So… I got a 36 on the ACT, but my writing score is a 6 (out of 12, putting me at the 38th percentile). I know that a lot more goes into an application, especially to Stanford, but am I right to worry about this? Is this a reason for Stanford and similarly competitive schools to reject me? Should I retake?
This is a little late… But getting a 36 on your ACT is extremely impressive. No student is perfect. As many selective colleges do, they’ll look at your application as a whole and decide whether you’d be a good fit for the school. If you think that the writing section is something you can improve, retake it, but if not, I would just let it go and focus on other aspects of your application. Good luck, I’m sure that you’ll get into many great schools!
Don’t retake a 36. Perhaps just explain in a short sentence what happened with your essay score (time pressure, misread the prompt or whatever the reason was).
I mean they’ll be able to figure out your writing skills based on your essays…