<p>I got a 34 composite on the ACT, but an 8 on the essay. I feel like I wrote a pretty good essay, but it was short apparently quantity over quality for the ACT graders. Anyways do colleges care about the essay grade at all? What's the point of even taking the essay in the first place?</p>
<p>That’s exactly the scores I got, nice. </p>
<p>I don’t think so, i mean 8 looks ‘okay,’ but it wouldn’t hurt a lot. depends on what colleges you’re applying to. </p>
<p>And the point of taking the ACT with writing is because many colleges require you to take the ACT with writing the essay and not just the ACT. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about it. Especially if you are a math or science major and/or applying to technical schools, you are golden with a 34. </p>
<p>Ok thanks.</p>
<p>I’m in the same boat. I thought my 8 was a little unfair as well, but I’m not applying into a math/science field. Will this affect me more?</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it. Colleges require you to take the essay portion, however they don’t even look at it. Colleges realize that basing an applicant on an essay score for a topic they didn’t want to write about, in only 30 minutes, is idiotic and they basically disregard the score.</p>
<p>If they simply disregard the score, then why make students take it at all? Not questioning you, just curious. Does this change at all for the Ivies?</p>
<p>The writing portion has an effect on your English ACT score and nothing further. If your composite is a 34 you have absolutely nothing to worry about, you are sitting pretty good as far as colleges are concerned.</p>
<p>I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but colleges want to know that you WILL write, however they are not going to judge HOW you write on a 30 minute essay about some idiotic essay topic. They DO however want a really strong application essay/essays.</p>