Since the ACT is making some changes to their exam, I thought it best to give some updates on the ACT and redo a previous post about how UGA looks at the ACT. Starting in April 2025 (for the digital test) and September 2025 (for all tests), the ACT will make the Science section optional, and it will not be used in the Composite. UGA will not require the optional ACT Science section, and as in the past, we will only focus on the ACT English and Math in our admission review. I suggest looking at the ACT Science requirements for any colleges you are interested in applying to, and if needed take the ACT Science for those institutions.
When we look at the ACT scores, we are one of many schools that will superscore the ACT. This means that UGA will take your highest subscores in multiple ACT exams and use these highest scores both individually and in calculating the highest Composite. For what seems like forever, the ACT determined the Composite by adding together the English, Math, Science Reasoning and Reading subscores, then dividing the total by four (rounding to the nearest whole number). This is how you might have a higher overall Composite score than what your individual Composite scores show. Here is a quick example:
- ACT 1: English-28, Math-29, Science-25, Reading-26 – Composite 27
- ACT 2: English 24, Math 31, Science 27, Reading 23 – Composite 26
- UGA Superscore: English 28, Math 31, Science 27, Reading 26 – Composite 28
With the ACT Science section being optional, and the Composite being made up of just the English, Math and Reading sections, this is what it will look like now for the above student in the future:
- ACT 1: English-28, Math-29, Reading-26 – Composite 28
- ACT 2: English 24, Math 31, Reading 23 – Composite 26
- UGA Superscore: English 28, Math 31, Reading 26 – Composite 28
When UGA looks at the scores in more detail, we focus on the subscores that match the SAT scores. As such, our focus is on the English subscore and the Math subscore as these match up with the SAT subscores. If you have both SAT and ACT scores, we will then use whichever test has the strongest scores. In addition to these two subscores being a good match to the SAT subscores, there has also been research showing these subscores are the best ACT score predictors of student success in college, although core grades and course rigor are much better predictors overall. Inside Higher Ed has a good article about this ACT issue.
So when you look at your ACT results and are discussing them with other people, know that we are looking at specific subscores, and that a Composite Score does not always give the most accurate information. Here are two more examples to give you a good understanding of the situation:
- Student A: English -29, Math – 29, Reading -24, Composite 27
- Student B: English -25, Math -23, Reading -32, Composite 27
The Composite Score for both students is a 27, but in the eyes of UGA, Student A has a much stronger ACT, specifically in the English and Math areas. So if they both go out and state that they have a 27 ACT, that does not really give the full and accurate story. FYI, we give out the ACT Composite data in our information due to the fact that this is how all colleges share the ACT, and it is necessary for our reporting, and generally the ACT E and ACT M averages are close to that average Composite.
Finally, we sometimes get asked if we accept the ACT superscore. The answer is absolutely “yes.” When students send a college their ACT superscore, ACT actually sends us not only the superscore, but also scores from your highest test event, as well as the events that make up that overall superscore composite. You can read more on this in their article on sending your official ACT scores. Our name is listed as “University of Georgia” under code 0872 and we encourage your to send these official scores to us through your MyACT account as early in the process as possible, since we are unable to accept self-reported test scores at this time.
Go Dawgs!