Colleges That Require SAT Essay | We Compiled the Comprehensive List
Increasingly, colleges across the United States are showing preference to applicants that have sat and passed the non-compulsory SAT with essay test. Given that the SAT with essay is technically an optional extra, its importance can be underestimated or overlooked entirely. Nevertheless, students that take the SAT essay at high school (or later) are statistically more likely to get into their preferred colleges than those who take the basic SAT without the essay alone.
But which colleges require the SAT essay as a fundamental prerequisite for successful college admissions and does the SAT essay matter? How many other colleges recommend the SAT essay as a preferable educational achievement, though will still consider applications from those that did not take the SAT essay?
An Overview of the Optional SAT Essay
The SAT essay was added to the test in March 2016 as non-compulsory, which has since been taken by millions of high school students and adult learners across the US. The SAT essay is an non-compulsory additional section to the standard test, which gives students 50 minutes to read and to critically analyze a passage of text and scrutinize the author’s argument.
Put simply, you write a brief passage of text of your own, analyzing how well or otherwise the author got their point across, and your justifications for your arguments. Test scores are then assigned, in accordance with the quality of your responses.
Taking the SAT with the essay costs slightly more, though it’s a small price to pay - given how many colleges and universities recommend the SAT essay. Of course, in each scenarios you need to be familiar with ways to study for the SAT and know when to take the SAT.
Note: don’t fall into the trap of assuming the school you take the SAT at will automatically sign you up for the essay portion of the test. If you want to take the SAT with essay, you’ll need to indicate this at the time of your application.
Prep Tips for SAT Test and SAT Essay Takers
Whether you plan on taking the base SAT alone or the SAT with essay, we strongly recommend checking out these top-rated SAT prep books and look at the different states SAT scores to get your started. In addition, we also reviewed a series of popular SAT prep courses that provide a detailed overview of what to expect on the day.
There’s no such thing as being too prepared - getting started on your test prep 3-6 months ahead of time comes highly recommended.
How Much Does SAT Essay Score Matter?
It's generally recommended to aim for an SAT essay score of at least a 6 out of 8 on Reading, Analysis, and Writing.
Combined with a good overall SAT score in the 75th percentile, this should be more than enough to be considered eligible by colleges that require the SAT essay.
Which Schools Require or Recommend the Optional SAT Essay?
The list of universities and colleges that require the SAT essay is changing all the time. While some universities consider SAT and SAT essay scores alongside other criteria, some have made the SAT essay a fundamental requirement for all applicants.
This is how the current list of schools that require or recommend the non-compulsory SAT essay looks as of the 2020/2021 academic year - as indicated by the College Board: |
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Abilene Christian University TX- Recommended |
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences NY- Recommended |
Amherst College - Recommended |
Allegheny College PA- Recommended |
Augsburg University MN- Recommended |
Austin College TX- Recommended |
Benedictine University IL- Required |
Caldwell University NJ- Recommended |
California State University, Northridge CA-Recommended |
Central Connecticut State University CT- Recommended |
Central Michigan University MI- Recommended |
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania PA- Recommended |
Colby College - Recommended |
College of Wooster OH - Recommended |
Colorado School of Mines CO- Recommended |
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art NY- Recommended |
Corban University OR- Recommended |
Cornerstone University MI- Recommended |
Dallas Christian College TX- Recommended |
Delaware State University DE- Required |
DeSales University PA- Required |
Dominican University of California CA- Required |
Duke University NC- Recommended |
Earlham College IN- Recommended |
Eastern Illinois University IL- Recommended |
Eastern Nazarene College MA- Recommended |
Eastern University PA- Recommended |
Endicott College MA- Recommended |
Five Towns College NY- Recommended |
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University FL- Required |
Gallaudet University DC- Recommended |
George Washington University DC- Recommended |
Georgia Highlands College GA- Recommended |
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)GA- Recommended |
Greenville University IL- Recommended |
Gwynedd Mercy University PA- Recommended |
Hofstra University NY- Recommended |
Holy Family College WI- Recommended |
Holy Family University PA- Recommended |
Howard University DC- Required |
Husson University ME- Recommended |
Indiana University South Bend IN- Recommended |
Indiana University Southeast IN- Recommended |
Indiana Wesleyan University IN- Recommended |
Inter American University of Puerto Rico: Barranquitas Campus PR Recommended |
John Wesley University- NC Required |
Juilliard School NY- Recommended |
Keiser University (West Palm Beach)FL- Recommended |
Kentucky State University KY- Required |
Lehigh University PA- Recommended |
Madonna University MI- Recommended |
Manhattan College NY- Recommended |
Martin Luther College MN- Required |
Marymount California University CA- Recommended |
Massachusetts Maritime Academy MA- Recommended |
McMurry University TX- Recommended |
Mercy College NY- Recommended |
Modern College of Design OH- Recommended |
Molloy College NY- Required |
Montana Technological University MT- Recommended |
Morehouse College GA- Recommended |
Mount Saint Mary College NY- Recommended |
Mount St. Joseph University OH- Recommended |
National-Louis University IL- Recommended |
New Jersey City University NJ- Recommended |
Nichols College MA- Recommended |
North Park University IL- Recommended |
Ohio University OH- Recommended |
Oregon State University OR - Recommended |
Purdue University Northwest IN- Recommended |
Randall University OK- Recommended |
Randolph-Macon College VA- Recommended |
Reading Area Community College PA Recommended |
