Eastern Colleges for a 36 on the ACT

With a 36 ACT, you are competitive at 280 four-year colleges in the East (21 target, 28 reach, 231 safety). Your score is roughly equivalent to a 1590 SAT.

Colleges in the East for a 36 ACT

Target Schools (Competitive Chance of Admission)

Target schools have middle 50% ranges that include 36 - your score fits squarely in the admitted pool.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Villanova University Villanova, PA	32-34	33	27%	Medium
Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	33-35	34	16%	Medium
Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA	30-33	31	29%	Medium
Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI	31-34	32	19%	Medium
Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA	31-34	32	26%	Medium
University of Rochester Rochester, NY	31-34	32	40%	Medium
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY	33-35	34	19%	Medium
Babson College Wellesley, MA	31-34	32	17%	Medium
Brandeis University Waltham, MA	31-34	32	40%	Medium
Wesleyan University Middletown, CT	33-35	34	16%	Medium
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY	31-33	32	21%	Medium
Trinity College Hartford, CT	30-34	32	29%	Medium

View all 21 target colleges

Reach Schools (Lower Admission Chance)

Reach schools typically enroll students with higher average ACT scores; admission is possible but more competitive.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Harvard University Cambridge, MA	34-36	35	4%	Low
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	34-36	35	5%	Low
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	34-36	35	5%	Low
Yale University New Haven, CT	33-35	34	4%	Low
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY	34-35	34	4%	Low
Princeton University Princeton, NJ	34-35	34	5%	Low
Brown University Providence, RI	34-35	34	5%	Low
Northeastern University Boston, MA	33-35	34	5%	Low
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	33-35	34	5%	Low
Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA	33-35	34	7%	Low
Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME	33-35	34	7%	Low
Williams College Williamstown, MA	34-35	34	8%	Low

View all 28 reach colleges

Safety Schools (Very High Chance of Admission)

Safety schools have average ACT scores well below 36; you have a very high chance of acceptance.

College	ACT Range	Avg ACT	Acceptance Rate	Your Chance
Penn State Main Campus University Park, PA	27-32	29	61%	High
Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	29-32	30	46%	High
Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY	29-33	31	49%	High
Binghamton University Vestal, NY	30-32	31	39%	High
University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA	30-33	31	60%	High
University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	29-33	31	58%	High
University at Albany Albany, NY	22-31	26	69%	High
Fordham University Bronx, NY	30-33	31	59%	High
Rutgers University New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	28-33	30	58%	High
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	27-32	29	79%	High
Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT	25-30	27	72%	High
University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	27-32	29	74%	High

View all 231 safety colleges

View the full list of colleges that accept a 36 ACT in the East

See all colleges nationally for a 36 ACT

36 ACT to SAT Equivalent Conversion

Colleges use concordance tables to compare SAT and ACT scores. The following table shows the 36 ACT to SAT equivalent and nearby scores for context. These conversions are approximate.

ACT Score	SAT Equivalent
33	1460
34	1500
35	1540
36	1590

Individual colleges may interpret scores slightly differently, so treat concordance as a guide rather than an exact rule.

Published: August 19, 2026