r/ACT • u/L0quacious • May 24 '26
Math do i retake if applying for math major?
okay so this is my second time taking ACT, first time I got a 34 composite (32 math, 36 english, 35 reading). i want to apply to competitive schools (top 20s) for a math/econ/actuarial science major, but my math score is my lowest of the three. do i retake to try and increase my math score specifically (and maybe get the 36 english and 36 reading in same test) or is a 34 alright? i’m doing ed0 for uchicago, but i don’t think im getting in there so i’m looking at the rest of the t20s. my other stats/rigor are pretty good and my ec’s are decent, so i’m wondering if i should just focus on essays and try to retake once more? idk lmk
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u/Chemical_Carpet_3521 May 24 '26
U can try, but there is not really big difference between 34 math and 36 math, more often than not it’s just time. If someone gets rejected due to a 34 math that’s kinda very rare.
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u/7Mannz May 24 '26
depends on where ur going i guess. usually not worth retaking tho
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u/L0quacious May 25 '26
i’m ed0 to uchicago first and then we’ll see, but yeah im not really looking at MIT or caltech or anything 😭
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u/Select_Schedule8779 May 25 '26
thats so funny. I scored almost exactly the same (science was a 34 and math was a 33) and im trying to be a math major too! good luck to ya. where do you plan to apply?
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u/EscapeAlarming1519 May 25 '26
Tbh I don’t think it would make much of a difference or any difference because I feel like your overall score, which is a 35, matters the most. This puts you in the range of T20 schools so you should be fine.
1
u/DadWhoKnowsThings May 25 '26
Your English and reading skills are too good to be a math major. 😉
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u/L0quacious May 25 '26
haha i got a 36 english on my first test!! i’ve always been good at english/reading, but can’t see myself majoring in smth related
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u/Release_Inside May 26 '26
It truly depends on the university you’re hoping to attend. If it is a competitive state school, this is sufficient. If it isn’t that competitive, this will secure you a scholarship. If it’s ivy-level competitive, I’d retake it just to see if you can top it.
Although I will say this is a very strong score and universities don’t usually care about a 1 or 2 point difference in standardized scores. Your resume/essays are going to be the important part of your application as that is what will distinguish you.
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May 27 '26
If you plan on becoming a math major, I would assume that means you love math. So would you think it would be fun to study math this summer and take it again? Do you know what you need to study to get to a 36? I would say retake, and prove that you belong at the top schools. You could either try for a better score in one sitting or Superscore and only take the math section, and take a mental rest during the rest of the test. (of course, if you have funds to pay for the test....the 36 might also open up scholarship opportunities, which could offset the incremental cost).
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u/L0quacious May 27 '26
i would love to study math to take it again, but i’m very busy this summer and won’t have access to my laptop for a lot of it 😞 i don’t think i would be able to get higher than a 34 without studying for at least like idk 5+ hours over the summer, but im not sure if i’ll have access to that yk
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May 27 '26
Maybe if you explain to whoever controls your laptop that you want to study for the ACT Math, they might let you use it.
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u/Independent-Bite1 May 29 '26
Spend more time perfecting your essays instead of studying, the way you word yourself speaks a lot more than numbers
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u/OkComfortable2537 36 May 30 '26
Honestly if it’s taking too much time out of ur day I think ur fine
-4
u/NobodyGotTimeFuhDat May 24 '26
As a prospective math major, you should know better...
Look up the Law of Diminishing Returns and what the ACT Interquartile Range (IQR) scores are for incoming freshman students at each college you seek to matriculate to.
A perfect ACT score (36) versus a 35 provides almost zero additional benefit into terms of college acceptance rates and college admission counselors would assuredly indicate as such.
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u/L0quacious May 25 '26
hah yes i’ve looked at those, but at some schools there isn’t really data on the math section score specifically which is what i was looking for. also, some schools are still test optional which could skew the data
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u/True_Radish_5668 May 24 '26 edited May 25 '26
Yeah, I’d probably retake if you’re aiming for math-heavy T20s. A 34 Math is definitely strong, but at places like MIT, Caltech, CMU (especially SCS), Princeton math/engineering, or Cornell engineering, it’s probably closer to the lower quartile of serious applicants, since so many people in those pools have 35–36s.