To answer your question, yes each section is weighted equally, and, in general, if you are going to school for journalism, they will most likely be much more interested in your critical reading and writing scores than your math scores. Now, it is important to do some research on the school to which you wish to apply. For example, many schools do not yet consider the writing section when admitting students (the writing section is relatively new, and most colleges do plan on eventually including it in their admissions process). More than likely, though, a journalism school will look at your writing scores, and they will probably view your essay. So if I were you, I would try to ace the reading and writing sections, and just do your best in math (try to aim for the average score of about 500 if possible), and remember that its not too important; schools will see each individual score, they will not simply see a total, so they will certainly weigh your English scores more than your math scores.

And good luck!

On the SAT all three sections are weighted equally. Each has a possible 800 points, so you can get up to a 2400. (There are some colleges that only look at the math and reading sections).

On the math section, do not guess unless you have an idea because you get penalized for wrong answers but not for blank answers. Make sure you take an approved calculator that you are familiar with. I suggest skimming each math section and doing the problems that look easy first, then working on the ones you know you can answer by plugging in answer choices and seeing which one works . If you still have time, try reading some of the other questions to see if you can figure them out. Take your time and double check your answers so you don’t make careless mistakes. Make sure you re-read questions to see if you missed any information or if they are trying to trick you into giving an intermediate answer (the value of x when they want you to plug x back in to get an answer). Don’t panic or try to finish fast. It is better to be accurate than fast.

Practice with practice tests under timed conditions. Ask a math teacher to explain ones you missed if you don’t understand them. You might pick up a few tips between now and the test if you talk to teachers about specific problems.

As long as you are evaluated according to your interest, you don’t have to worry about mathematics. Different people excel in different fields.