Decoding the ACT: A Comprehensive Analysis of Score Requirements and Strategic Application for U.S. Colleges

Executive Summary

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of ACT scores in the United States college admissions process.

It directly addresses the common question regarding the lowest acceptable ACT score, concluding that no single numerical floor exists.

Instead, score expectations are dictated by a wide spectrum of institutional selectivity and policy.

The analysis reveals that while some less-selective four-year institutions may consider applicants with composite scores as low as 18 or even 16, and open-enrollment colleges have no score requirement for admission, these figures do not represent a viable target for prospective students.

A score’s true value is determined by its position within the context of a specific college’s typical applicant pool.

The central metric for applicants should be the “middle 50%” ACT score range (the 25th to 75th percentile) of a college’s previously admitted class.

This range serves as the most reliable indicator of competitiveness.

A score above a college’s 75th percentile marks an applicant as highly competitive on that metric, while a score below the 25th percentile presents a significant admissions hurdle that must be overcome by other strengths in the application.

Furthermore, this report emphasizes that at the vast majority of selective institutions, the ACT score is only one component within a multifaceted evaluation known as holistic review.

This process assesses academic achievement, extracurricular engagement, personal character, and life experiences in the context of an applicant’s available opportunities.

Consequently, a strong application is a cohesive narrative in which test scores are supported by, and provide context for, a student’s broader profile.

The post-pandemic admissions landscape is characterized by a complex array of testing policies, including test-required, test-optional, test-flexible, and test-free.

Navigating these policies requires a strategic approach.

The decision to submit a score to a test-optional institution is a critical one, guided by how that score compares to the institution’s middle 50% range.

This report provides a clear framework for making this decision.

Finally, applicants can strategically enhance their testing profile through policies like superscoring, which combines the highest section scores from multiple test dates.

By leveraging such tools and understanding the tiered nature of American higher education, applicants can move beyond the anxiety of a single “lowest score” and build a balanced, well-researched college list that maximizes their probability of admission, financial aid opportunities, and ultimate academic success.

Section 1: Deconstructing the “Lowest Score”: Why a Single Number is a Myth

The question of the lowest ACT score a college will accept is a common and understandable one, born from the anxiety inherent in the competitive admissions process.

However, the premise of the question—that a universal floor for admission exists—is a myth.

The American higher education system is not a monolith but a diverse ecosystem of thousands of institutions, each with its own mission, standards, and admissions philosophy.

The “lowest” acceptable score is therefore not a fixed number but a dynamic variable dependent on institutional context and policy.

To navigate the application process effectively, it is essential to move beyond the search for a single minimum and instead understand the different ways colleges interpret and use ACT scores.

The Flaw in the Question

The concept of a “lowest score” is misleading because it conflates several distinct types of institutional thresholds.

Understanding these differences is the first step toward a more sophisticated application strategy.

• Hard Cutoffs: These are rigid minimum score requirements below which an application will not be considered. While once more common, true hard cutoffs are now rare among most institutions, especially those employing a holistic review process. They are more likely to be found for admission into specific, highly competitive programs (e.g., engineering, nursing) or for automatic eligibility for certain merit-based scholarships.¹ For example, the University of Tennessee has a minimum requirement of a 25 ACT and a 3.5 weighted core GPA for assured admission.¹ However, this is an exception rather than the rule for general university admission.
• General Guidelines: This is the most common form of a “minimum.” Many sources, including the ACT organization itself, state that most colleges have a general minimum requirement of an 18 or 20 composite score.² Similarly, scores below a 15 are widely considered low at nearly any four-year college.⁴ While these figures provide a loose baseline, they should be interpreted with extreme caution. A score of 18 is below the 2022 national average of 19.8, meaning an applicant with this score is in the bottom half of all test-takers.³ At a college that publishes a minimum guideline of 18, an applicant with that score is meeting the bare minimum for consideration, not presenting a competitive profile.
• Placement vs. Admission: This is perhaps the most critical and often overlooked distinction. A score may be sufficient for admission to an institution, particularly a community college or less-selective university, but insufficient to place into college-level coursework. Many institutions use ACT subscores as a tool to determine if a student needs to take remedial, non-credit-bearing courses in subjects like English or math.⁵ For instance, a document from Iowa’s community colleges shows that students with ACT scores below 18 in Reading or 19 in Math may be required to take developmental courses.⁷ Therefore, a student admitted with a “low” score may ultimately spend additional time and money completing prerequisite classes before they can begin earning credits toward their degree.
• Open Enrollment: A significant number of institutions, including the vast majority of community colleges and some four-year universities, have an open-enrollment or open-admissions policy.⁸ These schools accept any applicant who has earned a high school diploma or a GED certificate.⁹ For these institutions, the concept of a “lowest” ACT score for admission is entirely irrelevant, as scores are not used in the admissions decision at all.¹¹

