How much does the SAT Essay really matter?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi!

I took the SAT’s this past March and scored a 1560 (780 on both math and English) which I’m very satisfied with. However, I got a 16 on the SAT Essay :confused:

Other than this, I am a straight-A student with a 4.1 GPA and am in 3 AP classes this year. I am a volunteer EMT (over 300 volunteer hours for this), captain of the field hockey team, coach for field hockey, and chair of this volunteer tutoring program.

Anyways, will the 16 on the Essay really bring down my chances of getting into a top college? I am generally a great writer and am currently succeeding in AP Language and Composition (I plan to take the AP Test in May). I don’t want to drop another $55 and sit through an entire SAT to just take the essay again. So I guess what I am asking is how much will the 16 on the Essay affect my chances for getting into both essay required schools (I’m looking at Harvard and Princeton) and essay optional school who will see my essay score (Cornell, Columbia, Northwestern, Notre Dame etc)?

Thanks!

2

Hi!

If I were you, I wouldn’t be super worried about the essay grade, mainly because the rest of your application looks really strong. The essay is only a super small part of your applcation and some schools don’t even require it, so I wouldn’t retake it. Besides, 16 is a pretty solid score already :slight_smile: