Dear Parent;

Thanks for filling me in on your son's recent ACT score report. He has a very balanced set of scores- Eng. 23, Math 21, Reading 23, for a 22 Composite score. The consensus is that the Math section was quite difficult, and timing was of essence.

In any case, the national average ACT score is 19. His 23 in English and Reading means he did better than 73% of students nationwide. Many colleges consider composite ACT scores of 20-23 as competitive, and good enough for acceptance to mid-tier colleges. It is even possible to get a scholarshp with a 22.

It is a blessing that Science is optional for the first time ever, since, admittedly, that is not your son's strong suit. Also, having extended time due to his learning disability helped.

Seniors always do the best. Scoring a 26+ is easily doable for your son. The average score increase of my students is 5-7 points from junior year to senior year.

80% of colleges are still test-optional, and what matters as much, or more, to them are where he attends high school, his course selection, GPA, application essay, recommendations, activities, interview, and legacy.

Your son should retake the ACT on Sept. 6th. He then still has October and December of 2025 to retake and "superscore' - combine best section scores from all of his tests.

I hope this helps. Most students are never happy with their scores first time out because they compare their scores to other students' scores. Consider this: his 21 Math equals a 520 PSAT Math score, and his 23 Eng/Read. equals a 560, for a combined score of 1080. Isn't his recent ACT score better than his October '24 PSAT score?

Ken Krueger