During ACT season, juniors sit uncertain and anxious for test day. Depending on their future plans, this test could have significant impacts on the rest of their lives, and knowing that doesn’t make it any easier for juniors.

Luckily for juniors, there are numerous different resources available to them to prepare for the test. A Rampage poll surveyed GCHS seniors about which of those tools they found most helpful, their general advice, and their personal experience and regrets with the ACT.

Seniors were asked what tools helped them prepare for the ACT. Here were the most common responses:

1. Practice tests: “The ACT practice tests definitely help because they give immediate feedback,” senior Charlie Glover said.
2. ACT prep class: “[The ACT prep] helped a lot,” Jack Velez said.
3. ACT resources such as books
4. Studying with teachers/tutors/friends

Seniors were also asked to give one piece of advice for juniors in ACT season. Here were some of those responses:

“To try on it no matter what, whether you are currently thinking about going to college or not. You might end up changing your mind,” one senior said, requesting anonymity.

“It is okay to guess answers, guess [and] bookmark ones you aren’t sure about, to come back and think about them at the end,” senior Kendal Bellomo said. Another anonymous senior said “Take ACT prep, it really does help.” Senior Seth Meaney said to “[not] second guess yourself, for on this test, you are your own worst enemy.”

Finally, seniors were asked what they regret about their ACT experience. These are mistakes they made that they hope future GCHS juniors will avoid making.

“I wish that I had learned more about the math section, specifically algebra and geometry,” Seth Meaney said.

“I regret not caring about it and not trying because a few months after, I decided to go to a university and could have used the good grade,” one senior said.

Another senior said they didn’t take it seriously because they “thought all schools were test optional” and that they didn’t consider the scholarship benefits.

“I wish I had brushed up on my math a bit more and checking my punctuation,” another senior said.
One senior who requested anonymity said they regret “not attending [the prep class] so much because it wasn’t ‘mandatory.’” “I regret not taking the practice tests to better prepare myself,” senior Engjell Villarino said.

Overall, Grayslake Central provides a variety of different ways to prep for the ACT, and according to the Class of 2026, using these resources is essential for future students taking the ACT.