Taking the Essay Out of the SAT
English Professor Quentin Miller on the value of learning to write
While Professor and English Department Chair Quentin Miller is ”not a huge fan of standardized tests as a measure of intelligence, aptitude or potential for continued academic success,” he is concerned by the message conveyed by the decision to make the SAT essay optional.
In his article “Our Shifting Priorities: Taking the Essay Out of the SAT,” published on Cognoscenti, WBUR's online ideas and opinion page, Miller writes: “What bothers me is that essay writing seems so easily expendable. ... But don’t we agree that it’s vital? Employers of all stripes cite it as one of the most important skills applicants can have.”