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Tough for parents to hear, but many expect a 28+ on ACT, and big scholarship $, based on grades and fact student has taken advanced classes. They are surprised when their 3.5-3.9 GPA student gets an ACT score in teens-low 20's.
In this thread... why it happens/what to expect.
In this thread... why it happens/what to expect.
First, the #'s. Of 100 students:
1. 12 will score 28 or higher
2. Five will score a 31 or higher
3. Only two will score a 33-36
http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/MultipleChoiceStemComposite.pdf
Students who haven't consistently scored in 90th percentile on other tests over the years are unlikely to do it on ACT.
1. 12 will score 28 or higher
2. Five will score a 31 or higher
3. Only two will score a 33-36
http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/MultipleChoiceStemComposite.pdf
Students who haven't consistently scored in 90th percentile on other tests over the years are unlikely to do it on ACT.
A few more numbers:
1. Average HS GPA is 3.38: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2017/07/17/study-finds-notable-increase-grades-high-schools-nationally
2. Average ACT: 21 (It's a 20 in KY)
Grades may be inflated, and don't tell us much about what your child knows or how they will do on ACT. Many kids have 3.5-3.9 gpa's and score 18-23 on first ACT attempt.
1. Average HS GPA is 3.38: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2017/07/17/study-finds-notable-increase-grades-high-schools-nationally
2. Average ACT: 21 (It's a 20 in KY)
Grades may be inflated, and don't tell us much about what your child knows or how they will do on ACT. Many kids have 3.5-3.9 gpa's and score 18-23 on first ACT attempt.
Big scholarships often require 28-33. Few kids will get that on first attempt, a few more will get it after multiple attempts, with a lot of work, and most will never reach those scores, including many students with 3.5+ gpa's who are taking advanced classes.
Why does it happen?
Why does it happen?
Again, tough to hear, but it's rarely "he has test anxiety" or "she doesn't test well." May be true in a few cases, but after seeing hundreds of kids over last 5 years we can confidently say it's a bigger issue. Way too many kids missed important skills/concepts in school.
Examples:
1. Many students with A's/B's in pre-calc or "honors algebra II" come to see us with weak math skills. They struggle with 4th-9th grade math, which is tested on the ACT
2. Students with A's in Eng. often know little grammar, a major part of the ACT English test.
1. Many students with A's/B's in pre-calc or "honors algebra II" come to see us with weak math skills. They struggle with 4th-9th grade math, which is tested on the ACT
2. Students with A's in Eng. often know little grammar, a major part of the ACT English test.
3. Students who don't read much have a hard time. ALL sections, even math, are rdg heavy. We see A students who struggle to understand what's being asked of them on the ACT.
4. Kids with A's in science often have difficulty analyzing data and making inferences based on trends.
4. Kids with A's in science often have difficulty analyzing data and making inferences based on trends.
But there is hope! First, address the biggest mistake students make when trying to improve their ACT... They don't know what they are missing!
Example:
Every student we see for math says, "We don't need to work on mean (average). I fully understand it."
Example:
Every student we see for math says, "We don't need to work on mean (average). I fully understand it."
But when we give them 3-5 questions about mean, asked just like ACT will ask them, they MISS THEM ALL!
In school, they learned to work 'mean' problems in a very specific way, but they never really learned the concept at a deep level. When asked in a different way, they miss it.
In school, they learned to work 'mean' problems in a very specific way, but they never really learned the concept at a deep level. When asked in a different way, they miss it.
There are countless other examples, but I'll get to the point. A student will never see a big increase if they don't know what they are missing on test day! That's why we suggest students, at least once, take the test on a national test date in April, June, or December.
Those are the only three times ACT allows you to order the optional "Test information release," where they mail back your graded answer sheet and a test booklet. Seeing what you miss on test day is much more powerful than just looking at a score report.
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/request-a-copy-of-qa.html
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/request-a-copy-of-qa.html
Many local schools offer discounted (or free) testing during the school day. That's a great opportunity, however, you DO NOT have the option to get back the graded answer sheet. That's only available on April, June, December national test date, so plan for one of them.
Once you get that report, we'll be happy to look at it and come up with a plan for you. We've looked at results for 20 students who took the Dec 2019 exam and met with half of them so far. As usual, many of them missed Q's asking about concepts they thought they fully understood.
Once we know what they are missing, now set a goal. Here's what we typically see:
1. A 2-5 point gain with 10-12 hours of classes/tutoring. Takes 4-8 weeks and expect to pay $450-800
2. 6-10 point gain: 20-30 hours of class/tutoring. Takes 3-6 months and expect $1,500-2,500
1. A 2-5 point gain with 10-12 hours of classes/tutoring. Takes 4-8 weeks and expect to pay $450-800
2. 6-10 point gain: 20-30 hours of class/tutoring. Takes 3-6 months and expect $1,500-2,500
Is it worth the cost/time? Completely depends on your situation! We've had families spend $500 and get a $50,000 scholarship as a result of a 2 point gain. We've also told families it may not be worth it, because the cost to hit their goal wouldn't add much scholarship money.
Finally, what we do here at Bluegrass Learning is very customized, from ACT prep to tutoring for a 1st grade student. Reach out any time. We'll discuss your situation, answer Q's, tell you what it will take to reach your goals, and help you decide if it's worth it!
