Is the July ACT Worth Taking?

A new Enhanced ACT is imminent, but that doesn’t mean that the current version of the test is defunct. But first the news…

NEWS

AI may be eroding education: Apparently, many teachers are not OK with the way students are using AI tools in high school, college, or grad school. If it’s true that whoever does the work does the learning, then maybe whoever does the work should get the degree.

When a strength becomes a weakness: Many U.S. colleges depend on international students–who tend to pay more than their domestic classmates–to balance the books each year. Considering how aggressively the federal government is attacking overseas applicants, which schools stand to lose the most in terms of students… and why is this list so long?  

Lone Star legislation:Taking the culture wars to college programming, the state boards overseeing Texas universities may soon have new powers to force academic institutions to conform to political ideology. Don’t mess with Texas, unless it’s a school.

A two-year degree for a ten year old? Zora Elling, at just 10 years old, just earned an Associate degree in Mathematics to become the youngest graduate of Irvine Valley College, breaking graduation records previously held by her older siblings. If only she had chosen a challenging major 😅

BIG IDEA
The Case For the Last Legacy ACT

The ACT is changing imminently. By September 2025, the Enhanced ACT will be the law of the land, the only national administration option whether on paper or digital. Test takers have good reason to look forward to this shorter, snappier version of the enduring college entrance exam out of Iowa City. That doesn’t mean, however, that rising juniors or seniors shouldn’t avail themselves of a known commodity on July 12: the last administration of the current version of the exam, known now as the Legacy ACT.

Why should students sit for the last Legacy ACT?

Abundant practice material: Test takers can find literal decades worth of practice tests and items. Sure, the enhancements to the ACT are mild enough that test items will continue to serve as viable practice resources, but the content balance and timing of test sections won’t be the same after July.

Predictable scoring: As we learned when the SAT went digital, fewer questions per section lead to more volatile score curves. The ACT is destined to succumb to that same swinginess once the total number of items per section drops in September. The Legacy ACT has maintained a consistent score curve that many test takers regard as generous–getting a couple of questions wrong won’t crater your ACT score the way it does on the SAT.

Scored Science: The Legacy ACT includes the score on the Science section as part of the reported Composite, whereas the Enhanced ACT will not. In fact, the Science section will be entirely optional, at least as far as ACT is concerned. Students who excel at graphical literacy and science reasoning may want to bolster their test scores while they still can.

Why should students skip the last Legacy ACT?

Science agnostic: If ACT Science isn’t your strong suit, you’d benefit from waiting until that section is dropped from the Composite.

No need to rush: If you’re not ready or willing to work towards your best score in July, don’t worry about it. The Enhanced ACT has the potential to be just as good-or even better–at supporting students in showing their fundamental academic strength and college readiness to prospective schools.

PRESENTED BY CHARIOT LEARNING & KYROS AI

🎓 📚 🔖 What are the SAT & ACT? Why do they matter? And what can and should teens and their families do about them during this dynamic moment in college admissions history? Join Mike Bergin and Kyros AI on June 5 from 7-8pm EDT for an essential conversation about the SAT vs. ACT in Summer 2025! This expert webinar is free but registration is required. REGISTER NOW.

NAME THAT SCHOOL

Are you burdened with unparalleled college knowledge? Name this week’s institution of higher education. (Find the answer at the very end.)

1. Founded in 1856 as an agricultural college and still keeps that field of study vital on campus.

2. This institution has survived not one but two major fires–first in 1912 and again in 1919–which destroyed most of the original buildings.

3. One of only a few schools that is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant institution.

4. The first-ever Internet emoji was sent from this major research hub in 1982. :-)

5. Has a turtle as a mascot and a frog as its 2025 commencement speaker!

APPLICATION ACTION STEPS

• Understand why authenticity is so fundamental to a college application.

• Learn more about Common App’s new look and feel for 2025-2026.

• Create your personalized study space for summer work. 

• Cultivate more productive sleeping habits!

HOTLINE

Do you have any burning questions to ask or want to share an issue, article, or resource our readers should know about? Dial up the College Eagle hotline through this easy form. We appreciate you!

ANSWER

Yes, Kermit the Frog (and alum Jim Henson) really did tell graduates to ‘leap together’ in his University of Maryland commencement speech. Go Terps!