I took the SAT in October. Got a 1530 (790M/740CRW), but a 16/24 on the essay. I’m taking the ACT this September regradless, but do the essay scores for either matter, especially for elite colleges (HYPS) and top UCs?
Would by 16/24 hurt me in the admissions process? I really don’t want to take the whole exam just for the essay, especially since I’m sending 2-3 sups to each college anyway where they can actually look at my writing.
In my experience with test scores, the essay may not be the biggest deal if you aren’t majoring in teaching program or English department. If not, then don’t worry too much about it. Because your SAT score makes up for the essay. I’m not sure what you mean by elite but if you are taking Ivy League then they are pretty divided. It depends where you are applying. For instance, Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Yale will continue to require the SAT Essay, and Columbia, Cornell, UPenn, and Brown will not.
Hope this helps!
Remember, please, that very few applicants to schools in the Ivy League admit only a small per cent of applicants. Where your essay score fits into the admission decision is speculative. Before you retake the essay section, think about what you did well and wha was poor in the score report from the SAT. Practice writing reports within time limits such as practice tests, chapter questions in textbooks, and where ever else you find a prompt.
Watch grammar, punctuation and spelling. Review and edit you essays for complicated sentence structures, words that don’t add meaning, vocabulary choice…