Eighteen months ago, I wrote an op-ed arguing that the revised SAT essay, which appeared on tests last week, is a superficial exercise that encourages students to write formulaically and adds little to a college application. Today, the good news is that fewer colleges are requiring students to submit an SAT or ACT essay score. The bad news for those that do is that the redesigned essays may be even worse than their predecessors.
James S. Murphy 