ACT Writing and SAT Essay Requirements

On January 19th, 2021, College Board announced that they will no longer administer the SAT Subject Tests in the U.S. and that the Essay would be retired. Read our blog post to understand what this means in the near term and what the College Board has in store for students down the road.

Our articles on Subject Tests and the SAT Essay will remain on our site for reference purposes as colleges and students transition to a revised testing landscape. As an admission tool, students should consider the Essay as canceled. Compass recommends our students forgo the SAT and ACT optional essays on future exams.

The SAT Essay and ACT Writing continue to pose a conundrum for students. While College Board and ACT have made these components optional, a small number of colleges continue to require or recommend them. Compass believes that students should no longer take the SAT Essay or ACT Writing unless they are applying to (or thinking about applying to) one of the few colleges that still requires the essay. Students who have already taken the essay should not be overly concerned about scores. One reason the essay is fading away is that the scores simply aren’t that accurate or useful. Colleges never really found a use for them, and the essays created an unnecessary obstacle for some applicants.

Rather than worrying about an essay score that is mostly ignored by colleges, Compass believes students should spend their time strengthening the more valuable pieces of their academic portfolio: high school GPA and, more specifically, success in rigorous courses like APs. Compass offers AP and academic tutoring in over 50 subjects to help students stay on pace with their coursework. Our team of subject specific expert tutors will guide the program from start to finish. We also offer a Study Skills and Organizational Coaching program to provide students with the tools they need to excel in the classroom.

The following table of popular colleges provides a wide range of institutions and policies.

Colleges with essay optional policies often do not specify whether submitted essay scores will be used for admission. When the college explicitly states that scores will not be evaluated, we have listed the policy as “Not Considered.” “Optional” should not be interpreted as meaning that the college uses submitted scores. We recommend contacting the school if you have specific questions.

ACT and SAT Essay Requirements - Class of 2019 and Beyond

School	Region	SAT Essay Required	ACT Essay Required
Martin Luther College	Midwest	Required	Required
United States Military Academy	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Required
University of Montana Western **	West	Required	Optional
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities	Midwest	Optional*	Optional*
Abilene Christian University	South	Optional*	Optional*
Soka University of America	West	Optional*	Optional*
Adelphi University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Agnes Scott College	South	Optional	Optional
Albion College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Allegheny College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
American University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Amherst College	New England	Optional	Optional
Appalachian State University	South	Optional	Optional
Arizona State University—Tempe	West	Optional	Optional
Auburn University	South	Optional	Optional
Augustana College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Austin College	South	Optional	Optional
Babson College	New England	Optional	Optional
Baldwin Wallace University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Bard College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Barnard College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Bates College	New England	Optional	Optional
Baylor University	South	Optional	Optional
Beloit College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Bennington College	New England	Optional	Optional
Bentley University	New England	Optional	Optional
Berea College	South	Optional	Optional
Binghamton University—SUNY	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Biola University	West	Optional	Optional
Birmingham-Southern College	South	Optional	Optional
Boston College	New England	Optional	Optional
Boston University	New England	Optional	Optional
Bowdoin College	New England	Optional	Optional
Bradley University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Brandeis University	New England	Optional	Optional
Brigham Young University—Provo	West	Optional	Optional
Brown University	New England	Optional	Optional
Bryn Mawr College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Bucknell University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Butler University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
California Lutheran University	West	Optional	Optional
Carleton College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Carnegie Mellon University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Carroll College	West	Optional	Optional
Case Western Reserve University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Centre College	South	Optional	Optional
Chapman University	West	Optional	Optional
Christopher Newport University	South	Optional	Optional
Clark University	New England	Optional	Optional
Clarkson University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Clemson University	South	Optional	Optional
Coe College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Colby College	New England	Optional	Optional
Colgate University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
College of Charleston	South	Optional	Optional
College of New Jersey	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
College of St. Benedict	Midwest	Optional	Optional
College of the Holy Cross	New England	Optional	Optional
College of William and Mary	South	Optional	Optional
College of Wooster	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Colorado College	West	Optional	Optional
Colorado School of Mines	West	Optional	Optional
Colorado State University	West	Optional	Optional
Columbia University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Concordia College—Moorhead	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Connecticut College	New England	Optional	Optional
Cooper Union	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Cornell College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Cornell University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Creighton University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
CUNY—Baruch College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Dartmouth College	New England	Optional	Optional
Davidson College	South	Optional	Optional
Denison University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
DePaul University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
DePauw University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Dickinson College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Drake University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Drew University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Drexel University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Drury University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Duke University	South	Optional	Optional
Duquesne University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Earlham College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Elmhurst College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Elon University	South	Optional	Optional
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	South	Optional	Optional
Emerson College	New England	Optional	Optional
Emory University	South	Optional	Optional
Fairfield University	New England	Optional	Optional
Florida Institute of Technology	South	Optional	Optional
Florida State University	South	Optional	Optional
Fordham University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Franklin and Marshall College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Furman University	South	Optional	Optional
Gallaudet University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
George Mason University	South	Optional	Optional
George Washington University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Georgetown University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Georgia Institute of Technology	South	Optional	Optional
Gettysburg College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Gonzaga University	West	Optional	Optional
Goshen College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Goucher College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Grinnell College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Gustavus Adolphus College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Hamilton College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Hampden-Sydney College	South	Optional	Optional
Hampton University	South	Optional	Optional
Hanover College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Harvard University	New England	Optional	Optional
Harvey Mudd College	West	Optional	Optional
Haverford College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Hendrix College	South	Optional	Optional
High Point University	South	Optional	Optional
Hillsdale College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Hobart and William Smith Colleges	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Hofstra University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Hollins University	South	Optional	Optional
Hope College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Howard University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Illinois Institute of Technology	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Illinois Wesleyan University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Indiana University—Bloomington	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Iowa State University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Ithaca College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
James Madison University	South	Optional	Optional
John Brown University	South	Optional	Optional
Johns Hopkins University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Kalamazoo College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Kenyon College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Knox College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Lafayette College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Lake Forest College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Lawrence University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Lehigh University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Lewis & Clark College	West	Optional	Optional
Lipscomb University	South	Optional	Optional
Louisiana State University—Baton Rouge	South	Optional	Optional
Loyola Marymount University	West	Optional	Optional
Loyola University Chicago	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Loyola University Maryland	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Luther College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Macalester College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Manhattan College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Marist College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Marquette University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	New England	Optional	Optional
Mercer University	South	Optional	Optional
Miami University—Oxford	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Michigan Technological University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Middlebury College	New England	Optional	Optional
Millsaps College	South	Optional	Optional
Milwaukee School of Engineering	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Mississippi State University	South	Optional	Optional
Missouri University of Science & Technology	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Morehouse College	South	Optional	Optional
Mount Holyoke College	New England	Optional	Optional
Muhlenberg College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
New College of Florida	South	Optional	Optional
New Jersey Institute of Technology	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
New School	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
New York University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
North Carolina State University—Raleigh	South	Optional	Optional
Northeastern University	New England	Optional	Optional
Northwestern University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Oberlin College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Occidental College	West	Optional	Optional
Ohio State University—Columbus	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Ohio University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Ohio Wesleyan University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Oklahoma State University	South	Optional	Optional
Oregon State University	West	Optional	Optional
Pacific Lutheran University	West	Optional	Optional
Pennsylvania State University—University Park	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Pepperdine University	West	Optional	Optional
Pitzer College	West	Optional	Optional
Point Loma Nazarene University	West	Optional	Optional
Pomona College	West	Optional	Optional
Pratt Institute	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Presbyterian College (SC)	South	Optional	Optional
Princeton University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Providence College	New England	Optional	Optional
Purdue University—West Lafayette	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Queens University of Charlotte	South	Optional	Optional
Quinnipiac University	New England	Optional	Optional
Randolph-Macon College	South	Optional	Optional
Reed College	West	Optional	Optional
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Rhode Island School of Design	New England	Optional	Optional
Rhodes College	South	Optional	Optional
Rice University	South	Optional	Optional
Ripon College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Rochester Institute of Technology	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Rollins College	South	Optional	Optional
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—Newark	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Saint Louis University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Sam Houston State University	South	Optional	Optional
Samford University	South	Optional	Optional
San Francisco State University	West	Optional	Optional
San Jose State University	West	Optional	Optional
Santa Clara University	West	Optional	Optional
Sarah Lawrence College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Scripps College	West	Optional	Optional
Seattle University	West	Optional	Optional
Seton Hall University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Sewanee—University of the South	South	Optional	Optional
Siena College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Simmons University	New England	Optional	Optional
Skidmore College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Smith College	New England	Optional	Optional
Southern Methodist University	South	Optional	Optional
Southwestern University	South	Optional	Optional
Spelman College	South	Optional	Optional
St. John Fisher College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
St. John's College Annapolis	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
St. John's University (NY)	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
St. Lawrence University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
St. Mary's College (IN)	Midwest	Optional	Optional
St. Mary's College of California	West	Optional	Optional
St. Mary's College of Maryland	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
St. Michael's College	New England	Optional	Optional
St. Olaf College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Stanford University	West	Optional	Optional
Stetson University	South	Optional	Optional
Stevens Institute of Technology	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Stonehill College	New England	Optional	Optional
Stony Brook University—SUNY	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
SUNY—Geneseo	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Susquehanna University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Swarthmore College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Syracuse University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Temple University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Texas A&M University—College Station	South	Optional	Optional
Texas Christian University	South	Optional	Optional
Texas Lutheran University	South	Optional	Optional
The Catholic University of America	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
The Citadel	South	Optional	Optional
Thomas Aquinas College	West	Optional	Optional
Transylvania University	South	Optional	Optional
Trinity College (Hartford)	New England	Optional	Optional
Trinity University	South	Optional	Optional
Truman State University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Tufts University	New England	Optional	Optional
Tulane University	South	Optional	Optional
Union College (Schenectady, NY)	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
United States Air Force Academy	West	Optional	Optional
United States Coast Guard Academy	New England	Optional	Optional
United States Naval Academy	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University at Albany—SUNY	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University at Buffalo—SUNY	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University of Alabama	South	Optional	Optional
University of Arizona	West	Optional	Optional
University of Arkansas—Fayetteville	South	Optional	Optional
University of Chicago	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Cincinnati	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Colorado—Boulder	West	Optional	Optional
University of Connecticut	New England	Optional	Optional
University of Dallas	South	Optional	Optional
University of Dayton	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Delaware	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University of Denver	West	Optional	Optional
University of Florida	South	Optional	Optional
University of Georgia	South	Optional	Optional
University of Hawaii at Manoa	West	Optional	Optional
University of Illinois—Chicago	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Iowa	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Kansas	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Kentucky	South	Optional	Optional
University of La Verne	West	Optional	Optional
University of Mary Washington	South	Optional	Optional
University of Maryland—College Park	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University of Massachusetts—Amherst	New England	Optional	Optional
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Mississippi	South	Optional	Optional
University of Missouri	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Nebraska—Lincoln	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of New Hampshire	New England	Optional	Optional
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill	South	Optional	Optional
University of North Carolina—Wilmington	South	Optional	Optional
University of North Texas	South	Optional	Optional
University of Notre Dame	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Oklahoma	South	Optional	Optional
University of Oregon	West	Optional	Optional
University of Pennsylvania	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University of Pittsburgh	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University of Portland	West	Optional	Optional
University of Puget Sound	West	Optional	Optional
University of Redlands	West	Optional	Optional
University of Richmond	South	Optional	Optional
University of Rochester	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
University of San Diego	West	Optional	Optional
University of San Francisco	West	Optional	Optional
University of South Carolina	South	Optional	Optional
University of South Florida	South	Optional	Optional
University of Southern California	West	Optional	Optional
University of St. Thomas (MN)	Midwest	Optional	Optional
University of Tennessee	South	Optional	Optional
University of Texas—Austin	South	Optional	Optional
University of Texas—Dallas	South	Optional	Optional
University of the Pacific	West	Optional	Optional
University of Tulsa	South	Optional	Optional
University of Utah	West	Optional	Optional
University of Vermont	New England	Optional	Optional
University of Virginia	South	Optional	Optional
University of Washington	West	Optional	Optional
University of Wisconsin—Madison	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Ursinus College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Valparaiso University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Vanderbilt University	South	Optional	Optional
Vassar College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Villanova University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Virginia Commonwealth University	South	Optional	Optional
Virginia Military Institute	South	Optional	Optional
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Wabash College	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Wake Forest University	South	Optional	Optional
Washington and Jefferson College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Washington and Lee University	South	Optional	Optional
Washington College	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
Washington State University	West	Optional	Optional
Washington University in St. Louis	South	Optional	Optional
Wellesley College	New England	Optional	Optional
Wesleyan University	New England	Optional	Optional
Westmont College	West	Optional	Optional
Wheaton College (IL)	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Whitman College	West	Optional	Optional
Whittier College	West	Optional	Optional
Willamette University	West	Optional	Optional
Williams College	New England	Optional	Optional
Wofford College	South	Optional	Optional
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	New England	Optional	Optional
Xavier University	Midwest	Optional	Optional
Yale University	New England	Optional	Optional
Yeshiva University	Mid-Atlantic	Optional	Optional
California Institute of Technology	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
California Polytechnic State University--Pomona	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
California Polytechnic State University—San Luis Obispo	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
California State University--Fresno	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
California State University--Fullerton	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
California State University--Long Beach	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
California State University--Los Angeles	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
California State University--Monterey Bay	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
California State University--Northridge	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
Humboldt State University	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
San Diego State University	West	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
Loyola University New Orleans	South	Not Considered*	Not Considered*
Michigan State University	Midwest	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Berkeley	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Davis	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Irvine	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Los Angeles	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Merced	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Riverside	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—San Diego	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Santa Barbara	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of California—Santa Cruz	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
Claremont McKenna College	West	Not Considered	Not Considered
University of Miami	South	Not Considered	Not Considered

* In response to COVID-19, these schools have announced temporary test optional or test blind policies, which also effects their essay requirements and recommendations. Please check with the individual schools for more information.

** University of Montana Western has students submit ACT Writing in order to satisfy English proficiency requirements.

Post a comment or send an email to guide@compassprep.com with questions or recommended changes.

ACT Writing scores have gone through multiple changes. To try to clear things up, Compass has published ACT Writing Scores Explained. A similar analysis for the SAT is also available.

Our College Profiles page provides SAT and ACT scores for some of the most competitive colleges in the country.

Score choice and superscoring policies can be found for more than 400 popular colleges and universities.

Subject Test requirements continue to evolve, so Compass keeps an up-to-date list.

Updated 6/24/2020

173 Comments

ST says:

April 2, 2020 at 9:23 am

Hi Art,
Hope you are staying safe. Son is sophomore who will be taking the September ACT. He is not a great writer, does not like writing, and does not want to take the writing portion. He likely will score in the 33-35 range and apply to a variety of schools (a couple top [sub-10% acceptance rate] privates and top publics, as well as some less competitive universities and colleges). Not applying to any UC schools. Do you think lacking the writing score — which likely would be average — will hurt him? Put another way, would doing the writing help him at schools where it is “optional” assuming his score is not great but not terrible? Thanks.
ST
- Art Sawyer says:
  
  April 11, 2020 at 5:15 pm
  
  ST,
  If colleges were completely honest, they would admit that the Writing test is dead. Some won’t state it so bluntly because it sounds like writing is not important. I don’t think there will be any colleges that care about your son’s Writing score by the time he applies. He should pass on it in September.
  - ST says:
    
    April 19, 2020 at 12:36 pm
    
    Thanks Art — appreciate the great advice here and on this web site generally!
BSS says:

May 28, 2020 at 6:18 pm

Hi Art,

If I’m understanding correctly, the only students who need to be taking the writing/essay exams are those applying to the first 9 schools on your list that are “required” or “recommended”? In this wild west post-Covid era of college testing where it seems the only constant thing is change, it is hard to understand why anyone would still take the essay portion if they aren’t applying to any of those 9 schools. We are in CA so it used to be needed for the UC’s but as you noted even that has changed. So now post-Covid, do you still advise most of your students to take the writing exams, or feel that there is “more upside than downside” to taking them? My 11th grader previously did the SAT w/essay and scored 760 R&W, 650 M, and 4/4/5 on the essay. He’ll be retaking it to improve his math score, or possibly switching over to the ACT since SAT isn’t offered this summer (He was scheduled for the March exam that was cancelled the day before, so we are re-evaluating our options). Thanks very much for your insight.
- Art Sawyer says:
  
  May 28, 2020 at 6:50 pm
  
  BSS,
  I’d go even a step further and say that — except for students applying to West Point — the essay can finally be retired. I’m not sad to see it go!
  
  Given that your son is already considering the ACT, I’d recommend looking at July ACT and August SAT dates. Not that he needs to take both, but the strategy is a hedge against cancellations. Registration for some students just opened up for the SAT dates, but it sounds like your student will need to wait until registration goes wider on June 3.
Bob says:

June 5, 2020 at 8:02 pm

Duke: “Recommended” Duke website: “We do not require the optional essay.” https://admissions.duke.edu/apply/ I don’t see anywhere that they recommend it.

Also, on your Subject Test page: Duke: “Recommended Strongly ” Duke website: “We do not require Subject Tests.” I see nothing that would indicate it is “Recommended Strongly”. https://admissions.duke.edu/apply/

Caltech – “Optional” Caltech website – “Caltech also does not require the SAT Essay or ACT Writing exam sections. These sections will not be considered in the application review process.” http://admissions.divisions.caltech.edu/apply/first-yearfreshman-applicants/standardized-tests

I believe the vast, vast majority of the colleges you list as “Optional” similarly don’t even consider a writing score.
- Margaux Erilane says:
  
  June 8, 2020 at 12:25 pm
  
  Hi Bob,
  
  Thanks for reaching out! And thank you, in particular, for the Duke update. Just a few weeks ago we checked their site and they still had Subject Tests listed as recommended strongly with the “or ACT” twist. We’ve updated the Subject Test page to reflect that. We still have Duke listed as recommending the essay because of this: https://today.duke.edu/2018/07/duke-makes-sat-essay-act-writing-test-optional-applicants (this announcement is from almost two years ago, but we haven’t heard anything to specifically counter it.)
  
  We recognize that the essay is becoming increasingly less relevant in admissions, and we have plans to revisit this list and put the “Optional” schools in better context.
Mazin says:

December 22, 2020 at 7:20 pm

Hello Mr. Sawyer,
I have an SAT score of 1510 and my essay score is 5/4/6 should I consider taking the SAT again to improve the essay score if I plan to apply to the top universities such as Harvard, Yale and Duke.
- Art Sawyer says:
  
  January 20, 2021 at 10:51 am
  
  Mazin,
  You should not repeat the SAT just because of your Essay score. You may have seen the news yesterday that College Board is phasing out the Essay. It is simply no longer a concern.
  - Marjorie says:
    
    January 30, 2021 at 8:22 am
    
    Mr. Sawyer, what are you thoughts on the ACT writing (essay). Do you expect it to follow suit and discontinue it like the SAT essay?
    - Art Sawyer says:
      
      February 2, 2021 at 10:48 am
      
      Marjorie,
      My first thought is that — ACT’s decision aside — students should not take the Writing test. It is disappearing for good reason — it’s just not very good or useful.
      
      ACT will make a business decision, just as College Board did — although not necessarily with the same immediate result. ACT may want to retain the fees it is receiving for the Writing test. It may also try to wait just long enough not to seem that it is following College Board’s lead. ACT typically implements changes during its school calendar year of Sept – July. I would not be surprised to see the essay discontinued after the summer administrations.
Sarah says:

March 23, 2021 at 5:11 pm

Mr. Sawyer-Wanting some advice. My junior just took the ACT and scored a 33 composite with a 35 in English and a 34 in reading. Our school had recommended the writing test so he took it and bombed it with a 6/12. He has taken all honors and AP English classes offered and done excellent. GPA is 3.95 unweighted. I wonder if his horrible handwriting played a role but now he is stuck with a 6 on writing. Should he retake the test just to improve that score? If so does he take it with writing again or simply try to score a 33 without writing and submit that score. He’s looking at Carleton, Pomona, Grinnell along with some others.
- Art Sawyer says:
  
  April 11, 2021 at 5:52 pm
  
  Sarah,
  One of the reasons the essay has been abandoned is just how fluky the results can be. I would not recommend retesting only to raise his Writing score.

ACT Writing and SAT Essay Requirements

On January 19th, 2021, College Board announced that they will no longer administer the SAT Subject Tests in the U.S. and that the Essay would be retired. Read our blog post to understand what this means in the near term and what the College Board has in store for students down the road.

ACT and SAT Essay Requirements - Class of 2019 and Beyond

Related posts:

About Art Sawyer

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Recent Posts

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Previous PostThe PSAT and National Merit for the Class of 2022

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173 Comments

ACT Writing and SAT Essay Requirements

On January 19th, 2021, College Board announced that they will no longer administer the SAT Subject Tests in the U.S. and that the Essay would be retired. Read our blog post to understand what this means in the near term and what the College Board has in store for students down the road.

ACT and SAT Essay Requirements - Class of 2019 and Beyond

Related posts:

About Art Sawyer

Popular Posts

Recent Posts

Categories

Previous PostThe PSAT and National Merit for the Class of 2022

Next Post2020 AP Exams in Review

173 Comments

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