Is it a bad idea to take the SAT this early?

Absolutely, there is no downside to taking it this early on, i would just suggest not sending your scores to any school just yet until you have a score that you have worked more towards. A score you take now will let you see where you need to work on in math, science, reading and writing. Personally i took the SAT my freshman year for as many chances to improve as possible.

First, you should determine whether your testing style conforms better to the SAT versus the ACT because all colleges do not care which you take. Concurrently, I would determine whether or not you would personally benefit from potentially being awarded a National Merit Scholarship or distinction (as mentioned by Alexander Oddo) for scoring in the 99th Percentile of the PSAT. If you could use Merit-based financial aid, then this can come in handy since many colleges award partial tuition scholarships for having received this. However, if you are low-income, and a great student then you are mostly going to benefit from need-based financial aid which can sometimes cover your entire cost of attendance.

If you don't need Merit Aid, and either fall into low income or your parents are very well off, then you have some flexibility in deciding to study for the ACT or SAT.

If you know up front from taking practice tests that one format is better suited for both studying habits and test-taking ability, then focus on that. While more people take the SAT vs ACT, it's pretty close in terms of volumes of test takers like 1.7 million vs 1.3 million (pre-Covid it was like 2.2 vs 1.7 million). For some students the difference in outcomes is negligible. For others, it's very different. They can get a 35 ACT but only a 1450 SAT, or 1550 SAT, and only a 33 ACT.

Again, this is becoming more and more a personal choice because more schools are going permanently test optional like Columbia University and William & Mary which announced this week that they will be forever test optional. But until more colleges do this, there is still some bump you get from submitting a very high test score. Therefore, the main point of my answer is that don't rush to take the SAT yet. Talk it over with your counselor and your parents and figure out a strategy that works for you and your family situation.

Good luck.

I recommend studying for the PSAT and taking it at least once before the SAT. The PSAT will prepare you for the SAT without testing you on any knowledge that you may not have learned in school. Another benefit of the PSAT is that it will make you eligible to receive a National Merit scholarship or distinction. If you do well on the PSAT, it should translate into a good SAT score after studying and taking a few practice tests. Hope this helps!

Not entirely. I you feel that you are prepared enough then why not. Universities have also become test-optional now so I would recommend that you take some time to think about that. if you feel that your application is incomplete without your test scores, then go ahead. I agree with taking the SAT early; if you think your scores are good enough for you or your college you have a great chance of taking the test again. Hope this helps.