Bad SAT Essay Score

My last SAT, I scored a 1420 with a 7/5/7 essay. At that time, I was in AP Lang and my writing skills were in good condition. I just got my August score–a 1530. I was really happy, but then I see a 6/4/6 essay. I’m so disappointed. Should I retake? I haven’t written an essay in awhile so I knew my score would be a tad lower, but not this much. Advice?

Move on. The number of colleges requiring the essay is dropping like flies.

Still, they see it when submitted. @skieurope

I agree - 1530 is a GREAT score. Do not worry about the essay.

They will see the 1530 first, which is a great score.

I have quite a strong humanities background—mostly writing based—and scored a 1580 on my SAT with miserable writing scores. It didn’t seem to affect my admission to top schools in the least. There’s always been speculation regarding the reliability of SAT/ACT essay grading, what with scores increasing drastically for many students who choose to get their tests rescored, and the tons of students with strong writing backgrounds who score poorly.

The number of schools no longer requiring essays speaks for itself. It will not make or break your application. Congrats on the 1530!