The pursuit of the “lowest” acceptable score is an inherently flawed strategy.

It encourages applicants to aim for a precarious threshold that, even if met, may lead to rejection or disadvantageous course placement.

A far more productive approach is to understand what constitutes a competitive score at a given institution.

Introducing the “Middle 50%” as the Gold Standard

The single most valuable metric for assessing ACT score expectations at a particular college is the “middle 50%” range, also known as the interquartile range.

This range represents the composite ACT scores of the middle half of the students admitted and enrolled in the previous year’s first-year class.¹²

It is typically presented with two numbers: the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile.

• The 25th Percentile: This number indicates that 25% of admitted students scored at or below this value, while 75% scored above it. A score below a college’s 25th percentile places an applicant in the bottom quarter of admitted students based on this metric, making the test score a significant weakness in their application.
• The 75th Percentile: This number indicates that 75% of admitted students scored at or below this value, while 25% scored above it. A score at or above a college’s 75th percentile places an applicant in the top quarter of admitted students, making the test score a significant strength in their application.

For example, the University of Alabama’s middle 50% ACT range is 21-31.¹²

This means an applicant with a score of 20 is below the typical admitted range and faces an uphill battle.

An applicant with a score of 26 falls comfortably within the competitive range.

An applicant with a score of 32 is in the top 25% of admitted students and has a strong statistical profile.

This middle 50% range is the true benchmark of competitiveness.

It moves the applicant’s focus away from the dangerous floor of the “lowest score” and toward the realistic heart of the admitted class.

By researching this range for each college of interest—a process detailed in the Appendix of this report—an applicant can accurately gauge where they stand and build a strategic and realistic college list.

Section 2: The Spectrum of Selectivity: ACT Score Benchmarks Across U.S. Higher Education

The value of an ACT score is not absolute; it is relative to the institution where it is submitted.

The American higher education landscape comprises a wide spectrum of colleges with vastly different levels of selectivity.

Understanding this spectrum is crucial for an applicant to accurately assess their standing and identify institutions where they are likely to be competitive.

By categorizing colleges into tiers based on their admissions data, we can establish clear ACT score benchmarks that transform the college search from a source of anxiety into a strategic exercise.

2.1. Tier 1: The Nation’s Most Selective Institutions (Ivy League, Ivy-Plus, Top Liberal Arts)

This tier includes the most prestigious and well-resourced universities and liberal arts colleges in the country.

These institutions, such as the Ivy League schools, Stanford, MIT, Duke, and top liberal arts colleges like Amherst and Williams, are characterized by extremely low acceptance rates (often under 10%) and exceptionally high standardized test scores among their admitted students.⁴

• Data Analysis: At this elite level, the middle 50% ACT composite score range is typically 33-35 or 34-36.¹³ For the most technically focused institutions like Caltech and MIT, the 25th percentile score—the bottom of the competitive range—is a 35.¹² This means that even to be considered a viable candidate, an applicant must demonstrate near-perfect performance on the exam. A score of 36, the highest possible score, is common among applicants to these schools.¹⁶
• Context: Within this tier, a high ACT score functions less as a differentiator and more as a prerequisite. It serves as a qualifier, signaling to the admissions committee that the applicant possesses the academic horsepower to handle a curriculum of extreme rigor. An applicant with a score of 32, which is in the 97th percentile nationally, would still be at a significant statistical disadvantage when applying to a school like Harvard, where the middle 50% of admitted students score between 33 and 36.⁴ The score alone does not guarantee admission, as these schools reject thousands of applicants with perfect or near-perfect scores, but a score outside of their elite range makes an already difficult path nearly impossible.

