how to take sat with essay

The SAT Essay

Written by tutor ellen s..

The SAT has undergone a significant number of changes over the years, generally involving adjustments in the scoring rubric, and often in response to steadily-declining or increasingly-perfect test scores. When the SAT was changed in 2005, however, they made some significant changes to the test that students see. One of these changes was the addition of the writing section, based on the original SAT II subject test, which includes a timed essay. In including a timed essay on an otherwise multiple-choice test, the SAT throws a problem at students that they are generally unprepared to solve.

Because high school classes usually don’t discuss timed essays, students can have difficulty when faced with the SAT essay. You’ll need a different set of skills to tackle the SAT essay, and ideally a completely separate amount of time to practice those skills. In this lesson I’ll give you an overview of the differences between timed essays and at-home essays, and share my tips for successfully completing a well-organized, well-thought-out SAT essay.

First, the differences. In a timed essay, you’re given the prompt on the spot rather than having an idea of what the topic will be beforehand, as you would if you were writing an essay for an English class. On the SAT, you get one prompt and one prompt only, so you don’t even have the benefit of choosing one that works for you – you have to write about whatever they give you. In addition you’re writing everything out longhand, which eats up more time than you might think and makes it harder to make edits and corrections – particularly if you have bad handwriting and you’re worried about staying legible. And just forget about rearranging paragraphs and reorganizing whole sentences – you’ll never have time for that!

The Difference Between the SAT Essay and At-Home Essays

All of this means that you have to be much more organized right from the get-go than you would be in a natural writing process. You’ll need to read the question, think for a few moments, and then immediately form an opinion so you can start the actual writing as soon as possible. So for all timed essays, and the SAT essay in particular, I strongly emphasize the importance of prewriting. Prewriting can take many forms, from word clouds to concept nets, but for the SAT, I recommend the basic straightforward outline – with a few tweaks. Here’s my formula for SAT essay outlines.

How to Outline Your Essay

First, read the prompt through a couple of times. SAT essay prompts usually follow a set format involving the statement of an opinion, and then asking whether you agree or disagree with that opinion. Let’s take an example from the January 2014 test date, courtesy of the College Board website:

Some see printed books as dusty remnants from the preelectronic age. They point out that electronic books, or e-books, cost less to produce than printed books and that producing them has a much smaller impact on natural resources such as trees. Yet why should printed books be considered obsolete or outdated just because there is something cheaper and more modern? With books, as with many other things, just because a new version has its merits doesn’t mean that the older version should be eliminated.

Assignment: Should we hold on to the old when innovations are available, or should we simply move forward? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. ( Source. )

he first thing I recommend when confronted with an SAT essay prompt is to ask yourself the question “Do I agree or disagree with the premise of the prompt?” That’ll usually be the last sentence of the first paragraph in the prompt. In this case, do you agree that “just because a new version has its merits doesn’t mean that the older version should be eliminated”? Now write the phrase “I agree” or “I disagree” at the top of your scratch paper accordingly. Put some asterisks around it so you remember to keep checking back in with it during the writing. This opinion is the most important part of your essay, so you want it to be clear in your mind. Next, ask yourself “Why do I agree?” or “Why do I disagree?” The first sentence you say to yourself in response to that question is your rough thesis statement. Jot that down under the first phrase. So, my response to our example would look like this:

* I agree * While the new version might have its merits, the original often has merits of its own.

Again, this is very rough at this stage, but on the SAT you’re trying to prewrite fast, so don’t worry too much about that. On to the body paragraphs!

On a 25-minute essay, you probably won’t have enough time for a full five-paragraph structure with three sub-examples for each point. Two body paragraphs and two examples of each will suffice. You never want to rely on just a single example, though, or you’ll likely lose points for not supporting your statements enough. Write out a template for the body of your essay that looks like this:

I. Main point 1 A. Example 1 B. Example 2 II. Main point 2 A. Example 1 B. Exampple 2

Remember, it’s an outline, so no full sentences. Write only as much as you need to remind yourself of your points. So for our example, my outline would look like this:

I. The “Tangible” aspects A. A book never runs out of battery B. Can read it in the sun, by the pool or in the bathtub – places you wouldn’t want to take a piece of electronics II. The “non-tangible” aspects A. The smell of a new book, tactile sense of turning pages, experience of closing it when you finish B. Ability to get lost in a book, to lose sense of place and become the story

At this point I can see a slight revision I’d make to my original thesis statement, which is the idea that an e-book can never mimic the tactile experience of reading (smelling the book, turning pages, etc.) I’ll quickly adjust my thesis to say:

While the new version might have its merits, the original offers a tactile experience that the new can’t hope to achieve – an experience that can’t be mimicked by technology.

Perfect. All told, your prewriting should have taken you 3 to 5 minutes, most of which was thinking. Now, on to the paper itself!

Writing Your Essay

Okay, here’s my biggest timed-essay secret: don’t start with the introduction. Start by skipping five or six lines down the page, leaving space for an introduction that will be inserted later. Start with your first body paragraph. Work from your outline, converting your points into full sentences and connecting them with transitions, and you should be at a good start. Once both body paragraphs are written, continue on and write your conclusion. Then, go back and write your introduction in the space you left at the beginning. That way, you’ll know what you’re introducing since it’s already written.

I generally recommend about 15 minutes of writing time for the body paragraphs, followed by 5 minutes for the intro and conclusion. Depending on how quickly you got your prewriting done, that leaves you with one or two minutes to look it over, fixing any spelling mistakes or sloppy handwriting. Don’t try to change too much, though – when you’re writing everything out longhand, changes require erasing. We do so much writing on computers these days that sometimes we forget how long it takes to erase a whole sentence and rewrite it. A better tactic is to think through each sentence in your head before you write it down, making sure you have it phrased the way you want it before you put pencil to paper. But don’t spend too long – try it a few times and you’ll find that writing four full paragraphs longhand actually takes about 25 minutes to do – on a good day. You should expect to be writing pretty much continuously for the entire 25 minutes.

Keeping Track of Time, Staying Comfortable, and More Advice

Speaking of which, when you practice your timed essays, pay attention to how your hand feels while you’re writing. The first few times you’ll likely be sore; your hand might even cramp up from writing so hard. It’s tiring to write for that long, so make sure you’re helping yourself. Write lightly on the paper – it’s easy to start pressing down super hard when you’re nervous and panicking. Writing lightly will not only help stave off the hand cramps, it’ll also make erasing much easier when you need to do it. Sit back in your chair while you write – you don’t need to be three inches from your paper to see the words you’re putting down, and hunching over will just make you press harder. Bring your attention to your breathing – are you holding your breath? Why? Try breathing deeply and slowly while you write – it’ll calm your brain and help you think.

