<p>Thanks, Jyankees - that's why I suggested a search for the latest info about this plan. Several years ago, I was aware of the machine versus human testing.</p>
<p>IF the testing service has eliminated the plan to use computers, then my comment was outdated, yes. However, if it is simply that they are still tweaking, then future candidates may be affected. Jyankees, do you know more? The professor I know who was part of the test series asks this rhetorical question: given the number of students taking these tests, in the US and internationally, how could they possibly afford to pay enough human beings to score essays?</p>
<p>will a really bad writing score hurt my chances?
my highest and most recent scores are: CR 770, math 650. however, my writing went from a 610 (6 essay) to a 550 (2 essay). i thought too much and didn't start writing until 5 min before time. >.< stupid mistake on my part... how will colleges view this?</p>
<p>The writing section incorporates multiple choice as well as the essay. Both scores are factored into the final score out of 800. The multiple choice is a subscore out of 80 (i got 67 the first time, 78 the second); and the essay is a subscore out of 12 (got 8 both times, although i feel my first essay was really very good and my second was poor). The SAT says that the essay makes up 30% of your score and the MC makes up 70%.</p>
<p>What this means to me is I was basically denied a perfect score mostly due to my essay (possibly even the length of my essay, if the info I posted above is indeed true) and it is quite infuriating to think that I lost out on the only non-objective section of the SAT.
/rant</p>
<p>meh, I'm pretty satisfied overall though, but a looking at the scores of Harvard EA applicant set from this website really makes you nervous...</p>
<p>A 2 essay on the writing section might hurt you a little, because colleges have been known to double check a really great essay with the writing section and its essay.</p>
<p>Umm. . . please, please, please check out the following article in the
NYTimes. . . </p>
<p>REVISITING S.A.T. ESSAY; The Writing Section? Relax</p>
<p>By NANCY HASS
Published: November 5, 2006</p>
<p>In what may be the most revealing measure of how little impact the new test has had, the admissions staff at U.C. did not take note of essay scores, much less look at the work itself, for freshmen who entered this fall, says Susan Wilbur , director of undergraduate admissions. ''It's not used in any step of the process.'' (Colleges receive a score for each of the three sections -- math, critical reading and writing; the essay score is broken out for them, too, but to see the essay itself, they must download it from the College Board Web site.)</p>
<p>Other institutions seem similarly unimpressed. In a 2005 survey released in September, a majority of colleges told the College Board they would require either the new SAT or the ACT with its optional writing component, but fewer than 30 percent of them expected to use the writing section as part of their admissions calculations.</p>
<p>''We didn't look at even one of the essays'' or consider their scores, says Lee Stetson , dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, echoing the sentiments of colleagues at Harvard, Brown and Dartmouth. . . </p>
<p>''To our way of thinking,'' says Jim Bock , dean of admissions and financial aid at Swarthmore, ''something written on a Saturday morning in less than a half-hour probably isn't very indicative of much.''</p>
<p>In trying to guess what weight is given to the writing section consider that the old writing subject test was the only SAT II which many top schools had required. At least these schools must consider the writing section very important.</p>
<p>While the essay portion of the new exam has been the most widely criticized, your perfect twelve is still certain to impress adcoms. In addition, your talent for writing gives you a huge edge in preparing your application essays. </p>
<p>Kaplan had done a survey of top schools policies regarding the new section. Its results were mixed across the board.
Unfortunately, it seems to have been deleted from the Kaplan website. Good Luck!!!</p>
<p>the writing section is no where as important as the verbal or math. It is simply counted as much as any sat 2. Schools that never required the sat 2 writing will just take a glance at it.</p>
<p>I got a 1320/1600 without writing, 690M and 630CR. But I got a 780 on the writing section and a 12 essay, leaving me with a 2100. I knew this wouldn't count nearly as much as the original sections, though I secretly hoped it would.</p>
<p>I don't know whether this will give my score a boost for Cornell, or if they just won't care about it. Not that I think I have a chance there anyway. I've been accepted to U Mich anyway, which is awesome.</p>
<p>Whaaaat?! I wish I'd seen that list before I applied anywhere! Damn, according to that I would probably have better chances at Dartmouth/Brown and a bunch of other top universities than Cornell. This sucks.</p>
<p>Well, whatever, I don't think I'd want to go to those schools anyway...</p>
<p>Im 1450 (650 CR and 800 M)/ 2090 (640 on writing). I think the writing section is actually pretty easy to learn. I would have said that the writing favored me because on all the practice tests I was getting (0 to 4) wrong on MC with 8 or 9 essays. So like low 700s, sometimes even high. The first time I took the SAT I got a 640 (8 essay) on writing without too much studying I actually thought I scored a little higher but w/e. I remember telling my mom I'm not sure if math (760) is gonna improve, not sure if reading (620) is gonna improve, but I'm a 100% sure writing (640) is gonna improve. Next time I studied like crazy, each day gettin better and better. It was actually kinda fun. Luckily for me when I got the results I got screwed over in every way possible with a 610 (7 Essay). And when I looked at the blue book, the lowest I could get with my raw score and essay score was a 610. Got stuck with a harsh curve.</p>
<p>But even if I didnt do so badly I do think that the writing section (espec. the grammar) is kinda random. And for my bad essay score all I have to say is that I'm slow coming up with ideas which cost me.</p>