American College Test (ACT)
Using the ACT Results

All degree bound U.S. citizen students admitted to Wichita State University 20 years of age and younger are required to have taken the ACT. Others are encouraged to take the ACT to assist in advising and appropriate placement.

Students scoring exceptionally well may receive college credit as follows (note -- students need to apply at the Testing Center to receive this credit.) Scores below based on ACT's taken after 9/89:

*Students must also have completed two years of high school algebra and one year of high school geometry with at least a B average.

**Students must also have completed two years of high school algebra and one year of high school geometry, and one-half unit of trigonometry with at least a B average.

For testing schedules and additional information, contact the Counseling & Testing Center, 320 Grace Wilkie Hall, WSU-3440.

Many entering students should have a set of ACT scores filed in their folders. If your advisees do not have ACT scores, notify Admissions and ask for a complete record. A student's scores may be reported in a variety of ways. Most often the scores will appear on a Student Profile Report (SPR), an example of which appears on the following pages. However, in some cases, the only reference to a student's ACT scores will appear on the high school transcript, and usually the information reported consists of "Standard Scores" and "College Bound Percentiles." In some instances, students who appear for advising will have no ACT scores available at all, due to the fact that they have had previous college work and amassed more than 24 hours credit or that they attended a university which did not require the ACT Assessment for admission, or because they are international students, or because of age (21 or older) have been exempted.

The Use of ACT Scores. In planning an academic program, the student and the advisor both desire information about the student, and the student's ability, potential and interest in order to define the student's objectives. ACT scores, and the wealth of additional information provided on the SPR, can help you compare the student with other students, both nationally and locally. A careful review of the student's relative scores on the four ACT subtests may lead to useful insights about the individual's aptitudes, interests and study habits.

High scores on the first two tests seem to characterize students who played the academic game well. They studied hard, completed their assignments, memorized the rules and followed directions. For this they were rewarded. Often they have compiled attractive and rather consistent grades in high school. Students whose scores on the first two tests are significantly higher than on the last two tests can be thought of as "high achievers." They may encounter unexpected difficulty in certain college courses requiring difficult problem-solving ability. Because they expect effort to be rewarded with success, they may be discouraged and crestfallen when they receive a low grade after much painful study.

Students with high scores in the last two tests, but significantly lower scores on the first two tests are often very bright students who have been able to "get by" in high school without much diligence (more frequently males than females.) They studied very briefly and sporadically. But, in all likelihood, they read very widely, evidenced curiosity about many things and are generally well-informed.

The student with high high school marks and the "achieving" pattern of ACT scores is not likely to profit much from the exhortation to "try harder" when he is having trouble. He is already trying. What they often need is help in seeing relationships. By contrast, the student with the "underachieving" pattern (usually the high school record will be rather inconsistent A-C) may need to be strongly con fronted with the demand that he learn the tools.

Students with high scores in all four tests have the ability and the habits and disposition to use their abilities consistently.