<p>I think maybe everyone is misunderstanding the OP's question.</p>
<p>You were asking why people are reporting scores out of 2400 (CR/W/M) instead of 1600 (CR/M) given that so many colleges aren't looking at writing, right?</p>
<p>I think the answer is probably mostly that a lot of colleges <em>are</em> looking at the writing. It seems to be pretty solidly split at every tier of admissions. (Kaplan did an extensive survey a year ago.)</p>
<p>Moreover, I think awareness of this issue--that at many schools the writing section is less important, or not important at all--is dying away. It was a big deal a year ago because a Yale admissions officer was quoted in the NYT saying that Yale wasn't even looking at the writing section scores. But since it hasn't been in the press recently, it's moving out of public consciousness.</p>
<p>Also, it's possible that more schools have been starting to look at the writing section more. I have been meaning to call around and find out, but I haven't had time. At our center, I usually emphasize the reading above the writing because a) at least some schools don't pay much attention to the writing and b) perfect reading scores are rarer than perfect writing scores and therefore a little bit more likely to set the student apart.</p>