None! In their January 2021 update, the College Board announced that they will be discontinuing the optional SAT Essay as of June 2021. The SAT essay had already been phased out by most colleges over the last few years, so this update just makes it official. Click here for more information about this College Board update, which also announced the discontinuation of SAT Subject Tests and the possibility of digital SAT testing.

Which colleges require the ACT essay?

For a while now, U.S. Military Academy (West Point) has been the only major college in the country to require the writing portion of the SAT or ACT. It is unclear if West Point Military Academy will continue requiring the ACT essay while it is still around.

As the ACT essay is already optional across the country, we expect ACT to eventually follow the College Board’s lead and discontinue their essay section as well.

Don’t stress about or try to register for these optional essays. Instead, rest easy knowing you have one less thing to worry about in the testing process!