Table 1: ACT Score Ranges (25th-75th Percentile) for Highly Selective Universities

Institution

Brown University

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Columbia University

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Duke University

Harvard University

Johns Hopkins University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Northwestern University

Princeton University

Stanford University

University of Chicago

University of Pennsylvania

Yale University

Amherst College

Pomona College

Swarthmore College

Williams College

Data compiled from sources ⁴, and.¹²

Ranges may vary slightly by reporting year.

2.2. Tier 2: Competitive Public and Private Universities

This is a broad and diverse category that includes the flagship public universities of many states and a wide array of well-regarded private universities.

Examples include institutions like the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, New York University, Boston University, and Tulane University.¹²

These schools are highly competitive, but their admissions standards are more accessible than those of Tier 1 institutions.

• Data Analysis: The middle 50% ACT composite score ranges for this tier typically fall between the high 20s and the low 30s. For example, the range for Penn State University is 25-31, for Auburn University it is 25-31, for the University of Michigan it is 31-34, and for Boston University it is 31-34.¹² The average composite score for the 50 best public universities in the U.S. falls within a 27-32 range.¹⁶
• Context: In this tier, an ACT score can be a significant differentiating factor. A score at the higher end of a college’s range (e.g., a 32 at a school with a 28-32 range) can substantially strengthen an application and often qualifies a student for consideration for merit-based scholarships and honors programs. Conversely, a score at the lower end of the range will need to be compensated for by a strong GPA, rigorous coursework, and compelling extracurricular and personal components. This is the tier where strategic score improvement can yield the greatest return on investment for many applicants.

2.3. Tier 3: Less-Selective and Regional Institutions

This tier encompasses a large number of regional public universities and smaller private colleges across the country.

These institutions provide a quality education to a broad range of students and often serve as major educational hubs for their respective states and regions.

• Data Analysis: At these schools, the middle 50% ACT ranges are often in the low-to-mid 20s. For example, students with scores in the 20-23 range are considered competitive at many mid-tier colleges.³ The University of Massachusetts Boston has an average ACT of 23 for admitted students.³ Other examples include Missouri State University (20-26), Coastal Carolina University (20-25), and Georgia State University (19-27).¹²
• Guaranteed Admission: A key feature of many universities in this tier is a policy of guaranteed or assured admission. Under these policies, resident (and sometimes non-resident) applicants who meet a specified combination of GPA, class rank, and/or ACT score are automatically granted admission.¹⁸ This provides a level of certainty for applicants that is absent from more selective tiers. For example, Kansas State University offers assured admission to applicants with a 21 ACT and a 3.25 GPA. The University of Mississippi offers it to students with an 18 ACT and a 2.0 GPA, or a 16 ACT and a 2.5 GPA.¹⁸ This demonstrates that a score considered “low” by national standards can be a key that unlocks automatic entry into a major public university.

Table 2: Representative ACT Score Expectations for Less-Selective and Guaranteed-Admission Institutions

Institution

Arizona State University

Kansas State University

Mississippi State University

Oklahoma State University

University of Houston-Downtown

Shippensburg University

Claflin University

Data compiled from sources ¹², and.²⁰

Guaranteed admission policies are subject to change and may have additional curriculum requirements.

2.4. Tier 4: Open-Enrollment Institutions and Community Colleges

This tier forms the bedrock of access to higher education in the United States.

