Ok so I am in a dilemma here. I have the SAT in 5 days and I totally forgot that I had signed up for the essay portion aswell.
This my first time taking it, (rising senior) and I was wondering that if I do poorly on the essay, can I choose to just send the SAT score without the essay to the colleges? I think you can do that with ACT but I’m not sure for the SAT. It would be really sad if my essay score negatively affects me. Thankyou for any help.
Hey! I’m a rising senior as well and it is also my first time taking it. I say practice writing essays on your own with the given time limit and try not to worry too much. The SAT essay has become optional for most colleges, even the top ones. I would focus on the reading, writing and math sections. How do you think that you’re gonna do? I got 1100 on the 1st practice test but will try the other ones. I so desperately want a 1500+. I studied all summer 
I think the essay is yet another opportunity to show the colleges who you are and what you’re capable of.
I wouldn’t ignore this part of preparation, any more than I would ignore any other aspect of any test I was taking.
You have 5 days. Take a look at some of the old prompts, and at least outline or bullet how you would answer them.
It’s been a long summer. If you haven’t been writing, your skills may be rusty.
To answer your question: I’m not sure whether you can omit the essay score. It’s probably possible to change your registration to one without the essay, but it’s probably going to cost quite a bit at this point. Check the College Board site.
Whether or not a university says it’s optional, recommended or required, submit the essay. Not doing will hurt you more. Competitive schools will easily be able to weed out applicants that met the requirements, vs those that exceeded the requirements. If you haven’t practiced, or know what to expect, Google SAT essay tips. There are formulas that you can learn within a few days that will help boost your points. Good luck!
I totally agree that essay is a big part of the SAT and the college applications. My main concern is that I had forgotten to prepare for the essay; I don’t want that hurting me. I have 1 more chance after the August date for early action. I plan to study like crazy for the second test(if I don’t reach my goal).
Since it looks like it can’t be avoided, could anyone point me to the right direction for tips on essay? I have been busy throughout the summer, writing applications and reading. Thus, I think that writing won’t be the problem. I just need to get familiar with the structure and how to answer. I will definitely scour the internet for strategies, but I would certainly appreciate any help. Thanks for any advice!
I disagree somewhat: A rushed timed essay on a surprise prompt is not really indicative of your writing/communication skills. I have been told that many schools dont even read them. Now, your essays in your application are hugely important.
I think that the SAT essay is irrelevant as long as you get a high enough score on the test (to a certain extent, obviously a 9/24 is way worse than 17/24 if you are scoring well). That aside, the SAT essay is very formulaic and anyone can easily learn how to get a 6-6-6. Here are my tips:
- Reference the main idea and purpose in your intro and include a thesis about the 3 types of evidence you are going to use.
- For each body paragraph make sure to have 2 examples that support your idea and tie it to how it strengthens the argument.
- For a conclusion, just rephrase the intro and thesis, doesn’t have to be anything special.
- Make sure to have some varying word choice and try write more than two pages.
Thankyou so much!