Students will be asked to write a short essay that requires them to take a position on an issue and use examples to support their position.

How the Essays are Scored

Essays are read and scored by experienced high school and college teachers who have reasonable expectations of the quality of writing done by students at the end of high school or the beginning of college. Each essay is read and scored by two different readers and is scored on a 6-point scale, with 6 as the highest score and 1 as the lowest. The total writing sample is the sum of the two readers' scores and is weighted to equal one-third of the total Writing Test score. Any paper that's given scores by the two readers that are more than two points apart is read by a third reader to resolve that discrepancy in scores.

Essays written in only 20 minutes to an assigned topic are not expected to be polished compositions. Scorers judge the quality of an essay by the total impression it creates; they take into account such aspects of writing as: organization, choice of words, sentence structure, and punctuation. Also taken into account are the appropriateness of examples and the logical presentation and development of ideas. Essays that are off-topic or illegible will receive a score of 0.

Scorers read your essay and score it very quickly, so it is important that you write it clearly and completely.

Characteristics of a Good Essay

—Takes a solid position that is simple and redefines the topic in slightly less broad terms

—Uses a variety of specific examples, with the strongest placed first

—Features strong organization

• 3-4 sentence introductory paragraph, with a thesis and a clear, concise explanation of your position
• 3 body paragraphs (each with 4-5 sentences) that lay out your examples
• 3-4 sentence concluding paragraph that recaps the argument
• Transitions that move the reader smoothly from one paragraph to the next

—Includes solid language mechanics

• accurate spelling and grammar
• interesting word choice
• varied sentence structure

—Includes solid language mechanics

• accurate spelling and grammar
• interesting word choice
• varied sentence structure

How to Prepare: The Official College Board View (quoted from their website)

It seems like everybody has a different opinion about how to do well on the SAT essay. Some people say you should write a strict five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, a conclusion, and three specific examples. Some people say you should read well-known books like The Great Gatsby or The Scarlet Letter and refer to them as often as you can. Some people say that the real key is to write as much as humanly possible. [Katherine's note: An MIT professor of statistics just released research showing a very high positive correlation between essay length and essay score.] Some say you should do all of these at once!

We want students to know that there are no short cuts to success on the SAT essay. The high school and college teachers who will score your essay have seen it all before. These teachers are not going to give high scores to an essay just because it is long, or has five paragraphs, or uses literary examples. The scorers are experts at identifying truly good writing--essays that insightfully develop a point of view with appropriate reasons and examples and use language skillfully.

So what can you do to write a successful SAT essay? Here are some strategies the College Board would like you to consider:

Read the entire assignment. It's all there to help you. Every essay assignment contains a short paragraph about the issue, usually from a specific author or book. Don't ignore this important information in your rush to answer the question. Imagine that you are talking to the author of the paragraph about the issue. What would you say to him or her? Would you argue or agree? What other ideas or examples would you bring up? Answering these questions will help you develop your own point of view.

Don't oversimplify. Developing your point of view doesn't mean coming up with as many examples as you can. Sometimes students cut a great example short to move on to something else, and end up oversimplifying. Take the time to really explain an example; that's the best way to fully develop your point of view. An essay with one or two thoughtful, well-developed reasons or examples is more likely to get a high score than an essay with three short, simplistic examples.

There's nothing wrong with "I." You are asked to develop your point of view on the issue, not give a straight report of the facts. This is your opinion, so feel free to use "I," and give examples that are meaningful to you, even ones from your personal life or experiences. Of course you need to support your ideas appropriately, and show that you can use language well, but remember: the essay is an opportunity for you to say what you think about an important issue that's relevant to your life. So relax and be yourself, and you will do just fine.

An Alternative Approach

The College Board's advice is wonderful as far as it goes. It's especially reassuring if you have had a lot of practice and direction instruction in the art of essay writing, or if you are one of those naturally Shakespearean types. If that's the case, you can just waltz into the essay portion of the SAT1 and expect to do well. But most students are not so fortunate, and to them, the College Board seems to be saying,"You've had inadequate high school coursework? Good luck!" (At the same time, the College Board is more than happy to sell you preparation manuals and online prep courses for these exams you supposedly can't do much to prepare for!)

While it is true that there are no surefire "shortcuts" or tricks for doing well on the essay, you can certainly get your brain in gear ahead of time by (1) brainstorming a variety of examples from literature, history, current events, science, art, and turning points in your own life, (2) brainstorming your responses to sample essays, and (3) writing some practice essays. If you are someone who thinks fast on your feet, you can probably skip the first step!

First: Brainstorm and write down:

5 works of literature

5 historical events or figures

5 important current events or people in the news

5 turning points or significant experiences in your own life

Select rich, multi-faceted examples that you can discuss in depth and from multiple perspectives: Hamlet, not Dilbert; Clinton, not Ethelred the Unready; stem cell research, not Britney's latest wedding. If you have a special strength in the arts or science, brainstorm these categories as well. For each example, note associated themes or issues that you might be able to discuss. You should only select examples that are very familiar to you. A passing acquaintance with a great classic will be much less useful than a thorough knowledge of a less renowned work.

Second: Using your cards and other examples that come to mind, brainstorm and outline responses to the sample topics listed below. The idea is to use your pre-planned examples as jumping-off points if you need them.

Third: After you have worked on several topics, try writing an essay or two. Click for 8 essay examples from the College Board book.

Fair Test: 
Test-Optional Colleges

ACT vs. SAT

Compass --
SAT2 Requirements

SAT2 - FAQ

The College Board

ACT Site

Kaplan's ACT / SAT Quiz Banks

Princeton Review's Word of the Day

Worksheet:
(ACT) or (SAT1 + SAT2)?

Smart Parent Critiques AP

Counselors' Corner: Should Students Take Both ACT and SAT?