Boost your ACT score to attend the college of your choice and earn $1,000 in scholarship dollars

Getting a better ACT compound is a high stakes game these days. Your test result can determine which school you get into and whether or not you get a scholarship. Each college or university seems to have different admission and scholarship requirements. But, almost all require a minimum ACT Composite and a minimum GPA in combination. Some also have additional requirements. For example, students may be required to show demonstrated experience in leadership, service, and/or school or community activity.

Therefore, raising your ACT score as high as possible, along with maintaining a high GPA, will help you get into the college of your choice and can greatly reduce college costs through scholarships.

Even if you or your family have the financial resources to pay for the high cost of college, wouldn’t you be much better off saving thousands of dollars by getting an academic scholarship?

If you or your family don’t have the financial resources, wouldn’t it be much better to qualify academically and financially to attend a good four-year college or university rather than attend a community college due to cost considerations?

You’ll need to check with the admissions office of each college you choose to see what their GPA and ACT Composite requirements are. Although some colleges admit students with lower ACT and GPA composites, many highly ranked colleges and universities require a 24 to 28 or higher and a GPA of 3.0 to 3.5 or higher.

For scholarship requirements, you should check with the scholarship or financial aid departments of each college or university you choose. Requirements vary across the map, but generally follow a pattern like this:

ACT Composite 23-26: Some academic scholarships are available starting in this ACT score range, based on your GPA

ACT Composite of 27-28: More scholarships are available, some partial scholarships and some full scholarships, again depending on your GPA

ACT Composite 29-31: Even more scholarships are available, including many full packages. Some highly rated colleges provide scholarships in this ACT score range when combined with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

ACT Composite of 32-36: Full-ride scholarships are offered at many colleges and universities with an ACT score in this range along with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Some colleges or universities have a sliding scale for scholarship offers. That is, if you have a very high GPA, you can still get a scholarship with a lower ACT score. On the other hand, if you have a very high ACT composite, you can still get a scholarship even though you have a lower GPA.

Most colleges and universities, however, only have a minimum ACT score combined with a minimum GPA or high school rank as requirements for a scholarship award.

Here are some examples:

Auburn University awards $3,000 per year for an ACT score of 28-29 and a minimum GPA of 3.5. A 30-31 and a GPA of 3.5 or higher can earn you a full-ride scholarship.

The state of Utah has the sliding scale mentioned above. If you have a composite ACT of 20 but have a 4.0 GPA, or a 36 with a 2.5 GPA, or anything in between those range limits, you can get the $12,000 nonresident premium waiver for the first year. If you have an ACT composite of 29 with a 4.0 GPA, or a 36 with a 3.1 GPA, you get 2 years of a full-ride scholarship. You can earn a four-year full-ride scholarship with an ACT score of 31 and a 4.0 GPA, or an ACT composite of 36 with a 3.5 GPA, or anything in between on a sliding scale.

The University of Missouri awards $2,000 per year if you have a 27 or higher on your ACT and are in the top 25% of your high school class. If you are 28 or older and in the top 5% of your class, you are awarded $3,500 to $4,500 per year.

The University of Alabama offers out-of-state freshmen $3,500/year. for an ACT score of 27 with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. They offer $4,000/year. for a 28 with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, $11,975/year. for a 29 with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and $16,046/year. for an ACT score of 30-31 and a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Indiana University has a variety of scholarship awards, including one that offers $6,000 per year if you have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and an ACT score of 23 or higher. If you have an ACT Composite of 31 or better and are in the top 5% of your class, you could qualify for a full ride.

And lastly, the University of Iowa also offers a wide variety of scholarships, including the Presidential Scholarship that awards $10,000 per year if you have an ACT score of 30 or higher and a GPA of 3.8 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

It quickly becomes apparent that a higher ACT score can mean thousands of extra dollars in your pocket because you don’t have to spend them on college costs.

For more information about scholarships, contact directly the scholarship or financial aid department of the colleges or universities you want to attend.