<p>8:13PM in College Admissions
I recently found my ACT scores online. I got a 34 composite (36 English, 35 math, 34 reading, 32 science). My problem: I received a 4 on the writing. A four!!! I am number one in my class, have a 4.0 unweighted gpa, was on the UIL ready writing and literary criticism teams, was the student of the year in the highest honors English my high school has my sophomore year, and am going to be the yearbook writing editor next year.
I came out of the test knowing that my essay wasn't great; it only had three or four paragraphs. But I am certain that there were no major grammar/spelling/punctuation issues. Yes it was short, but I addressed the topic and even explained how it would be better than the counter argument.
Is it true that the graders only glance at the essays to grade them? Would they have given me such a low score simply because my essay was short? Any college that requires the writing portion will throw out my application with such a low score, right?
I have not yet taken the SAT, and those scores will be a factor in whether or not I retake the ACT. Any explanations/observations are welcome. </p>
<p>Retake it</p>
<p>I don’t think it matters too much. No school puts too much weight on it. You can retake it if you want to, but I don’t think it’s a big deal.</p>
<p>Retake for a higher superscore</p>
<p>Definitely retake it or try SAT. read sample essays. This is the most flexible section to dramatically improve your scores. Even following the template on the ACT site can easily get you an 8.
Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Grammar is important, but they grade the essays with other criteria too. For instance, you will lose significant points if you don’t have a conclusive statement/paragraph. If that is your first attempt, you may want to retake it as many top schools do look at the essay score (or the English score with writing). In addition, you may get your ACT composite higher next time that may strengthen your application for admission, and for so for merit scholarships.</p>