ACT plus Writing

I recent received my ACT scores and I have a 30 composite which I’m pretty happy with. However the writing just got back and I scored a 19. I am very confused on the point difference. I thought my essay was pretty good and was fairly confident that I would get a decent score on it. Papers I write usually receive a ‘B’ grade and I usually get an A or a B in English class. Is there any reason why the point difference is so large and how badly does this affect my college admissions chance?

I’ve heard that lots of schools don’t look at the writing score. However, if you truly feel that your essay was better than its score, you can pay $50 to have it re-read. It might gain a point or two (or three) upon a re-read.

Thanks!

I think it is worth paying the $50 for the repeat scoring. If the score goes up, they don’t charge you. On the other hand, the writing score seems suspect and few schools use it. But why leave potential points on the table?