I received a score of 34 on English and 34 composite, but I got a 24 on my writing, which is shockingly low in my opinion. Could there be something wrong???
No advice, but this caught my eye because my son had a similar score (33 and 25 in his case), and we were really surprised since past SAT writing scores were high, etc. Was this your first time taking the ACT? It was his first time.
Yep, this was my first time too, and I did pretty well on SAT writing too!
I got a 34 composite and a 22 on the essay.
Honestly most colleges don’t look at the essay scores one bit. They know the whole thing is ridiculous and can get a taste of your writing from your essays.
Hello! I came across the same problem as you! When I first took the ACT my composite score was a 28 while my writing score was only a 23. I knew I didn’t do well on that writing so when I retook the ACT I also redid the writing. This time I got a 31 composite and a 25 on writing. I was disappointed in myself until my friend told me that ACT writing scores usually run low and there have been a lot of people who aren’t sure exactly how they grade them. I know a 25 on writing is still in the 90th percentile, plus like the other users said, colleges really only take into account if you actually took the writing portion. Hope this helps!
I got a 32 composite but a 36 on the essay, I know a TON of smart people, better writers than me even, that encountered the same problem as you. I think the thing that most people do is try and write essays like they do in school, it’s really important to stick to the guidelines that the ACT provide about writing the essay. It’s important to remember what the goal of the essay is supposed to be in the mind of the ACT, you’re not proving a POINT, you’re proving to them that you understand an issue from multiple points of view. Another thing that I would HIGHLY suggest doing is exploiting the allowance they make for made-up pieces of evidence, I used a ton of made up experiences and facts, and it really helped me prove my understanding of each position that they provide in the question. Forget all the conventions of essay writing you learned in English class and instead just commit to the format that the ACT create. Good luck 
Don’t sweat the essay score. While migpasux got a 36 on the essay, several of my students have had scores similar to yours. Professional college counselors with whom I talk regularly have told me that colleges really aren’t looking at ACT or SAT essay scores because the new formats don’t show whether or not a person is a good writer. Celebrate the 34, and enjoy the rest of your summer!
I’m in a similar place, I took the ACT for the first time as a sophomore and got a 34 composite but a 21 on writing. I’m super happy about my composite but worried about my writing score. Is it worth retaking as a junior to try and improve my essay score?(shooting for MIT and other top engineering schools) Can I just not submit my writing score to colleges that don’t require it?
https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Research-Letter-about-ACT-Writing.pdf
21 is ~75%ile.
Your 24 is in the 85th percentile and concords to a score of 8 on the 1-12 essay scale.
The essay sections of both the ACT and the new SAT are being scored by people without expertise or experience in writing assessment, according to a deeply flawed and vaguely worded rubric. Colleges are aware of this and many have opted out of the essay entirely. Even where it is required, it is not being considered a reliable measure of student ability.
Welp, ACT just responded and told my D that her crazy low writing score was doublechecked and confirmed as accurate.
She scored a perfect 36 on the ACT English section, but somehow received a mediocre score even on the “language use and conventions” portion of the writing test.
It’s a sad joke.
Yes, the current essays are a sad joke. I thought the previous iterations of the essays (pre-2015) were a joke, but, as with many “revisions”, the new product is far inferior to the old. Just ask Coca-Cola how “New Coke” went over in the 1980’s!
My daughter, too, had a very low ACT essay score. She had a 34 composite and 36’s on both English and Reading. Somehow, she scored a 23 on the essay, which was quite disappointing. We are choosing not to worry about the low essay score, and she will not take the ACT again.