Students at Arrowhead High School take the ACT standardized testing, begining with the first wave of students on December 12, 2015. The ACT is America’s most widely accepted exam for college entry.

Students can find information and sign up for ACT testing at http://www.actstudent.org/.

ACT testing is generally completed by high school juniors and seniors.

The ACT test consists of 75 multiple choice questions on English, 60 multiple choice questions on mathematics, 40 multiple choice questions on reading skills, and 40 multiple choice questions on science.

According to gocollege.com, the ACT test evaluates a high school student’s readiness for college entry. All four year colleges in the United States accept the ACT as an entry exam.

Arrowhead High School counselor, Thomas Stuber, says, “The absolute best thing you can do is do your best in your core academic courses.  The material on the ACT is not totally mysterious. It is pulled from classroom content.  If you try hard and do well in school, you are also preparing yourself well for the ACT.”

Stuber says, “ACT score is an important component to a college application.  Most schools consider it in the top three items of importance, right alongside GPA and course rigor.”

A perfect composite score on the ACT test is a 36. However, the national average composite score as of 2015 is a 21.0. The average composite score for the state of Wisconsin rests slightly above the national average, at a score of 22.2. Connecticut and Massachusetts have the highest state average composite scores of 24.4.

Stuber says, “Some students think that a great ACT score will balance out a really bad GPA.  Although it does help for colleges to see you are capable, the discrepancy shows that you are not applying yourself in school.”

Katie Catalano, a junior at Arrowhead, recently took the ACT for the first time.

Catalano says, “I would recommend starting to prepare for the ACT at the beginning of the your junior year. This way, if you take it in December like I did, you will feel more prepared. Also, seeing a tutor or taking practice tests makes you feel more comfortable going into the act rather going in blind and feeling overwhelmed.”

Catalano says, “The most stressful part of preparing for the ACT for me was going to my tutor every week and having to take my practice tests in the specific time.”

There is an official ACT practice booklet sold online or in stores. The online link to this study guide is http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/book.html.

Stuber says, “The ACT is important, but I think, as a society, we place far too much importance on the ACT score.  It is important because it helps show what you know to people who don’t know you.  But if you try hard in school and get good grades, the ACT does not need to keep you awake at night.  Many people want a good ACT score so that they can get into a great college, but where you go to college is far less important than what you do when you are there.  There are many great colleges that will accept you with a fairly average ACT score.”