Saturday, March 21, 2020

Whats the ACT Score Range

What's the ACT Score Range SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You can’t study effectively for the ACT if you don’t know what score to aim for, and you won’t know what score to aim for if you don’t know how the ACT is scored! In this post, I’ll start off with some important background info on the ACT before getting to the good stuff- the ACT score range and what you should know about it. For example, what do these scores mean? What counts as a good ACT score? Read on to find out! ACT: The Basics Although it wasn’t the original college entrance exam, the ACT is now accepted everywhere that the SAT is. In fact,more people take the ACT every year than the SAT. The ACT (or the SAT, if you so choose) will be an important part of your college applications. Admissions officers consider your scores as a measure of academic preparedness- the higher your scores, the stronger your application. Higher-ranking schools have higher expectations when it comes to ACT scores, so if you want to be a top applicant, it's important to know what scores you should be aiming for (don't worry, we'll get to that shortly)! The ACT Score Range The ACT is scored out of a total of 36 points- this is known as the composite, or total, score. The lowest possible composite score is 1. This score is calculatedby averaging all the ACT sections. There are four sections, or tests, within the ACT. Each test is scored out of 36 points, with the lowest possible score of 1- just like the composite score. Here's some information about what to expect for each ACT section (click the links to read more about each topic): English–75 total questions Math–60 total questions Reading–40 total questions Science–40 total questions There’s also the option to take the ACT with a writing section. Some colleges require you take the ACT with Writing. This doesn’t affect your composite score, but your writing section will be sent to colleges in addition to the scores above. There have been some changes to the ACT Writing section this year, so be sure to check out our guide for more info. A Better Understanding of ACT Scores Here's where we start to make sense of this score range. A score range of 1-36 isn’t necessarily easy to wrap your head around, unlike a standard test scored out of 100 points. While it’s helpful to know about the maximum and minimum scores, the range doesn’t really tell you what’s average or normal for a student like you. Lucky for us, millions of students take the ACT every year, and we have access to information about how they’ve scored. National ACT Performance Here's what we know about the ACT score distribution on a national level: The average composite score is 21 points, out of a possible 36. The 75th percentile score is 24. This means that students who score 24 points had higher composite scores than 75% of all other test takers. Scores of 24+ are generally considered excellent,at least on a national level. The 25th percentile score is 16. This means that students who score 16 points had lower composite scores than 75% of all other test takers. Scores at or below 16 points are generally considered low, at least on a national level. If you want more detailed information on national ACT score distribution, check out this percentile chart. High School and Target College ACT Performance Although looking at national ACT performance is helpful, it can only get you so far. People who take the ACT come from vastly different backgroundsand have vastly different goals- you go to one particular high school in one particular area, and you're probably looking at a specific set of colleges, right? You won't be applying to every single school in the country. You'll want to aim for goal scores that are appropriate considering both your educational background and your future goals. The first steps in this process involve learning how your peers perform on the ACT, and learning how students at your target schools perform on the ACT. To learn what your peers tend to score on the test: Google "[Your high school name] ACT score report" See your guidance counselor Ask your friends Read our guide to understanding ACT scores for more detailed instructions To learn what students at your target colleges score on the ACT (remember, you want your scores to look like theirs): Google "[school name] PrepScholar admissions requirements" to get information on 25th and 75th percentile ACT scores Read our guide to setting appropriate goal scores for more information What's Next? Now that you know all about the ACT score range, you can start learning all you can about the test's content. Check out how to prepare for the ACT English, math, reading, and science sections. If you're particularly ambitious and want to aim for some of those top schools I mentioned earlier, learn how to score a perfect 36 on the ACT. Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

