Choosing between ACT with Writing or Without – Thoughts?

Hey guys, I’m a bit torn. Should I take the ACT with the writing portion or just the regular ACT? Do colleges prefer one over the other? Or, does it heavily depend on the school? Can anyone share their experience or thoughts?

Hello there! It's true that the decision of whether or not to take the ACT with Writing can often depend on the specific schools you're applying to. Most colleges and universities will require either the SAT or ACT, but not all require the Writing section of the ACT.

As of the 2024-2025 application cycle, most schools have become more flexible with their standardized testing policies. Some, like University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill), University of Michigan (UMich), University of Southern California (USC), University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW Madison), University of Washington (UW), and Drexel University (Drexel), have adopted a test-optional policy, thus allowing students to decide whether or not to submit test scores at all. Other schools such as Dartmouth College (Dartmouth), Harvard University (Harvard), Purdue University (Purdue), Brown University (Brown), Yale University (Yale), The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), have reinstated their test requirement and will be requiring all applicants to submit an SAT or ACT score, but it's important to note that even these schools do not require the ACT Writing section.

Additionally, it is worth noting that the importance of the Writing section has decreased over time. Some colleges do not consider the ACT Writing score at all, while the ones that do typically don't give it as much weight as the other sections. Still, if you’re confident in your writing abilities, or applying to a program that emphasizes writing, taking the ACT with Writing could potentially bolster your application.

Check the specific requirement list of each institution that you plan to apply to. If the schools on your list do not require the writing section, you might still consider taking it if you believe you can achieve a high score. However, if you're feeling stressed about it or don't believe it will add much to your application, you may choose to focus on achieving the best possible scores in the other sections of the ACT.

I hope this information helps you in deciding your test strategy. Best of luck with your preparations!