ACT question - importance of combined English/writing

[Melissa B]

My dd received her ACT writing score and it wasn't very good.

 

Her composite score is very good and she even aced one section. She has qualified for the scholarship she needs. So she wants to be done.

 

However, they have now posted a Combined English/writing score on her ACT above the actual writing score. And that number is low - due to the low writing score. Lower than any of her other four subject scores. How much do you think that score will effect college admittance? I am thinking of her reach school (which would be a good fit for her.) Should she retake the ACT - not really wanting to - in order to improve her writing score?

 

It is frustrating for her, as she thought yesterday she was definitely done.

[Laurie in Life]

Melissa, my two also took the June ACT with writing, one scoring a 10 and the other a 9. They both aced the English section, but the writing obviously affected their combined score. However we are not going to have them retake the ACT. I recall threads with WTM veterans relating the impact of their dc's composite vs. lower wriiting scores on their college acceptance and the gist of those threads, as I recall, was that the variance mattered very little. Two of the posters that come to mind were Creekland and Sue in St. Pete. I'm not great at linking but I'll try to copy/paste the urls below to two of those threads. 

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/511785-if-the-act-writing-portion-did-not-go-well-would-you-do-it-again-on-the-next-one/

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/549982-anyone-else-hoping-for-a-game-changing-act-score-tomorrow/page-3

[swimmermom3]

We are in somewhat of the same boat and are not sure what to do. Ds's ACT writing score is definitely at odds with his AP English Language score.

[cbollin]

My dd did ACT a couple of years ago.  she just finished her freshman year of college.  Her English score was solid at 30.  Her essay: good grief, too low to even say out loud ( but I will: 3 plus 3 is 6).  So, that brought down her combined English/Writing and as you can see is a low score around this forum for that essay. 

Turns out her first choice of college doesn't even look at the essay score or the combined score.   It was main composite and the main subscores.  (and her 2nd choice didn't look at those either) She still got top tier of scholarships that are based on ACT score and high school gpa. 

and get this?  she ended up with A's in both semesters of freshman composition this year. We were both sure she wouldn't do that. 

 

disclaimer:  she didn't apply to top name colleges.  So, I don't know how the top 100 will treat it.  But she's at a well respected regional university majoring in electrical engineering/comp sci. .   Neither place she applied to used that combined score.  She took the ACT twice. First time without essay.  Next time with.  

[Melissa B]

Thank you for the replies. My dd has decided not to retest. She has the necessary score for her merit aid and all of her scores (other than the writing) look very good. She's decided it isn't worth trying to raise just the writing score. She has to write multiple essays for her reach school anyway. The essays will speak for themselves. And honestly, her reach school is her second choice, hopefully she will be admitted to her first choice and it will be a moot point.

[Matryoshka]

Melissa, my two also took the June ACT with writing, one scoring a 10 and the other a 9. They both aced the English section, but the writing obviously affected their combined score. However we are not going to have them retake the ACT.

I just asked dd if she knew what her writing score was - her composite was 34 (before the writing score came in - does that change the composite?); her English 35. Writing was 9 (which is out of 12). But she also informed me that a 9 is 95th percentile, so is that really so bad? She does not plan to retake it.

[teeterbunch]

Appreciating his thread, as my ds is in the same boat.  So even if the school requires the writing section, they may not be that concerned with it?

[EKS]

My son got a 32 on the English section and a *6* on the writing.  He applied to a bunch of engineering schools and the only one he didn't get into was the one that looked at the writing score (or didn't say they didn't look at it).  So, yes, I think it makes a difference, and, as a professional writer, I think that judging a person on what they can write in 30 minutes (or whatever it is) is beyond idiotic.  People who are *real writers* know that good writing takes time.

[Laurie in Life]

Matroyshka - The writing does NOT affect the composite. That is still just the average of the 4 sections (English, Math, Reading and Science). And as EKS said, "real" writers know you cannot crank out any kind of meaningful essay in 30 minutes. I'm amazed that kids can do this stuff at all. I mean they've got to be exhausted by the time that section even comes along, what with the intense focus and pace they need to get through the Math and Science sections.

 

When my kids were practicing, I took a stab at a couple practice prompts and then we all shared our results. My goodness, what a piece of junk. I can write, when given the time to let things sift, but there was NOTHING productive that came out of my 30 minute effort. Then you look at some of the 12 point examples that they give in the practice books (Barron's, Princeton come to mind) ... there is NO way in the world that someone actually wrote some of those in 30 minutes. Who are they kidding? 

 

At least up until this past June's test, the expected prompt was pretty much a government mandate v. the individual. Restricting internet access or books or kind of dress or teenager freedom to run the streets after 9pm ... or the opposite which was the government, in the form of school, forcing community service, minimum grade point for athletes, etc.  One could pretty much memorize a typical response and get it down, but in the end what kind of "real" writing does that show, other than the ability to punctuate and follow a formulaic checklist? But that's what's advised and that's what we practiced so I pretty much expected them to be in the 10 point range, based on their practice essays. I'm pretty sure my one who got the 9 would have got a 10 like her sister, but for the fact she blanked, she said, when writing about the prompt's context.  I told her when I picked her up not to worry about it and then repeated the same thing to her two days ago when she got her scores. 

 

I once saw a quote in another thread by 8fiilstheHeart about ACT writing NOT reflecting the kind of writing she taught her kids. I couldn't agree with her more, and I told my kids exactly that when they were preparing for the June ACT test. That's another reason why we won't be making them retest. Their application essays will speak for themselves. I do have to laugh at myself though. I made my kids take the writing test this June ACT, even though it was their first ACT, because our biggest state school, which is very competitive, required it even as late as this past May. Guess what? As of last night, their website has changed. It no longer lists it as a requirement.

 

Just goes to prove once again that this whole college landscape is just shifting sand, my friends. Just shifting sand. 

 

 

 

 

[3byzaz]

Also glad to see this thread.  My son got a 31 on his English and a umm....3 + 3 = 6 on the writing also.  This is a kid who can write.  He is also a kid who got a perfect score on the CC assessment.  (They said he could come in and CLEP it right away for the whole first semester or take honors writing). Now, I know they aren't the same thing, but still....t was baffling.  Anyway, we need to re-take cuz the math was not so great...ugh!!!  :)