How to Get Over Post College Depression

How to Get Over Post College Depression After graduation from college or high school, many students feel energized and positive. However, there are also students who face severe depressions, emotional breakdowns, and addictions. If you feel that something is wrong with you, and you are confused and lonely, then this article is for you. Our tips will help you recognize the dangerous symptoms of post-graduation depression and pull yourself through this tough period of your life. A disclaimer: the best option would be to turn to a doctor for professional treatment. What Are Post Grad Depression and Its Symptoms? You have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Graduation, diploma, bachelor degree, freedom of choice and self-expression. But after caps thrown in the air, you suddenly realized that you dont know what to do in your life and all of your plans for the future that were so bright and clear yesterday just make no sense today. This is what depression is. A stunning feeling of loneliness and emptiness mixed with confusion and lack of energy to even leave your bed in the morning. A lot of people face crises and depressions during their lives. Psychologists claim that there are common ages when an individual is more subject to various mental disorders, for example, the â€Å"half-life crisis† or â€Å"quarter-life crisis.† The main thing about these conditions is that many people of a certain age have similar problems with sleep, self-esteem, emotional control and finances. By the way, if you are having any problems with finances, you should find out how to manage your finances better after college. The â€Å"quarter-life crisis† commonly occurs around the age of graduating from college. This condition might get even worse due to a stressing situation of being unemployed and confused after the graduation which can compile into a severe depression. The main symptoms of post-college depression are: Being disorganized and unfocused Lacking motivation and energy Being sad or annoyed without a reason Feeling like you are running out of time Feeling miserable and worthless Feeling confused and frustrated Falling into addictions – cigarettes, alcohol, drugs Feeling lonely and abandoned Feeling like a failure If you started to feel like you have too many options to choose from and even after getting your degree you are not sure what you want in your life and considering the option of moving back home, its okay – you are just getting mature. But if you cant find the smallest thing that you enjoy and are constantly unfocused or numb, then you need to start pulling yourself out from this state. How to Fight the Crisis? The first step and the most essential one is to confess the fact that something is wrong with you. If you are reading this article, then you have already done it. Congratulations, your recovery journey starts right now! It’s time to focus. Set Up Your Goals Beating depression is not a quick process. You have to start working through slowly. Think about your dreams and your goals, make a list of them: Your life goals – huge ambitions and dreams – to become a successful specialist in a particular field, to find a dream job, to build a family. Year goals – accomplishments you want to achieve in one year – to get a job after college, to rent the apartment, etc. Monthly goals – realistic goals for one month – to get rid of all unnecessary things in the apartment, to send out your resumes to at least 30 companies, to read a book. Daily goals – small steps to take every day – to make dinner, to clean a wardrobe, to buy groceries. As you can see, the smallest steps you take can lead to larger achievements. It might seem like a waste of time, but the pleasure of crossing out the things that you have accomplished is more satisfying than you might think. Moreover, you will have your plan as a reminder that every day you become closer to making your dreams come true. Make a Meal Plan People in depression have a tendency to skip meals. As a result, they feel even more broken down and tired. You have to force yourself to eat to stay healthy and energized. Make a plan of meals for a week and follow it closely. You can always turn to the resources that might help you in understanding what type of food and how much of it you should consume daily. For example, Eating Well, Abbeys Kitchen, etc. When you dont feel the hunger, its hard to recognize that your body is starving. So, don’t forget to check out tips on how you can eat healthy on a budget. Establish a daily schedule Work on the schedule of your perfect day. Dont lay in bed the whole time, find the strength to get up and start living in the real world. Find the time to go for a walk daily, have your social life, and exercise. Dedicate some time to job hunting and your hobbies. Dont forget about daily meals and your favorite TV shows. And the most important one – go to bed and get up at the same time every day. When you have your day organized, you will realize that your entire life can be organized and structured too, so there are no chaotic activities in it. Try to avoid scrolling social media feed all day long – it doesn’t help you to focus on your accomplishment but distract you from your goals instead. Visit a Doctor The most important piece of advice would be to visit a doctor for a prescribed medication. You might be against pills, but some sedative wont hurt – at least you will sleep well. Moreover, a specialist might advise you to practice certain psychological exercises – yoga, meditation, hypnosis, group therapy, support system, etc. Start changing your life today. You can make your living better if you take a chance. And remember that the state you are in now is not permanent, your future is bright!