- It shows prospective colleges that you are serious about being admitted. Given that admissions counselors have to go through thousands of student applications, you want to create every opportunity to stand out among the other candidates.
- The ACT Writing test will also help demonstrate your critical thinking skills, your ability to analyze multiple perspectives on a complex issue, and effectively communicate your thoughts in writing. These are all extremely valuable skills for a college student, and your ability to demonstrate your proficiency in writing will reflect well on your ability to handle college level coursework - particularly if you are applying for a liberal arts major.
- If you take the ACT Writing test, your prospective colleges will receive an additional score report for English Language Arts (ELA) on your behalf. The ELA score report is only available for students who take the optional ACT Writing test.
- Your top-choice colleges may require the ACT Writing test. It is important to research the application requirements of the schools for which you wish to apply. Not all colleges require it, but some do (particularly those in the Ivy League). To find out which schools require ACT Writing, try this helpful tool from ACT.
Should You Take the Writing Portion of the ACT?
The ACT college entrance exam is a rite of passage for many college-bound high school students. The roughly 3 hour exam, after all, plays a major role in college admissions (in conjunction, of course, with GPA, extracurricular activities, and other factors that speak to a student's achievements). So it's easy to understand why these same students may audibly groan at the thought of willingly adding an extra 40 minute writing test to the ACT, when it's not even mandatory. So why should you take the optional writing test?
