{"id":6523,"date":"2016-04-29t08:55:47","date_gmt":"2016-04-29t15:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/?p=6523"},"modified":"2017-06-08t10:21:16","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08t17:21:16","slug":"get-30-score-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/act\/get-30-score-act\/","title":{"rendered":"how to get a 30+ score on the act"},"content":{"rendered":"

if you’re hoping to reach the 95% percentile on the act, it can seem pretty intimidating at first glance. after all, scoring above 30 on the act means that you’d have the highest score in a group of 20 test takers. yet earning a 30+ score on the act has become a goal for many students hoping to attend selective colleges, and you shouldn’t let the statistics discourage you!<\/strong> in this post, we’ll cover how to get a 30+ score on the act<\/strong>. you’ll see that it’s not only possible, it’s also achievable!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\"get
no, it doesn’t have to be!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

so if you’re one of those students who wants to see a 30+ on your act score reports, know that it’ll take some work—sky-high scores don’t happen overnight! and if you\u2019re ready to put in the effort, let\u2019s begin.<\/p>\n

why 30+?<\/h2>\n

if you’re applying to top-tier u.s. universities, a score of above 30 on the act will really help your application. looking at the table below, you can see that, at the top-ranked 19 universities, 75% of students scored above a 30 on the act. if that doesn’t light a fire under you, i don’t know what will!<\/p>\n

