SAT II: a few questions on scores' significance

Test Preparation
1

I’m taking a pair of subject tests on Saturday, and I was a bit curious about three points. Just to put things into context, I’m going to be applying to a few of the usual absurdly selective colleges next year, and as an expat American I need to apply as an international student.

  1. Will a strong score on the SAT literature test help offset a weak score on the SAT I essay? I took the SAT I in January and scored very well overall, but had just an 8 on the essay-a not uncommon occurrence at our school, as the majority of this year's best seniors scored 8s and 9s and one of the best students in my grade scored a 9. To what extent would a 750+ score in literature make up for that.
  2. How much will the French grading curve matter? Having taken a practice test without getting a question wrong, I just looked up the percentiles and it appears that almost 10% of test-takers earn an 800. Does this mean an 800 in French wouldn't be particularly impressive
  3. At very selective colleges (for example, UChicago, my first choice) will applying with just these two SAT II scores put me at a significant disadvantage? I know that a lot of students applying to these universities take 3, or even 4, but I'm not sure how much of an impact it tends to have.
2
  1. I wouldn't fret about the SAT I essay score. Not only have I spoken with a Columbia admissions officer who plainly stated that the SAT Writing section is the least important section on the SAT (largely due to the subjectivity of the essay), but I received an 8 on the essay as well and got into some very selective schools (though I did get a 9 on my ACT essay). Also, at least for the Ivies, an 8 on the ACT essay (which I assume is roughly analogous to an 8 on the SAT essay) is the 25th percentile, so you should be fine, especially if your other section scores are 750+.
  2. I think that admissions officers will treat all 800s equally. Every admissions officer I've spoken to says it doesn't matter which SAT Subject Tests you take, either, but I would check with some schools since some of them don't want you to take a language test if you're a native/heritage speaker (though I'm not completely sure--definitely check that).
  3. No. Every admissions officer I've asked says having only the required Subject Tests will not put you at a disadvantage, though high scores in more than 2 subject tests can always help.
3

I agree with everything written above.