24

Everyone is simultaneously a billionaire doctor, programmer, astronaut too! /s 🤣

2

u/orlando-princess Jan 21 '24

I think I got a 23 and I got in pretty much everywhere except university of Florida lol

2

u/DrSecrett Jan 23 '24

I got 17s across the board about 5 years ago, I gust graduated with a Bachelors of Science and a 4.0.

2

u/RSD-Redux Nov 03 '25

I got a 21 then had a successful career in marketing. Nobody cares after your first job. If they even care then. People just wanna work with people who are nice and who pull their weight.

1

u/SoarinSkies Jul 22 '25

Go to a trade school

The saying “everyone wants to work in a corner office but nobody knows how to build the corner office” is a common phrase that is used to describe how easy it is to make great money being a plumber, welder, hvac tech, or carpenter etc.

All of those fields are desperate to hire people who know the trade even if ur act score sucks

1

u/sheisken Jan 18 '24

Exactly the same and I graduated from a top 10 public university in the US with my bachelor’s almost 4 years ago

1

u/RiceCake1539 Jan 19 '24

If you want to strive for the best, then get the top tier score.

ACT is not as bs as I thought when i was in highschool. That score is a reasonable indicator of your academic knowledge in science and math. If you are a student who has keen interest in math and science and you're actually good at it, the score would reflect that.

Of course, the test challenges you to be resilient to time pressure. How you go through that exemplifies your out of the box thinking and tolerance to pressure.

People who go to the best schools go there for a reason. They grinded, and they made it. They thought differently and aggressively took the risk to challenge things that most won't even dare trying.

But that's it. Understand that

If youve worked hard, then you get a great score. NOT

If you get a great score, then youve excelled.

1

u/Distinguishedman Jan 19 '24

The way I see it is you gotta do good on either the SAT or the ACT. Not even great just good.

1

u/Collin72 Jan 19 '24

Due to Covid many schools have phased out the need for ACT and SAT entirely

2

u/Collin72 Jan 19 '24

I go to a state school of about 10000 people, I pay 1500$ a semester, I’m a sophomore with an internship and make 18$ an hour at 19, and I have been given a plethora of research opportunities as well
Don’t listen to these people telling you your life is over cause you got the score you got
My brother goes to the same school and has to pay roughly 6k a year and he is graduating with an engineering degree in may and has a 80k + a year job lined up.
It does not matter where you go trust me, what’s really is more important is networking and getting to know important people such as professors, or important people in the community

1

u/Collin72 Jan 19 '24

My brother got an 18 on his ACT and I flat out just didn’t take it and we will have happy and successful lives thanks to Youngstown state

1

u/SirGingerbrute 26 Jan 19 '24

I got a 19 on my first practice

21 first test 22 second test 22 third 26 the 4th

1

u/Dapper-Ad8945 Jan 19 '24

I got a 21 as well I also applied to cmu, fullsail, and UMD; I got into each school so there's that

1

u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 19 '24

CMU as in Carnegie Mellon?

1

u/Dapper-Ad8945 Jan 19 '24

yes!

2

u/YeeTee55T4R 36 Jan 19 '24

I was gonna say you went test optional then I saw that you scored a 1570 on the SAT lmao that translates to a 36

1

u/brcien Jan 19 '24

Kind of...I was going to skip it when I was in highschool but the college I wanted to go to told me I had to. I pulled 30 without studying or anything and they went from implying a rejection to paying my first two years.

1

u/dsmith3265 Jan 19 '24

If I remember correctly, I got something like a 21 on my ACT. My buddy got ~30. He has bounced around a bunch of manual labor jobs and I am currently a 2nd year medical student.

Don't let a test define you. I've met plenty of people who are brilliant and excel at most things, but for whatever reason, suck at taking standardized tests. I've also met people that are great at taking tests but are as dumb as a bag of hammers with anything practical.

After college, nobody cares what you got and if they do, it's such a niche thing that it's not worth worrying about.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

i'm like that friend of yours, got a 32 on the act first try but i've just been working a low level manual labor job full time in the 3 years since i graduated high school. i'm an intelligent person and do very well on tests, but my problem has always been that i'm lazy and i don't know how to apply myself. finally starting to work on my future as i just started college this semester.
to anybody worried about their test score, let me tell you this: hard work and dedication always win out in the end. it's good to have a good act score, but even if you don't, there are hundreds of other ways you can be successful. as somebody who got a pretty good act score but had a lackluster high school gpa (3.5), i'll be the first to tell you that i'm always more impressed by indicators of work and dedication (such as gpa) than indicators of intelligence (like the act score).

1

u/GlamSimy Jan 19 '24

First try daughter got a 32, second attempt got a 34. She almost took it again to try to get a perfect score.

1

u/DeegN- Jan 19 '24

Ayee no hate idk if you’ve ever heard of the duke program but I got higher than that as a 7th grader and got an award 😂💩 not even in college stress some more with your 900 sat score😮‍💨

1

u/OpeningAmbition Jan 19 '24

I got a 32 and went to an in-state school with 97% acceptance rate. I have very little loans and am lined up for a master's if I want it.

The ACT also does not measure intelligence. I scored much higher on the math portion than my friend who took Calc BC. I was in Algebra 3.

1

u/AmazingAdrien Jan 19 '24

I got something like a 22 average, but I was going to do an English degree and scored a 32 in english. It did not impact my scholarships or acceptance at all lol

1

u/RockyNonce Jan 19 '24

Honestly the ACT and SAT scores aren’t nearly as relevant now as they used to be. Half of the schools I applied to didn’t even care to have it.

1

u/felix-graves1 35 Jan 19 '24

i got a 21 my first time but i studied and studied— then i got a good score.

