None of my schools require nor recommend it...should I still take it?
The SAT with essay is just going to determine how well you write. I did it because I write stories for a living; so if you want to go to a college that deals with writing, or if one of your hobbies is writing, then SAT with essay is the right choice for you. Unless just taking the SAT only will not hurt you.
I hoped this helped and good luck.=)
Sorry if this does not help...
No, if you take the essay then you cannot send the score from that date without also sending the essay score. If you happen to do poor on the essay you will have to send that score to all the colleges you apply to and even if they don't recommend it they might still consider it. Essentially, taking the essay and doing well will help you very little if at all, but doing bad could hurt you.
To keep this community safe and supportive: