2 ACT Questions?

Question

I'm a high school senior and I have yet to take the ACT. Prob not the smartest thing to have not taken it yet, but people tell me it will be alright. So first off, when is the last chance to take the ACT before college want you to start applying? Also, how hard should I study, if at all?

Answer 1

I was a high school senior last year, and I have taken the actual ACT (and only the ACT) eight times. That's probably a record, so I can effectively tell you more about it than maybe anybody else.

-- If you are going into your senior not having taken it, don't stress; actually, the majority of seniors haven't taken it yet. The ones that have already taken itare either applying A) Early Decision/Action to their college(s) or B) wanting to get it over with early so as to concentrate on SAT II's (which is a decent idea. Just like the ACT, SAT II's can be taken infintely many times, but the earlier you're done with the ACT, the more you can concentrate on SAT II's).

-- I took my first ACT the 2nd semester of my junior year, got a 21, but worked my way up to a 26 during my 1st semester senior year. Where am I now? An Ivy-League University. So, don't let these scores bog you down, albeit it is quite tempting to have that mentality. If you score low, don't freak out. Since you can it as many times as you like, take it until you get a high score (highest is a 36), but the ETS (the guys who make the test) don't offer it as frequently as the College Board's SAT I. ACTs are administered once every other month.

-- The last chance to take the ACT will depend on your university, believe it or not. There's no 'exact' month that signals the end of ACT testing for seniors per se because different colleges have different guide-lines. However, as a safe rule: have ALL testing FINISHED by December. This rule is such a good one because from past experience, my classmates who still had to take the ACT after Christmas really had to struggle juggling applications, essays, letter of recs, with this test. Get it done by Christmas!!

** But, if you are planning to apply ED, have your ACT FINISHED by OCTOBER. Most ED applications have a Nov. 1st deadline.

-- Most importantly, have your grades sent directly from the ACT folks to your college(s). Some colleges don't accept the scores from high schools.

-- I found two things that may or maynot be true, but these are personal opinions: A) The ACT during Summer was the easiest. If it's too late to sign up for it, don't freak out. Go to the testing center anyway and be a STAND-BY. There is always room for extra testers. They won't reject you probably for monetary reasons.

-- I believe there is an August ACT administered in certain states, but the September ACT was a little more challenging than the others.

-- In terms of preparation, try the "REAL ACT". It's a book that you can buy from Amazon made by the ETS and they were real ACT's from years previous. However, they are on the easier side to what you'd expect now.

-- You will have the option of taking the ACT with writing, Do take the writing portion! Most colleges require that. But students don't read the college's policies in great detail, so they miss that point! When you write it, fill up at least 2 and a half pages if you write normally.

-- From a personal point, I jacked up my grade from a 21 to a 26 with Princeton Review's Private Tutoring. I am not a standardized test taker, but they really helped me! Plus, they come to your house. That's service that works!

** Good luck with your ACT; I'm sure you'll have more luck than I did!!

Answer 2

First of all, sign up for the September and October ACTs. I know that some places don't offer the September test, but hopefully you can make it to somewhere that does.

You might be able to squeak in a December test if you are really pushing it, but it's iffy and depends on your college.

No one can tell you how hard you need to study, but it would probably be good to take a practice test or something just so that you can get an idea of where you stand and whether or not you need to study at all. I had no idea what was even on the test when I took it, which wasn't smart on my part, but I walked in and got a 35 on my first try, but I had friends who worked their tails off for a 27 or 30, so obviously, studying isn't always indicative of a high score, but regardless, it won't hurt.

However, the best way to study is just to take it once with the intentions of taking it again. You will do better the second time just because you are familiar with the test and the material. So plan on taking it more than once and don't stress too much about your first test.

Answer 3

Take it as fast as possible, in September or October. Take a practice test before hand, and from there, determine if you want to study harder or not for it.

For more information, go to act.org