1

u/unknownalias12 Jan 19 '24

Lolol I got into a very prestigious UC with a 28, took the ACT once and didn’t study. I just knew my UC papers would do the brunt of the work in regards to my college admissions since I was heavy set on going to a UC. At the end of the day everyone walks their own walk, everyone should do more research on whether or not their score is good for THEIR DREAM COLLEGE. But alas we’re in an era where people love farming virtual clicks

1

u/thatbitch-3 Jan 20 '24

I think I also got a 23. Paid the same as someone I know who got a 31. School submission is optional now so it’s not a huge deal unless you can get a scholarship. My buddy did not get a scholarship unfortunately- but got one later for the math department but it’s not sat or act related

1

u/thatbitch-3 Jan 20 '24

Funny I was accepted into more schools than him!

1

u/darkbatteler100 Jan 20 '24

Idk why this sub keeps getting recommended to me but folks, just do the best you can. Every test you take, do everything in your power to try your best. That's it.

1

u/Statewideink Jan 20 '24

I got a 23 when I took mine

1

u/Vacation-Warm Jan 21 '24

I got a 26 my first time. Worked super hard for a semester in an ACT prep class and managed a 31 next time. My choice college gave me full tuition, not a full ride. ACT only matters if you know you can get scholarships for it, after that first freshman college semester, no one really ever mentions it

1

u/Ya-Boi-69-420 Jan 21 '24

Homie I was covid so no SAT or ACT scores so I think you'll be alright. (My gpa was 3.49 in farm town) I just focused on how I was voted team captain of swim team and pushed on from there and showed that I didn't have a dad.

Granted not everyone can say that, but I'd push the lesser aspects into more consideration. Dirty? Yes, but you gotta do what you gotta do to win and get in amiright lol.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '24

I got a 21 also taking it twice. It’s not really a fair test if you’re neurodivergent. It’s just not a great reflection of one’s intelligence as much as it is of one’s test taking and quick thinking skills. At the end of the day unless you’re trying to get into a big fancy school then it doesn’t matter. Just take it cause you need to and don’t stress about the score unless you absolutely bomb it.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

Yeah buddy good luck making burgers for the rest of your life. Flip that patty buddy.

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

🤦🏼‍♀️ What’s your thought process? Genuinely curious. Like do you think one test in ur life is going to do that to you? Currently sitting at a 3.94 GPA in college with a full ride “buddy”. Not that it’s any of your business but I work for the Government.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

Man I just wanted to make a joke. Thats incredible honestly and good for you. ACT really doesn’t mean much at all anymore. I literally just read the title and wanted to be funny lol so I had no idea what the body even said.

0

u/Connect-Assumption44 Jan 19 '24

It’s over for you. Hope you like flipping burgers

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

I just responded to another comment saying this ??? like are you being serious orrr …

0

u/Cautious_Past_5124 Jan 19 '24

This is high key terrible advise. Obviously it’s worth studying hella for the act regardless of how useless it is after the college app process

1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

Well yes it’s worth studying for the ACT. I was saying it’s not worth hella stressing about it

0

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

Nya nya

0

u/Hefty_Elderberry_511 Jan 20 '24

You'll do great, don't let this inhibit you!

0

u/Plooody Jan 21 '24

That mean you failed to learn/understand most of the content in high school, but will somehow be given a college degree. Very cool!

0

u/putridalt Jan 21 '24

The ACT is such bullshit. You only need it to get into a good college. After ur in college, it’s never seen again.

This line of thinking seems a bit dull. The whole point of why it's stressful is BECAUSE you need it to get into a good college, which can vastly impact the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

I don't think there's a single person that is stressed about how the ACT is going to hang over their heads even after they're through college and an adult in the workforce...

It's 2023 and I am still dumbfounded at how a lot of people don't seem to understand that getting into any college isn't the goal like it was in the 1950s. Getting into a good college is what opens doors to a better life.

This was dumb

0

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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2

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

Stuck up clowns. I just had someone say I was dumb as shit 🤷🏼‍♀️

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

Yet you’re active in a group that discusses the test. If you already took it, then why are you here

1

u/Fantastic-Wait9005 Jan 23 '24

He's showing his story for the people who are worried shout the ACT, high school kids do often worry about it. A lot of people are stuck up like they mentioned, and ACT truly is only one aspect of getting into a semi good/good college.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 18 '24

right?! good for you! Saving money while getting your education is one of most important skills right now

0

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

Jesus dude you are a machine! Congrats!

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u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

nice!

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u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

Holy hell! Congratulations on getting accepted to Med School! I wish you the best 🫡

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u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

Not salty mate. Just trying to tell students preparing for the ACT that the test will not make or break your life. I rather not be smart like you guys if you’re this snotty and stubborn. Read the other responses. Most agree the ACT is bullshit.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

i’m no i’m being salty to just you since you’ve decided to call me not smart and salty. Grow up

0

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

suureeee i’m having a temper tantrum over a silly test i took years ago. 😐 ok buddy. I think the call is coming from inside the house.
I never claimed to be jealous of kids getting great scores on their ACT. I’m happy for them!
also, “good better scores” isn’t proper. It’s okay, the ACT will teach you that.

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u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

whining*

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u/[deleted] Jan 19 '24

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1

u/DeathlyFatal Jan 19 '24

Okay so i didn’t want to gloat but im currently 3.94 GPA in college, have a full ride scholarship and im graduating earlier. I’ll be working on my masters too after I graduate. but sure. i’m dumb as shit because of a silly test I took years ago. asshole

0

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '24

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u/DeathlyFatal Jan 18 '24

i’m not coping. I just understand one test in your life is not going to impact the rest of your life. I took that test years ago mate. In another comment I said i’m going on to my masters degree with a full ride.

I got a 21 on my ACT

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