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Do colleges care about ACT writing?

Author

William Cox

Published Feb 20, 2026

Do colleges care about ACT writing?

The purpose of the writing section is to test your English composition skills as well as your reasoning skills. Colleges which do not require you to take the ACT Writing Test will not place as much importance on the results of the test as they do on the other four tests on the ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Science).

Keeping this in consideration, do colleges look at ACT writing?

Although most colleges can see your ACT Essay (scanned and uploaded, exactly as you wrote it on test day), most don't bother looking. They're more interested in glancing at your ACT Essay sub-score than re-reading your entire essay in your original handwriting.

Subsequently, question is, can ACT writing hurt your score? An image of your essay will be available to your high school and the colleges to which you have ACT report your scores from that test date. Taking the writing test does not affect your subject area scores or your Composite score.

Thereof, should I take ACT with writing?

It's worth noting that most schools no longer require the ACT with Writing, though many schools recommend it. Of course, it's always best to have a strong test score to support your application if possible, but if you're unable to take the ACT with Writing (or the entire ACT) this year, don't worry.

Is a 7 on ACT writing bad?

If you score above the 75th percentile score (a 10), your Writing score will help your chances of admission; if you score below the 25th percentile (a 7-8), your Writing score might harm your chances of admission.

Is 23 a good ACT score?

A score of 23 on the ACT is above the current national average and will make you a strong applicant at many universities, but it may fall below the average score for accepted students at more selective colleges. The higher your ACT score, the more options are open to you. Read on to learn more about ACT scores.

Is a 29 on the ACT good?

Is a 29 ACT Score (91st Percentile) Good? With a 29 ACT score, you're an eligible and competitive applicant at a majority of schools. A 29 ACT score puts you in the 91st percentile — that means you scored higher than 91% of all test takers. That's a brilliant accomplishment and you should be proud!

Is a 10 on the ACT writing good?

An average score on the current ACT Writing Exam is a a 6.5. For highly selective colleges, you'll want a score of 8 or higher.

Average Scores on the Current 12-Point Writing Exam.

ACT Writing Score Percentiles
1099 (top 1%)
996 (top 4%)
890 (top 10%)
766 (top 34%)

Are ACT essays Cancelled?

It's highly possible that the ACT Essay may even get discontinued, given the College Board's recent decision to eliminate the SAT Essay after June 2021. Some schools have stopped considering the SAT/ACT Essay altogether, including the University of California system, which used to require the essay.

Can you send ACT score without writing?

Can you send ACT score without writing? Taking the writing test does not affect your subject area scores or your Composite score. However, without a writing test score, no English Language Arts (ELA) score will be reported.

Is 24 a good ACT score?

Yes, a score of 24 is a good score. It places you in the top 73rd percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam. If a 24 isn't strong enough to get into your dream school, consider taking a test prep course to see if you can raise your score.

What's the difference between ACT with writing and without?

Skipping the ACT essay means you have more study time to dedicate to the other sections on the test. Plus, taking the ACT without writing time means your total testing period is shortened by 40 minutes.

Is a 6 on the ACT writing good?

As you can see from this table, the mean, or average, score on the ACT Writing section is 6. It's a good idea to aim for at least the 75th percentile, so in this case a good ACT writing score would be an 8 or above. A 9 or above would put you in the 96th percentile, which is great!

What is a good ACT score?

Getting a high ACT score can increase your chances of getting into selective colleges. In general, a good ACT score is any score in or above the 75th percentile — at least a 24. Students should aim to hit or exceed the middle 50% of ACT scores at their chosen colleges.

What are the four subject areas tested ACT?

The ACT contains four multiple-choice tests—English, mathematics, reading, and science—and an optional writing test. These tests are designed to measure skills that are most important for success in postsecondary education and that are acquired in secondary education.

Does Yale require ACT writing?

Essay and Writing Sections: The ACT Essay and SAT Writing sections are optional. Applicants who opt to complete the Essay or Writing section may self-report their Essay or Writing subscore on the application.

Should I take the ACT with Writing 2021?

Keep in mind that although you don't have to take the ACT with Writing (unless you want to apply to a college on the list below), you still have the option to if you wish. You can usually submit the Writing test to colleges even if they don't require it.

Is there an essay on the ACT 2021?

The main difference was that the SAT essay was required while the ACT writing was optional. This has now changed, however. In January of 2021, the College Board announced that after June 2021, it would no longer be offering the essay portion of the SAT. That's it!

Is the ACT harder than the SAT?

Section Summary: Neither the SAT nor the ACT is harder than the other – but each test benefits a different type of student. It's essential that you figure out which test is best suited for you, so that you can achieve the highest scores possible.

What is the average ACT score?

The composite score on the ACT ranges from 1 to 36. The national average composite score was 20.6 for the class of 2020, per recent data from the ACT organization. This number marks a slight dip from the prior year, when the composite score averaged 20.7 for the class of 2019.

Is a 5 on ACT writing bad?

National averages for ACT scores range between 21 and 23. Scoring above the average score gives you a better chance at admission into top universities.

What Is a Good ACT Writing Score?

PercentileScore
90 (Good)8
667
50 (Average)6
27 (Poor)5

Is a 19 on the ACT good?

Is a 19 a good ACT score? A score of 19 is a little worse than average. It places you in the bottom 44th percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam. If a 19 isn't strong enough to get into your dream school, consider taking a test prep course to see if you can raise your score.

What is a good ACT score 2020?

Good ACT Score #1: The “Above Average†ACT Score
ACT Section2020-2021 Average Score
English20.1
Math20.4
Reading21.2
Science20.6

Is a 28 on the ACT good?

Since the ACT test is scored out of 36, a composite score of 28 – 36 places a student in the top 10 percent of test takers. Thus, a score of 28-36 is typically considered a good score. Most colleges and universities require students to submit ACT scores as part of the application for admission.

Is a 26 on the ACT good?

Is 26 ACT Score Good? With a score of 26, you are in the 83th to 85th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 26, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges.

Is a 25 on the ACT good?

Is 25 ACT Score Good? With a score of 25, you are in the 79th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 25, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges. The exception may be the highly selective colleges.

Is 22 a good ACT score?

Is a 22 a good ACT score? A score of 22 is better than average. It places you in the top 63rd percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam. If a 22 isn't strong enough to get into your dream school, consider taking a test prep course to see if you can raise your score.

What is the highest act writing score?

12

Is a 30 on the ACT good?

Yes, a score of 30 is excellent. It places you in the top 93rd percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam. The score indicates you've done a significantly above above average job answering the questions on the English, Math, Reading and Science sections of the test.

Is a 12 on the ACT good?

With a 12 ACT score, you're already strongly competitive for these schools. You're very likely to get admitted if you apply. If you improve your ACT score, your Safety Schools will get better and better.

Is 27 a good ACT score?

Is 27 ACT Score Good? With a score of 27, you are in the 87th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 27, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges. The exception may be the Ivy League where the score required may be higher than 30 on average.

Is a 21 on the ACT good?

Is a 21 a good ACT score? A score of 21 is a little better than average. It places you in the top 57th percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam. If a 21 isn't strong enough to get into your dream school, consider taking a test prep course to see if you can raise your score.

Is a 7 on the ACT good?

With a 7 ACT score, you're already strongly competitive for these schools. You're very likely to get admitted if you apply. If you improve your ACT score, your Safety Schools will get better and better.

Is a 32 on the ACT good?

Is a 32 a good ACT score? Yes, with a score of 32 you're amongst the best of the best. It places you in the top 97th percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam.

Is an ACT of 31 good?

Is a 31 a good ACT score? Yes, a score of 31 it is extremely good. It places you in the top 95th percentile nationally out of the 2 million test takers of the ACT entrance exam.

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