<p>Do any LACs give it equal weight to other subsections in admissions? It seems like most LACs do not consider this score too much. Also, what is the combined English and essay score for, and are there any schools that consider it for admissions?</p>
<p>Anyone know?</p>
<p>I was wondering about the writing also, it seems I have to go from site to site to check and sometimes it isn’t clear.
A few LAC’s like Providence recently, said they don’t consider it (yet) but others look at it but don’t give it a lot of weight.</p>
<p>Debruns, thanks. I have noticed that most schools don’t count it all or count it very little. I don’t even get what the English/essay score is all about. I mean why bother calculating it if few schools are considering the number.</p>
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<p>Is this how most schools feel about it? If this is the case why are kids paying for this section, and taking this section? What is the purpose?</p>
<p>College Board introduced the writing section of the test at the strong urging of the University of California system. UC President Richard C. Atkinson in 2001 urged the inclusion of a test with a writing sample, and there was the unspoken threat that if College Board didn’t provide such a test the UC system would stop accepting SAT tests and require a different test. This would clearly hurt College Board’s revenues, given all the kids who apply to the UC system.</p>
<p>That’s funny, I was just reading that about Reed. Providence told us yesterday they don’t use the writing, one of my daughters frowned because she got a 12, but I told her “they still see it”. : ) My other twin got a 9. I wonder too why they have it…time will tell if it lasts. The science section on the ACT (for most) seems to be the thing that lowers the scores, it was very hard last test. I wish they would change that to be more about science in general, but they aren’t asking my opinion!
Most schools that want the ACT though, want writing included.</p>
<p>dadx, yes, I know remember reading about the UC system being unhappy with SAT, but is this section only important to California? Do any colleges or universities consider it equally to other sections? I remember when the writing section first came out, schools talked about pulling the essay up online. I know that schools can. Do they, and if so why, if they don’t really consider it an important part of the application?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I think this is something you have to search out on a case by case / college by college basis. Many schools say they have not used the writing test score in their admissions decision making, because they don’t have enough data from their own experience to see how predictive it is. At some point, I suppose, they will have enough data. Could be next year, but who is to tell? I have got to think that they at least look at the score and that it could have some influence on those close cases, but then again I’m not on an admissions committee, so it’s just my guess.</p>
<p>I think many LACs require the writing portion (even if they don’t think much of it’s validity as a measure) because it is a cross-check on ghost-authored or parent-edited application essays. A big discrepancy between application essays and ACT writing would be a red flag. ACT seems to allow for much more creative latitude than the SAT in their scoring criterion.</p>
<p>Elon says that the Writing Score is a important part of the selection process, and based upon the scores of accepted students, I believe them.</p>
<p>ncmentor, that is intesting. This is the first school that I have heard of that feels that the writing score is important.</p>
<p>My DD would love to know how much the ACT writing portion counts at admit time. On her first try she got a 34 composite but only an 8 on the essay. On her next try this week at school, she failed to hear the 5 minute warning and got caught right in the middle of a sentence. Needless to say, she was upset with herself. I would hate to have to pay another $86 just so she can try to up the essay score. Hoping in the long run it doesnt matter much. I would love to hear from some parents whose kids didnt have stellar essay scores but still succeded in getting in to a great school.</p>
<p>You can find out a college’s policy if you can track down their common data set. Quicker, but less complete, is the College Board’s “College Finder”:</p>
<p>[College</a> MatchMaker - Type of School](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>If you find a college and click on the SAT, AP, CLEP tab, it lists the testing policies, often including the treatment of the writing section.</p>
<p>My impression is that quite a few LACs have changed to giving the writing section considerable weight after the college board’s study found that it had, by a slight margin, more predictive ability than M or CR.</p>
<p>And here’s a link that purports to give the polices of 374 colleges. It’s been revised at least once that I know of, but is not up to date:</p>
<p>[KAPLAN</a> EXCLUSIVE: New SAT Scoring Policies from 374 Top Schools](<a href=“http://www.kaptest.com/Kaplan/Article/College/SAT/Learn-About-the-SAT/CO_sat_surveyresults.html;jsessionid=FCEWCVZ44TXKBLA3AQJXBM3MDUCBE2HC]KAPLAN”>http://www.kaptest.com/Kaplan/Article/College/SAT/Learn-About-the-SAT/CO_sat_surveyresults.html;jsessionid=FCEWCVZ44TXKBLA3AQJXBM3MDUCBE2HC)</p>
<p>MarathonMan88, thanks for pointing out these links. I noticed that one does need to check the CDS. For example, Hamilton is checked off as considering the writing/essay in admissions on the CB, but is listed as giving it no weight on Kaplan’s list.</p>
<p>I did see on the CB’s site that Colby, Bates, in addition to Elon use the writing in admission. It was interesting to note that Cornell College checked off that they are using the essay as a validity check for the essay used as a part of the application.</p>