<p>^I don’t think you’re devaluing grammar/writing skills, but to say that part is “much easier” than the other two parts (while most students score lower on it than the other two parts) is just an inaccurate statement. </p>
<p>And from those articles, it sounds like colleges are distrusting of the essay portion, not the multiple-choice. So for colleges to not consider the score altogether is pretty ridiculous, in my opinion. </p>
<p>Also, I’m confused; you said NYU does consider the essay score? Yet that is the part colleges are most suspicious of being invalid? :-/</p>