Hi, I recently got a 2380 on my SAT (800 CR, 800 Math, 780 Writing). I’m happy that if I had to get a 780 in a section, it was in writing because I know that colleges consider the Math+CR score more than the writing score. But the problem with my SAT score is the essay portion. I got a perfect MC (80) but only an 8 on the essay. If I had gotten a 9+ on the essay I would have gotten an 800, but that’s not what I’m worried about. I’m scared that I won’t be “allowed” to write a terrific college SAT because of my SAT essay score. If I do write a great essay, I don’t want college admissions officers to be suspicious that I didn’t write it myself or something. The sad part is that I took the SAT 2 times before and got a 10 essay both times; I really don’t know what went wrong this time, the SAT essay score is very subjective. So is there any way I can “superscore” my essay score from past tests or something lol? Won’t I have to submit all my SAT scores for Harvard? And also while I’m on the subject, will Harvard (and other colleges) look down on the fact that I took the SAT 3 times? And the last 2 times I got the exact same 2250 score (different scores on the sections though)? I’m happy with my SAT score, but regarding a school as competitive as this one, I’m worried. I just want to show colleges that I’m a good writer, despite my performance on a 25 minute essay.
And to narrow down my main question: What else can I do (at this point) as a Junior to demonstrate adequate essay writing skills? Are there any essay competitions you guys are aware of? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
Are you kidding? Nobody would think you could not write a good essay cause you got a 780 on writing. You know that schools are very familiar with the writing parts of these tests right? They know the limitations. Your post is so far off I can’t tell if you are seriously concerned about this. if so, you should not be nor as caught up in the tests. Can’t tell if all this is so you can post a humble boast or you are really concerned.
@lostaccount No please don’t take this post as a way for me to brag, I’m being serious. I know a 780 is great, but I’m talking about the 8 essay. Will Harvard care about that? There are plenty of kids that get 12 essays, so that’s why I’m asking. Maybe I was mislead, because I went to a college seminar and they said you should score a 10+ in order to get the “golden ticket” to write a great college essay.
But your right in that I shouldn’t be so concerned, I’m sorry. As a junior I’m feeling the pressure to do as much as I can before it’s too late. My gpa isn’t great so the SAT was the one chance I could showcase my intelligence.
I’m guessing that “adequate essay writing skills” are assessed while reading your application essays 
The SAT essay is definitely unrepresentative of actual writing skill. I remember reading of a person on the MIT Decision thread that had an 8 essay and tons of writing awards.
I thought that taking AP Lang improved my writing skills immensely, especially my ability to quickly construct an argument (I have always had a tendency to ramble). Since I got a 5 on the AP test, I should have been able to bang out a 12-worthy essay, right?
Nope. I got a 10. I was a little disappointed in myself at first, but I realized a bit later that I’d rarely have to write an essay that formulaic ever again, let alone in 25 minutes.
Remember, your SAT score does not define who you are. Neither does your GPA, for that matter.
@loquatical Hey, thanks for the response! You’re completely right; I too believe that the SAT does not define a person. That person on the MIT thread made me feel a whole lot better. I guess its just the fact that Harvard will look at my highest SAT score which has my lowest essay score. I just wanted to know if there was any way to show that I got a 10 essay 2 times before. But I guess it’s fine; I’ll just move on and hope for the best. And I’ll try to write stellar college essays to show my true writing skills :).
Only send the 2380, you don’t have to send all the scores in for Harvard. The essay score is not something
AOs pay much attention to because they know that a 30 minute timed writing piece where the length of piece is strongly correlated to the score (i.e. quantity matters more than quality) is not how students are taught to write in HS (outline, drafts, revisions etc). UPenn stopped considering the essay score and it wouldn’t surprise me if more schools followed suit in the near future. Don’t stress over the essay score. Harvard can see by your scores and grades that you are smart and they will expect some well-written essays, not visa versa. Good luck!
That would be my suggestion. 
Good luck.
@JuicyMango First of all, congrats! Second, don’t worry about it! Instead, focus on augmenting your stellar SAT score with equally strong Subject Tests, AP scores, and grades (to the extent that you can improve them). While Harvard is inevitably a tough nut to crack, your SAT essay will hardly hold you back. Good luck!
@aBitOfLuck Thanks! Yup, I still have a long road ahead of me :/. This whole thread has really shifted my perspective from trying to impress colleges, to just trying to reach my maximum potential before I leave for college. And I thank all you guys for helping me with that change of view :).
@JuicyMango I’m glad to help! Harvard or not, aiming for your personal best is the most important goal (and one I wish I had discovered earlier)!
I don’t think Harvard cares whether you get 2380 or 2250. It’s a misconception that someone with a 780 might do better than someone with a 740. That’s not what “holistic admissions” is all about. You could go ahead and submit all scores if you like, the 2380, or the 2250 with better essay score. Whatever.
