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- The essay is optional but recommended for some college applications. It provides supplemental writing samples.
- Students have 50 minutes to read and analyze a provided passage and write their essay response.
- Prompts present two perspectives on a topic along with a question about the relationship between them.
- Essays are evaluated on a 2-8 point scale in three categories:
- Reading - Demonstrating comprehension of sources
- Analysis - Developing ideas with evidence and reasoning
- Writing - Effective organization and command of language
- Scoring is holistic - graders consider the overall effectiveness of the essay rather than assigning points in each category.
- High scoring essays clearly establish a central claim, analyze both perspectives, support analysis with evidence, and show coherent organization.
- Lower scores may be for inability to form a clear thesis, not adequately addressing all parts of the prompt, or weaknesses in mechanics/grammar.
- Essays don't need to demonstrate agreement or disagreement, but should take a qualified stance beyond purely summarizing.
- Practice essays and self-evaluation are important for improving writing skills tested on the SAT.
- While not mandatory, the essay can provide additional context to an application alongside scores and coursework.
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TIPS
- Familiarize yourself with the format. The essay prompts present two perspectives on an issue and ask you to analyze them.
- Plan your essay structure before writing. Use an intro paragraph, 3 body paragraphs addressing the prompts, and a conclusion.
- Analyze the central ideas/arguments in each perspective, not just opinions. Cite evidence from the passages to support your analysis.
- Take a clear stance and qualify it by acknowledging nuances or limitations in the perspectives. Avoid an "all or nothing" approach.
- Use transition words like "moreover, however, similarly" to connect ideas coherently between paragraphs.
- Vary your sentence structures to engage the reader. Not all sentences need be complex.
- Keep checking your essay addresses all parts of the prompt directions, such as "analyze" and "comparing."
- Budget your time - leave 5-10 minutes to proofread for errors in grammar, mechanics, flow and correctness.
- Practice essays help build speed and strengthen analysis of multi-perspective prompts under time constraints.
- Have teachers or peers review practice essays to identify areas for improvement.
- On test day, aim to write neatly so graders can read your essay easily.