COMMENTS

  1. Should I Take the SAT Essay? How to Decide

    If you choose to take the essay, it will be its own section of the SAT, and the score you get on the essay will be separate from your score on the rest of the exam. Your main SAT score will be out of 1600 while your essay will be graded across three different categories: Reading, Analysis, and Writing. For each area, your essay will be given a ...

  2. What Is the SAT Essay?

    The Essay section is only available in certain states where it's required as part of SAT School Day administrations. If you're going to be taking the SAT during school, ... If you don't have the opportunity to take the SAT Essay section as part of the SAT, don't worry. There are other ways to show your writing skills as part of the work ...

  3. What Colleges Require the SAT Essay?

    The SAT Essay used to be required at many top colleges, but it has become optional at many schools. Now, among elite schools, only the University of California schools require the Essay. Other selective colleges like Duke University, Amherst College, and Colby College recommend the Essay, but it's not required. ...

  4. The Optional SAT Essay: What to Know

    Here are three things you should know about the 50-minute SAT essay as you decide whether to complete it: To excel on the SAT essay, you must be a trained reader. The SAT essay begs background ...

  5. The SAT Announces Dropping Essay and Subject Tests

    The essay section was introduced in 2005, and was considered among the most drastic changes to the SAT in decades. It came amid a broader overhaul of the test, which included eliminating verbal ...

  6. PDF Spring 2024 SAT Student Guide for Testing in the U.S.

    2 Spring 2024 SAT Student Guide for Testing in the U.S Test-Taking Information Introducing the Digital SAT Emphasis on high-utility words and phrases in context. Focus on revising texts to improve the effectiveness of written expression, and meet specific rhetorical goals. Measurement of ability to edit texts to follow core conventions of Standard English

  7. Everything You Need To Know About The SAT Essay

    When the new SAT came into effect in 2016, the essay component underwent significant changes. The new SAT essay rules, requirements, and even the time limit are quite different from the old SAT. When you are looking for information on the SAT essay, make sure the information is about the new SAT.

  8. SAT Discontinues Subject Tests And Optional Essay : NPR

    Updated at 5:03 p.m. ET. The College Board announced on Tuesday that it will discontinue the optional essay component of the SAT and that it will no longer offer subject tests in U.S. history ...

  9. Is the SAT Essay Required?

    In 2016, the SAT changed its essay portion from required to optional. This began raising the question for students and colleges alike as to whether to continue using the essay for admissions. Now that the essay is optional for test-takers, many schools are changing their application requirements, as well. In the first eight months of 2018, a ...

  10. PDF The SAT® Practice Essay #1

    You have 50 minutes to read the passage and write an essay in response to the prompt provided inside this booklet. CD . 0 . REMINDERS • Do not write your essay in this booklet. Only what you write on the lined pages of your answer sheet will be evaluated. • An off-topic essay will not be evaluated. STANDARD TIME . Essay: 50 . minutes . This ...

  11. SAT Essay Scoring

    Responses to the optional SAT Essay are scored using a carefully designed process. Two different people will read and score your essay. Each scorer awards 1-4 points for each dimension: reading, analysis, and writing. The two scores for each dimension are added. You'll receive three scores for the SAT Essay—one for each dimension—ranging ...

  12. What is a Good SAT Essay Score?

    In 2019, the mean score on the Reading and Writing for the SAT Essay was a 5. For the Analysis section, the mean score was a little lower at 3, simply because Analysis is a skill that high school students spend less time honing than Reading or Writing. For a detailed breakdown of how 2019's test takers performed, here are a few score ...

  13. Which Colleges Require SAT Essay in 2022-2023?

    In recent years, no Ivy League schools have required applicants to submit their SAT scores with the essay. The same applies to other prestigious top-notch schools such as Caltech, Stanford, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, NYU, MIT, and more. Many liberal arts colleges also did not require or recommend you take the SAT with the essay.

  14. College Board will no longer offer SAT's optional essay and ...

    The SAT's optional essay and subject tests have been nixed by the College Board, the latest step away from standardized testing in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. "As students and colleges ...

  15. Everything You Need to Know About the Digital SAT

    The SAT puts your achievements into context. That means it shows off your qualifications to colleges and helps you stand out. Most colleges—including those that are test optional —still accept SAT scores. Together with high school grades, the SAT can show your potential to succeed in college or career. Learn more about why you should take ...

  16. What were SAT Subject Tests?

    Some colleges used SAT Subject Tests for admission, course placement, and to advise students about course selection. Some colleges required students to submit scores from SAT Subject Tests for certain courses or programs. College Board discontinued Subject Tests in 2021. As students and colleges adapted to new realities and changes to the ...

  17. Harvard announces return to required testing

    Students applying to Harvard College for fall 2025 admission will be required to submit standardized test scores, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday. ... assessed at regular intervals. For the Class of 2029 admissions cycle, Harvard will require submission of scores for the SAT or ACT. ... essays — are even more prone to ...

  18. A Complete List of Colleges Requiring SAT/ACT 2023-2024

    What's Covered: Which Colleges Are Still Requiring Standardized Tests? How Will My SAT/ACT Score Affect My Chances of Acceptance? Over the past three years, test-optional policies have become more prevalent in college admissions, a trend that has been further exacerbated by the pandemic. While many institutions, including some of the best colleges, have extended or even made these policies ...

  19. Return of ACT/SAT College Requirements: What It Means for Students

    "Also, with an abundance of high school GPAs surrounding 4.0, especially among our auto-admits, an SAT or ACT score is a proven differentiator that is in each student's and the University's best ...

  20. Colleges Rates and Requirements

    Application Essay. For colleges that require it, the application essay can be a very important part of your application and is your pitch to the university. This is your opportunity to show the school of your dreams the unique individual you are, something that may not necessarily be conveyed in your transcript.

  21. Harvard to require SAT, ACT scores for admissions again

    The California Institute of Technology also announced Thursday that, effective immediately, SAT or ACT scores will be required of applicants for undergraduate admission.

  22. Harvard and Caltech Will Require Test Scores for Admission

    Students applying to enter Harvard in fall 2025 and beyond will be required to submit SAT or ACT scores, though the university said a few other test scores will be accepted in "exceptional cases ...

  23. The SAT

    Students, find out when the SAT will be offered at your school and how you can prepare for test day. Learn about the test security and fairness policies for taking the SAT. Top. The SAT supports success in school and can help you on your path to college. Access your My SAT Dashboard to register or send SAT scores.

  24. SAT, ACT tests now required for Harvard University applicants

    Harvard, like other schools across the country, had dropped the SAT and other standardized testing requirements in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic that had limited access to testing.

  25. Harvard College Reinstates Mandatory SAT, ACT

    Harvard University announced Thursday it will once again require standardized test scores for undergraduate admissions, the latest—and most high-profile—higher education institution to reverse ...

  26. Harvard to Require SAT, ACT Tests in Fall 2025

    Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology said they plan to reinstate the SAT or ACT as requirements for admission, joining a growing group of elite US schools returning to ...