A 29 ACT Score is Highly Competitive (85th percentile). You are highly competitive for flagship state universities (e.g., Michigan, UVA, UT Austin).
2026 Strategy: In the current admissions cycle, a 29 is a 'Golden Ticket' for merit scholarships at mid-tier private colleges.
Expert Insight: If you are targeting T20 schools, check their Middle-50% range. If 29 is below their 25th percentile, you may benefit from a test-optional submission, provided your GPA is exceptionally high.
Best Colleges for 29 ACT Score
Following is the list of best suited colleges with your 29 ACT Score.
| Logo | College | State | ACT 25th Percentile | ACT 75th Percentile | Acceptance Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logo | College | State | ACT 25th Percentile | ACT 75th Percentile | Acceptance Rate | Status |
|
SUNY at Purchase College | New York | 29 | 31 | 74.68% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lewis & Clark College | Oregon | 29 | 32 | 68.59% | SOLID MATCH |
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Ohio State University-Main Campus | Ohio | 29 | 32 | 52.72% | SOLID MATCH |
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Denison University | Ohio | 29 | 32 | 21.96% | COMP. MATCH |
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St Lawrence University | New York | 29 | 32 | 63.5% | SOLID MATCH |
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American University | District of Columbia | 29 | 32 | 40.63% | SOLID MATCH |
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Loyola Marymount University | California | 29 | 32 | 41.31% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bennington College | Vermont | 29 | 33 | 45.31% | SOLID MATCH |
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Trinity University | Texas | 29 | 33 | 30.51% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rhode Island School of Design | Rhode Island | 29 | 33 | 17.42% | COMP. MATCH |
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Muhlenberg College | Pennsylvania | 29 | 33 | 65.51% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | Pennsylvania | 29 | 33 | 49.14% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bryn Mawr College | Pennsylvania | 29 | 33 | 30.75% | SOLID MATCH |
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Sarah Lawrence College | New York | 29 | 33 | 49.88% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rochester Institute of Technology | New York | 29 | 33 | 67.17% | SOLID MATCH |
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Union College | New York | 29 | 33 | 46.51% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Massachusetts | 29 | 33 | 63.52% | SOLID MATCH |
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Colorado College | Colorado | 29 | 33 | 16.3% | COMP. MATCH |
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Santa Clara University | California | 29 | 33 | 52.11% | SOLID MATCH |
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Binghamton University | New York | 29 | 34 | 41.75% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois | 29 | 34 | 44.82% | SOLID MATCH |
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St. Mary's College of Maryland | Maryland | 28 | 30 | 77.3% | SOLID MATCH |
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Seton Hall University | New Jersey | 28 | 31 | 75.07% | SOLID MATCH |
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Fairfield University | Connecticut | 28 | 31 | 52.18% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Vermont | Vermont | 28 | 32 | 59.79% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rhodes College | Tennessee | 28 | 32 | 53.91% | SOLID MATCH |
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Clemson University | South Carolina | 28 | 32 | 42.98% | SOLID MATCH |
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Providence College | Rhode Island | 28 | 32 | 52.78% | SOLID MATCH |
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Ursinus College | Pennsylvania | 28 | 32 | 82.21% | SOLID MATCH |
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Gettysburg College | Pennsylvania | 28 | 32 | 56.31% | SOLID MATCH |
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Ithaca College | New York | 28 | 32 | 75.2% | SOLID MATCH |
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Syracuse University | New York | 28 | 32 | 51.75% | SOLID MATCH |
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St. John's College | New Mexico | 28 | 32 | 54.08% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bentley University | Massachusetts | 28 | 32 | 57.88% | SOLID MATCH |
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College of the Holy Cross | Massachusetts | 28 | 32 | 36.36% | SOLID MATCH |
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Simmons University | Massachusetts | 28 | 32 | 76.46% | SOLID MATCH |
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Illinois Institute of Technology | Illinois | 28 | 32 | 61.44% | SOLID MATCH |
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Knox College | Illinois | 28 | 32 | 73.32% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Denver | Colorado | 28 | 32 | 77.68% | SOLID MATCH |
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Pepperdine University | California | 28 | 32 | 48.71% | SOLID MATCH |
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Baylor University | Texas | 28 | 33 | 45.88% | SOLID MATCH |
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North Carolina State University at Raleigh | North Carolina | 28 | 33 | 47.17% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Jersey | 28 | 33 | 66.29% | SOLID MATCH |
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St Olaf College | Minnesota | 28 | 33 | 56.41% | SOLID MATCH |
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Clark University | Massachusetts | 28 | 33 | 50.32% | SOLID MATCH |
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Wheaton College | Illinois | 28 | 33 | 88.43% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Florida | Florida | 28 | 33 | 23.35% | COMP. MATCH |
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University of Connecticut | Connecticut | 28 | 33 | 54.51% | SOLID MATCH |
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United States Air Force Academy | Colorado | 28 | 33 | 16.23% | COMP. MATCH |
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Stony Brook University | New York | 28 | 34 | 49.14% | SOLID MATCH |
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Virginia Wesleyan University | Virginia | 27 | 29 | 81.43% | SOLID MATCH |
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Pacific Lutheran University | Washington | 27 | 30 | 88.9% | SOLID MATCH |
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Saint Michael's College | Vermont | 27 | 30 | 85.15% | SOLID MATCH |
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Valparaiso University | Indiana | 27 | 30 | 94.15% | SOLID MATCH |
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Patrick Henry College | Virginia | 27 | 31 | 75.85% | SOLID MATCH |
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Champlain College | Vermont | 27 | 31 | 55.68% | SOLID MATCH |
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Wofford College | South Carolina | 27 | 31 | 60.18% | SOLID MATCH |
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Thomas Jefferson University | Pennsylvania | 27 | 31 | 88.85% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Portland | Oregon | 27 | 31 | 92.51% | SOLID MATCH |
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Loyola University Chicago | Illinois | 27 | 31 | 79.15% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Florida-Online | Florida | 27 | 31 | 64.64% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of San Francisco | California | 27 | 31 | 71.18% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lawrence University | Wisconsin | 27 | 32 | 72.27% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Puget Sound | Washington | 27 | 32 | 82.66% | SOLID MATCH |
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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Virginia | 27 | 32 | 56.98% | SOLID MATCH |
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Brigham Young University | Utah | 27 | 32 | 66.67% | SOLID MATCH |
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The University of the South | Tennessee | 27 | 32 | 52.32% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of South Carolina-Columbia | South Carolina | 27 | 32 | 64.05% | SOLID MATCH |
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Furman University | South Carolina | 27 | 32 | 67.02% | SOLID MATCH |
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Bryant University | Rhode Island | 27 | 32 | 68.81% | SOLID MATCH |
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Drexel University | Pennsylvania | 27 | 32 | 79.61% | SOLID MATCH |
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The College of Wooster | Ohio | 27 | 32 | 56.27% | SOLID MATCH |
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School of Visual Arts | New York | 27 | 32 | 87.41% | SOLID MATCH |
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Hobart William Smith Colleges | New York | 27 | 32 | 68.38% | SOLID MATCH |
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Creighton University | Nebraska | 27 | 32 | 75.69% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minnesota | 27 | 32 | 74.91% | SOLID MATCH |
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Centre College | Kentucky | 27 | 32 | 62.85% | SOLID MATCH |
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Indiana University-Bloomington | Indiana | 27 | 32 | 82.41% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Georgia | Georgia | 27 | 32 | 42.55% | SOLID MATCH |
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Thomas Aquinas College | California | 27 | 32 | 84.73% | SOLID MATCH |
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United States Military Academy | New York | 27 | 33 | 11.95% | ELITE REACH |
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New Jersey Institute of Technology | New Jersey | 27 | 33 | 65.99% | SOLID MATCH |
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Wheaton College (Massachusetts) | Massachusetts | 27 | 33 | 79.48% | SOLID MATCH |
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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Indiana | 27 | 33 | 73.02% | SOLID MATCH |
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Purdue University-Main Campus | Indiana | 27 | 34 | 52.7% | SOLID MATCH |
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Drew University | New Jersey | 26 | 28 | 72.66% | HIGH SAFETY |
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Juniata College | Pennsylvania | 26 | 30 | 76.16% | SOLID MATCH |
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Miami University-Oxford | Ohio | 26 | 30 | 87.92% | SOLID MATCH |
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Marist College | New York | 26 | 30 | 62.85% | SOLID MATCH |
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Saint Anselm College | New Hampshire | 26 | 30 | 82.3% | SOLID MATCH |
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California Lutheran University | California | 26 | 30 | 87.18% | SOLID MATCH |
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Marquette University | Wisconsin | 26 | 31 | 87.21% | SOLID MATCH |
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Beloit College | Wisconsin | 26 | 31 | 65.86% | SOLID MATCH |
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Gonzaga University | Washington | 26 | 31 | 69.74% | SOLID MATCH |
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DigiPen Institute of Technology | Washington | 26 | 31 | 66.37% | SOLID MATCH |
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Texas Christian University | Texas | 26 | 31 | 56.1% | SOLID MATCH |
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Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | Pennsylvania | 26 | 31 | 55.21% | SOLID MATCH |
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Saint Joseph's University | Pennsylvania | 26 | 31 | 88.68% | SOLID MATCH |
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Pratt Institute-Main | New York | 26 | 31 | 50.45% | SOLID MATCH |
