Midland University has announced that it will accept ACT superscores from prospective students. In September of 2020, the ACT will start allowing students to retake single sections (English, Math, Reading, Science) of the ACT in an attempt to improve their composite score. The superscore will allow students to submit their highest score from each individual section. Each college can make the decision whether to accept superscores for admission and scholarship purposes.
“We think accepting superscores is what is best for students,” said Merritt Nelson, Midland University Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing. “Superscores will more accurately demonstrate to us each student’s maximum potential.”
Studies by the ACT concluded that superscoring was more indicative of how students would perform at the collegiate level than any other scoring method. John Baylor, who has prepared students for the ACT for more than two decades through his OnToCollege program, believes the superscore method will be a more accurate assessment of a student’s knowledge. “It doesn’t seem particularly fair to judge students solely on their composite score and not the individual components of the test,” Baylor said.
At Midland University, an increase in ACT scores is financially beneficial to students as it enables them to receive a larger financial aid package. A student with an ACT score of 21 would be entitled to a minimum academic scholarship of $17,000 per year from Midland. But a student with an ACT score of 23 is entitled to a minimum of $19,000 per year, an increase of $8,000 over four years. “Students who raise their composite score through superscoring will have access to additional financial aid and college will become more affordable for them at Midland,” Nelson said.
Many colleges across the United States will be accepting superscores, including Duke, Baylor, MIT, and Stanford. Midland is the first institution in Nebraska to announce it will accept superscores. “As students prepare for the next chapter of their lives, this new scoring method will present more opportunities for them,” Nelson said. “We believe other institutions will soon follow our lead.”