college act score range for the top 100 universities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
college ranking<\/th>\ncollege name<\/th>\n25th percentile scores<\/th>\n75th percentile scores<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/td>\nprinceton university<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nmassachusetts institute of technology (mit)\n<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3 (tie)<\/td>\nharvard university<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3 (tie)<\/td>\nstanford university <\/a><\/td>\n34<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3 (tie)<\/td>\nyale university <\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nuniversity of chicago<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7 (tie)<\/td>\njohns hopkins university <\/a><\/td>\n34<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7 (tie)<\/td>\n university of pennsylvania <\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\ncalifornia institute of technology (caltech)<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10 (tie)<\/td>\nduke university<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10 (tie)<\/td>\nnorthwestern university<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\ndartmouth college <\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13 (tie)<\/td>\nbrown university<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13 (tie)<\/td>\nvanderbilt university <\/a><\/td>\n34<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15 (tie)<\/td>\nrice university <\/a><\/td>\n34<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15 (tie)<\/td>\nwashington university in st. louis<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/td>\ncornell university <\/a> <\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18 (tie)<\/td>\ncolumbia university <\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18 (tie)<\/td>\n university of notre dame <\/a><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california–berkeley<\/a><\/td>\n27<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california, los angeles (ucla) <\/a><\/td>\n29<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22 (tie)<\/td>\ncarnegie mellon university<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22 (tie)<\/td>\nemory university<\/a><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22 (tie)<\/td>\ngeorgetown <\/a><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25 (tie)<\/td>\nnew york university (nyu)<\/a><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of michigan at ann arbor<\/a><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25 (tie)<\/td>\n university of southern california (usc)<\/a><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of virginia <\/a><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of florida<\/a><\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of north carolina, chapel hill (unc chapel hill)<\/a><\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29 (tie)<\/td>\nwake forest university<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
32 (tie)<\/td>\ntufts university<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
32 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california, santa barbara (ucsb)<\/a><\/td>\n26<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
34 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california, irvine (uci) <\/a><\/td>\nna<\/td>\nna<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
34 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california–san diego<\/a><\/td>\n26<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
36 (tie)<\/td>\nboston college<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
36 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of rochester<\/a><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
38 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california, davis (uc davis)<\/a><\/td>\n25<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
38 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of texas, austin (ut austin)<\/a> <\/td>\n29<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
38 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of wisconsin madison<\/a><\/td>\n28<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
41 (tie)<\/td>\nboston university <\/a><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
41 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of illinois, urbana-champaign<\/a><\/td>\n29<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
41 (tie)<\/td>\ncollege of william and mary<\/a><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44 (tie)<\/td>\nbrandeis university<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44 (tie)<\/td>\ncase western reserve university<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44 (tie)<\/td>\ngeorgia institute of technology (georgia tech) <\/a><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44 (tie)<\/td>\nnortheastern university<\/a><\/td>\n33<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
44 (tie)<\/td>\ntulane university<\/a><\/td>\n30<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
49 (tie)<\/td>\nohio state university<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
49 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of georgia<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
51 (tie)<\/td>\nlehigh university<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
51 (tie)<\/td>\npurdue univesity-west lafayette<\/a><\/td>\n26<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
51 (tie)<\/td>\nrennselaer polytechnic institute<\/a><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
51 (tie)<\/td>\nvillanova university<\/a><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55 (tie)<\/td>\nflorida state university<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55 (tie)<\/td>\npepperdine university<\/a><\/td>\n25<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55 (tie)<\/td>\nrutgers university<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55 (tie)<\/td>\nsanta clara university<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of maryland–college park<\/a><\/td>\n30<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of miami <\/a><\/td>\n30<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
55 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of washington<\/a><\/td>\n29<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
62 (tie)<\/td>\ngeorge washington university<\/a><\/td>\n30<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
62 (tie)<\/td>\nsyracuse university<\/a><\/td>\n27<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
62 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of minnesota–twin cities<\/a><\/td>\n27<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
62 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of pittsburgh–pittsburgh campus<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
62 (tie)<\/td>\nvirginia institute of technology (virginia tech) <\/a><\/td>\n26<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
67 (tie)<\/td>\ntexas a&m university–college station<\/a><\/td>\n25<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
67 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of connecticut<\/a><\/td>\n27<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
67 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of massachussetts-amherst (umass amherst)<\/a><\/td>\n28<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
67 (tie)<\/td>\nworcester polytechnic institute<\/td>\n\/<\/td>\ntest-blind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
67 (tie)<\/td>\nyeshiva university<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
72 (tie)<\/td>\namerican university<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
72 (tie)<\/td>\nfordham university<\/a><\/td>\n30<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
72 (tie)<\/td>\nindiana university–bloomington<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
72 (tie)<\/td>\nnorth carolina state university–raleigh<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
72 (tie)<\/td>\nsouthern methodist university<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
77 (tie)<\/td>\nbaylor university<\/a><\/td>\n25<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
77 (tie)<\/td>\nclemson <\/a><\/td>\n27<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
77 (tie)<\/td>\nloyola marymount<\/td>\n28<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
77 (tie)<\/td>\nmichigan state university<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
77 (tie)<\/td>\npennsylvania state–university park<\/a><\/td>\n26<\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
77 (tie)<\/td>\nstony brook university (suny)<\/a><\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
83 (tie)<\/td>\nbinghamton university<\/a><\/td>\n30<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
83 (tie)<\/td>\ngonzaga university<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
83 (tie)<\/td>\nmarquette university<\/a><\/td>\n25<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
83 (tie)<\/td>\nstevens institute of technology<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
83 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california, santa cruz<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
83 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of iowa<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\nbrigham young university–provo<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\ncolorado school of mines<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\nelon university<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\nhoward university<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\ntexas christian university<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity at buffalo<\/a><\/td>\n25<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california–riverside<\/a><\/td>\n22<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
89 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of delaware<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
97 (tie)<\/td>\nauburn university<\/td>\n24<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
97 (tie)<\/td>\nclark university<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
97 (tie)<\/td>\nnew jersey institute of technology<\/td>\n27<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
97 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of california–merced<\/td>\n17<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
97 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of colorado boulder<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
93 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of san diego<\/td>\n25<\/td>\n31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
99 (tie)<\/td>\nuniversity of south florida<\/td>\n24<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

but don’t despair! with some work, a 30+ score may just be in reach.<\/p>\n

your starting line<\/h2>\n

we’re all coming from different places when we approach the act for the first time. our home lives, our educational backgrounds, even our parents’ educations all have some correlation to our act scores<\/a>. but no matter where you’re starting from, remember this: your act score wasn\u2019t carved in stone on the day you were born.<\/strong><\/p>\n

so if you’re discouraged by early practice test results, keep in mind that your determination and grit are the most valuable assets you have, and with some practice you can<\/strong> learn how to get a 30+ score on the act.<\/p>\n

discovering weak spots<\/h2>\n

the first thing to do, as you might have guessed, is to take a timed practice test. once you do this, look over your results. let\u2019s say, for example, you got the following scores:<\/p>\n