Finally, a word about the writing itself – don’t forget you’re on a clock here. Often, you begin to notice as you write that your opinion about the topic is evolving, changing, developing nuances and side areas you want to explore. I know this sounds weird, but you’ve got to try to rein that in – those are all fine things to be thinking about ordinarily, and in an at-home essay I’d say go for it, but you don’t have time to change what you’re writing about in this situation. Sometimes, you’ll even get halfway through a timed essay and realize that you actually don’t agree like you thought you did. Save that thought for later. You’ve got the outline of an organized essay, and that’s what you should be writing. It doesn’t matter at this point if you actually still agree with what you’re saying, all that matters is that you state a clear opinion and communicate it well. After all, the test grader doesn’t even know you – how’s she to know that you don’t really think this anymore? Stay confident and get your original idea out on paper.

For example, the outline I gave above is a perfectly accurate depiction of my opinion on the topic – as it relates to books. However, if we were to start talking about, say, writing essays…I’d probably say that no, I don’t think we should hold on to writing essays out by hand when there are computers available. After all, I’m writing this article on a computer. I’ve copied and pasted multiple paragraphs of information back and forth around this lesson as I was looking for appropriate ways to introduce concepts, and that would have taken forever if I had been writing by hand. But if that thought had occurred to me midway through writing my timed essay about books, I would have acknowledged it for the briefest of moments and then disregarded it. My essay is about books. I’ll just stick to that so I can keep it clean and organized.

Don’t worry about the test graders thinking “But what about X?” – they know you only had 25 minutes and can’t possibly fit every aspect of the argument into that amount of time – or space, for that matter. The scoring rubric focuses on what is present, not what is omitted. As long as you have a clear point of view and are communicating it well, you’ll fulfill their criteria. Remember, this essay’s not in the critical reading section, it’s in the writing section. They’re not in the business of judging the merits of your opinion, just how clearly you’ve communicated it and how well you’ve supported it.

Your timed essays will probably turn out very different than the essays you write at home for class. They might seem stiff, straightforward or brusque; with a limited amount of time you can’t create the subtle, nuanced arguments that your English teachers are probably looking for. But what you can do is create a well-organized, concise presentation of a relatively straightforward point of view, supported by concrete examples that all point toward the same central concept. The SAT essay responds well to a formulaic approach, so while it may take some practice, you will eventually be able to handle a 25-minute essay prompt with confidence.

• How would you define SAT Reading in your own words?
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What Colleges Require the SAT Essay?

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If you’re going to be applying to college soon, there’s a good chance that you’re already thinking about the SAT. Most colleges still require standardized test scores, and millions of students across the country tackle this exam each year. 

As you begin your college search, it’s important to understand the exact standardized test requirements of the colleges on your list. Some will be test-optional . Others require scores from the SAT or ACT. In addition, some will require that you submit scores from the optional essay portions of these tests. There may also be schools that require or recommend SAT Subject Tests. Knowing the exact testing policy at each school you’re considering will help you plan your test taking strategy, and begin test prep well in advance. 

If you’re planning to take the SAT, you won’t want to miss this complete overview of what colleges require the SAT essay. 

What is the SAT Essay? How is it Scored?

Before we dive into which schools require it, let’s take a closer look at what exactly the SAT essay is, and how it is scored. 

On the SAT Essay, students are provided with a written argument that they must read and analyze. Students have 50 minutes to read the passage, plan the essay, and write their response. Most successful responses stick to the standard five-paragraph essay format. To see an example prompt and scoring rubric, check out the Essay Sample Questions on the College Board website. 

It’s important to note here that the SAT Essay score is separate from your overall composite SAT score. It does not impact the score ranging from 400-1600 as reported on your score report. Instead of being included in your composite score, it is provided in addition to it. 

The Essay is scored on a scale from 2-8 in three areas of evaluation—Reading, Analysis, and Writing. Each essay is reviewed by two scorers, and scores between 1-4 are awarded in each dimension. These scores are then added together so that you’ll receive three scores for the SAT Essay—one for each dimension—ranging from 2–8 points. A perfect score on the essay would be 8/8/8, but the mean score on the essay is a 5 for Reading and Writing, and 3 for Analysis. This means if you can achieve any score over 5/3/5, you have scored above average on the essay. For a more complete look at how the test is scored, don’t miss our post What is a Good SAT Essay Score?

Should I Take the SAT Essay?

First of all, the SAT essay is technically an optional section, so no, you are not required to take it. That being said, some colleges do require applicants to take the SAT with Essay. If you choose not to take the essay portion of the test, you will not be an eligible applicant for any of these schools. 

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. 

Take a look at the colleges on these lists, and see if there are any you plan to apply to. Also be sure to double-check on your schools’ webpages, as these policies can change. 

If you think you might change your mind about which schools you want to apply to, you should take the SAT Essay to leave those doors open. This is why we generally recommend taking the essay, regardless of whether or not it’s required. After all, you can’t go back and just take the SAT Essay if you decide to change your mind and apply to a school that requires it—you’d have to retake the entire SAT.

Some colleges don’t require the essay, but do recommend it. In these cases, we always direct students to do what the college recommends. 

That being said, there is currently no option to withhold your essay score if you do terribly on it. Your essay scores will always be reported with your other test scores from that day, even to colleges that don’t require them. 

What Colleges Require the SAT with Essay?

There colleges request scores from the SAT with Essay in order to apply.

Schools that Require the SAT Essay:

• All of the University of California schools
• Benedictine University
• City University London
• Delaware State University
• DeSales University
• Dominican University of California
• Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
• Howard University
• John Wesley University
• Kentucky State University
• Martin Luther College
• Molloy College
• Schreiner University
• Soka University of America
• Southern California Institute of Architecture
• Texas A&M University—Galveston
• United States Military Academy (West Point)
• University of North Texas
• West Virginia University Institute of Technology
• Western Carolina University

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These schools do not require the SAT Essay, but do recommend that students submit it. At CollegeVine, our best advice is to always follow a college’s recommendations. 

