Alan Yu
218894723
alanyu08@163.com
Date: 07/16/2025
Re: Individual Score Review – April 2025 ACT Scores
Option Selected: Submit Documentation in Support of Score Validity
To the ACT Test Security Review Panel,
My name is Alan Yu, and I am currently an 11th-grade student at Living Word Shanghai. I am writing to explain the significant score improvement between my two ACT tests, from an average composite score of 23 in October 2024 to a 35 in April 2025, and to provide supporting documentation.
First and foremost, I would like to clarify that my ACT score from April 2025 was achieved as a result of intensive preparation over about 6 months. The ACT exam includes both STEM and language sections. The science and math scores are strongly supported by my consistent performance in academic coursework, as well as multiple awards from national and international science competitions (see attached Transcript and Awards). On the other hand, the language scores are the result of several focused preparations.
Approximately 40% of the improvement came from my own studying, while the other 60% can be fully attributed to an ACT prep course I attended. In Fall 2024, I enrolled in a 12-week ACT preparation program organized by my school. This program involved intensive small-group sessions (5 students) three times a week, covering all subject areas of the ACT (see attached Letter from LWS and ACT Training Schedule). This course was the primary source of nearly all the test-taking strategies I used for the Reading and Language sections.
At the beginning of this training, in October 2024, I took the ACT for the first time to gain familiarity with the test structure and establish a performance baseline as well. I did not study for this first test at all and was also experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness at the time (as recorded in my November medical visit, see attached Medical Documents), which greatly impacted my performance.
After that initial attempt, I committed myself to rigorous preparation, working consistently with my teachers and practicing numerous exercises. As a result of this effort, I was able to achieve a composite score of 35 on the April 2025 ACT, including perfect scores of 36 in both Math and Science, and scores of 34 in both English and Reading.
This result is entirely consistent with my academic performance and extracurricular achievements. In Spring 2025, I earned a weighted GPA of 4.65, with A+, A, or A– grades in all subjects except for a B in Psychology (see attached Transcript). In May 2025, I also took 10 AP exams in total, and received scores of 5 in AP Research, Computer Science A, Physics 2, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, and Chinese Language and Culture, and scores of 4 in AP Statistics and Psychology (See attached Standardized Test Report（AP Score Report) ).
In addition to schoolwork, I have actively participated in academic competitions at the national and international levels and earned over 20 awards with highlights below (see attached Awards):
- STEM Competitions
- Qualified for the 2025 United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), after scoring 130.5 and 112.5 (Top 5%) in American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) 12B and AMC 12A respectively, and earning a score of 14 in American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) II.
- Gold Perfect Score and Reached Platinum Level in the USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) 2024-2025
- National Gold in the Physics Bowl 2025
- British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) 2024 Round 1 - National Gold Award
- Stanford Math Tournament (SMT) 2025 - Individual Distinguished Honorable Mention (For both tracks)
- American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) 2025 Regional Round - Individual Global Top 100
- Research-Oriented Competitions
- High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) 2024 - Honorable Mention
- China National Economics Challenge (CNEC) 2025 National Bronze - Individual Distinction
- International Economics Olympiad (IEO) 2025 National Bronze - Team Distinction
- China Thinks Big (CTB) Global Youth Research and Innovation Conference - National Conference Distinction
I believe my academic record and competition performance clearly reflect my strong knowledge base and learning capacity, aligning well with the ACT score I achieved in April. Additionally, my improvement from AP Seminar score 3 in 2024 to AP Research score 5 in 2025 also agrees well with the large increase in my ACT scores (I am not suggesting that taking AP Research directly led to my ACT improvement; rather, it was my overall academic progress that contributed to both outcomes.).
Most of the competitions listed above are STEM-related and can fully support the authenticity of my ACT science / math score. However, there are also several contests involving language (reading) skills, for example, CNEC, HiMCM, IEO, and CTB are all research based competitions that include a significant amount of English reading. These can serve as strong supporting evidence for the validity of my ACT reading score. The above list only includes the awards most relevant to the ACT scores. Please refer to the attached “Awards” folder in order to view the full list of awards.
With Early Decision of college applications’ deadlines approaching in approximately 100 days, the ACT score plays an important role in my college application. I am currently attending a summer school program while preparing personal statements and other application materials. Invalidating my ACT score at this stage would severely impact my application timeline and future academic opportunities.
I sincerely hope this explanation and the supporting documentation (my school GPA, AP scores, and competition awards) will be considered valid evidence for the credibility of my April 2025 ACT scores. Additionally, please also check the parent support letter (see attached Parent Support Letter).
Thank you very much for your understanding and consideration.
Sincerely,
Alan Yu
Grade 11, Living Word Shanghai
Attachment Index
1_Score Review Option Sheet
2_ACT Authorization t o Release Personal Information
3_Statement in Support of Validity of My April 2025 ACT Scores (This file)
4_Transcript
5_Standardized Test Report（AP Score Report) Jul 16
6_Explanation Letter from LWS
7_Parent support letter
8_ACT Training Schedule
9_Awards (Folder)
10_Medical Documents (Folder)