If you’re taking the SAT any time after January 2016, you likely know that the English Essay section is optional. Most of you are probably very excited about this! Before you decide you’re not taking the essay, here are some things to think about:
I don’t like writing, so I’m not going to take the Essay section since it is optional. That’s okay, right?
My Advice: Always take the SAT with the Essay section.
If you take the SAT without the Essay, and then end up applying to a school that does require or prefer the essay, you will have to go back and take the entire test again. That’s four extra hours of your life taking a test!
If you don't like to write because it is not your strong suit. Don't worry that's what we are here for.
Practice SAT Questions Using TestRocker
What do I need to know about the SAT Essay section?
The Essay section is going to be 50 minutes long. It will require you to analyze a long source text, and then write about how the author builds an argument to persuade the readers. You can view sample essays here.
Does the college/university I’m applying to require the Essay?
The most accurate information will come from the college/university itself. Check the websites, or contact the admissions office. However, the College Board has put up a list of schools that have indicated a preference. Here are 80+ of them:
Table: Colleges That Recommend or Require The SAT Essay.
|
State |
College/University |
Recommend/Require |
|
AL |
Spring Hill College |
Recommend |
|
AR |
Mid-South Community College |
Recommend |
|
CA |
California Institute of Technology |
Require |
|
CA |
Claremont McKenna College |
Require |
|
CA |
Pomona College |
Recommend |
|
CA |
Stanford University |
Require |
|
CA |
Thomas Aquinas College |
Recommend |
|
CA |
University of California: Berkeley |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: Davis |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: Irvine |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: Los Angeles |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: Merced |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: Riverside |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: San Diego |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: Santa Barbara |
Require |
|
CA |
University of California: Santa Cruz |
Require |
|
CA |
Whittier College |
Recommend |
|
CO |
Colorado College |
Recommend |
|
CO |
Colorado School of Mines |
Recommend |
|
CT |
Yale University |
Require |
|
DC |
Howard University |
Require |
|
FL |
Flagler College |
Recommend |
|
FL |
Rollins College |
Recommend |
|
GA |
Emory University |
Require |
|
GA |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
Recommend |
|
IL |
Quincy University |
Recommend |
|
IL |
Trinity International University |
Recommend |
|
IL |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Recommend |
|
IN |
Anderson University |
Require |
|
IN |
Huntington University |
Recommend |
|
IN |
Purdue University |
Recommend |
|
IN |
Saint Joseph's College |
Recommend |
|
KS |
Barclay College |
Recommend |
|
MA |
Amherst College |
Recommend |
|
MA |
Merrimack College |
Recommend |
|
MA |
Mount Ida College |
Recommend |
|
MA |
Nichols College |
Recommend |
|
MA |
Wentworth Institute of Technology |
Require |
|
ME |
Beal College |
Recommend |
|
MI |
Aquinas College |
Recommend |
|
MN |
Concordia College: Moorhead |
Recommend |
|
MN |
Macalester College |
Recommend |
|
MN |
St. Catherine University |
Recommend |
|
NC |
Duke University |
Require |
|
NC |
North Carolina Central University |
Recommend |
|
NJ |
Caldwell College |
Recommend |
|
NJ |
Princeton University |
Require |
|
NJ |
Rutgers University: Newark |
Recommend |
|
NJ |
Rutgers University-New Brunswick |
Recommend |
|
NV |
College of Southern Nevada |
Require |
|
NY |
College of Mount St. Vincent |
Recommend |
|
NY |
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art |
Recommend |
|
NY |
Elmira College |
Recommend |
|
NY |
Iona College |
Recommend |
|
NY |
St. Joseph's College New York: Suffolk Campus |
Recommend |
|
NY |
St. Lawrence University |
Recommend |
|
NY |
SUNY College at Brockport |
Recommend |
|
NY |
SUNY University at Stony Brook |
Recommend |
|
OH |
Cleveland Institute of Music |
Recommend |
|
OH |
Columbus College of Art and Design |
Recommend |
|
OH |
School of Advertising Art |
Recommend |
|
OH |
University of Cincinnati |
Recommend |
|
OH |
Ursuline College |
Recommend |
|
OR |
George Fox University |
Recommend |
|
OR |
Willamette University |
Recommend |
|
PA |
Arcadia University |
Recommend |
|
PA |
Marywood University |
Recommend |
|
PA |
Pennsylvania College of Technology |
Require |
|
PA |
Reading Area Community College |
Recommend |
|
PA |
Susquehanna University |
Recommend |
|
SC |
Anderson University |
Recommend |
|
SC |
Coastal Carolina University |
Recommend |
|
SC |
College of Charleston |
Require |
|
TN |
Vanderbilt University |
Recommend |
|
TX |
Baylor University |
Recommend |
|
TX |
Rice University |
Require |
|
TX |
Texas A&M University |
Require |
|
TX |
Trinity University |
Require |
|
TX |
University of North Texas at Dallas |
Recommend |
|
TX |
University of St. Thomas |
Recommend |
|
TX |
Wayland Baptist University |
Recommend |
|
VA |
Hampden-Sydney College |
Recommend |
|
VA |
Hampton University |
Recommend |
|
VT |
Marlboro College |
Require |
|
VT |
Saint Michael's College |
Recommend |
If your school of interest is not listed comment below and somebody at TestRocker can get back to you about it.
You might also enjoy the following blogs:
The New SAT: Advice for the Class of 2017
The Content & Structure of the New SAT