Schools that Recommend the SAT Essay:

• Abilene Christian University
• Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
• Allegheny College
• Amherst College
• Art Institute of Houston
• Augsburg University
• Austin College
• Caldwell University
• California State University, Northridge
• Central Connecticut State University
• Central Michigan University
• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
• Coastal Carolina University
• Colby College
• College of Wooster
• Colorado School of Mines
• Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
• Corban University
• Cornerstone University
• Dallas Christian College
• Duke University
• Eastern Illinois University
• Eastern Nazarene College
• Easternn University
• Endicott College
• Five Towns College
• Gallaudet University
• George Washington University
• Georgia Highlands College
• Greenville University
• Gwynedd Mercy University
• High Point University
• Hofstra University
• Holy Family University
• Husson University
• Indiana University South Bend
• Indiana University Southeast
• Indiana Wesleyan University
• Inter American University of Puerto Rico: Barranquitas Campus
• Juilliard School
• Keiser University (West Palm Beach)
• Lehigh University
• Madonna University
• Manhattan College
• Marymount California University
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy
• McMurry University
• Mercy College
• Modern College of Design
• Montana Tech of the University of Montana
• Morehouse College
• Mount Saint Mary College
• Mount St. Joseph University
• National-Louis University
• New Jersey City University
• Nichols College
• North Park University
• Occidental College
• Ohio University
• Oregon State University
• Purdue University Northwest
• Randall University
• Randolph-Macon College
• Reading Area Community College
• Rowan University
• Rutgers University—Camden Campus
• Rutgers University—Newark Campus
• Saint Michael’s College
• Sciences Po
• Seton Hill University
• Shiloh University
• Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
• Silver Lake College of the Holy Family
• Southern Illinois University of Carbondale
• Southern Oregon University
• Spring Hill College
• Sul Ross State University
• SUNY Farmingdale State College
• SUNY University at Stony Brook
• Tarleton State University
• Texas A&M International University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas State University
• The King’s College
• United States Air Force Academy
• University of Evansville
• University of La Verne
• University of Mary Hardin—Baylor
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Minnesota: Twin Cities
• University of New England
• University of Northwestern—St. Paul
• University of the Virgin Islands
• University of Toledo
• University of Washington Bothell
• VanderCook College of Music
• Virginia Union University
• Wabash College
• Webb Institute
• Webber International University
• Wesleyan College
• William Jewell College

If any of the schools you are considering appear on either of the lists above, we recommend taking the SAT with Essay. In fact, we recommend that most, if not all, students take the SAT essay since it leaves more doors open in your college search. However, if you’re absolutely sure you won’t be applying to colleges that require or recommend the SAT with Essay, you can skip it.

Regardless, as you consider which colleges to add to your list, you’ll want to be certain you know what colleges require the SAT essay so that you can plan ahead for this part of your test. 

For help figuring out which schools might be a great fit for you, don’t miss our customized and innovative Chancing Engine and School List Generator . Here, we use a proprietary algorithm backed by over 100,000 data points to develop a school list based on your real admissions chances and preferences.

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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Cross SAT registration off your college To-Do list! Here's everything you need to know to register for the SAT.

1. Find out when the SAT is offered.

Check the  SAT dates  for the school year. Make sure to also consider the SAT registration deadline for each test date. (There is a cut off, plus additional fees for late registration!)

2. Decide if you will take the SAT with Essay.

The SAT essay is optional, but if you want to take it you do need to register for the "SAT with Essay" versus the SAT without the essay. We recommend you sign up for the SAT essay because some colleges require it.

3. Consider your schedule

You can take the SAT any time starting freshman year, but we  advise students to start preparing for the SAT   the spring/summer before junior year. In addition, you may need to take SAT Subject Tests  (many selective colleges require them.) You can’t take SAT and SAT Subject Tests on the same day. Sit down and plan a schedule of what tests you will take and when.

Read More: 3 Essential SAT Tips and Strategies

4. Pick your test date and register for the SAT as soon as you can.

Try to sign up for the SAT as soon as you know when you’ll be taking the test. If you wait until the last minute to register, there may not be any open spots in the testing centers near you.

5. Keep these SAT registration basics in mind.

• You can register online on the College Board website or by mail using the form in the Student Registration Booklet for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. If you need to do a paper registration, just ask your school counselor for a copy of the booklet.
• You are responsible for your own SAT registration. Your parents or school counselor can’t register for you.
• When providing your info (full name, address, etc.), make sure it matches exactly the information that appears on your photo i.d.
• You have a choice to opt into The College Board’s Student Search Service. It’s free, but to opt in you’ll answer some questions about yourself like your GPA or intended college major. Colleges and scholarship organizations can then search for students based on the information they provide (and send them info about their programs).
• You’ll need to upload a pic of yourself for identification purposes.
• Be prepared for registration fees. It costs $46 to take the SAT and $60 to take the SAT with Essay. There are fee waivers available for low-income 11th and 12th graders. Get more information about fee waivers here.
• Don't forget to print your Admissions Ticket! You’ll need this on your test date.

6. All registered? Take an SAT practice test.

The first step to getting a great SAT score is knowing where you stand. When you take a free SAT practice test with us , you'll get a personalized score report highlighting your strengths and areas of improvement.

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Everything You Need to Know About the Digital SAT

College Board

• January 4, 2024

You’ve probably already heard that College Board has made the SAT digital. Here’s what you need to know.

Is the SAT still important to take?

It sure is! 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 the SAT .

When is the SAT going digital?

Students testing outside the U.S. first started taking the digital SAT in spring 2023. If you’re in the U.S., whether you’re planning to take the SAT in a test center on a weekend or in school on a school day, the test will be digital starting in spring 2024.

If you took the PSAT/NMSQT this fall, you already know what to expect with the digital SAT.

If you're planning to take the digital SAT on a weekend, watch this video to find out more. 

If you're planning to take the digital SAT in school on a school day, watch this video to find out more.

Isn’t this just the same test but online?

No, College Board didn't just take the paper and pencil test and put it on the computer. We took the opportunity to make the SAT a far better test experience for you.

What’s staying the same?

• Still measuring the knowledge and skills that matter most for college and career.
• Still scoring the test on a 1600-point scale.
• Still administering the test in schools or test centers with a proctor present (not at home). Test centers will continue to be open to all students, not just those enrolled in that school.
• Still offering access to free, world-class practice resources.
• Still supporting all students, including those who need accommodations on test day.

What’s changing?

• You’ll take the SAT on a laptop or tablet.
• You’ll take a shorter test, about 2 hours instead of 3. Find out how adaptive testing makes this possible .
• You’ll have shorter reading passages instead of a few long texts.
• You’ll be allowed to use your calculator on the entire Math section and there’s a calculator built right into Bluebook™, the digital testing application .

How do I register?

Registration is open for the spring 2024 digital SAT. You can check dates and deadlines here and find a test center close to you here .

Register Now

How do I practice?

Find everything you need to start practicing and preparing for the digital SAT here .

Have more questions? We’ve got answers!

Learn more about the digital SAT here .

Related Posts

What is digital sat adaptive testing, using a managed device for the sat.

SAT Myths vs Facts

The SAT is valued globally by K–12 and higher education. Nearly 2 million students in the class of 202 3 took the SAT, more than any other standardized assessment.   

Myth #1: The SAT is a barrier for students in the college admissions process.    

Fact: SAT scores help many students show their strengths to colleges and scholarship providers.    

The SAT measures the math, reading, and writing skills students are learning in high school—the same skills and knowledge needed for success in college and career.       

