So, I took the ACT in October and I just got my writing score back. I got a 36 composite and a 6 (out of 12) on the writing test. I know that the writing is not as important as the composite and everything else that goes into a college application, but this is WAY worse than I thought it’d be. I was hoping for at least a 9. I don’t think that I wrote that badly. I want to apply to some very selective schools (ex: Stanford). Would they reject me because of a 6 on the essay?
I could retake, but I risk losing the 36 composite (I really want one good test date, since lots of schools don’t superscore)
I could also call them and pay $50 to regrade my essay. I feel like I did better than what the rubric says, but I’m not certain that they’ll change my score.
What should I do? Your help is appreciated. Thanks
I literally took the sample essays that ACT has online that got a 6 or 5 and made a template out of them. Like I analyzed those two so much that my essay looked nearly identical except that it was just a different topic.
Wow, a 36, do you know how very few students get that score? I wouldn’t take the test again, although if you have fifty bucks to spare a reread can’t hurt. Honestly, so many schools are writing optional, I think the writing scores’ overall arbitrariness is well known to adcoms.
My son also got a 6 (completely out of whack with his writing ability and other scores), so I checked into this. They will no longer rescore; they will only verify that the test was scored by two people and scanned properly (for $40). I would just assume that your writing ability will be obvious from your essays, grades, and recommendations and forget about the essay score; ACT has a very suspect history in this area, and admissions officers undoubtedly know it.