The SAT Essay
Success inTwenty-Five Minutes
Ms. Moore
Thousand Oaks High School
Preparation is Key!
Have a strategy.
 Essay Graders are looking for specific things in your work. Know what
they are.
Be familiar with the process of evaluation.
 Knowing how you will be graded makes it easier to know what you need
to do to accomplish your goal--an excellent score.
Be sure to practice writing sample essay responses in the allotted
amount of time to simulate test conditions.
 The ONLY WAY to improve your score is through practice. No, it’s not
fun. Yes, it’s hard work. So what? Do it, and you will reap the rewards of
earning an excellent score on the SAT Essay Writing Section.
General Overview of the
Essay Writing Section
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You will be asked to write a short essay
that requires you to take a position on an
issue and use examples to support your
position.
You will be allotted 25 minutes to complete
all steps of the essay – reading the prompt,
planning and organizing the essay, writing
and proofreading your response.
Scoring
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Essays are graded holistically on a scale from 1-6
(with 6 being the highest score) based on the overall
quality of the essay and the student’s demonstration
of writing competence.
Holistic grading means a grade will be assigned
based on an overall sense of how well the essay
has been executed in the time allotted.
The essay will count as approximately 30% of the
writing score.
Who will score the essay?
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The essay will be scored by experienced and trained
high school and college teachers.
Each essay will be scored by two people who will
not know each other’s score, the student’s
name/identity or the student’s school.
Each grader will give the essay a score from 1 to 6
based on a scoring rubric. The two scores will then
be added together to arrive at your essay sub-score.
If the graders’ scores differ by more than one point,
a third scorer will read your essay.
Mistakes and Legibility
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Even with some errors in spelling,
punctuation, and grammar, you can still get a
top score on the essay.
Handwriting will not count against you, but
the best essay will receive a low score if the
scorers can’t read it. You may need to
practice.
Your Goal: 4 Paragraphs
A perfect essay is worth 12 points, and most
12-point essays are four paragraphs long.
¶ 1: Main idea and thesis
¶ 2: First example/supporting story
¶ 3: Second example/supporting story with a
different perspective
¶ 4: Conclusion that connects to the thesis
Before you begin…
Read the Question Carefully
 Make sure you understand what is being
asked of you by the assignment.
 Make sure you address EVERYTHING the
question asks you to address.
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Some questions might have two parts. If you only
answer one part of a two-part question, your
score will be lowered as a result.
Know the limitations
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Pace yourself to accomplish everything
required within the allotted time frame.
Being aware of time spent and remaining–
and working within these limits – is a huge
part of the strategy for success.
You are limited to the space on the answer
sheet; the essay should “fit” as well as
possible.
Convert the prompt into a
thesis
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Question: Why do you like vanilla ice
cream?
Thesis: Although many of my friends never eat ice cream
without an abundance of sprinkles and sauces, I cannot
begin to count the reasons I like vanilla ice cream.
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Question: Do you agree that the United
States should avoid raising taxes?
Thesis: To support the idea that the United States
should avoid raising taxes is both shortsighted and
illogical.
More examples
Question: Considering that most teenage driving fatalities occur after
dark, do you believe that teenage drivers should be banned from
driving at night?
Converted to Thesis Statement: Since most teenage driving fatalities
occur after dark, I strongly contend that a teenager should not be
allowed to get behind the wheel of his or her car after the sun sets.
Question: If at the age of eighteen a person can join the military and die
for his country, do you feel that he should then also be allowed to go
into a bar and be served an alcoholic beverage?
Converted to Thesis Statement: If a person can join the military and die
for his or her country, this willingness to sacrifice should be matched
by the privilege of being able to enter a bar and be served an
alcoholic beverage.
Create an Outline
BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING, take two minutes to
outline your main sections:
Intro: Main idea and thesis
Body ¶ 1: First example/supporting story
Body ¶ 2: Second example/supporting story
Body ¶ 3: (optional): Third example/supporting story
Conclusion: Connects to the thesis
Yes, this is a formula. With only 25 minutes to complete a wellwritten essay, strategy is a HUGE factor for success. You do
NOT have the luxury of trying to figure out what to do next.
Sample outlines
Sample #1
DIRECTIONS: Please explain the following quote and whether or
not you agree or disagree with the statement.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Two-Minute General Outline:
¶ 1 – I agree; being negative will never result in producing amazing
results.
¶ 2 – You must care about something in order to create greatness.
¶ 3 – Examples in history and in personal experiences prove this point.
¶ 4 – Without genuine passion, excellence is unattainable. Without
passion, the end product may be letter perfect, but it will be lifeless
and bloodless, incapable of sustaining life and devoid of vitality.
