sat essay overview

SAT Essay Writing Guide: Structure, Tips, and Sample Prompts

• July 2, 2024

Are you preparing for the SAT and looking to ace the optional Essay section? The SAT Essay is an opportunity to showcase your analytical and writing skills to college admissions officers. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll provide you with a clear structure, valuable tips, and sample prompts to help you excel in the SAT Essay.

Understanding the SAT Essay Section

The SAT Essay is an optional section of the exam that assesses your ability to analyze and evaluate an author’s argument. You’ll be presented with a passage and asked to explain how the author builds their argument using evidence, reasoning, and persuasive techniques.

Essay Structure

Follow this recommended structure to organize your SAT Essay effectively:

Introduction: Start with a concise introduction that provides context about the passage and the author’s argument. State your thesis, outlining your stance on the effectiveness of the author’s argument.

Body Paragraphs: Develop your analysis in two to three body paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the author’s argument, such as use of evidence, logic, or rhetorical devices. Support your points with examples and quotations from the passage.

Conclusion: Summarize your analysis and restate your thesis. Reflect on the overall effectiveness of the author’s argument and provide a concluding thought.

Tips for SAT Essay Writing

Here are some tips to enhance your SAT Essay writing:

Read Carefully: Analyze the passage thoroughly, paying attention to the author’s main argument and supporting evidence.

Plan Your Response: Take a few minutes to outline your essay before you start writing. This will help you stay focused and organized.

Use Concrete Examples: Support your analysis with specific examples and quotes from the passage to strengthen your arguments.

Showcase Your Critical Thinking: Demonstrate your ability to critically evaluate the author’s argument by discussing strengths and weaknesses.

Manage Your Time: Allocate enough time to each part of the essay (reading, planning, writing) to ensure a well-structured and coherent response.

Sample Prompts

Practice responding to these sample SAT Essay prompts:

• “Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?”
• “Should people always value new ideas, even if they are contrary to popular opinion?”
• “Does progress always require more effort?”

Practice and Preparation

Utilize SAT Prep Online’s essay writing resources and practice prompts to hone your SAT Essay skills. Regular practice will familiarize you with the task and boost your confidence in tackling this section on test day.

By following this SAT Essay Writing Guide and practicing with sample prompts, you’ll be well-equipped to craft a strong and persuasive essay that showcases your analytical abilities. Remember to adhere to the recommended structure, incorporate relevant examples, and demonstrate critical thinking in your responses. With diligent preparation and strategic approach, you can achieve success in the SAT Essay section and impress college admissions committees with your writing prowess. Good luck!

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When changes to the SAT were instituted in March of 2016, there were understandably a lot of questions. After all, the SAT is one of only two high-stakes standardized tests widely accepted as a gauge of college readiness and used by college admissions committees to assess applicants.

As news of the changes trickled back to students, teachers, SAT tutors, and high school counselors, some of the most commonly asked questions centered on the difference between the new Writing and Language section of the SAT and the new Essay section. Previously, the writing and essay tests had been combined and required. Now, they’re separate, and the essay itself is optional.

How does the content of each section now differ from that of its predecessor? What form does each exam take, and what skills does it assess? In this post, we will outline the basics of the new SAT Writing and Essay sections, describe what you are asked to do on each portion of the test, and give you an overview of the skills assessed.

Read on to learn more about the difference between the new Writing and Language SAT and the new SAT Essay section.

What is the format of the new SAT Writing and Language Test?

The new Writing and Language section of the SAT is part of the larger Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Test. This section of the test includes 44 questions and lasts 35 minutes. All questions are multiple-choice and all are based on passages.

As you take the Writing and Language test, you will read four passages, each between 400-450 words. There will be one nonfiction narrative, one to two informative or explanatory texts, and one to two arguments. Some passages will be accompanied by informational graphics such as tables, graphs, or charts.

Passages and questions are presented in side-by-side columns with passages on the left-hand side of the page and questions along the right-hand side. Question numbers are embedded in the text of the passage, along with underlining, to indicate which part of the passage is being tested. Some questions may also assess the passage as a whole.

What skills does the Writing and Language Test Assess?

The Writing and Language Test assesses your skills in five primary areas:

Command of Evidence

These questions will ask you to improve the way passages develop information and ideas. For example, you might sharpen an argumentative claim or add a relevant supporting detail.

Words in Context

These questions will ask you to improve word choice, choose the best words to use based on the text, make a passage more precise/concise, or improve syntax, style, or tone.

Analysis in History/Social Studies and in Science

These questions test your ability to critically read passages about topics in history, social studies, and science, and to make editorial decisions that clarify them or improve their focus.

Expression of Ideas

These questions will ask you to consider a passage’s organization and its effectiveness in expressing concepts, as well as which words or structural changes could improve how well the passage makes its point or how well its sentences and paragraphs work together. 

Standard English Conventions

These questions assess your knowledge of the building blocks of writing, including sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. You may be asked to change words, clauses, sentences, and punctuation, or edit for verb tense, parallel construction, subject-verb agreement, or comma use.

Basically, on the Writing and Language Test, you will be asked to make editorial decisions to improve the passages on both a minute and large scale.

What is the format of the Essay Section?

By contrast, the essay section (which is now optional and is administered after the required sections of the SAT) includes a passage between 650-700 words long that you will read and then critique. You will have 50 minutes to read the passage, plan your writing, and write your essay.

The passage you are asked to assess varies from test to test, but it is always written for a broad audience and taken from published works. Unlike on the Writing and Language test, the Essay passage is not crafted to intentionally include organizational and grammatical errors.

The passage will argue a point; use logical reasoning and evidence to support claims; and examine ideas, debates, or trends in the arts, science, civics, cultural studies, or politics.

Unlike on previous iterations of the SAT Essay, you won’t be asked to agree or disagree with a position on a topic or to write about your personal experience.

The prompt for the new SAT Essay is always the same or nearly the same:

As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses:

•Evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims.

•Reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence.

•Stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed.

Write an essay in which you explain how [the author] builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience that [author’s claim]. In your essay, analyze how [the author] uses one or more of the features listed above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of [his/her] argument. Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage. Your essay should not explain whether you agree with [the author’s] claims, but rather explain how the author builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience.

It’s important to note that since the SAT Essay is based on a published work, you are not likely to identify major grammar mistakes or failures in structure. Instead, you will primarily discuss the specific ways in which the passage succeeds at supporting its claims and identifying methods it uses to build an argument.

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What skills are assessed on the new SAT Essay?

Your essay will be assessed based on how well you understood the passage and how well you used it as the basis for a well-written, thought-out discussion.

Specifically, you will be scored on:

A successful essay shows that you understood the passage, including the interplay of central ideas and important details. It also shows an effective use of textual evidence.

A successful essay shows your understanding of how the author builds an argument by examining the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and other stylistic and persuasive techniques and by supporting and developing claims with well-chosen evidence from the passage.

A successful essay is focused, organized, and precise, with an appropriate style and tone that varies sentence structure and follows the conventions of standard written English.

You can see the formal SAT Essay scoring rubric to learn more about how your essay is scored.

Overview of Differences

While there is certainly some overlap between the content area and skills assessed through the Writing and Language test and the Essay test, these skills are assessed in different ways through these sections.

The Writing and Language test asks you to make editorial decisions to improve the content of a written passage and to choose the best answer from multiple answer choices. In this section, grammatical and structural errors are intentionally included in the passage for you to identify and correct.

Meanwhile, the Essay asks you to critique a passage in your own words, identifying areas of strength and weakness and applying your own knowledge of strong written work. The passage on this section is a previously published work and as such, it will not contain the same types of glaring mistakes contained in the passage of the Writing and Language test. 

Both tests assess your knowledge of organization and structure of written work, and the ways in which authors support and develop claims with textual evidence. On the Writing and Language Test you will choose the best ways to improve a passage, while on the Essay section you will have to identify successful sections and author choices and articulate these choices through your own written word.

Where can I find free study materials for the SAT?

If you are preparing to take the SAT, whether or not you are taking the optional Essay section, you should consider the following free study resources.

Start your studying by taking the CollegeVine free diagnostic SAT with customized score report and action plan to help get a better idea of where you’re starting from and the direction that your studying should take you.

Another good place to start is the College Board Student SAT Study Guide , which gives an overview of the test’s content and structure along with a breakdown of scoring and subscores to help guide your studying.

The College Board also maintains a Daily Practice SAT App that provides daily test questions, answer hints, and answer explanations.

Finally, Khan Academy is the official, free study partner of the SAT and provides a number of study materials including study tips and video tutorials .

Once you’ve spent some time learning the material, put it to use on some College Board sample questions or a full-length practice test .

Preparing for the SAT? Download our  free guide with our top 8 tips for mastering the SAT.

To learn more about the SAT, check out these CollegeVine posts:

• Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Essay
• Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Writing and Language Test
• ACT vs SAT/SAT Subject Tests
• Are PSAT Scores Related to SAT Scores?
• What Should I Bring to My SAT?
• A Guide to the New SAT
• The CollegeVine Guide to SAT Scores: All Your Questions Answered
• How to Register For Your SATs
• Five SAT Strategies You Should Know
• What Makes the New SAT Essay Section Different From the Old One?

Want to know how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? Our free Chancing Engine will not only help you predict your odds, but also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and which aspects of your profile to improve. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and get a jumpstart on your college strategy!

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What Is the SAT? A Complete Overview of the Test

• The SAT evaluates prospective college students’ math, reading, and writing skills.
• The popular college entrance exam takes three hours and consists of over 150 questions.
• Starting in 2024, the SAT will go digital, cut the number of questions, and take just two hours.

Arguably the most well-known standardized college entrance exam in the U.S., the SAT has been around for nearly 100 years . The three-hour exam covers math, reading, and writing, and gives admissions officers a tangible measure of students’ college readiness.

SAT scores provide schools with a strong data point for comparing applicants. Since the 2010s, however, thousands of universities have dropped the exam requirement due to criticism that the SAT and ACT reward privileged students.

The anti-standardized test trend dramatically accelerated when in-person tests were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, many universities have gone test-optional . Applicants may include scores if they wish, but are not penalized if they don’t. Despite the controversy around both the SAT and ACT, scoring well on the SAT remains a strong determiner of college success , alongside high school GPA .

If you choose to submit SAT scores , you provide admissions officers with quantifiable proof of your scholastic chops and likelihood of success at their school.

But what is the SAT exactly? What is a good SAT score? And what’s the best way to study for the SAT?

What Is the SAT?

The SAT is a three-hour multiple-choice test created and administered by the College Board . It covers reading, writing, and math, and is used to determine students’ preparedness for college.

The SAT is held seven times a year, typically on the first Saturday of the month. The College Board also offers SAT School Day , a program that allows students to take the SAT at their own high schools during a school day in the fall or spring.

Students who want to send SAT scores to colleges must register for a test , which costs $60, about a month in advance. There’s no limit to the number of times you can take the SAT. Most students take it once or twice.

What does SAT stand for? Originally, the SAT was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test . Born in the era of the IQ test, the SAT’s earliest creators were interested in measuring innate intellectual ability. Later, as interest in innate intelligence waned and interest in potential grew, the test was renamed the Scholastic Assessment Test.

The College Board cycled through two more name changes — the SAT I: Reasoning Test and the SAT Reasoning Test — before finally sticking with the letters alone: the SAT .

While the SAT has long been a paper test, the College Board recently announced that the SAT will go digital starting in 2024.

Spokespeople for the SAT bill its digital recreation as a “lower-stakes test” for a “largely test-optional world.” Pending changes include:

• Shortening the test length from three hours to two
• Providing more time per question
• Allowing calculators for the entire Math section

What Is on the SAT?

There are two main SAT sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW).

EBRW comprises a Reading test and a Writing and Language test. SAT Math is split into two subsections: a no-calculator test (on which you may not use a calculator) and a calculator test (on which you may use a calculator).

While the upcoming digital SAT promises fewer questions , the current test’s 154 questions are more or less evenly divided between Reading, Writing, and Math.

• Questions: 52
• Time: 65 minutes
• Subscores: Command of Evidence, Words in Context

The Reading section contains five passages (up to two of which may be a pair of smaller passages) and asks 10-11 questions per passage or passage pair.

Reading passages are broadly drawn from the fields of history, social studies, science, and literature. You can generally expect to encounter at least one passage written in the early 20th century or earlier.

Writing and Language

• Questions: 44
• Time: 35 minutes
• Subscores: Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions, Command of Evidence, Words in Context

The Writing portion asks for suggestions to correct or improve different parts of passages. Passages are pulled from a variety of sources and include arguments and nonfiction narratives.

You may be required to clarify arguments; select more appropriate words; and make grammatical, organizational, or stylistic changes.

Math — No Calculator

• Questions: 20
• Time: 25 minutes
• Subscores: Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math

The shortest section of the SAT, Math — No Calculator consists of around 15 multiple-choice questions and five grid-in questions . For grid-ins, you must supply the answer yourself by filling in numbered bubbles.

The Math — No Calculator section tests an array of concepts, such as linear equations, linear inequalities, functions, quadratic equations, graphs, geometry, and complex numbers, as well as topics that inform more advanced math, such as nonlinear expressions, radicals, and exponentials.

Math — Calculator

• Questions: 38
• Time: 55 minutes
• Subscores: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Math

On the Math — Calculator section, test-takers aren’t so much challenged on their ability to do math without mechanical errors as they are on their understanding of math concepts and their problem-solving skills.

This portion of the SAT, which includes around eight grid-in questions, covers concepts like linear inequalities, quadratic functions, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and graph and data interpretation.

Approved calculators include all scientific calculators and most graphing calculators. A basic on-screen calculator will be provided for the entire Math section as part of the digital SAT roll-out.

Does the SAT Have an Essay?

In 2021, the SAT dropped its optional essay component, as well as all SAT Subject Tests.

According to the College Board , “There are other ways for students to demonstrate their mastery of essay writing,” such as through their performance on the SAT Reading and Writing sections.

During the 2021-22 school year, just a handful of states administered the SAT with the essay portion: Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma.

How Long Is the SAT?

The SAT lasts a total of three hours , excluding breaks. The longest section is Reading at 65 minutes, and the shortest is Math — No Calculator at just 25 minutes.

You’ll get a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing sections, followed by a shorter five-minute break between the Math — No Calculator and Math — Calculator tests.

Test-takers with documented disabilities may qualify for extended breaks , additional breaks, or other accommodations like extended time on the exam .

Some test-takers may have to take an experimental fifth section after a two-minute break following the Math — Calculator test. This section takes the form of an extra Reading, Writing, or Math test and lasts 20 minutes.

The College Board may include this section to test out new questions for future exams. Your answers in this section will not count toward your final SAT score.

The upcoming digital SAT will be much shorter than the current paper SAT, clocking in at just two hours .

When Do You Take the SAT?

The SAT is held seven times a year in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June, typically on the first Saturday of the month.

International test-takers based outside the U.S. can choose from among test dates in August, October, December, March, May, and June. Note that the new digital SAT will become available at international testing locations starting in 2023.

Here are the upcoming SAT test dates for 2022-23:

Source: College Board

What grade do you take the SAT? Most students take the SAT during the last two years of high school.

Many opt to take the test more than once to try to raise their scores. For this reason, it’s a good idea to take the SAT early enough so you have time to retake it before college application deadlines .

It’s common to take the SAT in the spring of 11th grade and again in the fall of 12th grade.

How Does SAT Scoring Work?

Both sections of the SAT — Math and EBRW — are scored on a scale of 200-800. Your total SAT score is the sum of your two section scores, making a perfect SAT score a 1600 .

Because not all questions are equally difficult, not all questions receive the same weight when scored. The College Board converts your raw scores, which is equal to the number of questions you answered currently, into scaled scores. The equating process for this varies slightly depending on which SAT you took.

Since there’s no penalty for incorrect or blank answers on the SAT, it’s best to put down an answer for every question, even if you have to guess.

While SAT scoring has shifted over the years, the scoring structure will stay the same with the upcoming digital SAT.

What Is a Good SAT Score?

In general, anything above the median, or around 1050 , can be considered a good SAT score , as this means you’ve scored better than half of all test-takers.

If possible, though, try to aim even higher — ideally around 1200, which would land you in the top 25% of test-takers and make you a competitive applicant for many schools.

If you’ve got your sights set on a top university, know that accepted students historically score high on the SAT. As of 2021, average Ivy League SAT scores sat around 1450-1550, or the top 1-4% of test-takers.

Ultimately, a good SAT score for you will depend on the expectations of the schools you’re applying to.

How to Study for the SAT

The SAT is an opportunity to demonstrate both your skills and your readiness for college-level coursework.

It’s important that you create an SAT study plan . Give yourself at least 2-3 months before your test date to drill practice questions, review content areas, take SAT practice tests , and acquaint yourself with the format and timing of the exam.

Make sure you use high-quality study materials, like top SAT prep books and free official SAT resources . You could also hire an SAT tutor or enroll in an SAT prep course .

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Should I Take the SAT Essay? How to Decide

New SAT , SAT Essay

The SAT underwent some major revisions in 2016, and one of the biggest changes is that its previously required essay is now optional. This can be confusing for some students and parents. Should you take the essay? Will colleges require the essay or not? Will taking the essay make your application stronger?

Read on for answers to all these questions. This guide will explain what the SAT essay is, what the pros and cons of taking it are, and how you can make the best choice for you.

UPDATE: SAT Essay No Longer Offered

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In January 2021, the College Board announced that after June 2021, it would no longer offer the Essay portion of the SAT (except at schools who opt in during School Day Testing). It is now no longer possible to take the SAT Essay, unless your school is one of the small number who choose to offer it during SAT School Day Testing.

While most colleges had already made SAT Essay scores optional, this move by the College Board means no colleges now require the SAT Essay. It will also likely lead to additional college application changes such not looking at essay scores at all for the SAT or ACT, as well as potentially requiring additional writing samples for placement.

What does the end of the SAT Essay mean for your college applications? Check out our article on the College Board's SAT Essay decision for everything you need to know.

What Is the SAT Essay?

The SAT essay is one of the sections of the SAT. After being required since its inception, the College Board has now decided to make the essay optional. This is similar to the ACT, whose essay has always been optional.

During this section, students will be given 50 minutes to write an essay. The essay for the new SAT is very different than it was for the previous version of the SAT. You can read all about the changes to the SAT here , but, as a brief overview, the essay will give you a passage by an author who is taking a stance on an issue. Your job will be to analyze how the author built that argument.

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 score from 2-8.

Below is a sample prompt from one of the official practice tests released by the College Board. Here you can read the entire prompt, including the passages you would need to analyze.

Do Colleges Require the SAT Essay Now That It's Optional?

So, the College Board has now made the essay an optional part of the SAT, but does that change how colleges view the essay (or if they even view it at all)? Kind of. Some schools that used the essays before no longer require them now that both the ACT and SAT have made the essays optional, but other schools continue to require the SAT essay.

Each school makes this decision individually, so there are no patterns to follow to try and guess who will require the essay and who won’t. Even top schools like the Ivy League are divided on whether to require the essay or not.  

This can make things confusing if you’re applying to college soon and don’t know if you should take the SAT essay or not. The following sections of this guide will explain the benefits and drawbacks of taking the essay and walk you through different scenarios so you can make an informed decision.

The #1 Consideration: Do Any of the Schools You're Interested in Require the Essay?

The absolute most important factor, the factor that matters more than anything else in the rest of this guide, is if any of the schools you’re applying to or thinking of applying to require the SAT essay.

The best way to get this information is to  Google “[school name] SAT essay requirement,” look directly on each school’s admission webpage, or   check out our list of the schools that require the SAT essay.

Find this information for every school you plan on applying to, even schools you’re not sure you want to apply to, but are considering. If even one school you’re interested in requires the SAT essay, then you should take it, regardless of any other factors.  There is no way to take just the SAT essay by itself, so if you take the SAT without the essay and then, later on, realize you need an essay score for a school you’re applying to, you will have to retake the entire test.

So, if a school you’re interested in requires the SAT essay, your choice is clear: take the essay when you take the SAT. However, what if the schools you’re interested in don’t require the essay? If that’s the case, you have some other factors to consider. Read on!

Benefits of Taking the SAT Essay

If none of the schools you’re thinking of applying to require the SAT essay, why would you want to take it? The two main reasons are explained below.

#1: You're Covered for All Schools

Taking the SAT essay means that, no matter which schools you end up applying to, you will absolutely have all their SAT requirements met. If you decide to apply to a new school that requires the SAT essay, that won’t be a problem because you’ll already have taken it.

If you already are absolutely certain about which schools you’re applying to and none of them require the essay, then this may not be a big deal to you. However, if you have a tentative list of schools, and you’ve been adding a school or removing a school from that list occasionally, you may want to be better safe than sorry and take the SAT essay, just in case.

Taking the SAT essay means you have all your bases covered, no matter which schools you end up applying to.

#2: A Good Score May Boost Your Application Slightly

While it’s highly unlikely that your SAT essay will be the deciding factor of your college application, there are some cases where it can give you a small leg up on the competition. This is the case if a school recommends, but doesn’t require the essay, and that school is particularly competitive.

Having a strong SAT essay score to submit may strengthen your application a bit, especially if you are trying to show strong English/writing skills.

Drawbacks to Taking the SAT Essay

There are also costs to taking the SAT essay; here are three of the most common:

#1: It's Another Section to Study For

If you choose to take the essay, that means you have an entire extra SAT section to study and prepare for. If you already feel like you have a ton of SAT prep to do or have doubts about staying motivated, adding on more work can make you feel stressed and end up hurting your scores in the other SAT sections.

#2: It Makes the Exam Longer

Taking the essay will, obviously, increase the total time you spend taking the SAT. You’re given 50 minutes to write the essay, and, including time needed for students not taking the essay to leave and things to get settled, that will add about an hour to the test, increasing your total SAT test time from about three hours to four hours.

If you struggle with keeping focused or staying on your A game during long exams (and, let’s be honest, it’s not hard to lose concentration after several hours of answering SAT questions), adding an additional hour of test time can reduce your test-taking endurance and make you feel tired and distracted during the essay, likely making it hard for you to get your best score.

#3: The Essay Costs Extra

Taking the SAT with the essay will also cost you a bit more money. Taking the SAT without the essay costs $46, but if you choose to take the essay, it costs $14 extra, raising the total cost of the SAT to $60.

However, if you're eligible for an SAT fee waiver, the waiver also applies to this section of the exam, so you still won't have to pay anything if you choose to take the essay.

Taking the essay likely means the cost of taking the SAT will be slightly higher for you.

Should You Take the SAT Essay? Five Scenarios to Help You Decide

Now you know what the SAT essay is and the pros and cons of taking it. So, what should you decide? Five scenarios are listed below; find the one that applies to your situation and follow the advice in order to make the best decision for you.

Scenario 1: You're planning on applying to at least one school that requires the essay

As mentioned above, if even one school you’re thinking about applying to requires the SAT essay, you should take it in order to avoid retaking the entire SAT again at a later date because you need an essay score.

Scenario 2: None of the schools you're applying to look at essay scores

If none of the schools you’re thinking about applying to even look at SAT essay scores, then you shouldn’t take it. Even if you get a perfect score, if the schools don’t consider essay scores, then taking it will have no benefits for you.

Scenario 3: The schools you're applying to don't require the SAT essay and aren't highly competitive

In this case, you don’t need to take the SAT essay, unless you’re trying to make up for weak writing skills in other parts of your application.

Scenario 4: The schools you're applying to recommend the SAT essay and are more competitive

For this scenario, you should take the SAT essay in order to give your application an extra boost, unless you really think you’d perform poorly or preparing for and taking the essay would cause your scores in other sections to decline.

Scenario 5: You aren't sure where you're going to apply yet

If you’re not sure which schools you want to apply to, then you should take the SAT essay, just to be safe. This way you’re covered no matter where you end up applying to college.

If the thought of figuring out which colleges to apply to has you as confused as this blue panda, your safest option is to take the SAT essay.

Because of the College Board’s recent decision to make the SAT essay optional, students are now faced with the decision of whether they should take it or not.  The best way to decide is to learn the essay policy for each of the colleges you're interested in applying to.  Some schools will still require the essay, some won’t even look at an applicant’s essay scores, and other schools don’t require the essay but will look at your score if you do take it.

Use these school policies to help decide whether you should take the essay. Remember, if you end up needing to submit an essay score, you will have to retake the entire SAT, so make sure you have accurate and up-to-date information for each school you are thinking of applying to.

What's Next?

Have you decided to take the essay and want to know how to start studying? We have a step-by-step guide that explains how to write a great SAT essay.

Want more examples of sample prompts? Here are all of the real SAT essay prompts that have been released by the College Board.

Are you aiming for a perfect SAT essay score?  Check out our guide on how to get a perfect 8/8/8 on the SAT essay.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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