In 2023, 1.3 million U.S. high school graduates had SAT scores that validated or exceeded their high school GPAs—meaning their scores were a point of strength in their college applications ( College Board, 2023 ) . Among these students, 440,000 were African American and Latino, 350,000 were first-generation college students, and 250,000 were from rural communities.        

Students can opt in to Student Search Service TM when they take the SAT on the weekend. Students who participate in Search receive 29% more college admissions offers than those who don’t, and when colleges reach out through Search college outcomes are improved—especially for underrepresented student groups ( College Board, 2022 ; Howell et al., 2021 ).  

Myth #2: The SAT is biased against socioeconomically disadvantaged students.    

Fact: SAT performance differences are not a product of test bias but reflect genuine inequalities in K–12 education.    

In all academic measures, including grades, students from wealthier backgrounds have advantages long before taking college admission exams ( Reardon & Portilla, 2016 ).  

Research shows differences in family wealth only slightly affect SAT scores (  Chetty et al., 2020 ).  

While the SAT is a standardized, objective measure of achievement, other parts of a college admission application—like essays, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and availability of advanced coursework—are more skewed by income. (e.g., Alvero et al., 2021 ; Camara & Schmidt, 1999 ; Kim et al., 2024 ; Marini et al., 2018 ; O’Boyle & McDaniel, 2009 ; Park et al., 2023 ; Zwick, 2002 ).      

SAT questions are carefully developed and rigorously reviewed for evidence of bias and any question that could favor one group over another is discarded.        

Colleges consider SAT scores within the context of where students live and go to school, and an SAT score should never be a veto on a student’s plans or ambitions.       

Myth #3: Expensive test prep is the only way for students to raise their scores.    

Fact: Effective preparation for the SAT doesn’t need to be expensive.    

Students taking the digital SAT have access to 6 full-length practice tests in Bluebook—the same application students use on test day.       

One of the most widely used SAT practice resources is free, and come s from a yearslong partnership between College Board and Khan Academy®—now called Official Digital SAT Prep on Khan Academy.       

Research shows that students can achieve similar gains to expensive test prep just by retaking the SAT. (Becker, 1990 ; Briggs, 2005 ; DerSimonian & Laird, 1983 ; Powers & Rock, 1999 .)

References  

Alvero, A. J., Giebel, S., Gebre-Medhin, B., Antonio, A. L., Stevens, M. L., & Domingue, B. W. (2021). Essay content and style are strongly related to household income and SAT scores: Evidence from 60,000 undergraduate applications.  Science Advances,   7 (42). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi9031 .  

Becker, B. J. (1990). Coaching for the Scholastic Aptitude Test: Further synthesis and appraisal. Review of Educational Research, 60 , 373–417.  

Briggs, D. C. (2005). Meta-Analysis: A Case Study.  Evaluation Review ,  29 (2), 87–127.     

Camara, W. J., & Schmidt, A. E. (1999). Group Differences in Standardized Testing and Social Stratification ( College Board Research Report No. 99-5 ). New York: The College Board.  

Chetty, R., Friedman, J. N., Saez, E., Turner, N., & Yagan, D. (2020). Income segregation and intergenerational mobility across colleges in the United States. The Quarterly Journal of Economics , 135 (3), 1567–1633.  

College Board. (2022). New Research Links Student Search Service Participation to More College Admission Offers (All Access). Retrieved from https://allaccess.collegeboard.org/new-research-links-student-search-service-participation-more-college-admission-offers .  

College Board. (2023). SAT® Scores and High School Grades: The Benefits of Multiple Academic Measures (College Board Research Note) . New York: College Board.  

DerSimonian , R., & Laird, N. M. (1983). Evaluating the effect of coaching on SAT scores: A meta-analysis.  Harvard Educational Review, 53 (1), 1–15.  

Howell, J., Hurwitz, M., Mabel, Z., & Smith, J. (2021). Participation in Student Search Service® Is Associated with Higher College Enrollment and Completion ( College Board Research Report ). New York: College Board.  

Kim, B. H., Park, J. J., Lo, P., Baker, D. J., Wong, N., Breen, S., Truong, H., Zheng, J., Ochs Rosinger, K., & Poon, OY. (2024). Inequity and College Applications: Assessing Differences and Disparities in Letters of Recommendation from School Counselors with Natural Language Processing . ( EdWorkingPaper 24-953). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/pmv2-r349 .  

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O'Boyle, E. H., Jr., & McDaniel, M. A. (2009). Criticisms of employment testing: A commentary. In R. P. Phelps (Ed.),  Correcting fallacies about educational and psychological testing  (pp. 181–197). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.  

Park, J. J., Kim, B. H., Wong, N., Zheng, J., Breen, S., Lo, P., Baker, D. J., Ochs Rosinger, K., Nguyen, M. H., & Poon, OY. (2023). Inequality Beyond Standardized Tests: Trends in Extracurricular Activity Reporting in College Applications Across Race and Class ( EdWorkingPaper 23-749). Providence, RI: Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai23-749.pdf  

Powers, D. E., & Rock, D. A. (1999). Effects of coaching on SAT I: Reasoning Test scores.  Journal of Educational Measurement, 36 (2), 93–118.  

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Zwick, R. (2002). Fair game? The use of standardized admissions tests in higher education . New York: Routledge.  

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Should I Take The Sat Essay? How to Make a Decision

Should i take the sat essay.

Are you preparing for the SAT examination? Great! Then you need to figure out if you want to take the test with the Essay or not. If you are worried about “ Should I take the SAT Essay “, then let me tell you, you are not alone. With so many announcements and prohibitions, this can be difficult to decide.

On 21st January, the College Board declared that it is not mandatory to take the Essay part of the SAT examination. This is because many schools have kept the SAT Essay optional. They don’t care whether the candidates submit the SAT score with an Essay or not. 

Yet some schools consider the SAT score with Essays. They have introduced an optional Essay section along with SAT. So, if you are wondering, ‘ Should I take the SAT Essay ‘ or not, don’t worry! In this guide, we’ll assist you with all the information you need to know before you decide. Let’s begin with which schools need SAT with Essay scores.

Which Schools Need SAT with Essay?

Generally speaking, most state schools don’t need the SAT with essays, while a significant number of them do. However, even within states, there are a lot of odd variances. For instance: All California schools need The SAT with Essay. But most California State University schools do not.

There are colleges that require you to take the SAT with Essay to apply. Those are –  

• Benedictine College  
• Delaware State University    
• City University of London  
• University of DeSales  
• California Dominican University  
• Agricultural and Mechanical University of Florida  
• Howard College  
• All of the universities in California  
• Kentucky State University    
• John Wesley University  
• Southern California Institute of Architecture   
• Martin Luther College   
• Molloy College   
• Schreiner Uni  
• Soka Uni of America  
• United States Military Academy (West Point)   
• University of North Texas    
• West Virginia Institute of Technology   
• Texas A&M University—Galveston  
• Western Carolina University  

Don’t assume that all schools need the SAT with Essays. Instead, check with each school’s testing criteria to know if they need one. This will help you decide on ‘ Should I take the SAT with Essay ‘ or avoid it. 

