I had a really good SAT score, but a really bad essay score. Will this affect anything if the school I apply to does not require the essay?
There is no data yet as to how schools may consider the new Essay section…but anecdotal chatter suggests it is not going to be a significant factor in admissions. It’s got unreliable criteria, assessed by non-professionals. Ignore it.
As long as you made the effort to take the extra essay portion, you should be fine.
Because the new SAT is so new, most colleges are not weighting it too heavily.
If a school says they don’t require the essay but I send them a sat with essay, will they consider the essay?
I believe so.
I don’t think it will be held against you if you have a bad essay score and the school doesn’t require the essay. If anything, they may only consider it if it helped your application. This really depends on the school though.
If you’re really worried about it, you can always call/email admissions and ask how this will be factored into your application.
I agree with the poster above, the scoring system is a bit odd and confusing. When it all comes down to it, I think your application essay would be the one that holds more weight in your admissions decision.
I got a 790 CRW on the new SAT but a 16 on the writing. Totally weird!