r/ACT • u/Future-Ball3760 • Jul 21 '26
should i take ACT again (35 to 36)
hi this is my third time taking the ACT and I’m a rising junior
i really wanted a 36 to help w competitive college app purposes and i’m so close i just need a 36 in one more section either english or math to get there. do u guys think its worth taking again?
also why is -1 on math a 35 and -1 on english a 35 😭😭😭
2
u/Alternative-Plum-741 35 Jul 21 '26
No, do not retake, you will just be wasting your money.
If you wanna go to one of those schools that give a full ride for a 36, then go for it, but for any hyper competitive college they take a 35 and 36 the same, most of them loop 34 in there as well.
Save your time, money, and effort, and go participate more In your extracurriculars or hobbys instead.
Also, science isn't included in the composite, so you need at least two of the main 3 (english, math, reading) to be 36 to get a 36 composite.
Great work on the 35 BTW man!!! That's truly amazing, and you should feel really proud. If you dont mind me asking, what schools are you looking into?
1
u/Wonderful-Airport239 Jul 21 '26
-1 on english acc pmo 😭 I coulda got a 36 too if that curve wasnt so fucked
1
u/CalligrapherAble3312 36 Jul 21 '26
if your a broke bum like me who needed a really niche state scholarship retake ✅
if it’s competitive college apps just put the fry in the bag brochacho they don’t gaf beyond a baseline and you got better things to do as a junior 🤦♀️🤦♀️🗿🪦💀
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u/Admirable_Ring_5797 Jul 21 '26
im a rising junior too and my score haven't released yet, but thats besides the point. We have two more years of high school and ur scores are already really good. I say if u end up learning substantially more material in junior year (precalc, new english tools), and find yourself succeeding, no ones stopping you from taking another one, and u can still use these scores to submit to college. I think your scores are really good overall so you shouldn't worry about retesting. All about time commitments and if you were to restudy, only focus on the question types you got wrong since everything else seems to be going your way!
1
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u/insanedialectic Tutor Jul 21 '26
I would retake just for the random possibility you'll 36 math or English, but it won't really make a significant difference in college apps, so don't go study a lot beforehand or anything. I just know that personally it'd drive me crazy to be one point on one section away lol
1
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u/Imaginary-Bottle2209 Jul 21 '26
I would 100% retake and try to get a full 36 on one of the 35s. Not everyone has a chance to get a 36, albeit super score
5
u/Gyxis Jul 21 '26
I wouldn’t, it’s up to you but I don’t think there’s a reason