<p>i was wondering if colleges will see what you got on your essay, or only your writing section. i've taken the test once and i got a 10 on the essay but i still got an 800 on the writing section overall. will colleges see this, and if they do will the top schools care that the essay wasn't a 12, or is it not a big deal?</p>
<p>That’s surprising . . . the essay is allegedly worth 25-30% of the writing score. Have other people seen the same thing?</p>
<p>As to your other question - I don’t know if they will see it, but I don’t think most would care. They have actual samples of your writing, after all. Furthermore, lots of places don’t really weight the writing section very highly since it is still so new. I wouldn’t worry.</p>
<p>yeah, i was kind of surprised about it too…i guess the scale was just really forgiving?</p>
<p>i actually got more wrong (10 on the essay, 1 question wrong) on the writing than on the math (2 questions wrong) but i got 40 points higher on writing…it was weird</p>
<p>Colleges don’t see the subscores. In the past, -0 MC/9 E has yielded an 800; a perfect MC gives you a lot of leeway when it comes to the essay, but missing more than a couple MC screws you, no matter how good you essay.</p>
<p>And smwhtslghtlydzed, the curve for math is much harsher than the writing curve, which explains the difference.</p>
<p>I just discovered today that colleges can actually access your SAT essays. If you send them a score from an exam sitting, then they have access to an image of your essay. They can also choose to see or hide the essay subscore. You can read about it here:</p>
<p>[Online</a> Essay Viewing for Admissions Officers](<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/scores/online-essay-viewing]Online”>SAT Scores – SAT Suite | College Board)</p>
<p>Does anyone have any knowledge of a college actually reading an SAT essay? I couldn’t imagine an admission officer having time, but you never know.</p>
<p>^Eek! I really hope they don’t have time to… Last Saturday, for my first SAT, I think I had a good start. I just remember having the most lamest and corniest conclusion due to lack of time.</p>
<p>I doubt any adcom would have the time to read an SAT essay.</p>
<p>In principle I agree -</p>
<p>But then what does it mean when colleges (like Boston College, for example) say that the SAT and ACT essays will be used as a check on the validity of the application essay? It sounds like - at least when they have questions - they will compare the two essays and try to determine if they were written by the same person. And, other places (like Princeton, for example) claim to use the SAT essay for placement and advising. How can they do this if they don’t actually look at the essay?</p>
<p>Or am I misunderstanding? Maybe they just look at the score?</p>
<p>Well, UNC Chapel Hill lists my son’s sub-scores at his MyUNC site, so I’d say, yes, colleges can see your sub-scores. But I doubt it matters. An 800 is an 800!</p>
<p>neorobie – that’s the problem with the SAT essay. You’ve never seen the topic before, yet you’re supposed to come up with three examples to support your thesis – in 25 minutes!! Who writes actual college essays under such artificially intense pressure?</p>
<p>Got2BeGreen – I can see why BC would do that, given all the fraud that goes on with application essays. But that wouldn’t mean they’d be checking the score…just the author’s style and “voice.” Seems reasonable. Wouldn’t hurt the applicant unless he/she had someone else write his/her app essay.</p>