Purpose of the SAT Essay

As per the College Board, the SAT essay is “about the actual world.” Students will have to write analytical answers for 3 hours when their brains are exhausted! This is intended to prove a student’s writing talents in the setting of college readiness. 

How to Appear For the Essay Section

Students must analyze a passage and respond to the author’s reasoning in writing. On Test Day, the SAT Essay prompt will always be the same. The only difference will be the passage that students must analyze before responding.

It’s worth noting that questions don’t ask the candidates whether they approve of the author’s point of view. Besides, they don’t even ask to check its rationale. Students need to identify the tools or “rhetorical tactics” that the author employs to persuade the audience. The passages will be equal in length and structure to those on the SAT’s Evidence-Based Reading test. But they will be much more controversial. Speeches or editorials make up a large part of the Essay. These could be from any time.

Students Who Should Opt For SAT Essay

Although the SAT Essay has become optional, it can benefit some students. Especially the ones who meet the following criteria. Having said that, if you meet any of the criteria mentioned below, the answer to “ Should I take the SAT with Essay ” should be yes. 

• You want to showcase your analytical writing abilities.
• You want to major in a field that values analytical writing.
• You can’t showcase your analytical writing abilities on any other exam.

1. You Want To Showcase Your Analytical Writing Abilities

Students who failed as analytical writers in high school can use the SAT’s optional Essay to measure their progress. Brilliant results in the Essay can be rewarding to students who had a less-than-satisfactory marks in English or literature. Students can take this test to show how they have improved their writing skills. To sum up, if any students feel that poor results in English in high school can lower their chance of admission, they can start preparing for the SAT Essay examination. 

2. You Want To Major In A Field That Values Analytical Writing

Many academic fields consider writing skills necessary. Various branches of science and mathematics also consider it essential. Besides, it is also beneficial for students planning to pursue humanities. Since schools need students to conduct research papers, this can be essential. Thus, strong writing skills can help in easier admission to college.

3. You Can’t Showcase Your Analytical Writing Abilities On Any Other Exam

While wondering whether “ Should I take the Essay on the SAT “, ask yourself if you can show analytical writing abilities in other exams. If yes, you can skip the examination. If not, this is a good chance.

Many schools do not provide CLEP, AP English language, or similar classes. Thus, SAT Essay provides an alternate way to show improvements in college-level writing. SAT Essay also provides an opportunity for all candidates to prove their writing abilities. Besides, it also gives chances to 11th and 12th-grade students to showcase their college writing abilities.

Questions Helps You Determine Whether to Take the SAT Essay

While deciding on “ Should I take the SAT with Essay “, consider these four questions to help you make decisions.

Do any of the Schools I’d like to Apply to Require an SAT Essay?

It is essential to know whether the school you are applying for needs an SAT Essay. If it does, you have to sit for the SAT Essay examination to show the results. However, if you don’t sit for the examination, your application will remain incomplete. Therefore, you will not get admitted to your desired school.

On the contrary, if you wish to apply to a school that does not need an SAT essay, your score with an Essay won’t matter. You can avoid that examination. To be clear, institutions that need the SAT Essay will disregard your score if you take the SAT without it.

The final thing you want to do is achieve a solid score without the Essay, only to discover that your target schools need you to take the SAT with Essay. Remember that some institutions’ application policies change from year to year. So double-check the testing rules of the institutions to which you’re applying.

Do any of the Schools I’d like to Apply to Suggest the SAT Essay?

This is another important question you need to ask. Even if you’re not planning to enroll in any institution that needs the SAT Essay section , we will still recommend taking it. This will broaden your school list for admission. Besides, this will add another dimension to your application that schools can consider. But, there are some situations where you can go without taking the examination.

If you are not eligible for SAT fee waivers and paying the extra cost to take the SAT Essay is a financial strain for you, please do not feel obligated to take it. In this situation, taking the SAT without the Essay is alright. Additionally, if you have difficulty writing essays under time limits, you may skip the Essay. But, this is only for students who have excellent English and writing skills but find it difficult to compose logical essays due to time pressure.

Are there any Scholarships that Need an SAT Score with an Essay?

Many awards like the National Merit Scholarship Program demand SAT results. But some demand SAT plus Essay scores. As a result, double-check the criteria of every scholarship you intend to apply for. Scholarships that do not need or recommend the SAT Essay will accept your SAT with the Essay result. But scholarships that do need the Essay part will not take your SAT score into account if you complete the no-essay version.

Is the SAT Essay Going to Help Me in Other Ways?

If it isn’t compulsory, taking the SAT Essay won’t add much to your application in general. In reality, universities that don’t suggest or need the Essay don’t give it much thought. Nonetheless, the Essay may be helpful for overseas students who wish to show their command of the English language. If you fall in the same group, consider taking the SAT with Essay. If you believe you’ll achieve a good score, there is no harm in trying. But, I recommend against taking the Essay if you do not think you’ll do well on it.

Hopefully, the guide has helped clear your dilemma on “ Should I take the SAT Essay . ” If it has, then why are you delaying? Start preparing for the examination today to get a good SAT essay score. But if you decide to skip the test, keep preparing for the SAT without worrying about the essay section. 

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, studying for the digital sat.

I'm due to take the SAT in a few months. My school is doing the digital version which is new to me. Haven't found many tips on prepping specifically for the digital SAT. Can anyone here share some tips or resource links to help me score big?

Congrats on starting to prep for your digital SAT! The switch from a paper to fully digital format does bring with it some unique considerations that can impact your preparation and performance. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

1. Get Familiar with the Digital Test Format: Unlike the paper-based format, the digital SAT allows you to highlight, cross off, or underline passages, questions, and answer choices directly through the interface. Familiarize yourself with this digital toolbox to help you read complex passages or solve tricky problems. Also, remember that the digital SAT doesn't allow you to skip ahead to later questions within a section or return to previously viewed ones within the same section. Each question must be answered before you proceed to the next.

2. Use Digital Prep Tools: To mimic the real test experience as closely as possible, you may want to practice with online tests instead of traditional books. There's an app called, Bluebook™, which allows you to preview the digital SAT format and take a full-length practice test. Become comfortable with reading from a screen and using your mouse or stylus to solve problems.

3. Boost Your Speed and Timing: As for the structure, the digital SAT has two 32-minute modules for Reading and Writing and two 35-minute modules for Math. On average, you'll have about 71 seconds per Reading and Writing question and 96 seconds per Math question. Increase your reading speed and quick mental arithmetic to ensure you don't run short of time.

