hi ivy,

yes, you should be able to do that. the act says that “your superscore is the average of your best scores from each subject from multiple test attempts.” be sure to read over the superscore faqs from this official act page for more information!

best of luck to you! 😀

hi maria,

congrats on taking the act! whether or not this is a good score depends on your target schools and college plans. your scores are above average, but each school has it’s own requirements. i recommend contacting your target schools directly for more information about the average scores at their schools.

hi anon,

a 10 is an excellent score–congrats on such a strong essay! 98th percentile is very impressive. you reached the ‘threshold’ for top selective schools, so i’m not sure what sort of ‘edge’ an extra point in writing might give you. however, our expertise is in test prep, not admissions advice, so i’m afraid that we aren’t the best people to answer this question. i recommend that you speak with a guidance or admissions counselor at your high school and your target universities. good luck!

hi sophia,

wow–your son has a stellar composite score! a 34 puts him in a competitive range for many of the top universities in the country (see this post for more information). as we mention in this blog post, we suggest that students aim for an 8 or higher, but a lower essay score won’t necessarily make or break the application. schools look at a lot of information as they make their admissions decisions, and as long as you son has a strong overall profile, a slightly lower essay score may not cause too much fuss. i highly recommend that you talk to an admissions counselor at your son’s target schools to get their input before making any decisions!

hi franklin,

oh no! i have potatoed a part of a test before, and it’s super frustrating. unfortunately, my answer is going to be a little frustrating, too, because the answer is “it depends.” i would investigate the admissions pages and, if they don’t give you enough details, email admissions directly to ask how much the act writing versus the application essays count. in some cases, you will likely be fine, but there will be others where both matter. good luck!