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Le Moyne College | New York | 26 | 31 | 78.28% | SOLID MATCH |
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Hofstra University | New York | 26 | 31 | 69.33% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | New Hampshire | 26 | 31 | 86.99% | SOLID MATCH |
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Saint Louis University | Missouri | 26 | 31 | 84.71% | SOLID MATCH |
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Springfield College | Massachusetts | 26 | 31 | 75.63% | SOLID MATCH |
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Lake Forest College | Illinois | 26 | 31 | 59.72% | SOLID MATCH |
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Mercer University | Georgia | 26 | 31 | 74.68% | SOLID MATCH |
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Florida State University | Florida | 26 | 31 | 25.04% | COMP. MATCH |
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University of Delaware | Delaware | 26 | 31 | 73.81% | SOLID MATCH |
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United States Coast Guard Academy | Connecticut | 26 | 31 | 23.86% | COMP. MATCH |
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Chapman University | California | 26 | 31 | 72.52% | SOLID MATCH |
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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide | Florida | 25 | 28 | 57.67% | PROBABLE |
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Salve Regina University | Rhode Island | 25 | 29 | 69.53% | SOLID MATCH |
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State University of New York at New Paltz | New York | 25 | 29 | 58.27% | SOLID MATCH |
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Washington College | Maryland | 25 | 29 | 74.71% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Central Florida | Florida | 25 | 29 | 41.04% | SOLID MATCH |
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Stetson University | Florida | 25 | 29 | 93.8% | SOLID MATCH |
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Western Washington University | Washington | 25 | 30 | 92.69% | SOLID MATCH |
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Hollins University | Virginia | 25 | 30 | 72.4% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Mary Washington | Virginia | 25 | 30 | 85.79% | SOLID MATCH |
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University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island | 25 | 30 | 76.39% | SOLID MATCH |
Your best choices will be the schools and colleges where the average ACT score of the admitted students is 27 to 31. We are also showing you the 25th percentile and 75th percentile ACT Score of the admitted students so that you can have a clear understanding of how many students score what ACT Score. If your 29 ACT Score is higher than 25th percentile, it means your score is better than the quarter of the admitted students, and if it is higher than 75th percentile, then it means your ACT score of 29 is higher than 75% of the students admitted at that school.
Choose a college where your score is near to 75th percentile, this will maximize your chances of admission. You can also apply to other schools as well, but to be on safe side, you must apply to at least 2-3 such schools and colleges.
Data Methodology & Expert Verification
The admission statuses (Elite Reach, Competitive Match, etc.) displayed on this page are calculated using a proprietary 7-tier multivariate logic. Unlike static lists, our algorithm cross-references the student's score of 29 against:
- 2024-2025 Common Data Set (CDS): Specifically Section C8 (Standardized Testing) and Section C9 (Percentiles).
- IPEDS Analytics: Latest federal reporting on institutional acceptance rates.
- 2026 Trend Analysis: Adjustments for schools that have recently reinstated mandatory testing (e.g., Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard).
Note: Standardized test scores are one component of a holistic application. For 2026, many institutions place "Very Important" weight on the rigors of your secondary school record and GPA.
FAQ for ACT 29 Score
How does a 29 ACT score compare to the SAT?
A 29 ACT is approximately equivalent to a 1390 SAT. It’s competitive for many mid-tier universities.
What scholarships are available for a 29 ACT score?
Many schools offer merit-based scholarships for scores in this range, especially when combined with a good GPA.
Can I get into Ivy League schools with a 29 ACT score?
Ivy League schools generally expect higher scores, but a 29 could still be competitive depending on other factors like GPA and extracurricular activities.
Should I retake the ACT to improve my score?
If your target schools are Ivy League or highly competitive, retaking the ACT could help. Otherwise, this score is solid for most universities.
What is the national average ACT score?
The national average ACT score is around 20–21, so a 29 is well above average.
Do test-optional colleges consider a 29 ACT score if submitted?
Yes, submitting a 29 will strengthen your application, even at test-optional schools.
What GPA is a 29 ACT?
A 29 typically corresponds to a GPA of around 3.3–3.6, showing that you have a solid academic foundation.
Can I get into NYU with a 29 ACT?
Yes, NYU admits students with ACT scores in this range. However, you should still aim for a strong GPA and other impressive aspects in your application.
Is 29 a good ACT score for Harvard?
Harvard typically admits students with scores closer to 34 or higher, but a 29 is still competitive when combined with exceptional academic and extracurricular achievements.
Can I get into MIT with a 29 ACT?
MIT’s average score is higher, usually 34 and above, but a 29 still places you within the competitive range for many prestigious schools.
Can I get into Princeton with a 29 ACT score?
Princeton expects higher scores, but a 29 is still solid for many other competitive schools, provided you have a strong overall application.
What if you improve your ACT score by 2 points (to 31)?
Improving to a 31 would make you more competitive for Ivy League and top-tier schools.