4. Practice Keyboarding Skills: The digital format involves typing out your answer for the optional essay section, so ensure your typing skills are proficient enough to quickly and accurately get your thoughts down.

Remember, regardless of the format, the skills tested remain the same. Maintain a systematic study schedule, take regular practice tests, and work on improving weaknesses. Good luck with your preparation!

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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In a first, U.S. students will take the SAT entirely online (no pencils required)

Elissa Nadworny

Efi Chalikopoulou for NPR hide caption

The SAT, a college admissions exam that for nearly a century was completed using paper and pencil, is now officially all-digital.

This week, students in the U.S. will begin taking the new SAT on their own devices — including a tablet or a laptop — or on school devices. The test is also one hour shorter (down from three hours), has shorter reading passages and uses digital tools, like a highlighter, a graphing calculator and a bookmark to go back to skipped questions.

The revamped test, which ditches the paper and pencil, aims to make cheating harder and grading easier.

Students will still take the exam at a test center or at a high school.

"Today's students, they do a lot of their living digitally, they do a lot of their learning digitally and they do a lot of their test taking digitally," says Priscilla Rodriguez, who oversees the SAT for the College Board, the organization behind the test.

Dartmouth will again require SAT, ACT scores. Other colleges won't necessarily follow

She says in focus groups the College Board conducted, students said they felt more confident and more natural taking tests on a digital device. "They were kind of telling us in so many words, 'You're a little behind us at this point, actually. Can you please catch up?' "

A digital SAT isn't a big leap for many students

Throughout March and April, the College Board expects more than 1 million students to take the new digital SAT. Students can take the exam on Saturday test dates or during SAT School Days, where participating high schools offer the test to upperclassmen free of charge during the school day.

Stephany Perez, a high school junior from Houston, says the transition to online is "not that significant."

"We're so used to being on our laptops, like it's something we do on the regular, in every class."

SAT Discontinues Subject Tests And Optional Essay

Perez has been prepping for the online version in school, using test prep material from CollegeSpring, a nonprofit that partners with high school teachers.

She says she's still nervous and anxious for the test, because she feels a lot of pressure to do well. "It's a very important test," she says. "It dictates what's going to happen for your college life."

She's taking the test Tuesday morning at her high school using school laptops.

This isn't the first time the College Board has administered a digital exam. International students took a digital-only SAT in 2023, and a digital-only PSAT was given to younger U.S. high school students last fall.

Students will take the digital exam on Bluebook, an app that was built in-house by the College Board. Schools were given time ahead of testing dates to download the app onto their devices. Internet access is key to start the test, though Rodriquez says it requires very little bandwidth during the test and is designed to autosave locally, so students won't lose work or time if they lose their internet connection.

The SAT and ACT still hold power in admissions

All this comes as the relevance of the SAT and ACT, another college entrance exam, is being called into question in the college admissions process. More than 1,800 U.S. colleges are not requiring a test score for students applying to enroll in fall 2025, according to the National Center for Fair & Open Testing. But in recent weeks, some elite private colleges, including Brown University and Dartmouth College , have reinstated the test requirement, saying it provides helpful context for the admissions process.

Perez would be the first in her family to go to college in the U.S. She says, "I know a lot of schools say that they're test optional," but when she looked up colleges she was interested in, she found they still listed average SAT scores on their websites.

What to know about Florida's 'classic' alternative to the SAT

"So you do have to care," she says, "because [colleges] might still be looking at them, even if they say they're test optional."

Even with many schools trying to de-emphasize the exams, Rodriquez, of the College Board, says the SAT can still be an important piece of a larger admissions puzzle.

"[The SAT] can give any student a way to show what they've learned in a standardized way, and that's especially important when other parts of the college application, things like extracurricular activities and essays, are more easily influenced by parental wealth."

The SAT and ACT are also still deeply ingrained in the American high school experience. Many states require one of the exams to graduate, and several states have contracts with the College Board to offer the test during the school day for free to their students.

Before this new digital format, the SAT had already gone through several changes. In 2014, the College Board revealed it would drop its penalty for wrong answers, make the essay portion optional and remove the obscure vocabulary section. And in early 2021, the organization announced it would discontinue the optional essay component of the SAT, as well as the subject tests in U.S. history, languages and math, among other topics.

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Preparing for the digital sat: key strategies for success.

Keshia Lynn , Multimedia Journalist

ROANOKE, Va. – Long gone are the days when students took the SAT using pencils and paper. That’s because it’s now a digital test.

The test is also shorter. It’s now a little more than two hours long instead of three hours long. Also, while the test measures the same content and skills for students, it’s now adaptive.

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“Meaning if students do well on the first verbal section, they will get a harder next section on verbal. If they don’t do as well, they’ll get an easier next verbal section. Same thing for math. It’s going to adapt to how they do,” said Director of Outreach David Blobaum with the National Test Prep Association.

Blobaum said students like the new changes so far.

“So far, students love the feel of the new SAT. So let’s say you’re not as strong on certain content, well then your next sections are easier sections. So, it’s objectively an easier test even though your scores then caped,” said Blobaum.

For many colleges, taking the SAT is optional. However, that is starting to change.

Director of College Admissions Programs Heather Waite with Kaplan said that 15 percent of test-optional schools are now reevaluating their policies.

Both Waite and Blobaum also said it’s important to take the test because it can help your chances of getting into colleges or universities. Taking the test can even increase your chances of getting scholarships.

“So not only do test scores help students get into schools even if the school’s test is optional, they will also help students afford college if they have good test scores,” said Blobaum.

To get the best scores on the new test, it’s important to prepare for the new digital test.

“The questions have a different look and feel. So the content that is being measured is the same, but the questions do have a different look and feel. So, students do need to spend some time getting comfortable with those specifically on the reading and writing test,” said Waite.

Waite said students can take practice tests to really get familiar with the new format, how long each section is and how the test is scored. One way to do this is to download the Bluebook app. There are also plenty of resources on Kaplan’s website.

When it comes to whether your kid needs a tutor, Waite said students should think about who they are as test takers when making this decision.

“Some students really thrive just purchasing a prep book from Amazon and kind of working through it, working through the practice questions. Some students really do better with a classroom SAT class experience, where they have peers and they have a teacher guiding them through what to expect on test day, and then still other students are gonna do best with a tutor that can really hone in on their specific areas of opportunity and maybe even kind of work around their busy schedules when they’ve got a bunch of extracurriculars,” said Waite.

There are also major changes coming to the ACT next year.

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About the Author

Keshia lynn.

