Which Colleges Superscore the ACT®

If you have taken the ACT^® more than once, it is important to know how to use your scores to highlight your best performance when applying to colleges. Many colleges consider your highest section scores from multiple tests rather than your single test composite score, thus giving you an opportunity to superscore. In this blog, we will discuss which colleges superscore the ACT and why they accept it.

What Does Superscore Mean?

Superscoring means selecting your highest section scores from multiple tests to get a new final score. As you already know, there are four mandatory sections on the ACT – English, Math, Reading, and Science. The final ACT score ranging from 1-36 is the average of the scores from these four sections. Note that you also have an optional writing section on the ACT but its scores do not contribute to your final score.

To superscore your ACT, compare your scores from each attempt and choose the best score from each section. After choosing your highest section scores, divide the sum of the scores by four to obtain your new final score. If the result is in a decimal form, round it up to the nearest whole number.

To learn in detail how superscoring works, read our blog on ACT superscore. Also, make sure to check out our ACT scoring guide to understand how ACT scores are calculated.

List of Colleges That Superscore the ACT

There are many colleges that superscore the ACT in the United States. To save you time, we have compiled a list of colleges that superscore the ACT. Refer to the table below as you start submitting your applications to colleges. 

Why Do Colleges Superscore?

While submitting your admission application to colleges, you might be wondering why some colleges accept superscores. Here are a few reasons:

1. It helps universities in maintaining their reputation.
   Instead of focusing on the results of a single test, colleges that superscore ACT are able to report higher test score averages across all admitted students through superscoring. This helps in maintaining their good name.
2. At least two ACTs are taken by the majority of students.
   The fact that many students retake the ACT at least twice to prepare for college admissions is known to all the schools. When taking the test again, schools that superscore ACT have observed that students perform better in at least one section.
3. Your academic potential cannot be determined by a single test result.
   Your level of preparation, your sleeping and eating schedule before the test, and having any personal issues that may affect your focus—all have an impact on how well you perform on the test.

Why do some colleges not accept ACT superscore?

To qualify for superscoring, students need to take multiple tests and submit their best scores to colleges. This raises the already prohibitive cost of college applications. So, in order to lessen the financial burden on students, some colleges decide against superscoring. In addition, superscoring is also not taken into account because for some colleges sending in ACT scores is optional.

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