Complete List Which Colleges Require ACT Writing 100+ Schools

Complete List Which Colleges Require ACT Writing 100+ Schools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You’ve just signed up for the ACT. But did you know that there is an optional Writing test for the ACT?More importantly, do you know if your dream schools require or recommendthis ACT section? Check outour regularly updatedlist of schoolsto find out if the Writing ACT is worth your time and money. We'll then give you our top tips for acing the ACT Writing section. What Is the ACT Writing Test? The ACT Writing test is an optional essay test you can take immediately after the other sections of the ACT. It costs an additional $16.50 and 40 minutes of your time. It's available to take after the ACT on all seven national testing dates in the USA. Keep in mind when deciding to take it or not that you cannot just take the ACT Writing test on its own- you can only take it while suitably exhausted after taking all the other ACT sections! The writing test is meant to measure the writing skills you should have learned in your English classes throughout high school.It also claims to be a measure of how you might do in entry-level composition classes in college. So, what exactly is the test like? First, you'll be given a prompt that tells you about an issue. You will also be presented with three possible points of view on this topic. You then must write an essay on your point of view. You can either borrow and elaborate on one of the ones provided, or offer up a fourth viewpoint. (Sound tough?See this article for some top ACT Essay strategies.) Your ACT Writing score (which is scored on a scale of 2-12) is not part of your composite ACT score (out of 36), which consists only of your English, Math, Reading, and Science scores. Instead, your essay score is added to your English and Reading scores and then averaged to give you what is called an English Language Arts (ELA) score. Read our guide for a full breakdown ofhow the ACT is scored. Why Do Some Schools Require ACT Writing? You might be surprised to learn that not all schools require the ACT Writing test! In fact, in recent years many schools that previously required ACT Writing have opted to make the section optional or not even review it at all if students choose to take it. However, those schools that do require it think they have a pretty good reason to do so. These schools think that your essay score, combined with your English and Reading ACT scores, can help them understand your grasp of English and your ability to produce a sample of writing under pressure. This is quite a different skill compared to what they see when you submit your personal statement and other essays in your applications. They are assuming that those have been proofread by 50 of your closest friends and family members, and that they have been heavily edited and reviewed for hours on end. So while your personal statement is more like a heavily photoshopped selfie in flattering lighting, ACT Writingis more like a candid snapshot of your writing abilities. Specifically, these colleges want to get a better idea ofyour reasoning skills and your ability to defend a point of view.Can you write logically and coherently? Can you use proper sentence structure without Microsoft Word telling you what you've done wrong? The Writing Test is your chance to prove you have all these skills. Apart from your application, the combined English Language Arts score has another use for many schools. For example, colleges might use your score to help place you in different levels of English classes.So thiscould potentially save you the trouble of having to take a placement test once you arrive at college in the fall! What Kind of Colleges Require ACT Writing? Now then, what colleges actually require ACT Writing? The answer to this question might surprise you! Read on to learn which schools require the Writing section of the ACT- and which don't. Fact Check: Most Top Schools Don't Require ACT Writing Perhaps surprisingly, most top-ranked colleges and universities do notrequire ACT Writing. In recent years, many top schools, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke, Brown, and Stanford, have stopped requiring the ACT Writing test. Currently, none of the Ivy Leagues require ACT Writing. Many top public colleges, including the University of Michigan, and University of Texas,have also stopped requiring ACT Writing, althoughtheUC systemstill does require the ACT Writing section. Do Top Journalism, Humanities, and English ProgramsRequire ACT Writing? Some do, but there are quite afew notable exceptions to this.Pepperdine and George Washington University, which are known asgreat journalism schools, do not require ACT Writing (though the latter recommends it). Similarly, Georgetown and the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts offer great English degrees and do not require the ACT with Writing. Hamilton College in New York, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Iowa, and Colorado College all have great writing programs and do not require the Writing ACT. Several well-known, smaller liberal arts colleges do not require (although they might recommend) the ACT with Writing; these include Amherst, Wellesley, Swarthmore,Bowdoin, Pomona, Haverford, and Davidson College. Finally, the University of Chicago is great all around for humanities and doesnot require it. Do Top Technical/Math/Science Schools Require ACT Writing? As you might expect,most of the top tech/math/science schools don't require the ACT Writing,including Caltech, MIT and the University of Michigan. Yes, tech schools also care about your writing ability. Why Should You Care About ACT Writing? Below, we've broken down by state and territory every college that either requires or recommends the ACT Plus Writing. 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 toif you wish. You can usually submit the Writing test to colleges even if they don't require it. By doing this, you allow them to consider your essayalong with the rest of your application. Some schools will treat ACT Writing as equally important to the other ACT sections, whereas others will give it less weight. But the bottom line is this:a strong Writing score will almost always help you out. If you opt to take the test and score well on it, it could be a great way to enhance your application and give you an edge! Fortunately, this is a real possibilitybecause just like every other part of the ACT, the essay can be taught so that you can excel on it. So if you're thinking of taking the ACT Plus Writing, either because you have to or because you just want that extra bright point in your application, it is definitely worth your time to study and practice so that you canmaster the ACT Essay. Another point: you might change your mind about what colleges you want to apply to, and that is another reason it's a good idea to take the ACT Plus Writing. If your plans change, you don't want to have to retake the whole ACT just because you didn't think ahead! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Where are your dream schools on the list? Full List of Colleges That Require ACT Writing This comprehensive list of four-year universities is broken down by state. The first colleges in each section are those that require the Writing ACT; these are then followed by schools that recommend it. Recommend means that the college doesn't require it, but that scoring well on it will improve the strength of your application and help you reach equal footing with other applicants who do take it. To find your favorite schools, either scroll down to the state in which they're located or use ctrl+F to search for a specific school name. Keep in mind that school requirements frequently change (especially with the recent rise in test-optional admissions), so it's always a good idea to check with individual schools before you apply. All data comes from the official ACT, Inc. website. ALABAMA Recommended: Alabama AM University Alabama State University Auburn University Miles College Oakwood University Spring Hill College Troy University University of Alabama ALASKA Recommended: University of Alaska Fairbanks ARIZONA Recommended: Grand Canyon University University of Arizona Grand Canyon University, Arizona ARKANSAS Recommended: Crowley's Ridge College Hendrix College John Brown University CALIFORNIA Required: Chapman University Golden State Baptist College Scripps College Soka University of America UC Berkeley UC Davis UC Irvine UC Los Angeles UC Merced UC Riverside UC San Diego UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz University of La Verne University of California at Berkeley Recommended: California Christian College California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University- San Luis Obispo California State University- Bakersfield California State University - Northridge Cogswell Polytechnical College Columbia College Hollywood Dominican University of California Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising- Los Angeles Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising- San Francisco Fresno Pacific University Holy Names University New School of Architecture Design Oak Valley College Occidental College Point Loma Nazarene University Pomona College Providence Christian College San Diego Christian College Stanford University Thomas Aquinas College University of Northern California University of Redlands Westmont College Whittier College William Jessup University Pepperdine is one university thatneitherrequires nor recommends ACT Writing COLORADO Recommended: Art Institute of Colorado Colorado School of Mines Johnson Wales University- Denver Rocky Mountain College of Art Design University of Colorado- Colorado Springs CONNECTICUT Recommended: Lincoln College of New England New England Baptist College Post University Trinity College - Connecticut United States Coast Guard Academy University of Bridgeport University of Connecticut Yale University DELAWARE Required: Delaware State University Recommended: University of Delaware DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Recommended: George Washington University Howard University Trinity (Washington) University University of the District of Columbia American University does NOTrequire the ACT Writing FLORIDA Required: Florida AM University Florida Atlantic University Florida International University Trinity Baptist College Recommended: Ave Maria University Bethune-Cookman University College of Central Florida Emmaus Baptist College Florida Baptist College - Tampa Florida College Hobe Sound Bible College Johnson Wales University- North Miami Keiser University- Pembroke Pines Naaleh College Palm Beach Atlantic University Reformation Bible College Rollins College Saint Leo University University of Tampa Webber International University Whitefield College Theological Seminary GEORGIA Required: Morris Brown College Recommended: Berry College Covenant College Fort Valley State University Morehouse College Oglethorpe University Toccoa Falls College University of West Georgia Emory University used to recommend ACT Writing but now does NOT HAWAII Required: University of Hawaii at Manoa Recommended: Hawaii Pacific University O.P. Jindal Global University IDAHO Recommended: Boise Bible College New Saint Andrews College ILLINOIS Required: Morthland College St. Joseph College Seminary VanderCook College of Music Recommended: Benedictine University Christian Life College Columbia College Chicago DanEL Christian College East-West University Eastern Illinois University Greenville College Lake Forest College Lincoln Christian University Loyola University of Chicago Methodist College of Nursing National Louis University Northern Illinois University Robert Morris University Southern Illinois University - Carbondale University of Illinois - Chicago View of the Loop from University of Illinois Chicago campus INDIANA Required: Fairhaven College Indiana University East Recommended: American Conservatory of Music Anderson University Art Institute of Indianapolis Crossroads Bible College Franklin College Holy Cross College Huntington University Indiana State University Indiana University Kokomo Indiana University Southeast Indiana University - Purdue University at Columbus Indiana Wesleyan University Purdue University Purdue University - North Central Taylor University Union Bible College University of Evansville University of Indianapolis University of Notre Dame University of Southern Indiana Valparaiso University Wabash College University of Notre Dame IOWA Recommended: Ashford University Divine Word College Faith Baptist Bible College Grand View University Iowa Wesleyan College Mercy College of Health Sciences Morningside College KANSAS Recommended: Barclay College Haskell Indian Nations University Kansas City College and Bible School McPherson College KENTUCKY Required: Louisville Bible College Simmons College of Kentucky Recommended: Campbellsville University Centre College Northern Kentucky University LOUISIANA Recommended: Louisiana State University AM - Baton Rouge Loyola University New Orleans Our Lady of the Lake College Tulane University World Evangelism Bible College Xavier University You never know where Mike the Tiger is going to show up at LSU(Derek Jensen/Flickr) MAINE Recommended: Colby College Husson University Maine Maritime Academy University of Maine at Fort Kent Universityof Maine University of New England University of Southern Maine MARYLAND Required: Washington Adventist University Recommended: Antietam Bible College Maryland Institute College of Art MASSACHUSETTS Harvard campus Recommended: Amherst College Bard College at Simon’s Rock Bay Path University Becker College Bridgewater State University Elms College Emerson College Endicott College Lesley University Massachusetts College of Pharmacology and Health Sciences Massachusetts Maritime Academy Mount Ida College Northpoint Bible College Regis College Simmons College UMass Amherst UMass Boston Wentworth Institute of Technology MICHIGAN Required: College for Creative Studies University of Michigan Recommended: Andrews University Baker College Online Baker College at Allen Park Central Michigan University Cleary University Compass College of Cinematic Arts Concordia University - Ann Arbor Cornerstone University Grace Baptist College Grace Bible College Grand Valley State University Great Lakes Christian College Madonna University Sacred Heart Major Seminary Spring Arbor University University of Michigan- Ann Arbor University of Michigan - Flint MINNESOTA Required: University of Minnesota- Rochester Recommended: Augsburg University Bethany Lutheran College Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University Martin Luther College McNally Smith College of Music University of Minnesota - Morris University of Minnesota- Twin Cities University of Northwestern- St. Paul MISSISSIPPI None MISSOURI Required: Urshan College Recommended: Baptist Bible College College of the Ozarks Drury University Logan University Missouri Baptist University St. Louis Christian College Webster University William Jewell College MONTANA Required: University of Montana Western Recommended: Carroll College Montana State University- Bozeman Montana State University- Northern Montana Tech of the University of Montana University of Montana University of Providence Yellowstone Christian College University of Montana wins most dramatic campus location NEBRASKA Recommended: Saint Gregory the Great Seminary Summit Christian College Union College York College NEVADA Recommended: Art Institute of Las Vegas Western Nevada Community College NEW HAMPSHIRE Recommended: Keene State College New Hampshire Institute of Art Northeast Catholic College Plymouth State University Saint Anselm College NEW JERSEY Recommended: Caldwell University Centenary College Rider University Rutgers- State University of New Jersey Princeton used to require ACT Writing but now does not- lucky you! NEW MEXICO Recommended: University of the Southwest NEW YORK Required: CUNY- John Jay College of Criminal Justice Concordia College List College- Jewish Theological Seminary Molloy College SUNY College at Old Westbury SUNY Maritime College United States Military Academy (West Point) Recommended: Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Bar-Ilan University Binghamton University- SUNY CUNY- Medgar Evers College Canisius College College of New Rochelle Cooper Union Culinary Institute of America Dominican College Farmingdale State College Globe Institute of Technology Hobart and William Smith Colleges Iona College King's College Mercy College Morrisville State College New York Institute of Technology Parsons The New School for Design Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Rochester Institute of Technology St. John’s University SUNY College at Buffalo Stony Brook University - SUNY Touro College University at Buffalo- SUNY Webb Institute of Naval Architecture Wells College NORTH CAROLINA Required: Elizabeth City State University Fayetteville State University North Carolina Central University Queens University of Charlotte University of North Carolina School