Open-enrollment institutions, by definition, accept any student with a high school diploma or equivalent (GED), making standardized test scores irrelevant for the purpose of admission.⁸

The vast majority of the nation’s community colleges fall into this category.⁵

• Policy Explained: At these institutions, the door to higher education is open to all. There is no “lowest” ACT score for admission because scores are not part of the admissions criteria.⁹
• The Placement Trap: The critical role of the ACT at this tier shifts from admission to placement.⁵ Upon enrollment, students are assessed to determine their readiness for college-level work in core subjects like English and math. This assessment can be done through the college’s own placement tests (like Accuplacer) or by using existing ACT or SAT scores.²¹ A low score on the ACT’s English, Reading, or Math sections can result in a student being placed into developmental or remedial courses.⁷ These courses do not typically carry college credit but are required before the student can enroll in credit-bearing courses like English 101 or College Algebra. This can add a semester or more to a student’s timeline and increase the overall cost of their education. For example, at Elgin Community College, an ACT Math score of 22 is required to place directly into many college-level math courses.²³ A student with a lower score would need to take a placement test or start in a developmental math sequence.

By understanding this spectrum, an applicant can reframe their perspective.

An ACT score is not a static label of ability, but a dynamic tool.

A score of 21 may be a non-starter for Tier 1, a significant reach for Tier 2, but a key to guaranteed admission in Tier 3 and a ticket to bypass remedial courses in Tier 4.

This strategic understanding empowers applicants to build a list of schools where they are not just applicants, but strong and desired candidates.

Section 3: Beyond the Score: The Primacy of the Holistic Review

At virtually every selective college and university in the United States, the ACT score is never evaluated in a vacuum.

Instead, it is one piece of a larger, more complex puzzle known as holistic review.²⁴

Understanding this process is paramount for any applicant, especially one concerned about a lower-than-average test score.

Holistic review provides multiple avenues to build a compelling application, allowing personal strengths and unique experiences to shine through and provide context for academic metrics.

3.1. Defining Holistic Review

Holistic review is an admissions strategy that seeks to evaluate an applicant as a whole person, moving beyond a simple formula of grades and test scores.²⁵

The objective is to assemble a diverse, talented, and dynamic incoming class of students who will not only succeed academically but also contribute meaningfully to the campus community.²⁴

This approach assesses an applicant’s unique background, personal qualities, and life experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement.²⁶

It is a process designed to gauge potential for success both in college and in life after graduation.²⁴

According to one study, 95% of selective colleges use some form of holistic review in their admissions process.²⁶

3.2. The Hierarchy of Importance

While the process is “holistic,” it is not without structure.

Admissions officers typically weigh different components of an application, creating a hierarchy of importance.

While the specific weighting can vary by institution, a general framework applies to most selective colleges.

• Academic Achievement: This is the non-negotiable foundation of any competitive application. Colleges are, first and foremost, academic institutions, and they must be confident that an admitted student can handle the rigor of their curriculum.²⁵ However, academic achievement is measured by more than just the unweighted GPA. Admissions officers conduct a thorough evaluation that includes:

• Rigor of Curriculum: They scrutinize the applicant’s transcript to see if the student has challenged themselves with the most demanding courses available at their high school, such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or honors-level classes.²⁵ Taking and succeeding in these courses is a powerful signal of college readiness.
• Academic Trajectory: An upward trend in grades throughout high school can be viewed favorably, as it may suggest growing maturity and academic focus.²⁸
• Context of High School: The applicant’s GPA is evaluated in the context of their high school. An “A” from a highly rigorous, competitive high school may be weighed differently than an “A” from a less-demanding environment.
• Alignment with Goals: Admissions officers look for alignment between a student’s coursework and their stated academic interests. A prospective engineering major, for example, is expected to have taken and excelled in the highest-level math and science courses available.²⁵
• Extracurricular Activities: Colleges want to know how students spend their time outside the classroom, as this reveals their passions, values, and potential contributions to campus life.²⁵ The key principle here is depth over breadth. Admissions officers are more impressed by a sustained, long-term commitment and demonstrated leadership in one or two activities than by a long list of clubs joined superficially.²⁵ Importantly, the definition of “extracurricular” is broad and inclusive. It can and should include:

• Part-time Jobs: Holding a job demonstrates responsibility, time management, and maturity.
• Family Responsibilities: Caring for younger siblings or elderly relatives is a significant commitment that showcases character and is valued in holistic review.²⁵
• Independent Projects: Pursuing independent research, starting a small business, or engaging in a meaningful personal project demonstrates initiative and intellectual curiosity.
• Character and Personal Qualities: This is often the most subjective part of the evaluation, but it can be a deciding factor between two otherwise similar applicants. Colleges strive to assess an applicant’s character through qualitative components of the application.²⁵

• Essays and Personal Statements: The college essay is the applicant’s primary opportunity to speak directly to the admissions committee. A well-crafted essay can reveal personality, convey resilience in the face of adversity, demonstrate intellectual curiosity, and provide crucial context for the rest of the application.²⁸
• Letters of Recommendation: Recommendations from teachers and counselors provide a third-party perspective on the applicant’s character, intellectual engagement, and role within their school community. A strong letter that speaks to a student’s integrity, leadership, or passion can be incredibly compelling.²⁵
• Institutional Priorities: This is a crucial, often invisible, layer of the holistic review process that is entirely outside the applicant’s control.²⁵ Each year, colleges have specific institutional goals they aim to meet. These can include recruiting a geographically diverse class, strengthening a particular academic department, admitting talented athletes, considering children of alumni (legacy status), or increasing socioeconomic diversity.²⁵ An applicant who happens to fit one of these institutional needs may receive a significant boost in the admissions process.

The power of holistic review lies in its ability to contextualize an applicant’s achievements relative to their opportunities.²⁶

Consider two applicants: Student A attends a wealthy, well-resourced high school offering two dozen AP courses.

They have a 34 ACT, a 4.0 GPA, and have participated in several international service trips.

Student B attends an under-resourced rural high school that offers only three AP courses.

They have a 29 ACT, a 3.8 GPA, have taken all three available APs, work 20 hours a week at a local store to help support their family, and would be the first in their family to attend college.

In a purely quantitative system, Student A is the stronger candidate.

However, in a holistic review, an admissions officer sees that Student B has maximized every opportunity available to them.

Their part-time job is viewed as a significant extracurricular commitment demonstrating responsibility.

Their “first-generation” status is seen as a mark of resilience and a potential source of diverse perspective on campus.

The 29 ACT is not merely a 29; it is a 29 achieved while balancing academic rigor with significant work and family responsibilities.

In this context, Student B’s application tells a powerful story of grit and potential that may be more compelling to an admissions committee than Student A’s more polished but less challenging journey.

This demonstrates that the application is a narrative, and the ACT score is just one chapter.

A “low” score can be mitigated if the rest of the story is powerful enough.

Section 4: The Test-Optional Revolution: Navigating a Shifting Admissions Landscape

The single greatest shift in American college admissions over the past decade has been the widespread adoption of test-optional policies, a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.²⁹

This has created a complex and often confusing landscape for applicants, where the role and importance of the ACT can change dramatically from one institution to the next.

Successfully navigating this environment requires a clear understanding of the different policies and a strategic framework for deciding whether to submit a test score.

4.1. Defining the Policies

The terminology surrounding testing policies can be ambiguous.

A clear glossary is essential for applicants to accurately understand the requirements of each college on their list.

Table 3: Glossary of Admissions Testing Policies

Policy Type

Test-Required

Test-Optional

Test-Flexible

Test-Free / Test-Blind

Policy data compiled from sources ³⁰, and.³⁰

Policies are subject to change and should be verified on each institution’s website.

4.2. The Great Reinstatement

While the pandemic pushed hundreds of institutions toward test-optional policies, a significant counter-trend has emerged, particularly among the nation’s most selective universities.

