<p>Hi guys,</p>
<p>So I just got my scores back and I got another 9 on the writing portion (second time taking ACT). I know colleges do not care a whole lot about the writing portion, but I feel that I am writing some quality essays to only get a 9.. So I think I'm speaking on the behalf of many people, but can anyone who got a 11 or 12 please tell us how they approached their essay?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>just got my score back and I received and 11 on the essay. I would say first it may sound stupid but write as much as you can. Fill up as many pages as you can. Second make sure when arguing your point you make sure to recognize the opposite stance to yours. And finally just make sure you are writing clearly and concisely with good grammar and vocab.</p>
<p>Yea, it seems as if I did all those things. I addressed the prompt with 3-4 points, addressed the opposition, and wrote well. The comment I received was “Recognized the complexity of the prompt by addressing the (opposite stance?)” I think the trick is to write compound and complex sentences, honestly haha… </p>
<p>Also, the most I am able to write is 2-2.5 pages. How many pages do you fill up?</p>
<p>I usually get at least three pages. Also I would agree that it is important to vary your sentence structure.</p>
<p>I got an 11 and to be honest I wrote an embarrassingly bad essay with no punctuation. I think all I did was fill up the entire writing section with my massive cow print hand writing.</p>
<p>I got an 11, but I completely BSed that essay. I never once wrote a practice ACT essay, and just adapted my writing skills from AP Lang to the ACT. The main thing is to use examples to support your essay. Even if it is sort of a stretch, or if you have to make up statistics, use them. </p>
<p>For example, my essay was about whether or not students should have a role in choosing their curriculum. My first paragraph was addressing those who wanted it, and using an example. My second was arguing my point, and using an example. My third was arguing my point, and using an example. Use that basic structure, and you will do fine. </p>
<p>I also wrote almost four pages, and I have an incredibly eloquent writing style. I use very complex sentences, with awesome vocabulary, and lots of semicolons and colons. It seems that the ACT loves semicolons and colons.</p>
<p>I’m going to be honest, I have the same problem. I consistently receive nines and follow all the correct guidelines (grammar, vocab, counter argument, etc.) However, I only manage to fill up 2-2.5 pages. I believe - and this may not be the correct advice - that you should write at least 3.5 pages in order to get in the 11-12 range. It may sound stupid, but I believe there’s a lot of human bias in terms of the length of the essay. Quite frankly, I think the scorers tire away from grading so many essays and give an 11 or a 12 to people just to finish grading them on time. Just my two cents.</p>
<p>I got a 10 the first time, 11 this time. </p>
<ol>
<li>Address counterarguments and use the word “counterarguments” in your essay. I addressed it after each body paragraph. </li>
<li>Pick a side immediately. I had the mindset of agreeing with the prompt no matter what and that works for me. So when I saw the question asking if students should have active roles in classrooms, I mentally said “of course they should! In fact, they could even be student-teachers!” immediately and started writing right away. </li>
<li>Don’t spend time thinking for the perfect fancy word – just move on keep it simple and clear. </li>
<li>Take up as much space as you can (neatly). Don’t run out of time before you get to a nice 3 sentence conclusion minimum.</li>
</ol>
<p>I got a ten w/out any practice and no ap english classes. The comments I got was “COMMENTS ON YOUR ESSAY: YOUR ESSAY SHOWED RECOGNITION OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUE BY ADDRESSING COUNTERARGUMENTS. YOUR ESSAY SHOWED RECOGNITION OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUE BY PARTIALLY EVALUATING ITS IMPLICATIONS.” So basically make valid points. Give examples. Use counterarguments. Don’t be afraid to plan your essay first to get the structure down.</p>
<p>It’s all length. I wrote complete BS on both ACTs I did because it’s at the end of the test and I’m exhausted by that point. I got a 9 the first time and a 7 the second time (ouch). I wrote 2.5 pages for the 9 essay, and only ended up with 1.5 for the 7 essay. Both were equally stupid, but I wrote more stupid stuff for the higher score…if you can get 3-4 pages you should be golden.</p>