How important is the SAT Essay?

Test Preparation
1

Hello! I recently got my SAT scores (October test) and saw that my essay score wasn’t the best. I got a 6/6/7 (I know it’s not bad but it’s hardly a top score and it’s a lot worse than my overall SAT score). I was hoping to apply to Ivy League schools like Princeton/Harvard/Columbia but I’m not too sure how much effect it will have on my application.

Useful info:

  • I’m an international (UK) applicant and I’m not used to doing those sorts of essays as I dropped English Language when I was 14 and I now only study maths-based subjects.
  • My SAT score was 1570/1600 and I have 800/800 on Math II and am to take Chemistry in December.

I would be most interested to know what essay scores people who got into Ivies in previous years got (especially Intl applicants), and advice going forward. I would assume that they would put a lot of weight on my application essays to make up for it, which im nervous about because i am not confident on how to write these essays. I don’t have any support as my school is not familiar with the US application system (and tbh I don’t really understand it myself).

2

I don’t think 6/6/7 will hurt you.

3

Regardless of whether you like the score, there doesn’t seem to be much you can do to change it. If you’re going to take SAT Chemistry in December, you don’t have the option to take the SAT again to get a new essay score. Given your very high SAT score, it probably doesn’t make sense to take the ACT just so you get a score on the ACT essay.

You do have time to change your application essays, though. Here are some examples of student essays that “worked” along with an admissions committee’s comments:

https://apply.jhu.edu/apply/essays-that-worked/2019/

This page contains first lines from Stanford application essays:

https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=31010