Elite institutions such as MIT, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, and Stanford have announced a return to requiring standardized test scores for admission.²⁷

The rationale behind this reinstatement is multifaceted.

These universities, after conducting internal studies on student performance, concluded that standardized test scores, when interpreted correctly within a holistic review process, are a valuable predictor of academic success in college.²⁷

Furthermore, some have argued that testing can actually increase access for students from less-resourced backgrounds.

A high test score can serve as a powerful signal of academic potential for a student who may not have had access to a wide range of AP courses or high-profile extracurricular activities.

Stanford University, in its announcement, noted that test scores are a useful signal of preparedness when reviewed alongside all other application components.²⁷

This trend suggests that at the highest levels of selectivity, standardized testing is regaining its influence.

4.3. The Strategic Decision: To Submit or Not to Submit?

For applicants applying to test-optional colleges, the decision of whether to submit their ACT score is one of the most critical strategic choices they will make.

The word “optional” should not be mistaken for “unimportant.” The decision requires a careful, data-driven analysis.

• The Golden Rule: The most effective framework for this decision is based on comparing an applicant’s score to the institution’s middle 50% ACT range for its most recently admitted class.

• Submit if your score is at or above the 50th percentile (median) of the college’s range. A score that is average or above average for a particular school will almost always strengthen an application.
• Do not submit if your score is at or below the 25th percentile of the college’s range. Submitting a score that places you in the bottom quarter of admitted students serves as a negative signal. As one former admissions officer advised, including a score that is outside the competitive range might “hurt more than it would help”.¹⁴
• The Gray Area: The most difficult decision is for students whose scores fall between the 25th and 50th percentiles. In this scenario, the decision should be based on the relative strength of the rest of the application. If the student has an exceptionally high GPA, a rigorous course load, and compelling essays, withholding a slightly below-average score may be the best strategy. If other parts of the application are less strong, submitting the score might be necessary to demonstrate a baseline of academic competency.
• The Consequences of Withholding a Score: Choosing not to submit a score is an active strategy, not a passive one. It fundamentally changes how an application is evaluated. By removing the data point of the test score, an applicant places significantly more weight and scrutiny on every other component of their file.²⁹ The GPA, rigor of curriculum, essays, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular list must be strong enough to stand on their own and compete with those of applicants who have submitted high scores.

The rise of test-optional policies has created a complex strategic environment.

For institutions, these policies often lead to a surge in applications, which in turn drives down acceptance rates and can improve their position in national rankings.³⁰

For applicants, it creates a high-stakes decision.

The key takeaway is that “optional” is a choice that must be made strategically.

Withholding a score must be a deliberate decision based on data and a realistic assessment of the overall strength of one’s application.

Section 5: Strategic Score Reporting: Maximizing Your Profile

Beyond the initial act of taking the test, applicants have powerful tools at their disposal to strategically present their ACT scores in the most favorable light.

Understanding and utilizing policies like superscoring and Score Choice can significantly enhance a testing profile, reduce test-day anxiety, and ultimately improve an applicant’s competitiveness in the admissions process.

5.1. Superscoring Explained

Superscoring is a widely adopted policy where a college considers an applicant’s highest section scores across all the dates they took the ACT.³³

The admissions office will take the best English, Math, Reading, and Science scores—even if they occurred on different test dates—and recalculate a new, higher composite “superscore”.³⁴

For example, consider a student who takes the ACT twice with the following results:

Test Date	English	Math	Reading	Science	Composite
April	30	27	29	26	28
June	32	26	28	28	29
Superscore	32	27	29	28	29

In this scenario, the student’s highest single composite score is a 29.

However, by taking the highest score from each section across both dates, the college calculates a superscore.

The sum of the best section scores (32 + 27 + 29 + 28) is 116.

Divided by 4, this yields a new composite superscore of 29.

While in this specific instance the superscore matches the highest single composite, in many cases, like the one detailed in source ³⁵, the superscore can be a full point higher than any individual test date’s composite score.

• The Institutional Incentive: The prevalence of superscoring is driven by more than just applicant-friendliness. Colleges benefit from this policy because it allows them to report higher average ACT scores for their incoming class.³⁶ Since these averages are a factor in prominent college ranking systems like
  U.S. News & World Report, institutions are incentivized to use the highest possible scores for their admitted students. This creates a win-win situation: the applicant presents a stronger profile, and the college boosts its statistical standing.
• Strategic Implications: The existence of superscoring fundamentally changes the optimal testing strategy. It removes the pressure to achieve a peak performance across all four sections on a single day. Instead, an applicant can plan to take the test multiple times with a targeted approach.³⁴ For instance, after a first attempt, a student can focus their preparation exclusively on the sections where they scored lowest, knowing that even if their other scores dip slightly, their highest scores from the first test are “banked.” This approach, combined with recent enhancements to the ACT that have shortened the test and provided more time per question, can reduce test anxiety and lead to more effective and less stressful score improvement.³⁷

5.2. Score Choice Explained

Score Choice is a related but distinct policy that allows applicants to choose which test dates they send to colleges.³³

If a student has taken the ACT three times, and their first attempt was significantly weaker than the other two, Score Choice allows them to send only the reports from the second and third test dates.

The college would not see the scores from the first attempt.

It is crucial to understand the difference between Score Choice and superscoring.

Score Choice deals with entire test date reports, while superscoring deals with individual section scores from the reports that are sent.³⁵

If a college superscores, an applicant must send the score reports from all dates that contain their highest section scores.

• The “All Scores Required” Caveat: The primary limitation on Score Choice is that some colleges, particularly those in the most selective tier, have policies that require applicants to submit the results from all ACT or SAT attempts.³⁴ At these institutions, Score Choice is not an option. It is imperative that applicants verify the specific score reporting policy for every college on their list, as this can vary significantly. This information is usually available on the admissions section of the college’s website or in its Common Data Set.

In summary, these reporting policies provide applicants with a significant degree of control over their testing profile.

By planning for multiple test attempts and leveraging superscoring, students can strategically build their best possible composite score.

By understanding each college’s policy on Score Choice versus requiring all scores, they can ensure they are meeting requirements while presenting their academic record in the most compelling way possible.

Section 6: From Data to Decision: Building Your Balanced College List

The culmination of understanding ACT score benchmarks, holistic review, and strategic reporting is the creation of a smart, balanced college list.

This is the single most important task in the application process, as it determines the landscape of an applicant’s potential outcomes.

Moving away from a dream-based or anxiety-driven approach to a data-informed strategy allows an applicant to maximize their chances of acceptance and find institutions that are a genuine fit for their academic and personal profile.

6.1. The “Reach, Match, Safety” Framework

The most effective method for constructing a college list is the “Reach, Match, Safety” framework.

This model requires an applicant to categorize prospective schools based on their statistical probability of admission, primarily using their GPA and ACT score in comparison to the college’s published data.³⁸

• Reach Schools: These are institutions where an applicant’s academic profile (GPA and ACT score) falls below the college’s typical range for admitted students, specifically below the 25th percentile for test scores.³⁸ All highly selective institutions (Tier 1) with acceptance rates below 15-20% should be considered reach schools for nearly every applicant, regardless of their stats, due to the sheer competitiveness.³⁹ Applying to reach schools is an exercise in ambition, but the list should not be dominated by them.
• Match (or Target) Schools: These are institutions where an applicant’s academic profile is solidly within the typical range of admitted students. Their ACT score falls comfortably within the college’s middle 50% range (between the 25th and 75th percentiles).³⁸ These schools represent the heart of a well-balanced list, as they are the ones where the applicant has a reasonable and realistic chance of being admitted.
• Safety Schools: These are institutions where an applicant’s academic profile is well above the typical range of admitted students. Their ACT score is at or above the college’s 75th percentile, and the school generally has a higher acceptance rate (e.g., above 50%).³⁸ A true safety school should also be one the applicant would be genuinely happy to attend and is financially viable. Schools with guaranteed admission policies for which the applicant qualifies are the ultimate safety schools.

6.2. A Step-by-Step Guide

Building a balanced list is a systematic process of research and self-assessment.

1. Self-Assessment: The process begins with an honest evaluation of one’s own academic profile. This includes calculating the cumulative GPA (weighted and unweighted) and identifying the highest ACT composite score or, preferably, the highest superscore.
2. Initial Exploration and Research: The next step is to generate a broad initial list of 15-20 colleges based on qualitative factors. Applicants should consider their preferences for academic majors, geographic location, school size, campus culture, and cost.⁴⁰ Tools like the College Board’s BigFuture search can help filter schools based on these criteria.⁴⁰
3. Data-Driven Categorization: With an initial list in hand, the applicant must become a researcher. For each college, they must find the middle 50% ACT score range for the most recent admitted class. As detailed in the Appendix, the most reliable source for this data is the college’s own Common Data Set. Using this data, each school on the list should be categorized as a Reach, Match, or Safety.
4. Balancing the List: The final step is to refine the list to achieve a healthy balance. A commonly recommended distribution is to apply to 2-3 reach schools, 3-4 match schools, and 1-2 safety schools.³⁸ This ensures the applicant is challenging themselves while also securing a high probability of having multiple attractive options when decisions are released.

Table 4: A Sample Balanced College List for a Student with a 26 ACT and 3.7 GPA

School Category

Reach

Reach

Match

Match

Match

Safety

Safety

This sample list illustrates how a student can strategically leverage their ACT score to build a list that includes ambitious goals, realistic targets, and secure options, providing a clear and confident path through the college application process.

Appendix: A Guide to Using the Common Data Set (CDS)

For any prospective college applicant seeking to move beyond marketing materials and find the most accurate and unbiased admissions data, the Common Data Set (CDS) is an indispensable tool.

This appendix provides a concise guide to locating and utilizing this powerful resource to inform your college search.

What is the CDS?

The Common Data Set is a standardized questionnaire that thousands of colleges and universities across the United States complete annually.

It is a collaborative effort between the higher education community and major data publishers, including the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report.⁴²

The goal of the CDS is to provide consistent, transparent, and reliable data, allowing for direct, apples-to-apples comparisons between institutions.⁴²

Where to Find It

Most colleges make their Common Data Set reports publicly available on their websites, though they can sometimes be difficult to find.

The most effective method for locating the CDS for a specific institution is to use a search engine with a query like:

“[University Name] Common Data Set”

This will typically lead to a page on the university’s Office of Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, or a similar department’s website.

These offices are responsible for compiling and reporting official university data.

For example, Stanford University hosts its CDS reports on its Institutional Research & Decision Support website.⁴⁴

The reports are usually available as PDF documents for each academic year.

How to Use It for ACT Scores

Once you have located the CDS document for a college, you can find a wealth of information.

For the purpose of understanding ACT score expectations, the most important section is Section C: First-Time, First-Year (Freshman) Admission.

Within this section, navigate to item C9.

This table provides the 25th and 75th percentile scores for both the SAT and the ACT for the most recent enrolled first-year class.

This is the “middle 50%” range, which is the gold standard for assessing your competitiveness.

This data is the most reliable available, as it comes directly from the institution itself, free from the interpretation or rounding that can occur on third-party websites.

Beyond Scores

The Common Data Set offers valuable insights beyond test scores.

In Section C7, you will find a table that details the relative importance the institution places on various application factors.

Colleges rank criteria such as academic GPA, rigor of secondary school record, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and character on a scale from “Very Important” to “Not Considered.”

This table provides a direct look into a college’s admissions philosophy.

For example, you can see if a school considers “demonstrated interest” (a student’s engagement with the college before applying) or how heavily it weighs the essay compared to test scores.

Using this information in conjunction with the score data from C9 allows for a highly sophisticated understanding of what it truly takes to be a successful applicant at that institution.

Works cited

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