Why Are We Still Looking at the ACT?

I am a senior who has taken the ACT three times in my high school career.

Growing up in a family of educators, I know how important education is, and I’ve grown up with the idea that after high school comes college. So, as I have reached my last year in high school, I have been applying to colleges, and one common thing I see brought up is ACT constantly.

Despite saying test-optional, colleges still want to look at the ACT score if you want a scholarship. The issue here is that I am a terrible test taker no matter how hard I study. I am terrible at taking tests, but that doesn’t mean I am an awful student or that I don’t know concepts. I average with A’s and B’s.

Despite having your transcript, colleges still are constantly looking at an ACT score that doesn’t show how one is as a student. I have some friends that are terrible at school work but still managed to get a good ACT score.

The ACT is merely a number–it shouldn’t define us as students.