With many schools now switching from test optional to requiring applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores, it’s difficult for students to know what colleges are looking for when they apply.
Is the ACT Necessary
The weight that ACT scores have on your chance of admittance to a college, McNicholas academic counselor Mrs. Erika Stablum said, “It really depends anymore. There are still a lot of schools that are test optional, so it might not necessarily be that important. I think it really depends on the specific schools the student is applying to or are interested in.”
Academic counselor Mrs. Amanda Duffy said, “Schools are reconsidering whether they are going to be test optional or not. While the University of Cincinnati has said they are going to continue to be test optional, The Ohio State University will no longer be, which makes the ACT and SAT extremely more important.” Stablum points out that “It’s helpful to have that score [ACT] for scholarship purposes or students applying to out of state schools.” Duffy said, “I always recommend students take the ACT twice because the first time you don’t really know what you are getting yourself into”
Preparing/Studying for the ACT
Duffy recommends attempting the ACT at least twice and said preparation for the ACT, “depends on the specific student and their learning style. Understanding yourself and how you study best. Also taking practice tests on the ACT website will help.” Duffy also encourages students to take the ACT in the summer, so they have more time to focus on just that.
Notre Dame University accepted student, Tyler Munzel, said he began preparing for the ACT after he took it for the first time junior year. “I took it four times. I would take a practice test over a section of the ACT and then look at every wrong answer and learn the test,.” Munzel said, Munzel added that the ACT is “part aptitude and part just learning how to do it.” Other Notre Dame accepted student, Lila Moeves said she also took the ACT four times and prepared by participating in St. Joseph Scholars ACT prep course and taking practice tests. Moeves included that she took the practice tests to improve her timing skills on science and math. Munzel said “I’d start a couple weeks before my scheduled test and I would spend 2-3 hours on a weekend working on it, I wouldn’t spend much time during the week. I would treat it like a race, like I would in running; I would train for it.”
Being a well-rounded student
Stablum defines being well rounded as “Being involved in a little bit of everything and doing more than just one thing.” Munzel said that he has been involved with cross county, track and field, Hands Across Campus, St. Joesph Scholars, and Ecology Club since freshman year. Munzel also said he has maintained a high GPA along with challenging himself with rigorous AP [advanced placement] and honors level courses throughout his high school career. Moeves said during her four years at McNicholas she has been involved with: cross country and track and field for all four years and team captain for three years, the spring musical for four years, four year member and current president of the thespian troupe, four year member and current president of the St. Vincent Depaul leadership team, ambassadors, flight captain, Eucharistic minister, Kairos rector, CRS Club, and co-president and co-founder of Faith on Fire Club. Munzel said, “It is important to try and make a connection with your teachers, partly for rec letters, and partly to help you grow as a person. This will also help and show in your college essays.”
Academia: GPA and course levels
Stablum said, “Starting with academics, obviously the student needs to make sure they are taking courses fit for their academic level. So, if that includes honors courses that’s great, or if it’s just a solid CP [college prep] that’s great too. Rigor is important, but also GPA [grade point average] is important as well.” Moeves and Munzel both said that they took various AP classes throughout their high school careers and spent numerous hours completing assignments and studying.
College Essay
English teacher Mrs. Angie Noble offers a four-day long college essay writing bootcamp to provide students with more one on one assistance. Both Moeves and Munzel completed English teacher Mrs. Angie Noble’s college essay boot camp during the summer, and Moeves said she would recommend this course to others. “It just gave me more time during the first semester to focus on other stuff for my college application since my college essay was already finished and reviewed,” Moeves said. Duffy said, “I highly recommend Noble’s college essay bootcamp. It gives you more one on one time to work on your college essay and not have to stress about it during the year.” The bootcamp has two different dates available for students and is located in Noble’s room – 42. The first camp takes place June 2-5 and the second is June 9-12. Interested students can register at McNicholas High School – College Essay Bootcamp.
The McNicholas Milestone 