Hi, I am a junior and looking primarily at Ivy League Schools. I am top 1 percent of my class, am taking 6 AP classes this year (took 2 already) and have done countless hours of community service, school organizations etc. So I have two questions, I took my ACT and got a 36 first try (even I was alittle surprised at that) but I only got an 8 on the writing ( was more surprised at that). Will the writing hurt my chances, should I even consider taking the ACT over to improve the writing? Also I took the Math 2 Subject test, and stupidly did not prep for it and got a 730, should I take it over (after prepping of course).
not very important
With a 36 you have absolutely nothing to worry about - well done!
@my2caligirls @dota2fan I am in the same situation as OP (36 composite) but I got a 6 on the writing (38th percentile). Should I worry?
@18college1111 “worry” is all relative - you got a 36! For schools that require writing the 6 is not great but the 36 sure is - do the schools you are looking at require writing? Have you scored higher on writing on past ACT tests? Are you a senior? Guessing you don’t want to take another test after getting a 36 but if you are applying to a top tier school that requires writing the 6 could be an issue.
@my2caligirls I plan on applying to a few selective schools that require the writing. This was the first time taking the test, and I am a junior.
@18college1111 you have nothing to lose by taking it another time to try to bring your writing score up. With a 36 I am sure you probably write well but you need to prep for the ACT essay and follow the guides so that you check off the boxes for what they are looking for. Lots of resources out there but this one is straightforward enough - http://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-write-an-act-essay-step-by-step-example - good luck.
Under no circumstances would I recommend retaking a 36 ACT. You need to call the ACT corporation and figure out what is wrong with your essay.