Sample outlines
Sample #2
DIRECTIONS: Please explain the following quote and whether or
not you agree or disagree with the statement.
The person who lies for you will lie against you. (Harry Truman)
Two-Minute General Outline:
¶ 1 – A liar is a liar.
¶ 2 – Betrayal will eventually happen.
¶ 3 – Honesty is a principle without exception.
¶ 4 – People who lie for you reveal their true character, so beware.
Though these are only rough statements, one
can see that these essays now have a clear
sense of direction – and as a result they will be
MUCH EASIER to write because a road map is
now in place telling the writer where to go and
what to accomplish.
REMEMBER:
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Keep the outline direct and focused.
Address a specific topic and put forth a clear main
idea.
Make sure the outline will serve as an umbrella
which can be used for the entire essay.
Avoid the temptation to skip the outline process. If
you are intimidated by traditional outlining, use
“bubbles” or graphic organizers.
Avoid the temptation to abandon the outline after
taking the time to create it.
As you start…
Remain Calm and Focused
 Relax; if you have properly prepared (by practicing extensively)
you will be fine.
 Concentrate on the task at hand. Do not waste mental energy
worrying. Focus on answering the question and responding to the
essay prompt to the best of your ability.
Strive to make a strong impression.
 Remember, the test is graded holistically. Scorers will only give
you a round score for your essay rather than go through it line by
line to point out all the mistakes.
 To influence the scores in an upward direction, create a strong
impression right from the start. DO NOT SKIP the conclusion;
you must BEGIN AND FINISH STRONGLY.
A prompt
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below.
Most people tend to trust others too readily. To avoid being taken advantage of,
however, it is generally wise to be doubtful and suspicious of others' motives or
honesty. Many people would agree that if you find yourself doubting other
people's sincerity or questioning their intentions, your instincts are probably
correct. You are less likely to regret being cautious than being too trusting.
Assignment: Is it wise to be suspicious of the motives or honesty of other people,
even those who appear to be trustworthy? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Attacking the prompt
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the
assignment below.
Most peopleTHROUGH
tend to trust others too
readily. To avoid being
taken advantage
of,
READ
QUICKLY,
THEN
MOVE
however, it is generally wise to be doubtful and suspicious of others' motives or
honesty.
Many
people ASSIGNMENT.
would agree that if you find yourself
doubting
other
ON
TO
THE
This
material
people's sincerity or questioning their intentions, your instincts are probably
correct.
You are less
likely to regret being
cautious
than beingtopic.
too trusting.
simply
introduces
the
general
Assignment: Is it wise to be suspicious of the motives or honesty of other people,
even those who appear to be trustworthy? Plan and write an essay in which you
develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning
and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Simplify the prompt
Assignment: Is it wise to be suspicious of the
motives or honesty of other people, even those who
appear to be trustworthy? Plan and write an essay
in which you develop your point of view on this
issue. Support your position with reasoning and
examples taken from your reading, studies,
experience, or observations.
Is it better to be trusting or suspicious?
Choose a position
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No matter what the prompt, the question will ask
you to agree or disagree.
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It doesn’t matter how you really feel about the
topic—just choose whatever side you can
support most strongly.
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You can acknowledge the opposite point of
view; just make sure your position is the
dominant one.
Support your position
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The more specific the evidence you supply,
the better—cite names, dates, events, data.
Aim for a concrete discussion of the facts and
avoid generalities. Do not get trapped in a
circular argument.
Show a command of language
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Use specific, appropriate vocabulary, not
necessarily “fancy” words.
Vary sentence structure and length, but try to
limit commas to 2-3 per sentence, and length
to no more than 3 lines on the answer sheet.
Use proper grammar and spelling.
Use transitional words to show contrast,
elaboration, sequence, or results.
Introduction
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Unlike most essays, your thesis is the first
sentence in the introductory paragraph. The
rest of the paragraph can then summarize the
examples you will use in your supporting
paragraphs.
Give each example its own sentence =
introduction ~ 3-5 sentences (thesis +
examples). State your strongest example
last.
Body Paragraph 1
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Begin with a topic sentence that describes
the example and aligns it with your thesis.
Develop the example in 3-4 sentences.
Use specific facts to show how your example
supports your thesis—avoid generalities.
Body Paragraph 2 (and 3)
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Same structure as the first body paragraph;
however, your final body paragraph can
briefly acknowledge an opposing point of
view.
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Total number of sentences in the essay:
between 15 and 22
Conclusion
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Recap your argument in a single
straightforward sentence.
“Push” and expand your argument a bit. An
effective strategy is to show how your
reasoning could be applied on a broader
scale or used as a framework for evaluation
in the future. Make a connection!