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ACT Superscoring: Colleges that Superscore the ACT

Thursday, June 25, 2020

What to Do the Morning of the SAT ACTHere are the Colleges that Superscore the ACT

Superscoring is the practice of considering only the highest section scores across all SAT or ACT test scores that are submitted when evaluating applications. Many schools already superscore for the SAT, but superscoring for the ACT has not always been widely practiced.

If you have taken the ACT more than once and believe that superscoring might help your chances of admission, keep reading for a list of some of the schools that practice this review process as well as more information on how it works.

The Basics
Many students choose to take the ACT or SAT more than once, in the hopes of improving their test scores. While taking the exam a second or even third time may be beneficial, generally, it’s not advisable to continue taking the test for a fourth attempt as scores frequently plateau. 

While superscoring policies may vary between various admissions offices, generally the process involves adding up the highest scores for each subsection (Math, Science, Reading, and English) for a new composite “superscore.” Other institutions have looked at the highest section scores separately while also considering the original composite score, so it’s important when determining how your scores will be evaluated at your top-choice schools to know how admissions officers look at them.

Because superscoring policies with the ACT at colleges and universities across the US have not been as consistent as they are with the SAT, the ACT plans to launch a tool later this year that will allow students to send schools official ACT superscores from their ACT account. With this scoring option, the “ACT will supply [colleges] at least one full composite score with each superscore, plus all the scores from the test events that are part of the superscore composite.” This will also support the ACT’s future plan to offer separate section retesting for students who just want to retake only one or two sections of the test in order to improve their section score.

Admissions offices understand that there are a lot of different factors that can influence an applicant’s test performance, from their anxiety levels to the quality of their sleep in the nights leading up to exam day. Consequently, superscoring can help account for these potential variances and showcase a test taker’s true abilities. 

A Focus on the ACT
Many colleges have practiced superscoring when reviewing SAT scores for years. More recently, an influx of colleges have begun applying the same practice when reviewing ACT scores, particularly as the exam has become more popular over the past five years – with the number of students taking the ACT surpassing those that take the SAT.

Students who are hoping to superscore their ACT must review the policies associated with each school on their list of best-fit options. While some universities add up an applicant’s best score within each subsection, others may review original ACT composite scores and subscores when making decisions.

Colleges and universities that superscore ACT exams
Below is a list of some of the schools that offer superscoring for the ACT:

  • Adelphi University
  • Albion College
  • Allegheny College
  • American University
  • Amherst College
  • Antioch College
  • Appalachian State University
  • Austin College
  • Babson College
  • Bard College
  • Baruch College (CUNY)
  • Bates College
  • Baylor University
  • Becker College
  • Beloit College
  • Bentley University
  • Berea College
  • Boston College
  • Brooklyn College (CUNY)
  • California Institute of Technology
  • California Polytechnic State University
  • California State Polytechnic University – Pomona
  • California State University – Stanislaus
  • Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary
  • Canisius College
  • Catawba College
  • Centenary College of Louisiana
  • Champlain College
  • Claremont McKenna College
  • Coastal Carolina University
  • Colby College
  • Colgate University
  • College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University
  • College of the Atlantic
  • Colorado College
  • Colorado State University
  • Connecticut College
  • Cooper Union
  • Cornell College
  • Davidson College
  • Denison University
  • DePauw University
  • Dickinson College
  • Drew University
  • Duquesne University
  • Earlham College
  • East Carolina University
  • Eckerd College
  • Elmira College
  • Elon University
  • Emerson College
  • Fairfield University
  • Ferris State University
  • Flagler College
  • Florida Southern College
  • Florida State University
  • Franklin and Marshall College
  • Franklin College
  • Furman University
  • Georgetown College
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Gettysburg College
  • Gonzaga University
  • Gordon College
  • Green Mountain College
  • Grinnell College
  • Grove City College
  • Hamilton College
  • Hampden-Sydney College
  • Hampton University
  • Hanover College
  • Harvey Mudd College
  • Haverford College
  • High Point University
  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges
  • Hofstra University
  • Hood College
  • Hunter College (CUNY)
  • Illinois Institute of Technology
  • Indiana University Bloomington
  • Indiana University of Pennsylvania
  • Iowa State University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Juniata College
  • Kalamazoo College
  • Kenyon College
  • Knox College
  • La Salle University
  • Lafayette College
  • Lake Forest College
  • Lawrence University
  • Le Moyne College
  • Lehigh University
  • Loyola University
  • New Orleans
  • Lynchburg College
  • Manhattanville College
  • Marist College
  • Massachusetts College of Art and Design
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Menlo College
  • Mercer University – Macon
  • Merrimack College
  • Messiah College
  • Miami University
  • Middlebury College
  • Milligan College
  • Mills College
  • Millsaps College
  • Monmouth University
  • Montclair State University
  • Mount Holyoke College
  • Nazareth College
  • New College of Florida
  • Niagara University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Northeastern University
  • Occidental College
  • Ohio Northern University
  • Ohio Wesleyan University
  • Pomona College
  • Radford University
  • Randolph College
  • Randolph-Macon College
  • Regis University
  • Rhodes College
  • Rice University
  • Rider University
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
  • Sacred Heart University
  • Saint Leo University
  • Saint Mary’s College
  • Saint Michael’s College
  • Sarah Lawrence College
  • Schreiner University
  • Seattle University
  • Seton Hall University
  • Sewanee: The University of the South
  • Simmons College
  • St. Bonaventure University
  • St. John’s College (MD)
  • St. John’s College – Santa Fe
  • St. John’s University
  • St. Lawrence University
  • State University of New York – Potsdam
  • State University of New York at Geneseo
  • Stetson University
  • Stonehill College
  • Suffolk University
  • SUNY at Purchase College
  • Susquehanna University
  • Swarthmore College
  • Syracuse University
  • Taylor University
  • Texas Christian University
  • The Catholic University of America
  • The College of Wooster
  • The George Washington University
  • The University of Montana
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • The University of Tulsa
  • Trinity College
  • Trinity University
  • Tufts University
  • Union College
  • United States Coast Guard Academy
  • United States Merchant Marine Academy
  • United States Military Academy
  • United States Naval Academy
  • University of Arkansas – Fayetteville
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Colorado ­– Boulder
  • University of Connecticut
  • University of Delaware
  • University of Denver
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • University of Idaho
  • University of Jamestown
  • University of La Verne
  • University of Maine
  • University of Maryland – College Park
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • University of Miami
  • University of New England
  • University of New Mexico
  • University of North Carolina at Asheville
  • University of North Carolina – Charlotte
  • University of North Florida
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
  • University of Portland
  • University of Puget Sound
  • University of Redlands
  • University of Rhode Island
  • University of Rochester
  • University of San Francisco
  • University of South Florida
  • University of St. Thomas
  • University of Tampa
  • University of Tennessee – Knoxville
  • University of the Incarnate Word
  • University of Vermont
  • University of Virginia
  • Ursuline College
  • Valparaiso University
  • Vassar College
  • Villanova University
  • Virginia Tech
  • Wabash College
  • Wake Forest University
  • Washington & Jefferson College
  • Washington State University
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • Webb Institute
  • Wellesley College
  • Wells College
  • Wesleyan University
  • Wheaton College
  • Wheeling Jesuit University
  • Whitman College
  • Whitworth University
  • Willamette University
  • William Paterson University
  • Williams College
  • Winthrop University
  • Wofford College
  • Xavier University

When searching for the superscore policy at every college on your list of best-fit schools, make sure you clearly understand how your ACT scores will be reviewed. Don’t be afraid to contact the admissions office if you’re unclear.

Similarly, students who are struggling to meet their testing goals shouldn’t shy away from asking for help. If you are looking for personalized guidance, our team of expert tutors can help you reach your goals.

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