Keshia Lynn is a Multimedia Journalist for WSLS. She was born and raised in Maryland and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Society from American University and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

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SAT Essay Tips: 15 Ways to Improve Your Score

SAT Writing , SAT Essay

Whether you've never written an SAT Essay or didn't get the score you wanted on your last test, you can benefit from knowing more: both about the essay itself, and what really matters when the graders are reading your essay.

To introduce you to what you'll have to do, we've gathered up these 15 tips to master the SAT essay . If you can reliably follow all these points, you'll be able to get at least a 6/6/6 on the SAT essay—guaranteed.

UPDATE: SAT Essay No Longer Offered

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.

The Challenge

The SAT Essay is a very short assignment. You only get 50 minutes to read a 650-750 word passage, analyze the devices the author uses to structure her/his argument, and write a full-fledged essay —and it can pass in a flash if you don't have a method for attacking it.

Writing an SAT essay requires a very specific approach that's unlike the essays you've been writing for English class in school. The goal of this strategy is to cram in as many as possible of the desired components in the 50 minutes you've got. In this article, we give you 15 key tips for the SAT essay.

The first five tips in this article relate to what the College Board tells us about what's a good essay. The next five are truths that the College Board doesn't want you to know (or doesn’t make explicit). And the last five tips for SAT essay writing show you how to build an SAT essay, step by step.

What the College Board Does Tell You: 5 Tips

The College Board explains the main components of the successful SAT Essay in its scoring criteria. Here they are, condensed:

#1: Give a Clear Thesis

The SAT essay rubric states: "The response includes a precise central claim.”

What this means is that your essay needs to make a clear argument that the reader can easily identify.  All you have to do to create your "precise central claim" is to identify the main idea of the passage and list the methods the author uses to support it.

Fortunately, the SAT provides you with the passage’s main idea, so you don’t have to go hunting for it yourself. I've bolded the claim in this (fake) sample prompt so you can see this for yourself:

Write an essay in which you explain how Sam Lindsay builds an argument to persuade her audience that more works of art should feature monsters . In your essay, analyze how Lindsay uses one or more of the features listed in the box above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of 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 Lindsay’s claims, but rather explain how Lindsay builds an argument to persuade her audience.

Now, here's an example of a thesis statement for an essay responding to this prompt:

In the article “Monsters Monsters Everywhere,” Sam Lindsay uses personal anecdotes, vivid language, and appeals to emotion to persuade her audience that more works of art should feature monsters.

It's fine to copy the exact words describing the author’s central claim from the prompt into your thesis statement—in fact, this guarantees that the graders will see that your thesis is there and on-topic.

#2: Include Both an Introduction and a Conclusion

The SAT essay rubric states: "The response includes a skillful introduction and conclusion.”

Including an introduction paragraph in your essay is absolutely essential to getting a Writing score above a 4 (out of 8). The introduction paragraph introduces the reader to what you’ll be talking about and allows you to set up the structure for the rest of the essay. Plus, an introduction can be a pretty good indicator of the quality for the rest of the essay—a poorly constructed introduction is often a warning that the essay that follows will be equally discombobulated.

It's best to have both an introduction and a conclusion, but if you’re running short on time and can only have one, definitely pick the introduction. The main reason for this is that a good introduction includes your thesis statement. For the SAT essay, your thesis (or your "precise central claim") should be a statement about what devices the author uses to build her/his argument.

Introductions can be tricky to write, because whatever you write in that paragraph can then make you feel like you’re locked into writing just about that. If you’re struggling with the introduction paragraph, leave yourself 10 blank lines at the beginning of the essay and jump into writing your body paragraphs. Just make sure you remember to go back and write in your introduction before time’s up!

#3: Use Effective Language and Word Choice

There are a couple of parts of the Writing score section on the SAT essay rubric that pertain directly to style.

The SAT essay rubric states this about a perfect-Writing-score essay: "The response is cohesive and demonstrates a highly effective use and command of language."

For most of us, "command of language" is an area that takes a long time to develop, so unless your language skills are really rough or you're prepping at least a year ahead of time (or both), you'll probably get more out of focusing on the other components of the essay.

The SAT essay rubric also states: “The response has a wide variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates a consistent use of precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone.”

This basically boils down to: don't be repetitive and don't make grammar mistakes. In addition, you should avoid using first person statements like "I" or "My" in the essay, along with any other informality. You're writing the equivalent of a school paper, not an opinion piece.

Bad (Too informal):

“I think that Sam’s super persuasive in this article cause she’s just so passionate. It made me feel kinda bad that I don’t really monster it up in my everyday life.”

Good (Formal):

“Lindsay’s passionate defense of how drawing monsters 'allows us to laugh at our personal foibles' causes her audience to put themselves in her shoes and empathize with her position.”

Finally, try to use different words to describe the same idea—don't use "shows" 15 times. Take the chance to show off your vocabulary ( if, and only if , the vocabulary is appropriate and makes sense) . This component is the biggest reason why revising your SAT Essay is essential—it's fast and easy to change repeated words to other ones after you're finished, but it can slow you down during writing to worry about your word choice. If you're aiming for a top score, using advanced vocabulary appropriately is vital.

#4: Only Use Information From the Passage

All the relevant information is in the passage, so avoid getting drawn into the topic and using your outside knowledge—you want to be sure to show that you’ve read the passage.

In real life, there are many ways to support a thesis, depending on the topic. But on the SAT, there's one kind of correct support: specific details drawn from the passage you’re asked to analyze . We'll show you more below.

#5: Focus Your Essay on Relevant Details

You don’t have to mention every single detail that makes the argument effective. In fact, your essay will be more coherent and more likely to score higher in Analysis if you focus your discussion on just a few points . It's more important to show that you're able to pick out the most important parts of the argument and explain their function that it is to be able to identify every single persuasive device the author used.

Think about it as if you were asked to write a 50-minute essay describing the human face and what each part does. A clear essay would just focus on major features—eyes, nose, and mouth. A less effective essay might also try to discuss cheekbones, eyebrows, eyelashes, skin pores, chin clefts, and dimples as well. While all of these things are part of the face, it would be hard to get into detail about each of the parts in just 50 minutes.

And this is the eye, and this is the other eye, and this is the...other eye...and the other eye...and the other...wait...what's going on here?

What the College Board Doesn’t Tell You: 5 Secrets

Even though the SAT essay has clearly stated, publicly-available guidelines, there are a few secrets to writing the essay that most students don't know and that can give you a major advantage on the test.

#1: Read the Prompt Before the Passage

Why? Because the prompt includes the description of the author’s claim. Knowing what the author’s claim is going into the article can help keep you focused on the argument, rather than getting caught up in reading the passage (especially if the topic is one you're interested in).

