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Will the New SAT Essay Really be Optional?

Written By Judi Robinovitz

For students considering any state university in Florida or one of the eight Ivy League universities, the answer is likely to be a resounding NO! That is, of course, under the assumption that the colleges that currently require ACT’s optional essay will also require the optional SAT essay.

While the overwhelming majority of universities in the USA do not require the ACT essay, many of the more popular “name brand” colleges do. 

So, without further ado, here’s a well-researched list compiled by Cigus Vanni, counselor at Cherry Hill High School West in New Jersey. Permission to duplicate and share freely and happily given.

Colleges and Universities That Require the Writing Section for Students Who Submit the Act

Data taken directly from the ACT website in March, 2014, and “verified” through search of individual college websites. Some of the omissions from this list may be surprising. Please note that there are myriad selective colleges that do not require submission of any standardized testing and these schools would not necessarily be listed here. Note also that there are many other colleges for which submission of the writing section is recommended but not required.

  • ALABAMA

    • Auburn University

    • University of Alabama

  • CALIFORNIA

    • California Institute of Technology

    • Chapman University

    • Claremont McKenna College

    • Harvey Mudd College

    • Occidental College

    • Pitzer College (ACT essay only required for applicants who do not choose to apply via school’s test optional policy)

    • San Jose State University

    • Scripps College

    • Soka University of America

    • Stanford University

    • University of California system (all “UC’s”)

    • University of La Verne

    • University of San Diego

    • University of San Francisco

    • University of Southern California

    • Westmont College

    • Whittier College

  • CONNECTICUT

    • Quinnipiac University

    • University of Connecticut

    • Yale University

  • DELAWARE

    • University of Delaware

  • DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

    • American University (ACT essay only required for applicants who do not choose to apply via school’s test optional policy)

    • Catholic University of America

    • Howard University

    • University of the District of Columbia

  • FLORIDA

    • Flagler College

    • Florida A&M University

    • Florida Atlantic University

    • Florida Gulf Coast University

    • Florida International University

    • Florida State University

    • New College of Florida

    • University of Central Florida

    • University of Florida

    • University of North Florida

    • University of South Florida

    • University of West Florida

  • GEORGIA

    • Berry College

    • Covenant College

    • Emory University (includes Oxford College of Emory)

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

    • Georgia Southern University

    • Georgia State University

    • Morris Brown College

    • University of Georgia

  • HAWAII

    • University of Hawai’i at Manoa

  • ILLINOIS

    • Northwestern University

    • Principia College

    • Wheaton College

  • INDIANA

    • Butler University

    • Hanover University

    • Indiana University

    • Indiana University

    • Purdue University Indianapolis

    • Marian University

    • Purdue University

    • University of Evansville

    • Wabash College

  • LOUISIANA

    • Tulane University

  • MAINE

    • Husson College

  • MARYLAND

    • Goucher College (ACT essay only required for applicants who do not choose to apply via school’s test optional policy)

    • Johns Hopkins University

    • Towson University

    • University of Maryland College Park

    • Washington Adventist University

  • MASSACHUSETTS

    • Babson College

    • Bentley University

    • Boston College

    • Boston University

    • Brandeis University (ACT essay only required for applicants who do not choose to apply via school’s test optional policy)

    • Eastern Nazarene College

    • Emerson College

    • Endicott College

    • Franklin Olin College of Engineering

    • Gordon College

    • Harvard College

    • Lasell University

    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    • Northeastern University

    • Simmons College

    • Springfield College

    • Suffolk University

    • Tufts University

    • Wellesley College

    • Williams College

  • MICHIGAN

    • Kalamazoo College

    • Michigan State University

    • University of Michigan

  • MINNESOTA

    • Carleton College

    • Martin Luther College

    • University of Minnesota (main campus and branches)

  • MISSOURI

    • Evangel University

  • MONTANA

    • University of Montana at Dillon

  • NEW HAMPSHIRE

    • Dartmouth College

    • Franklin Pierce University

    • University of New Hampshire

  • NEW JERSEY

    • Caldwell College

    • Monmouth University

    • Princeton University

    • Rutgers University

    • Seton Hall University

  • NEW MEXICO

    • Santa Fe University of Art and Design

  • NEW YORK

    • Adelphi University

    • Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

    • Barnard College

    • Binghamton University

    • Columbia University

    • Concordia University

    • Cornell University

    • Five Towns College

    • Hofstra University

    • John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)

    • List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America

    • New York University (note: NYU has multiple options by which test requirements can be fulfilled—please check school website)

    • Pratt Institute

    • Skidmore College

    • State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury

    • State University of New York Maritime College

    • Stony Brook University

    • Syracuse University

    • United States Military Academy (West Point)

