<p>Boosted me to a 10, started with a 9, I wrote 3.25 pages would have liked a 12 
but hey 99%</p>
<p>Two more things. I would recommend against using quotes. I didnât use them personally; they would conflict to much with my writing STYLE, which is what you need. You must remember that NOBODY can write like you. You must form your own style and update it until it is freaking awesome. This goes for anything (sports, socializing, etc.)</p>
<p>Believe in yourself. If you donât believe in your ability to get a 12, youâre setting yourself up for failure. Saying I canât= I donât want it that bad. Do the work and you will get there.</p>
<p>Okay, so I just got my Writing score back from the April 2014 ACT, and I got a 12!!! Thanks so much!</p>
<p>I followed the tips for the most part. I started at an 8 in October!</p>
<p>My advice? BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE. ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY EXPLICITLY STATE THE COUNTERARGUMENT. </p>
<p>I B.S.ed 3 of my 4 examples. In total, I used all the pages they gave me. I also came preloaded with my examples, knowing that all the prompts are based on school legislation.</p>
<p>I wish I read this before I took my ACTs! I took it 3 times and got 9âs on the first two, and just got an 11 on my last one. My advice, even though I didnât get a 12, is to just be very specific, use personal examples, and answer all areas of the prompt (I had to add an asterisk at the end because I didnât read the whole question before I started!). Maybe throw in some style, etc to finish it off (I asked some rhetorical questions). Of the 3 essays Iâve written, I felt the worst about this one, but somehow got a higher score. My language was primitive and passive, I didnât have a hook, and my conclusion began with the dreaded âoverall.â But, the examples and specifics make the essay so worry about the content more than style, etc. I will certainly take an 11!</p>
<p>Almost all the ACT essays are somewhat related to school legislation. Being an international student, many of them I am not familiar with. Like one practice test essay asked my opinion about dress code; yes I do know about uniforms, but dress code! Never heard of it. I answered the essay assuming dress code as uniform, but the book termed it incorrect.
Is there any common place (book, magazine, TV show or anything) where I can learn more about the American school system, at least enough to avoid a situation like misunderstanding the essay prompt? </p>
<p>Honestly, thank you. This is the only real essay writing âguideâ I have found for ACT. I am about to take my first test and was nervous about the format, but this discussion really helped. As a student with straight Aâs in AP English and who scored an 11 on the SAT, I was really nervous that I would let myself down. </p>
<p>@SirPingPongâ </p>
<p>Wait, so should we have a counterargument PER point? Or just one point which addresses a major counterpoint? </p>
<p>I got a 10 first try, aiming for a 11-12 now!</p>
<p>Thanks, but all things considered, no thanks. Getting a 12/12 on the ACT essay is really not a big deal, neither is a 34. Now, if you had received a perfect 36 like meâŠ</p>
<p>So, please, donât feel the need to inform everyone of your writing abilities. From the way the post was written, the inadequacies speak for themselves.</p>
<p>@archduke You are acting very immature. The people on this thread donât care about your subtle, not-so-subtle attempts at flouting your test scores. The people are trying to improve their writing score, and quite frankly, donât care about the inadequacies of the post. The rules the OP stated are quite correct, so if you donât have anything to contribute, it would be best if you didnât post at all here.</p>
<p>@SineSquareSaw I used just ONE point to address a major counterpoint. It must be extremely explicit, but I would suggest only spending one paragraph for that MAJOR counterpoint to save time. Good luck on getting your 12! You can do it! Ask me if you want any more advice, but the OP covers it pretty well.</p>
<p>Thank you Yankee</p>
<p>For the body paragraphs, should the topic sentence state my âideasâ or my âexamplesâ. Usually examples are used to prove ideas but from what Iâm reading, the ACT just wants you to focus on examples.</p>
<p>Also, should I reserve an ENTIRE paragraph for refuting the counter argument or should I integrate it into 1 (or all) my examples?</p>
<p>@â Dannnn Topic sentence should integrate the idea with the example. â(Example 1) proves that (issue) is clearly an unwise decision.â Then go from there. Itâs just to help with organization, so itâs extremely clear-cut.</p>
<p>I think trying to constantly integrate the counter argument might make a bit too redundant and disrupt the flow, but if you donât feel comfortable devoting an entire paragraph (like I did), then you should do what suits your style.</p>
<p>that was @Dannnn</p>
<p>@SirPingPongâ - Itâs not that I donât feel comfortable with anything. Itâs just that Iâm curious if they want us to give something like intro, 2 paragraphs with examples, 1 that refutes the counter arg, then a conclusion.</p>
<p>OR if they want intro, 3 paragraphs with examples (counter args are integrated), then a conclusion.</p>
<p>Or do they simply not care, as long as you mention the opposing point of view?</p>
<p>@Dannnn Not really that you wouldnât be comfortable, but just that youâd be MORE comfortable doing one or the other. Honestly, it doesnât matter as long as you address it explicitly. It just might sound better one method over the other if you feel more comfortable with spending a whole paragraph/consistently addressing it. </p>
<p>@SirPingPongâ - So youâre sure they donât want one or the other for a 12?</p>
<p>@Dannnn Dang dude, just accept my advice. If youâre skeptical, ask someone else for their opinionâŠtrust me, as long as you say it, it doesnât matter the method. I only know what worked for me, which was one whole paragraph. You donât really seem to want to do that, so I said to do what you feel comfortable with, yet you still donât seem content with that answer; thereâs not much else I can say.</p>
<p>@SirPingPongâ - I actually much rather have an entire paragraph. I just want to be sure. Thanks for the help anyways</p>
<p>Hey, can someone confirm whether you are allowed to make up quotes, stats, etc? Cuz my teacher said that we were not allowed</p>
<p>Thanks </p>