<p>My daughter took the SAT in January & scored a 2040 with a 10 on the essay. Now she's registering to take the ACT in hopes of scoring a little higher. The question is - If she takes the ACT without essay and her composite score is better than her SAT score, would schools that require an essay score accept the SAT writing score but use the ACT for the overall composite? Or does she need to take the ACT with essay and hope her essay scores just as well? (The 10 was a surprise because writing with a time constraint is not one of her strengths.)</p>
<p>For colleges that require that you have the ACT optional writing section if you submit ACT, she will have to take the writing section because the test will not be considered for admission without the writing section regardless of whether she also submits SAT.</p>
<p>To use the ACT where the writing is required, you’ll most likely need the writing.</p>
<p>If the ACT writing turns out to be considerably lower than the SAT writing, it would be a good idea to send the SAT in addition to the ACT with writing, as that will show the schools the higher writing score.</p>
<p>However, the writing really isn’t that big of a deal. It’s still fairly new, so most schools take it with a grain of salt and many are only requiring it so that they can collect data. Essays (and even grades) are much better indicators of writing abilities.</p>
<p>Have her take the writing when she takes the ACT. The same outside company does the grading on the SAT Writing and the ACT Writing. She should do well. A high ACT score without the Writing defeats the purpose.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. It sounds like the ACT with writing is the safest way to go.</p>