    • University of Albany

    • University of Buffalo

    • Vassar College

    • Webb Institute of Naval Architecture

  • NORTH CAROLINA

    • Appalachian State University

    • Duke University

    • East Carolina University

    • Elizabeth City State University

    • Elon University

    • Fayetteville State University

    • North Carolina Central University

    • North Carolina State University

    • North Carolina University of the Arts

    • Queen’s University of Charlotte

    • University of North Carolina (all campuses)

    • Western Carolina University

    • Winston-Salem State University

  • OHIO

    • Case Western Reserve University

    • Oberlin College and Conservatory

    • Ohio State University (all branches also)

    • University of Cincinnati

    • University of Toledo

  • OKLAHOMA

    • Northwest Oklahoma State University

  • OREGON

    • Oregon Institute of Technology

    • Oregon State University

    • Portland State University

    • University of Oregon

    • Western Oregon University

  • PENNSYLVANIA

    • Arcadia University

    • Bryn Athyn University

    • Bucknell University

    • Carnegie Mellon University

    • Delaware Valley College

    • Duquesne University

    • Haverford College

    • Lafayette College

    • Lehigh University

    • Muhlenberg College (ACT essay only required for applicants who do not choose to apply via school’s test optional policy)

    • Pennsylvania State University (all branch campuses also)

    • Swarthmore College (note: Swarthmore offers multiple options by which testing requirements may be fulfilled—one of these does not include ACT essay)

    • Villanova University

  • RHODE ISLAND

    • Brown University

    • Rhode Island College

    • Rhode Island School of Design

    • University of Rhode Island

  • SOUTH CAROLINA

    • Clemson University

    • Francis Marion University

    • University of South Carolina

    • Wofford College

  • TENNESSEE

    • Tennessee Temple University

    • Vanderbilt University

  • TEXAS

    • Abilene Christian University

    • Austin College

    • Baylor University

    • Hardin-Simmons University

    • Le Tourneau University

    • Paul Quinn College

    • Rice University

    • Saint Edward’s University

    • Schreiner College

    • Stephen F. Austin University

    • Tarleton State University

    • Texas A&M University College Station

    • Texas State University at San Marcos

    • University of Dallas

    • University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

    • University of Saint Thomas

    • University of Texas Arlington

    • University of Texas Austin

    • University of Texas Brownsville

    • University of Texas Dallas

  • VERMONT

    • Saint Michael’s College (ACT essay only required for applicants who do not choose to apply via school’s test optional policy)

    • University of Vermont

  • VIRGINIA

    • University of Virginia

    • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

    • Washington and Lee University

  • WASHINGTON

    • University of Washington

  • WEST VIRGINIA

    • West Virginia University

  • WISCONSIN

    • University of Wisconsin Madison

  • WYOMING

    • Wyoming Catholic College

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Does the optional SAT essay exam affect your SAT score? 

No, the SAT Essay is scored separately and does not impact your overall SAT score.

2. Can you choose not to send your SAT essay score? 

Yes, you can choose not to send your SAT essay score to colleges when submitting your application.

3. Which states request that you do the SAT essay? 

There are no states that specifically require the SAT Essay; however, some colleges within certain states may require it. Always check the individual college's requirements.

4. Can an SAT tutor help you prepare for the essay? 

Yes, an SAT tutor can help you prepare for the SAT Essay by teaching you strategies for organizing your thoughts, analyzing the passage, and writing a clear, cohesive response. A tutor can also provide personalized feedback to improve your writing skills and help you practice under timed conditions.

In Summary

The SAT Essay may be optional, but its importance depends largely on the college or university to which you're applying. While many schools have moved away from requiring it, prestigious institutions, including Ivy League schools and certain state universities, still prioritize it as part of their admissions process. 

Given that each college has its own requirements, we highly recommend that all students carefully research the testing policies of their desired schools.

Get Help Preparing for College Admissions

If you’re confused about SAT and ACT testing requirements, don’t hesitate to reach out to Score At The Top. Our counsellors and SAT tutors will guide you through the process and make sure you’re prepared and informed every step of the way. 

Call 844-438-1600 or contact us online to get personalized advice for your college admissions journey!

Judi Robinovitz

Judi Robinovitz is a Certified Educational Planner with more than 30 years of experience in education. Specializing in educational counseling, she is the author of numerous books, articles, and software on test preparation and college planning. Judi has been a featured speaker at national educational conferences and schools. To keep pace with current educational trends, Judi continually travels across America to assess colleges, boarding schools, and therapeutic boarding schools and wilderness programs.

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