Next year I’ll be a sophomore in high school. I’ll be taking AP Language and Composition and Precalculus. The colleges I’m looking at requires or highly suggests you take the essay with the SAT. Do you guys think in May next year I should take my first shot at the SAT with Essay? Also, does the CollegeBoard let sophomores sign up for the SAT with a fee waiver in 10th grade?
Yes
Take a practice test and assess from there.
This is up to you unless you are applying to UC, where it’s required (as of now). For every other college that “recommends” it, I am of the opinion that unlike most/all of a college’s “recommendations,” the essay component of SAT/ACT is truly optional.
Speaking as an SAT tutor, I don’t see a great reason to take the SAT this coming year. However strong of a student you will be this year, you will be a stronger student in 11th grade. If you just want to see where you stand, take an official SAT practice test.
They’ll certainly let you - my D registered independently to take the SAT in both 7th and 8th grade, no problems.
The question is - should you? 7th and 8th had the advantage of knowing that scores before 9th grade would be automatically deleted from her record (unless you specifically request them to be retained). In 10th, you’re now on the record. I would think that most student would improve from 10th to 11th, after taking the PSAT at least once, if not twice.
Unless you’re quite confident you’ll get a very high score (1550?), I’d stick to taking official practice tests under actual test conditions and self-scoring.
I agree that the essay is falling out of favor and unless you’re looking at California, or one of the small number of other schools that still require it, there’s no real reason to take it. And I wouldn’t be surprised if California doesn’t require it in a year or two.
Yes, you should take the SAT with essay during the sophomore year. Then if you want to improve your score, you have the summer after sophomore year to study and re-take the SAT in junior year.