Not sure if you are being misleading about your GPA after reading your question about scores. I mean, is your GPA truly relatively low, or is that just how you are perceiving it? If it is lower than expected from you scores, that is not good, because it would show you are intelligent but don’t work hard, for instance. Harvard can be very rigorous and difficult and involves a lot of work: it isn’t just about getting in, it’s about being there. But if you are exaggerating and your GPA is fine and you do work hard, then not an issue
None of this may matter anyway without some other reason for Harvard to admit you.
It sounds like you “get” the advice to enjoy school, follow your interests, make good friends, try to be useful, and look at a variety of schools to find the best fit. Good luck!
@compmom Unfortunately, I realized too late that the difference between a 2250 and a 2380 is close to null and I basically wasted a few months of my life that I can never get back; But I don’t like to think too much about my past mistakes because I get depressed. What’s done is done, and I tried my best. My gpa is truly low, I’m not exaggerating. If I get all A’s this semester I’ll still only have a 3.8 unweighted which I’m pretty sure is the minimum gpa selective schools like Harvard consider. I also got a C in AP Physics C last semester, so that’s another blemish on my transcript. I thought getting a near perfect SAT score would prove to colleges that I am smart, but it seems to have back-fired. It sucks for students with low gpa’s either way; if you get a low SAT score and have a low gpa your chances at admission are likewise low. But if you have a low gpa and a high SAT score, you’re perceived as a “smart slacker”. So I guess I chose the second option (although it feels like choosing between ‘bad’ and ‘worse’).
I’m hoping colleges notice the rigor of my courseload as well. I’ve taken a total of 10 AP’s up to junior year, and I’ve gotten 5’s on the tests I’ve taken so far. I took 4 AP’s as a sophomore to challenge myself, but that dropped my gpa as well. There’s a lot of factors to consider. But college is a hectic process, and I’m trying not to stress myself out :). I’m applying to some summer science programs as we speak, because I have a passion for scientific research. All I can do at this point is pursue my passions and hope for the best.
Thank you for the advice!
Getting 5’s on a lot of P exams is more impressive than SAT’s in my book- and reflects a lot of work.
Noone here can tell you that you don’t have a chance wherever you might apply, including Harvard. We don’t really know much about you and you asked a specific question. Please don’t let my comment implying “smart slacker” affect you. It actually doesn’t sound true at all. It sounds like you challenge yourself and study hard.
I hope now that your SAT’s are done you can just enjoy high school. Apply to a bunch of places and think of it as sowing grass seed: some of them will take and grow. You are an intelligent person, clearly, and chances are you will blossom wherever you end up for college
Elite school will check all the essays you write (common app and school specific supplemental) against your Sat essay to make sure they are really written by you. They will the check the vocab you use, the sentence structure, the flow of ideas, and general voice of your essays. If you write all your own essays, then there is nothing to worry about.
@TimeUpJunior That’s what I’m worried about…my SAT essay was really horrible, and not representative of my actual writing abilities. If you allow me at least a week to write an essay, I can write something much better. My essays are going to be written by me of course, but they will definitely be a lot different from my SAT essays. Plus, I’m practicing writing essays right now, so what if I get a lot better before I start applying? Do they take that into account?
If your overall gpa is around 3.6 your chances for Harvard are pretty slim unless you have something significant going for you. A C in a class like physics sticks out and not in a good way. There are a lot of other really good schools you should look into
No one cares about your SAT essay. Colleges know you only have 25 minutes to write the essay compared to the months that you have to write personal statements. Even if they do consider your SAT essay, they would probably only think of it as a draft.
@bsdsj22 That makes sense, thank you :).
@proudparent26 My unweighted gpa is around a 3.85 but my weighted gpa is 4.8ish because I already took a lot of AP’s in my freshman and sophomore years.
Yeah, I know the ‘C’ isn’t too pretty…at least its in the hardest class in high school (in my opinion) which is AP Physics C. And the fact that the class was only 1 semester (1st semester Mechanics and 2nd semester Electricity and Magnetism) further testifies to the difficulty of the course. It’s a first year course in my school and only 3 other juniors (out of a class of 600) are currently taking it. I think if I can get an ‘A’ this semester and 2 5’s on the AP test, I should be fine. I also did the physics olympiad and think I did pretty well. I’m also going to participate in the physics bowl. It’s funny because the ‘C’ made me realize how much I had been neglecting the class, so I actually started studying hard and found out I enjoy physics :).
I honestly don’t even think I’m going to apply to Harvard or other selective private schools. I’m aiming for UC schools like UCLA or USC. I only posted in this forum because I know all of you are intelligent and can help me out with my problem.
@juicymango The UCs would likely appreciate your academic strength, although the Ivies might as well. Apply wherever you want to go.