Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One suggestion I read online was to register for the essay and then cancel the essay later, as they have separate rooms and almost no one wants the essay

oh, interesting. I just registered for the non-essay and we have to drive 2 hours. I guess we'll end up getting a hotel. this is nutty.

I wonder if it's unusually in demand since the SAT scores have been low (and difficult to prep for) since it went digital.

Oh interesting point. I wonder! Though OR above said it happened last year too

Anonymous wrote:One suggestion I read online was to register for the essay and then cancel the essay later, as they have separate rooms and almost no one wants the essay

Thank you for this tip!

This is crazy that so many who want to take the test are not able to! And that it seems to happen year after year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One suggestion I read online was to register for the essay and then cancel the essay later, as they have separate rooms and almost no one wants the essay

oh, interesting. I just registered for the non-essay and we have to drive 2 hours. I guess we'll end up getting a hotel. this is nutty.

I wonder if it's unusually in demand since the SAT scores have been low (and difficult to prep for) since it went digital.

Maybe, but there are fewer ACT seats in July to start with because fewer schools are available/open to conduct the test.

Interesting theory re demand for ACT.
- parent of a kid scoring 50+ points lower on actual dSAT than on practices

Anonymous wrote:One suggestion I read online was to register for the essay and then cancel the essay later, as they have separate rooms and almost no one wants the essay

oh, interesting. I just registered for the non-essay and we have to drive 2 hours. I guess we'll end up getting a hotel. this is nutty.

I wonder if it's unusually in demand since the SAT scores have been low (and difficult to prep for) since it went digital.

^^
How to register for but not take the ACT essay
I just re-confirmed this process with the ACT today:

Register for the ACT with the essay.
On test day, when you enter your assigned classroom, inform the proctor that you no longer wish to take the ACT with the essay and ask that you be allowed to leave the room after the experimental section (the 20-minute fifth section at the end of the test that doesn’t count) before the essay starts.
In every instance, my students have been allowed to leave before the essay begins. But, technically it is up to the proctor’s discretion whether they will let the student leave or not.
If the proctor does not allow you to leave before the essay starts, then do not break the seal on the essay booklet. As long as you don’t break the seal (and just take a nap, do silent meditation, or contemplate gratitude for existence and blessings, etc for the duration of the 40-minute essay), then you will not receive an essay score, and your ACT test will be scored just the same as if you had never registered for the essay.
One last option (not confirmed by the ACT as an official practice but which sometimes works) is to ask when you arrive at the school check-in desk if you can be switched to a non-essay room. Then you, and everyone, will be done with the test after the fifth experimental section.
So, worst case scenario: you will experience the long suffering of 40-minutes of potential boredom. But, for most students, that worst case scenario is still much better than having to get up earlier to drive 40 minutes further to take the test because all the test centers near them are fully booked for taking the ACT without the essay.

One suggestion I read online was to register for the essay and then cancel the essay later, as they have separate rooms and almost no one wants the essay

Yes, OP. Found out the hard way last year. It even had Wilson listed one point and then went registration opened it was no longer there.

yes, it's kind of crazy. We are trying to register too. There is nothing.

That’s awful. Ridiculous.

sorry, i meant seats. ok, thank you!

They won’t add more dates. The centers may add more seats. Keep checking every day to see if seats open up either because of cancellations or new addd

but when you try to schedule for that test, there is no availability in the 5 states in my vicinity. Wondering how I find out what states do have avail. or if they add more dates

ACT website says there’s a July 13 national test date. Deadline to register (with no late fee , at least) is today.

Are there seriously no ACT July testing dates available, anywhere in the country? (In Northeast, but I guess if we have to travel, we'll travel) But there seems to be nowhere in NJ/PA/CT/MA. Anyone know of a state with availability?