As junior students enter their ACT rooms on Wednesday, the importance of the test will most likely be overlooked by a majority of the people. However, from top students to those who don’t plan on attending college, the ACT is undoubtedly the most important test teenagers will take in their high school career.
For individuals seeking higher education, the benefit of scoring well on the ACT is clear; it unlocks a better chance of getting into a multitude of schools. The top 50 colleges are all extremely competitive and are only becoming more difficult to get into. Additionally, we are now far enough off of COVID that colleges have reverted to a system that looks at standardized test scores, and for good reason. According to U.S. News, “A 2025 study by researchers at Dartmouth College found that SAT or ACT scores predicted first-year college grade-point averages across income and other demographic factors, whereas high school GPAs and class ranks did not.” The ACT is fixed across every school in the country and is a concrete thing that admissions officers are starting to look at again as a counter against “grade inflation,” and essays which could be written by AI. If a student is aiming to go to a top school, it is important that their ACT is nationally competitive.
Additionally, the ACT is crucial for determining class rank for programs like the Wisconsin Guarantee and the Academic Excellence scholarship. Since Berlin implemented the laude system, we have done away with weighted GPA’s, so students who have all A’s will all be “tied.” However, the state requires a class rank for these programs, so the ACT is the tie breaker. A good score that places someone in the top 5% of Berlin students will guarantee one’s spot at the University of Wisconsin-Madison if they have a 4.0 GPA. For the student with a 4.0 who has the best ACT, they will receive $2,250 annually to attend any school in Wisconsin, including technical and private schools.
The ACT isn’t just about getting into schools either; a huge value it brings is unlocking scholarships, sometimes directly from these schools, without any extra application. For some schools, like UW-La Crosse, an extremely high ACT is not necessarily needed for admittance. However, La Crosse offers merit scholarships, which can lower the cost of attendance by up to $4,000 per year. When deciding who gets these scholarships, success on the ACT is one of the biggest factors these universities consider. Good students who put in just a little bit of extra effort into studying and learning the tricks of the test can save themselves up to $16,000.
However, what many people don’t know about the ACT is how it reflects the school as a whole. Every year, the state posts a “School Report Card” and gives our school a rating in various areas like math and ELA. One key area that they pull from is the ACT. If students put in minimal effort when taking the test, they will underrepresent their abilities and harm the school’s results. This is a bigger problem than it seems. If a report is negative, it could deter new students from entering the district, dropping enrollment. Additionally, a good school is crucial in determining home value. According to opendoor.com: “Homes in highly rated school districts typically cost 10% to 20% more than similar properties in average-performing areas.” Having a home that retains or gains value is extremely important for parents, and an increase in value can track all the way back to good scores on the ACT.
Unlike most other tests, where the results can be no more than a letter grade, the ACT has measurable economic impacts on the students, the school district, and the students’ families. Although not everyone is aiming to go to a top school, applying oneself opens up lots and lots of doors.
