Retake the ACT? and writing questions

Test Preparation
1

<p>I took the April ACT and got a composite score of 34 (English 35/Math 33/Reading 33/Science 35), but my writing score was really low: 7/12. The colleges I want to go to require the writing portion, so should I retake the ACT? I have a 3.9 GPA on an unweighted scale, and over 4.1, weighted. Will colleges consider other factors (in English grades, AP test scores, and submitted essays) as a buffer for my writing score?</p>

<p>Also, what is ACT looking for in the writing section? I have been in AP Language and Composition for the past year, and I do really well in the writing parts of the course. I consider myself an accomplished writer, so my score really surprised me.</p>

2

<p>Writing score is not awful. Moreover, though many require it, many do not give it any real weight (e.g., Stanford, UChicago and Cornell ignore it entirely). You do not have a reason to retake. If anyone can figure out what ACT or SAT is actually looking for in the esay, please let the rest of us know. They talk about things such as proper grammar, spelling, structure, and content but the reality seems to be that that are no hard and fast rules and you are to a great extent the beneficiary or victim of the whims of the particular reviewers who actually get to review your essay.</p>