36 composite but 8 writing...should I retake?

Test Preparation
1

I’m aiming at ivy league schools.
From what I’ve heard, I can’t send only the composite score but not the writing score. If this is true, should I retake the ACT (and with or without writing)?

2

According to PrepScholar with the Ivy league colleges , half require the ACT Writing section (Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale) and half leaving it optional (Columbia, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, Brown).

I personally wouldn’t stress too much about a 8/12 on the writing section and I certainly wouldn’t retake the ACT just to get a 9 or 10 on the writing section. I would spend the time on other sections of your college application like essays, continue to get strong grades the first half of senior year, make sure to apply to many match and a few safety colleges, and lastly TRY to enjoy your last year of high school. I’m sure you will have some great college choices come spring 2020.

3

People should not take Prepscholar (or any other secondary source) at face value. Stuff changes. Always check the university’s website.

All of these schools dumped the essay portion requirement last year.

No, don’t retake. Work on other aspects of your application.

4

Yes, and that includes advice given on CC

5

Do not retake an ACT score of 36. If concerned about your writing score, then just spend additional time polishing your application essays.

6

Schools are putting less and less value on the essay/writing portions of standardized tests, to the point where they are barely meaningful outside of CA schools (IMO). They get much more from your essays and writing samples than from an extremely time-limited essay on a surprise topic.

There are many, many better ways to spend your time. Including sleeping in on a Saturday morning.

7

And if you do submit the writing, because it’s part of the test you did take, they can easily ignore it.
But the issue is that, if you’re not clear on what these colleges ask for in testing, you need to make certain you understand the rest of what they want and look for. That’s from what they say and show on their own websites.