I took the SAT in December and received a relatively decent score of 1530/1600. However, my essay score was only 17/24. How heavy do essay scores weigh on college admissions? Should I retake the SAT in order to increase my essay score?
I think you’re fine. I heard from friends that the 25th to 75th percentile range for the SAT essay at UCLA and UC Berkeley is 16 to 20. On top of that, the essay is optional at many schools, so the score doesn’t play as significant of a role as you actually taking the essay portion. For colleges that do require the essay, such as UCs and Stanford, a 17 is decent. Don’t worry about the 17 and just focus on other priorities.