text: can i get into a good college if my grades are low but my act score is high? i got a 28 on my act. but i didnt get the grades that i deserved. it depends what you consider a good school.  for instance the university of iowa guarantees admission for students who meet an "admission index score" requirement, which is calculated by: 2 * act + percentile rank so you only need to rank in 44th percentile or above of your high school class to be guaranteed admission to the college of liberal arts at the university of iowa as an out of state student.  this is obviously not the case at all schools and it depends on what major you are looking at, as many schools have higher requirements for students applying for specific programs (other than liberal arts) such as engineering.