Does Georgetown superscore the ACT? Let’s cut to the chase: Georgetown University does not superscore the ACT, despite what you might read from online chat forums. But don’t despair! Even if you had your hopes set on a Georgetown superscore, you can still get into the school of your dreams.
As it turns out, there’s a lot to know about Georgetown’s admissions process. Once you understand what it takes to get into Georgetown, you can maximize your chances of receiving an acceptance letter!
In this crash course of all things Georgetown ACT, we’ll talk about:
- What is superscoring?
- Georgetown superscore policy & overall admissions requirements
- General ACT standards
- Plus, some tips on improving your overall ACT score!
Let’s jump in!
Feature Image: Satt 2 / Wikimedia
What Is the ACT Superscore?
Georgetown University doesn’t superscore the ACT. But what is a superscore, exactly?
If you’re new to the college application process, superscoring can really help your chance of admission at certain schools. Superscoring is taking a person’s best scores from each sitting of the ACT from each of the sections and averaging them to maximize the overall composite score. While each school is different in its policy, there are schools that superscore applicants’ ACT results, including some great schools like William & Mary and Rice University.
If you’re struggling to get a high composite score on the ACT, a superscore can help you “raise” your standardized test grade to give you a better chance of admission. If you’re not a great test-taker, it might be a good idea to add a school that superscores the ACT to your application list as a safety school.
Like we mentioned earlier, Georgetown doesn’t superscore the ACT. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get into Georgetown if it’s the school of your dreams! One step to gaining admission to Georgetown is determining the ACT score you need to meet minimum admission requirements...which is exactly what we’re going to discuss next.
Georgetown University in the autumn. (P. Morrissey / Flickr)
Georgetown ACT Admissions Requirements
If you feel like the ACT is difficult, you’re not alone. Achieving a perfect score is exceptionally rare and can take years of studying and practice. The average ACT score is a 20.8, which in a composite score would be rounded up to a 21. For many schools, average or slightly above average scores are sufficient for your admission.
But for top-tier schools like Georgetown, you’ll have to score well above average on the ACT if you want a shot at getting in!
As you probably know, Georgetown is considered one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, if not the world. As a result, their test score expectations are a lot higher than most.
While overall Georgetown applicant ACT scores are not officially reported by the school, our experts have found that the middle 50% of Georgetown students scored between 30-34 on their ACT. Put another way, 75% of students who were accepted into Georgetown had an ACT score of 30 or above.
If you think that sounds pretty tough, you’re right. But luckily, Georgetown only considers your highest composite ACT score in terms of admission! That means you can take the ACT multiple times and submit all your scores to Georgetown, and they’ll only look at the highest one when evaluating your application. (Even more good news: Georgetown does not require the ACT writing portion and neither does it judge the writing portion in its admissions process.)
In fact, while some schools offer a “score choice” policy where you can opt to send the school scores from the ACT sittings of your choosing, Georgetown requires that every score from each of your ACT attempts be mailed to them, even your lowest score. That being said, the university still says that they only look at the highest composite ACT score in their decision, though they would like to keep your other ACT scores on file.
Is It Better to Take the ACT or the SAT to Get Into Georgetown?
Like we mentioned, you’ll need to get a high composite score on the ACT if you want to get into Georgetown. But what about the SAT? And which test is better for admission?
It’s no surprise that admitted students who took the SAT also scored in the top percentiles of the exam. The middle 50% of accepted students had a composite SAT score of 1435, which is 376 points above the national average.
Georgetown accepts both the ACT and the SAT, and the school doesn’t prefer one test over the other. However, there is one huge difference between the two tests: Georgetown superscores the SAT, but it doesn’t superscore the ACT. That means Georgetown will calculate your composite SAT score based on the highest Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores you submit.
So does that mean it’s better for you to take the SAT than the ACT if you want to get into Georgetown? The answer is that it depends. You’ll want to take the standardized test that best fits with your skill set and your test-taking preferences. (Luckily for you, we have a whole article that will walk you through picking the test that’s right for you.) But if you’re not a great test-taker and you want the best chance at getting the highest standardized test score possible, it may be better for you to take the SAT since superscoring will work to your advantage.
Spoiler alert: earning the ACT scores you need to get into Georgetown will take a lot of studying.
Georgetown ACT Prep: How to Make Sure You Get In
As we’ve covered before, middle-of-the road Georgetown ACT scores fall somewhere between 30 and 34. Some students who are admitted have ACT scores higher than 34, and some have lower than 30.
Georgetown states that they look at the whole application in their admissions process and not just the ACT score. If your resume is top-notch and your GPA is high but your ACT is at 29, don’t think Georgetown is off-limits. Apply and see what happens! Standards also change depending on what major you’ve chosen, so a 29 may be okay, depending on the circumstance.
If you have enough time, though, you can always plan on taking the ACT again and improving your composite score to increase your chances of getting in. Below are four helpful tips to increase your overall composite score.
#1: Improve Your Weak Areas
This might seem obvious, but many students will continue to focus on all four subject areas of the ACT, even when their scores in some sections are far lower than the others. If you’re planning to take the ACT again, it makes more sense for you put most of your energy toward studying the subject areas where your scores were the lowest. Because there’s more room for improvement in there, you’ll be more likely to see a substantial boost in your composite score.
Here’s what we mean: let’s say your overall score has been gradually improving, and on your second ACT attempt, you scored the following: English=34, Math=25, Reading=30, Science=28. This tells you that your strongest areas are language arts, whereas you’re not quite as strong in science or math. In order to raise your composite score, the smartest use of your time will be focusing on Math and Science. There are more points you can earn in those sections, which will ultimately translate to a higher composite score!
Just like in a game of chess, it's important to go into the ACT with a strong strategy.
#2: Play to Your Strengths
Another ACT tactic is to play to your strengths. If you have seen slow improvement in your ACT scores in some sections but have scored consistently well in others, you could improve your overall scores by trying to get the highest possible subject scores in your best areas.
For example, let’s pretend you have these scores: English=25, Math=31, Reading=22, Science=27. In this case, improving your scores in the area where you already do well (Math) could help to improve your composite score. Answering just one more question correctly in the Math section could bump up your composite score from a 26 to a 27, while it might take you four or more questions to do the same thing in the English section!
Basically, the rule of thumb for tips one and two is to determine what composite score you need, then choosing the tactic that’s right for you. If the school you’re applying to is like Georgetown, the composite score is what matters overall, so you should figure out what would most improve your overall average score. If a weak subject is dragging you down, improve it. But if you study those subjects and still see no improvement, you can switch your focus to raising your good scores even higher.
#3: Be Aware of Your Strategy
If you’ve taken the ACT before or are knee-deep in practice tests, this tip is for you. Think back to the last time you took the ACT and write down issues that you had during the test. Did you run out of time? Did you forget an equation or grammar rule? Did you miss a question because you didn’t check your work?
Depending on where you struggled, you can tweak your strategies to help you do better on the exam. For example, let’s say you found that you ran out of time on certain sections of the test. To fix that, you can go through the section and answer all of the “easy” questions first. That way you get as many points as you can right off the bat, and you can spend the rest of your time working on the more difficult problems.
For more information on ACT test-taking strategies, make sure you check out this article, too.
#4: Study and Practice With Help
There’s only so much you can learn on your own. You can try to teach yourself all the strategies and formulas you can think of, but without expertise, you might find yourself getting in an ACT composite score rut.
If that’s you, look to ACT prep books, tutors in your area, or even helpful ACT guides or courses online. You can also form a study group with your friends so you can help each other understand different portions of the test. And of course, we always recommend taking lots (and lots!) of ACT practice exams so you can see how much you’re improving!
By getting a different perspective on the test, you might notice things that you hadn’t before and use that knowledge to improve your score.
What's Next?
We now know Georgetown doesn't superscore the ACT, but there’s more to your Georgetown application than good test scores. You also need to make sure you’re getting good grades in your classes, too. To really stand out, you should think about taking advanced courses, like AP or IB classes, which can also weight your GPA.
Writing stellar application essays is another way to help you stand out from the crowd. Here’s our complete, expert guide to rocking your Georgetown admissions essays. (We also have a guide to tackling the generic “why our university?” question that you may see on other college and scholarship applications, too.)
Finally, make sure you’re helping admissions committees get to know you by participating in extracurricular activities that reflect your values and interests. You’re more than just your test scores—universities want to make sure that you’re a good personality fit for their programs, too!
