• ACT Information

    • The ACT is a college entrance examination that is used as a tool to measure a student’s potential for success in college.
    • Typically, only students who are planning to attend a 4-year college or university immediately after high school need to take the ACT. If you are planning to attend a community or technical college, you do not need to have an ACT score for admission. Many colleges & universities are test optional now, so checking with the admissions counselors at the institution you are looking at going to will tell you if you need to take it or not.
    • We recommend that you take the ACT spring of your junior year. You want to have as much course work completed as possible before you take the exam. If you do not get the score you had hoped for, you can take the exam again. Colleges will see all of your scores but will accept the highest that you obtain.
    • Juniors or seniors can take the ACT at GRHS on March 11, 2025. registration will open in January and the fee will be $55.50 this year. Contact the counseling office with questions.
    • Additional dates are offered throughout the year directly through ACT at www.act.org. See dates at the bottom of the page. Most dates are offered at Minnesota North Itasca Campus. The December, April and June National Test dates offer the Test Information Service (TIR) for an additional fee that returns your answers and test booklet back along with the correct answers. (The district test date does not give your answers back.)
    • Low income students can get a fee waiver from their high school counselor
    • When you register for the ACT, be sure to indicate our high school code (240-990) so that your scores will be sent to GRHS. Also, indicate which colleges you want your scores sent to. You get to send your scores to four colleges for free; after that, there is an additional fee. Some schools are now requiring that scores be sent directly from ACT, so don’t skip this very important part of registering for the ACT. Many colleges are no longer accepting ACT scores from High School transcripts; they want them sent directly from ACT.

    How to prepare for the ACT:

    The ACT is not a test that you can really study for. It is a measure of your entire education K-11. However, you can practice and prepare for the test. The following are some recommendations for preparing for the ACT.

    • Do as many practice tests as possible. These can be downloaded from www.act.org, and paper copies are available in the counseling office. Pay attention to areas where you need extra preparation.
    • Time yourself while taking practice tests. The ACT is a TIMED test. You have to pace yourself during the exam to make sure you get to all of the questions and don’t spend too much time on any one question.
    • Take a prep course like:
    • Make sure you are well-fed, rested, and hydrated before you take the test!  

    NATIONAL TEST DATES

    act dates