I know there’s been a lot of threads based on retaking the act, but I haven’t found one with my situation. I took the ACT and I got a 35,35,35,36 with a composite of 36. I hadn’t taken the ACT before so I didn’t think I should sign up for the writing portion. But I have a good score, so should I retake the ACT just to get an essay score? Also, if I get a lower composite the next time I take it, will colleges choose the highest one even though I took it earlier?
Also, I have a score of 1400 on the SAT I took a month prior. Should I just give up on the SAT and try to get another good score on the ACT with the essay, or would it be beneficial for me to go for a higher SAT?
hmmm… this is a tough situation. i think you should retake it, but it’s up to you. some top schools (columbia, penn, top liberal arts colleges, etc.) do not require it, but many schools (stanford, harvard, yale, etc.) do. if you get a lower composite score, you shouldn’t worry. lots of colleges super-score, and if they don’t, they just look at your highest composite score, so you should be set either way. plus, the writing portion is extremely easy (way easier than the SAT’s writing portion). i went from a 7/12 to a 10/12 with no preparation except looking at samples, lol. try to aim for a 10+ because that’s what top schools will like to see.
Yes. Take the writing. As the writing portion can be somewhat difficult without prep, I recommend a low cost tutoring service such as Cambridge Education. I worked there for some time and saw great results with my students. You can contact them at cec-tutors.com I believe.
OP, some colleges require essay, therefore you need to take it. As to whether they superscore across the two ACTs (with and without essay) I think you have to check with the colleges.