of the Arts Western Carolina University Winston-Salem State University The chapel at Duke University Recommended: Barber-Scotia College Bennett College Brevard College Davidson College East Carolina University Grace Baptist Bible College Johnson Wales University- Charlotte Laurel University Mars Hill University North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina Wesleyan College Salem College University of North Carolina at Pembroke NORTH DAKOTA Recommended: Dickinson State University Mayville State University Trinity Bible College OHIO Required: God’s Bible School and College Lake Erie College Recommended: Allegheny Wesleyan College Bowling Green State University Cedarville University Cleveland Institute of Music College of Wooster Columbus College of Art and Design Heidelberg University John Carroll University Kent State University- Salem Kent State University- Stark Kent State University- Trumbull Miami University- Middletown Mount St. Joseph University Ohio University- Athens Ohio Wesleyan University South University- Cleveland Tiffin University University of Rio Grande University of Toledo Urbana University Ursuline College Walsh University Wilberforce University OKLAHOMA Required: East Central University Recommended: Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College Oklahoma Wesleyan University Saint Gregory’s University Spartan School of Aeronautics I wonder if you can still send this in? OREGON Required: Portland State University Recommended: Corban University Oregon State University Western Oregon University Willamette University PENNSYLVANIA Required: Muhlenberg College University of the Sciences in Philadelphia York College of Pennsylvania Recommended: Bryn Athyn College Bryn Mawr College Central Penn College Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Delaware Valley University Elizabethtown College Gettysburg College Gwynedd Mercy University Holy Family University Lancaster Bible College Lehigh University Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Lycoming College Messiah College Millersville University of Pennsylvania Rosemont College Saint Francis University Seton Hill University Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Waynesburg University May Day at Bryn Mawr RHODE ISLAND Required: Rhode Island College Rhode Island School of Design Recommended: Johnson Wales University- Providence SOUTH CAROLINA Recommended: American College of the Building Arts Charleston Southern University Coastal Carolina University College of Charleston Furman University Lander University North Greenville University South Carolina State University Southern Methodist College University of South Carolina - Aiken Voorhees College SOUTH DAKOTA Recommended: Black Hills State University TENNESSEE Recommended: Bethel University Carson-Newman University Cumberland University Fisk University Lincoln MemorialUniversity Martin Methodist College Memphis College of Art Mid-South Christian College O'More College of Design Tennessee State University University of the South TEXAS Required: Hardin-Simmons University Paul Quinn College Southwest School of Art St. Edward’s University Stephen F. Austin State University Tarleton State University University of Dallas University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Welcome! Recommended: Abilene Christian University Arlington Baptist College Art Institute of Houston Austin College Dallas Christian College Huston-Tillotson University Jarvis Christian College McMurry University Messenger College Mexican American Catholic College North American College Schreiner University Southwestern Assemblies of God University Texas AM International University Texas AM University - Corpus Christi Texas College Texas Independent Baptist School Texas Southern University Texas State University University of Houston - Main Campus University of Houston- Victoria University of Incarnate Word University of North Texas University of Texas at San Antonio University of Texas at Tyler UTAH Recommended: Brigham Young University George Wythe University Neumont University Weber State University Westminster College VERMONT Recommended: College of Saint Joseph Johnson State College Middlebury College Saint Michael’s College University of Vermont Vermont Technical College VIRGINIA Recommended: Hartland College Hollins University Old Dominion University Radford University Randolph College Randolph-Macon College University of Mary Washington WASHINGTON Required: University of Washington Tacoma Recommended: Art Institute of Seattle DigiPen Institute of Technology Eastern Washington University Saint Martin’s University Seattle Pacific University Seattle University University of Washington (Seattle) University of Washington Bothell WEST VIRGINIA Required: West Virginia University West Virginia University Institute of Technology Recommended: Bluefield State College Very dramatic, West Virginia WISCONSIN Recommended: Cardinal StritchUniversity CarrollUniversity MarquetteUniversity Saint Norbert College Silver Lake College WYOMING Recommended: Wyoming Catholic College VIRGIN ISLANDS Recommended: University of the Virgin Islands What’s Next? Now that you know whether you need to take ACT Writing, make sure you do well on it. Learn the prompts that ACT Writing tests, 15 strategies to improve your ACT Writing score, and how to get a 12 on the essay. Ready to work for a killer ACT English Language Arts Score? Make sure to remind yourself of what’s actually tested on ACT English and ACT Reading. For top strategies for scoring a 36 on ACT English, check out this article. Don’t forget the rest of the test- here are tips for getting a perfect ACT score, by a 36 full scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial: