Do ACT subscores flag academic strengths or weaknesses?

College admissions officers at highly selective institutions like Harvard and Dartmouth carefully evaluate both your ACT composite score and individual subject scores during their holistic review process. Your ACT subscores provide valuable insight into your academic strengths across different subjects, helping admissions teams assess your preparedness for college-level coursework.

When reviewing your ACT scores, admissions officers pay particular attention to subscore patterns that align with your intended field of study. For instance, if you're applying as an engineering major, they'll closely examine your math and science subscores. Similarly, prospective English majors' reading and writing subscores receive heightened scrutiny. Strong performance in subject areas relevant to your intended major can strengthen your application, while significantly lower subscores in these areas might raise concerns.

These prestigious universities typically expect consistently strong performance across all sections, usually seeking subscores above 30 for competitive applicants. Notable discrepancies between subscores might prompt admissions officers to look more carefully at your academic record for context. For example, a lower math subscore might be less concerning if your transcript shows steady improvement in advanced math courses.

Your ACT subscores work alongside other components of your application to create a complete academic profile. Admissions officers consider these scores in conjunction with your GPA, course rigor, and academic achievements to evaluate your potential for success at their institution. While a strong composite score remains important, your subscores help validate your academic strengths and provide additional evidence of your ability to handle challenging college coursework in specific subject areas.