Rowan University NJ Recommended |
Rutgers University—Camden Campus NJ- Recommended |
Rutgers University—Newark Campus NJ- Recommended |
Saint Michael's College VT- Recommended |
Seton Hill University PA- Recommended |
Shiloh University IA- Recommended |
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania PA- Recommended |
Soka University of America CA- Required |
Southern California Institute of Architecture CA- Required |
Southern Illinois University Carbondale IL- Recommended |
Southern Oregon University OR- Recommended |
Spring Hill College AL- Recommended |
Sul Ross State University TX- Recommended |
SUNY Farmingdale State College NY- Recommended |
SUNY University at Stony Brook NY- Recommended |
Tarleton State University TX- Recommended |
Texas A&M International University TX- Recommended |
Texas A&M University TX- Recommended |
Texas A&M University—Galveston TX- Required |
Texas State University TX- Recommended |
The King's College NY- Recommended |
United States Air Force Academy CO- Recommended |
United States Military Academy (West Point) NY- Required |
University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) CA- Required |
University of California, Davis (UC Davis) CA- Required |
California University Irvine (UC Irvine)CA- Required |
California University, Los Angeles (UCLA)CA- Required |
University of California, Merced CA- Required |
University of California, Riverside CA- Required |
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)CA- Required |
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)CA- Required |
University of California, Santa Cruz CA- Required |
University of Evansville IN- Recommended |
University of Hawaii: West Oahu HI- Recommended |
University of La Verne CA- Recommended |
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor TX- Recommended |
University of Massachusetts Amherst MA- Recommended |
University of Minnesota: Twin Cities MN- Recommended |
University of Montana - Recommended |
University of New England ME- Recommended |
University of North Texas TX- Required |
University of Northwestern—St. Paul MN- Recommended |
University of Texas at Dallas TX- Required |
University of the Virgin Islands VI- Recommended |
University of Toledo OH- Recommended |
University of Washington Bothell WA- Recommended |
Vander Cook College of Music IL- Recommended |
Virginia Union University VA- Recommended |
Wabash College IN- Recommended |
Webb Institute NY- Recommended |
Webber International University FL- Recommended |
Wesleyan College GA- Recommended |
West Virginia University Institute of Technology- WV Required |
Western Carolina University NC- Required |
William Jewell College MO- Recommended |
What’s interesting to note is that while more schools than ever before expect students to take the non-compulsory writing portion, the vast majority of Ivy League schools are excluded from the list. Harvard University, MIT, Princeton and so on - none of these elite colleges require the essay as standard.
It’s therefore a case of considering the schools and colleges you want to apply for, before deciding whether or not to take the test with the optional essay section.
Should You Take the SAT with the Optional Essay Portion?
Some academics argue that if you’re going to take the test at all, you may as well take the essay while you’re at it. The additional cost is negligible and it’s not as if a huge amount of additional test prep is necessary. Plus, it’s true to say that any additional accolades on your educational profile could come in useful at a later date.
If you’re still undecided as to whether to take the SAT essay or skip it, consider the following before making your final decision:
1. Do any of the schools you’re interested in or colleges require or recommend the essay? If not, is there a chance they may require the non-compulsory SAT with essay at some point in the future?
2. If you are planning to apply to a college or university under a scholarship program, have you checked whether a specific SAT score and essay score is required?
3. Even if the college you want to apply to doesn’t formerly require the SAT essay, could a good essay SAT score give you an advantage over your rival applicants?
4. Could taking the non-compulsory SAT essay also give you an advantage over rival candidates in the future where job opportunities and promotion prospects are concerned?
In Summary
What’s important to remember is that even if the non-compulsory SAT essay isn’t a formal requirement, this doesn’t mean it couldn’t prove helpful in other ways.
By taking the non-compulsory SAT essay, you demonstrate to college boards and employers alike that you’re committed to both your education and your personal development. Something that could prove instrumental in giving you the edge over rival applicants - both when looking to get into college and job seeking.
SAT Essay FAQs:
1. How do you start an SAT essay?
- Check out the following when creating your SAT essay.
- Distinguish the SAT essay scoring system.
- Study sample passages and SAT Essay prompts.
- Choose professional writing and editorial Outlets.
- Prep with Practice Essays to improve your writing skills.
- Read your test day SAT Essay passage thoroughly.
- Commence with an Outline.
2. Can you skip the SAT essay?
Students aren't required to take the SAT Essay. This is non- compulsory, but many colleges, recommend or require the sat essay. If you don't register for the SAT with Essay at first, you can add it later. You can use an SAT fee waiver to take the SAT or the SAT with Essay.
3. Can the SAT essay hurt your score?
The SAT writing score is produced by the multiple-choice section of the exam, while your SAT essay score hails from a brand new part of the exam. This can be the SAT Essay section, which stands untreated and does not affect your SAT score in multiple-choice sections.
4. What to expect when taking SAT essay?
SAT Essay comprises of one passage between 650 and 750 words that you read and respond to. To create or write your essay, you need to be very focus on how the author uses evidence, reasoning, and other rhetorical techniques to build an argument and make it convincing.
5. Do colleges look at SAT essay scores?
In line with the College Board's SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report, 68% of test-takers opted to make an essay. Some schools don't require the essay. They may recommend taking it. Other schools may not just study your essay score with the admissions process.
