About the SAT Writing - Important? And Lower Scores...?

<p>Does anyone know if the Duke admissions officers consider the SAT Writing as important? For instance, are they relatively impressed by like an 800, or do the admissions folk essentially disregard the writing score for admissions purposes?
Also, will they look almost solely at my best score out of all times that I have taken the SAT? My best scores for CR, M, and W are on one date.
I took the SAT three times, and my highest composite score is 270 points higher than my lowest composite score. How much will my lower scores hurt my admission chances?
For Duke specifically, is the ACT or SAT more important or do both carry approximately the same significance?
I didn't do so well on my AP US History exam: 3. Should I still report it on my common app? I obtained a very good grade in the class, and I am relatively satisfied with my SAT II Us History score of 710. I think that a 710 is better than a 3, but I am not sure of this. Regardless, I am sending my SAT scores to them.
Thanks!</p>

<p>Doesn't Duke superscore SAT and ACT? So for SAT for example, they'll look at your highest score in each section (m,w,cr) regardless of test date?
Also, I think it doesn't matter between SAT and ACT.
Yes, report APUSH score. (I don't think AP scores are a big deal for admission.)</p>

<p>oh yeah
i called the duke admissions office once and talk to one of the counselors about this
she said that it more depends on what school you're applying to and what you listed at your major
but she said that the writing is still taking into account, maybe not as high as the other tests
she told me that theres new studies that show that the writing section is a better indicator of how a freshman will do at duke his or her first year than the M or the CR sections
and so the writing section is useful to them for that purpose, but i mean they dont want it low, it around the mid range they have on their class profile</p>

<p>Duke does superscore</p>

<p>The writing section is an abbreviated version of the SAT 2 writing test and, like the composition portion SAT 2, is scored by people with differing abilities under a rigid formula that punishes anything approaching creativity. The really good writers often have to "dumb it down" to score well. The admissions officers at the more competitive schools are well aware of the limitations of the writing portion of the SAT 1 and give it very limited weight. Duke, like all the most competitive universities, claims to consider the highest scores achieved in all sittings. That is true for the purpose of reporting class profiles. For the purpose of determining who actually is accepted, however, all math and cr scores are considered. A 1600 on the first attempt is more impressive than one that is compiled from multiple attempts.</p>

<p>Ok thank you all very much!
So...should I report the AP US History 3 or not? I will not receive college credit from Duke with a 3 in this particular subject. Is a 710 SAT II US History better than the 3?
So Duke considers the SAT Writing as the SAT II Lit? I thought that the tests were fairly different from each other.</p>

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So Duke considers the SAT Writing as the SAT II Lit? I thought that the tests were fairly different from each other.

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<p>No, they consider the SAT Writing the same as the old SAT II writing. That is, it's not as important as the M+V SAT section, but is about as important as your other SAT II scores.</p>

<p>For instance, do a high SAT W score and a high SAT II Lit score essentially exemplify the same skills/aptitude/achievement?</p>