#2: Your Facts Must Be Accurate…But Your Interpretation Doesn’t Have to Be

A big part of the Analysis score for the SAT essay is not just identifying the devices the author uses to build her argument, but explaining the effect that the use of these devices has on the reader . You don’t have to be completely, 100% accurate about the effect the passage has on the reader, because there is no one right answer. As long as you are convincing in your explanation and cite specific examples, you’ll be good.

Here's an example of an interpretation about what effect a persuasive device has on the reader (backed by evidence from the passage):

Lindsay appeals to the emotions of her readers by describing the forlorn, many-eyed creatures that stare reproachfully at her from old school notebook margins. The sympathy the readers feel for these forgotten doodles is expertly transferred to Lindsay herself when she draws the connection between the drawn monsters and her own life: “Often, I feel like one of these monsters—hidden away in my studio, brushes yearning to create what no one else cares to see.”

Now, you don't necessarily know for sure if "sympathy for the doodles" is what the author was going for in her passage. The SAT essay graders probably don't know either (unless one of them wrote the passage). But as long as you can make a solid case for your interpretation, using facts and quotes from the passage to back it up , you'll be good.

#3: You Should Write More Than One Page

This has always been true for the SAT essay, but for the first time ever, the College Board actually came out in The Official SAT Study Guide and explicitly said that length really does matter . Here's the description of a one-paragraph, 120-word-long student response that received a Writing score of 2/8 (bolding mine).

“Due to the brief nature of the response , there is not enough evidence of writing ability to merit a score higher than 1. Overall, this response demonstrates inadequate writing .” (source: The Official SAT Study Guide , p. 176 )

You’ll have one page for (ungraded) scrap paper that you can use to plan out your essay, and four pages of writing paper for the essay—plan on writing at least two pages for your essay .

#4: Be Objective When Reading the Passage

Being able to stay detached while reading the passage you'll be writing the essay about can be tricky. This task might be especially difficult for students who were used to the old SAT essay (which pretty much made it mandatory for you to choose one side or the other). You’ll have to practice reading persuasive essays and gaining objectivity (so that you are able to write about how the argument is constructed, not whether it’s good or bad).

A good way to practice this is to read news articles on topics you care deeply about by people who hold the opposite view that you do . For instance, as a composer and violist/violinist, I might read articles about how children should not be encouraged to play musical instruments, since it holds no practical value later on in life (a view I disagree with vehemently). I would then work on my objectivity by jotting down the central ideas, most important details, and how these details relate to the central ideas of the article .

Being able to understand the central ideas in the passage and details without being sidetracked by rage (or other emotions) is key to writing an effective SAT essay.

Don't let the monster of rage distract you from your purpose.

#5: Memorize and Identify Specific Persuasive Techniques

Once you’re able to read articles objectively (as discussed in point #4 above), the next step is to be able to break down the essay passage's argument . To do this successfully, you'll need to be aware of some of the techniques that are frequently used to build arguments.

The SAT essay prompt does mention a few of these techniques (bolding mine):

As you read the passage below, consider how Lindsay 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.

It’s certainly possible to wing it and go into the test without knowing specific names of particular persuasive devices and just organically build up your essay from features you notice in the article. However, it's way easier to go into the essay knowing certain techniques that you can then scan the passage for .

For instance, after noting the central ideas and important details in the article about how more works of art should feature monsters, I would then work on analyzing the way the author built her argument. Does she use statistics in the article? Personal anecdotes? Appeal to emotion?

I discuss the top persuasive devices you should know in more detail in the article " 6 SAT Essay Examples to Answer Every Prompt ".

How to Get All the Necessary Components in 50 Minutes: 5 Step-By-Step Strategies

When you write an SAT essay, you only have 50 minutes to read, analyze, and write an essay, which means that you need a game plan going in. Here's a short step-by-step guide on how to write an effective SAT essay.

#1: Answer the Prompt

Don’t just summarize the passage in your essay, or identify persuasive devices used by the author—instead, be sure to actually analyze the way the author of the passage builds her argument. As  The Official SAT Study Guide states ,

"[Y]our discussion should focus on what the author does, why he or she does it, and what effect this is likely to have on readers."

College Board makes a point of specifying this very point in its grading rubric as well—an essay that scores a 2 (out of 4) or below in Analysis " merely asserts, rather than explains [the persuasive devices'] importance. " If you want to get at least a 3/4 (or a 6/8) in Analysis, you need to heed this warning and stay on task .

#2: Support Your Points With Concrete Evidence From the Passage

The best way to get a high Reading score for your essay is to quote from the passage appropriately to support your points . This shows not only that you’ve read the passage (without your having to summarize the passage at all), but also that you understand what the author is saying and the way the author constructed her argument.

As an alternative to using direct quotations from the passage, it’s also okay to paraphrase some of what you discuss. If you are explaining the author's argument in your own words, however, you need to be extra careful to make sure that the facts you're stating are accurate —in contrast to scoring on the old SAT essay, scoring on the new SAT essay takes into account factual inaccuracies and penalizes you for them.

#3: Keep Your Essay Organized

The SAT essay rubric states: “The response demonstrates a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay.”

The main point to take away from this is that you should follow the standard structure for an SAT essay (introduction-body-body-conclusion) . Using a basic four- to five-paragraph essay structure will both keep you organized and make it easier for the essay graders to follow your reasoning—a win-win situation!

Furthermore, you should connect each paragraph to each other through effective transitions. We'll give you ways to improve your performance in this area in the articles linked at the end of this article.

#4: Make Time to Read, Analyze, Plan, Write, and Revise

Make sure you allocate appropriate amounts of time for each of the steps you’ll need to take to write the essay—50 minutes may seem like a long time, but it goes by awfully quick with all the things you need to do.

Reading the passage, analyzing the argument, planning your essay, writing your essay, and revising are all important components for writing an 8/8/8 essay. For a breakdown of how much time to spend on each of these steps, be sure to check out our article on how to write an SAT essay, step-by-step .

#5: Practice

The more you practice analysis and writing, the better you’ll get at the task of writing an SAT essay (as you work up to it a little at a time).

It's especially important to practice the analysis and writing components of the essay if you are a slow reader (since reading speed can be difficult to change). Being able to analyze and write quickly can help balance out the extra time you take to read and comprehend the material. Plus, the time you put into working on analysis and writing will yield greater rewards than time spent trying to increase your reading speed.

But don't forget : while it’s okay to break up the practice at first, you also really do need to get practice buckling down and doing the whole task in one sitting .

What’s Next?

This is just the beginning of improving your SAT essay score. Next, you actually need to put this into practice with a real SAT essay.

Looking to get even deeper into the essay prompt? Read our complete list of SAT essay prompts and our detailed explanation of the SAT essay prompt .

Hone your SAT essay writing skills with our articles about how to write a high-scoring essay, step by step and how to get a 8/8/8 on the SAT essay .

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Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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