South Carolina Students Choose
the ACT

Select the ACT Test to Step Toward Success

Tell your school that you prefer to take the ACT test for free during the school day. The ACT gives students more opportunities to showcase their hard work, overall academic achievement, and potential for success throughout their lives. Besides, ACT questions are based on material you’re already studying in school, so you’re ready for the test!

Benefits of Taking the ACT

Increase your South Carolina scholarship potential.

Students with an ACT test score qualify for more merit-based scholarships—like the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and the LIFE Scholarship. More scholarship money means less college debt, so make sure you lock in the score you need to help pay for school!

Stand out on college applications.

Your college application is like a puzzle—with each piece of information, you are providing colleges with a more complete picture of who you are. Give admissions officers all the information they need, including an ACT score, to show schools you have the grit to put in the work.

Secure your ACT superscore.

The ACT Superscore takes the average of your four best subject scores from each test attempt and counts it as your official score. Taking the ACT as a junior means you’ll have time to retake it to create a college reportable superscore. FYI: The Palmetto Fellows Scholarship and LIFE Scholarship will begin accepting ACT Superscores for students graduating in 2022!

Unlock your ACT score report.

In addition to your ACT Composite Score, review the Interest-Major Fit results to explore how your interests align with your strengths, see if you fall in the ACT Readiness Range for college courses, compare your score to other students in South Carolina, and access your STEM and ELA scores!

Download Preparing for the ACT Test to Access:

An overview of the ACT test and what to expect on test day
A full-length practice ACT test (including writing prompt)
Answers and a scoring key for each test section
A breakdown of the content covered in each test section
General test-taking strategies
Ways to approach each section of the ACT

What Students Say About the ACT

"As a student who plans to pursue a career in the medical field, I believed strong ACT scores were an important part of the application process and would help illustrate that I was capable of being successful in advanced science and math courses at the college level. Those scores, along with my GPA, definitely helped me stand out in the process of applying to the University of South Carolina, where I received some of the top merit scholarships offered and was selected to be part of the top Honors College in the nation.”

Lauren, Class of 2025

"As a student-athlete, I recognized that strong ACT scores would broaden my recruitment process and education opportunities. I wanted to play because of my abilities but get into college on my academic performance. I knew I wouldn't be a scientist like my sister, so I used the four sections on the ACT to earn a competitive composite score. My ACT scores got me academic money and interest from several schools, including power conferences, small liberals, and a few Ivys. I am a black D1 baseball player and academic honor athlete."

KG, Class of 2023