ACT Inc. has informed colleges that they will receive some students’ ACT scores later than usual because of recent changes in the examination’s optional writing section. The delay could affect colleges with early-admission programs, as well applicants planning to meet early deadlines this fall.
On Thursday, Edward R. Colby, a spokesman for ACT, said the new writing test, which uses a different rubric than the old version, had slowed down the scoring process. Each 40-minute essay now receives a score in each of four areas, including “ideas and analysis” and “development and support.” Test takers will receive a writing-test score, on a 1-to-36 scale, that’s separate from their composite score on the exam (also 1 to 36).
‘We knew it could take longer, but it’s taking longer than we anticipated.’
“The scoring is analytic now rather than holistic, and scorers have to evaluate students on multiple levels and multiple skills,” Mr. Colby said of the writing-test rubric. “We knew it could take longer, but it’s taking longer than we anticipated.”
Most ACT scores — 85 percent — from the September administration of the exam have been reported to colleges, according to Mr. Colby. Yet the ACT scores of some students who took the writing test are still making their way to institutions as the evaluation of the essays continues. Although students affected by the delay can view their composite scores online, ACT says it can’t send official score reports to students, high schools, or colleges until it scores the writing test, too.
What all that might mean for applicants and colleges remains to be seen. Although scores from the September ACT should arrive well before early-admission deadlines, in November, some college counselors are worried about students who plan to take the next administration of the exam, this Saturday. In an email to college counselors on Thursday, Boston College’s admissions office offered an alert: “While we will make every effort to include October results in our evaluation of early-action applications, it is likely that they will not arrive in time to be considered.”
‘A Provisional Measure’
John L. Mahoney, director of undergraduate admission at Boston College, told The Chronicle that he hoped such a scenario would not come to pass for any applicants. “It’s a wait and see,” he said. “We just felt an obligation to let students know that we’ll do our best to consider those scores, but there’s a chance that if we’re talking about late November or early December, that’s just not feasible, given volume of applications we need to consider.”
Many seniors taking the ACT in October will have already taken the exam at least once before. “But if they’re taking it again, they’re taking it again because they think they need a higher score to get into the college of their dreams,” said Mollie Beckler, a college counselor at San Marino High School, in California. “They’re relying on those scores. For this information to come out two days before the next ACT and nine days before early deadlines, that’s just not right.”
Only some colleges require the ACT writing test, which is completed by about 45 percent of those who take the college-entrance exam.
ACT plans to communicate with all affected students by email, Mr. Colby said. The organization is also urging colleges to accept screen shots of applicants’ scores from their ACT student accounts “as a provisional measure” until official scores are sent. “We understand that this is a situation that impacts students,” Mr. Colby said, “and that they’re anxious about getting scores where they need to go before the deadline.”
Eric Hoover writes about admissions trends, enrollment-management challenges, and the meaning of Animal House, among other issues. He’s on Twitter @erichoov, and his email address is eric.hoover@chronicle.com.
