I just got my March scores back, which had my first writing score, and it was 9 points below my composite (34). I’ve heard a lot about ACT making mistakes with the writing scores, but I don’t know how much of that turned out to be legitimate. I feel that it could be an error, since I’m generally a good writer, and I scored high in English and reading, but being my first writing test, I may have just not formatted it the way they prefer, or said something that automatically triggers a low score. If errors are common, and there is a way to follow up without causing too much of a fuss, I’d like to, but I also don’t know if the lower point value is normal (though I’ve heard it generally falls within 3-5 points of your composite). I know the percentile for my writing score was much higher than that same score as a composite would have been. Do you know how much the writing matters to colleges that ask for it, is it even worth pursuing or retesting? Is there any way to see the actual critique of my writing to find out where they thought I went wrong?
I got a 34 with a dismal essay score as well, so I should know lol. I only took it once and sent that score to my colleges, so I’m pretty sure the writing score isn’t that influential, especially since you’ll be submitting essays that you actually took time on and truly reflect your writing ability. As long as your application essays are stellar, they shouldn’t be a big deal.