I just got my SAT essay scores back today, and, to put it bluntly, I’m profoundly disappointed. I got a 6/5/6 (meaning one grader gave me a 2 for my analysis), which translates into a 17 – by my standards, a terrible score.
The part that’s really confusing me is how my score does not line up with my AP Lit exam OR English grades. Last year, I received a 94 in my AP Literature class (with the class average being a low 80) and a 4 on the exam despite not even completing one of the essays and ten of the multiple choice. This year, I’m in AP Language, and I’ve received nines on all my essays thus far with a teacher who grades exceptionally harshly (I’m serious; the class average for the first essay was a 3).
Writing has always been what I thought I was good at, but now I feel defeated. Should I give up? I wanted to study English in college, but if I can’t even get a decent score on a simple SAT rhetorical analysis, maybe I shouldn’t even bother.
Ugh. Sorry if I sound melodramatic. I just feel like a failure.
Can you post your essay to see what happens?
I recall a blog article on SAT essay scores - from what I understand, your essay score would be in an acceptable range. I don’t believe that even the colleges requiring the SAT essay consider the scores to be especially reliable indicators. In other words, according to the article I read, relax, your essay score is good enough.
I know I’m late to the party and you probably don’t need help anymore, but here’s my 2 cents. First of all, you are not a failure because of a one-time test. Lots of colleges don’t look at the essay- most don’t even require it, so I wouldn’t stress about that. Feel free to retake the SAT and try again, hoping for friendlier graders or a better passage. My essay scores really fluctuated. First I got a 7/8/7, then a 5/6/5, then a 7/7/7. So many variables go into it, including your mood or stress day of, and, as I mentioned, your graders. Clicking with the passage is a major plus- I found the second one super boring, which is reflected in my score.
That being said, if you think there is a concept gap or something, feel free to PM me. I didn’t get perfect scores, but I have lots of tricks up my sleeve since the question is the same every time (even though the passage is not). I can also give your essay a read, if you like, and let you know what to work on for next time. That’s what my brother did to me, and it really helped to have another set of eyes use the rubric to give you feedback! 