Why prepare and study exemplars?
 “Originality is nothing but judicious imitation.”
 Voltaire
 “Good artists borrow, great artists steal.”
 Picasso
 “I think conscious, deliberate imitation of a piece of prose
one admires can be good training, a means toward finding
one’s own voice as a … writer.”
 Ursula Le Guin
 “All writers stand on the shoulders of other writers.”
 Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle columnist
Killer SAT Essay: Two Pages of Terrifying White Space
Facts about the SAT Essay
 It will be the first section on your test.
 You will receive a score from 0 to 12.
 Two scorers each assign your essay a score from 1 to
6, with 6 being the highest possible score, and these
scores are then combined.
 You must write on the assigned topic. If you write
on another topic, you will receive a score of zero.
DO NOT WRITE ON ANOTHER TOPIC.
 The essay will count for 30% of your total SAT
Writing score. (The other 70% are M.C. questions
on grammar, improving sentences, etc.).
Readers – Who are These People?
 Know your audience
 Teachers – both high school & college, typically English
and History teachers
 Paid by the hours & invited back based on the # scored
in an hour
 No more than 2 minutes is spent assessing your essay
 Graded holistically
FAQ’s
 1. Is it better to print or write in cursive?
 Whatever is more legible; although CollegeBoard says it
really doesn’t matter, neatness counts. Write as neatly
and clearly as you can.
 2. Should I skip lines, or should I write on every line?
 Single space. You only have two pages on which to write
your essay, so don’t risk running out of room.
 3. Will the length of my essay affect my score?
 According to a 2005 analysis of a graded sample of SAT
essays conducted by an MIT professor, the longer the
essay, the higher the score. Granted, this is just a
correlation; you must have strong, specific content, but
write as much high quality content as you can.
FAQ continued
 4. Should I write in pen or pencil?
 Pencil. You get no credit if you write in pen. Also, it must
be a #2 “old school” pencil (no mechanical pencils).
 5. Will the readers give me any credit for the outline
and notes I write on page 2?
 No. The readers will read only what you’ve written within
the lined pages of your student response sheet.
 6. Should I prepare a standard essay in advance and
tweak it to fit the topic?
 No. You must write on the assigned topic. If you write off-
topic, you will receive a score of zero.
 7. Is it better to use personal examples, or examples
from literature, history, etc.?
 It doesn’t matter. The key is that your examples must
support the position you take; if an example doesn’t
further your argument, it is worthless.
How much time do I have?
The essay comes at the beginning of the Writing section, and
you’ll have 25 minutes to do the following:
• read the prompt
• brainstorm your ideas
• plan your essay
• write your essay
• proofread
This may sound like a lot to accomplish in the allotted time,
but the readers know the time limitation, so they’re not
expecting a perfect essay. Instead, they’re expecting a quality
first draft.
What is the key to doing well on the essay?
There are two keys to doing well on the SAT Essay: the right
attitude and the right method.
Attitude: If you think of the essay as an ordeal, as yet another
hoop that you have to jump through, it will be hard to do
your best, no matter how well you write. Instead, think of it
as an opportunity to be expressive as opposed to the rest of
the test, where you are answering multiple choice questions.
Method: Accomplished writers often talk about the
importance of method. Stream-of-consciousness may be an
interesting literary technique, but it’s not such a great way to
write an essay. It’s best to use some organization techniques.
Those will follow.
SAT Essay: The Prompt
Killer SAT Essay: The Prompt
 You will be given a quote.
 You’ll then be asked to answer a question about the quote.
 To answer this question, you must state your position and
then support this position with varied and specific
examples.
 Examples can come from your personal experience,
literature, history, current events, and/or popular
culture.
 Two readers will each give your essay a score from 1 to 6, so
your total sub-score can range from 2 to 12.
 If you don’t write on the assigned topic, no matter how
brilliant your ideas are, you’ll receive a zero from both
scorers.
A Sample Prompt
Directions: Consider carefully the following excerpt and the
assignment below it. The plan and write an essay that explains
your ideas as persuasively as possible. Keep in mind that the
support you provide—both reasons and examples—will help
make your view convincing to the reader.
A popular song says, “You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.”
And Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, accepting the Nobel Prize,
said “No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged
from the kingdom of night.”
Assignment: What is your view of the claim that we often
appreciate the things that we have not when we gain them but
when we lose them? In an essay, support your position by
discussing an example (or examples) from literature, the arts,
science and technology, current events, or your own experience
or observation.
How It’s Graded
 Killer SAT Essay: Know the Score
 Two people score it, each out of 6, based on “overall
impression.” (Holistic Score)
 Your scores are added together to give you a number
out of 12.
 Grammar/Spelling/Conventions, Support,
Organization/Structure, and Style count (so does
handwriting…)
 Keep in mind: They’re reading THOUSANDS of
essays… make it easy to give you a 12!.
How It’s Graded
What Is Not Done
 There is no real “markup” of your work. The reader
gains an overall impression from reading your essay
and scores it based on that impression.
 There are no numbers of spelling, grammar or
punctuation errors that translate into a specific score.
 No single aspect of the essay can be the determining
factor in the overall score.
 IN SHORT IT’S APRETTY SUBJECTIVE PROCESS
Essay Scoring
Development and Support
 Development and Support refers to the writer’s ability to respond to the
question in the prompt and follow through with her ideas. This is the most
crucial part—an essay that doesn’t develop and support ideas will not score
well.
Development and Support include:
• how fully the essay responds to the prompt.
• the essay’s sense of completeness.
• the essay’s focus on the issue and avoidance of “filler”—extra words or
sentences that do not contribute to the essay.
• the quality and sufficiency of examples supporting the writer’s position.
• the depth of critical thinking and reasoning.
Essay Scoring
Organization
 Organization relates to the writer’s ability to organize
her ideas effectively.
Organization includes:
• the order of sentences and paragraphs.
• the use of effective transitions.
• the flow of ideas from the essay’s introduction to its
body through to its conclusion.
Essay Scoring
Language
 Language relates to the writer’s ability to correctly use a
variety of words.
Language includes:
• how accurately words and phrases communicate the
author’s ideas.
• how well the author varies word choice.
• the level of vocabulary the author displays.
Essay Scoring
Sentence Structure
 Sentence Structure relates to the writer’s ability to
correctly and appropriately use a variety of sentence
structures.
Sentence Structure includes:
• how well the author uses a variety of sentence types
that are correctly punctuated.
• how well and often the author varies sentence structure
in meaningful and purposeful ways.
Essay Scoring
Conventions
 Conventions relate to the author’s ability to write errorfree sentences.
Conventions include:
• how correctly the author uses punctuation (commas,
apostrophes, periods, colons, etc.).
• the author’s correctness in grammar and mechanics
(subject-verb agreement, verb tense, subject-pronoun
agreement, etc.).
Essay Scoring
Overall Score
 The essays are scored holistically—which means that the final score is
based on an overall impression. Essay readers won’t keep track of your
errors or assign a subscore for each writing element to determine your final
score.
The best plan is to make your essay as good as possible according to all five
scoring elements. However, holistic scoring means that an outstanding job
in one of the elements, such as language, may make the scorer somewhat
more lenient if you make several mistakes with another element, such as
conventions.
To get the best score possible, you want not only to improve in your weak
suits as a writer, but also to take advantage of your strong suits.
The SAT Scoring Guide
 See PDF on our class website under the LA
Links tab
 Pay attention to key descriptors from the rubric.
For example:
A Score of 6
 A 6 is “outstanding” and demonstrates “clear and consistent
mastery.” A typical 6:
 “effectively and insightfully develops a point of view…[and




uses] clearly appropriate examples…and other evidence to
support its position” [responds to prompt persuasively and
provides specific supporting examples]
“is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating…smooth
progression of ideas” [organized and uses transitions between
sentences, paragraphs, and ideas]
“[uses] a varied, accurate, and apt vocabulary”
“meaningful variety in sentence structure”
“free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
A Score of 4
 A 4 is “competent” and demonstrates “adequate
mastery.” A typical 4:
 “develops a point of view on the issue” and uses
“adequate examples, reasons, and other evidence to
support its position”
 “is generally organized and focused” and demonstrates
“some…progression of ideas”
 “exhibits adequate but inconsistent…use of language”
and uses “generally appropriate vocabulary”
 “some variety of sentence structure”
 “some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics”
A Score of 2
 A 2 is “seriously limited” and demonstrates “little mastery”.
Additionally, it’s flawed by ONE OR MORE of the
following weaknesses:
 “develops a point of view that is vague or seriously limited”




and provides “inappropriate or insufficient examples…to
support its position”
“is poorly organized…or demonstrates serious problems with
coherence or progression of ideas”
Uses “very limited vocabulary or incorrect word choice”
“frequent problems in sentence structure”
“contains errors in grammar…so serious that meaning is
somewhat obscured”
Table Talk
 What do you think are the most important
“ingredients” to a successful double-digit SAT essay?
 Why?
The 3 Things You Need
1. Length
2. Structure
3. Appropriate Examples/
Support
Writing the Way They Want
 Length is important. Use most of the booklet!
 Consider your audience. Catch their attention right
off the back.
 Establish a structure - 5 paragraphs, a clear thesis,
thesis reminders in each ¶, & transitions throughout
 Depth is better than breadth. Make sure to develop
your ideas at length. Don’t just list a whole bunch
without support.
 Don’t worry about accuracy; they don’t have time to
fact-check!
Use the Prompt
 Make sure you stay on topic
 You need to agree or disagree, and it’s
okay to do either as long as you are
EMPHATIC!!!
 Address the prompt directly so that the
reader knows you’re answering it.
A Sample Prompt
Directions: Consider carefully the following excerpt and the
assignment below it. The plan and write an essay that explains
your ideas as persuasively as possible. Keep in mind that the
support you provide—both reasons and examples—will help
make your view convincing to the reader.
A popular song says, “You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.”
And Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, accepting the Nobel Prize,
said “No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has emerged
from the kingdom of night.”
Assignment: What is your view of the claim that we often
appreciate the things that we have not when we gain them but
when we lose them? In an essay, support your position by
discussing an example (or examples) from history, literature, the
arts, science and technology, current events, or your own
experience or observation.
Structure – Building Blocks
 If you love the Five Paragraph Essay you’re in luck…
Intro
Topic Sentence/Example 1
Topic Sentence/Example 2
Topic Sentence/Example 3
Conclusion
 Everything has to tie back to the intro.
Structure – Building Blocks
 Sample Essay — What do you notice?
 15 minutes to read – individually
 Make a table with 3 columns
Introduction
3 strengths
Body ¶
5 strengths
Conclusion
3 strengths
 Table Talk – share the strengths you see in the essay
Your Intro Paragraph

You need to do four things:
1. State your position
2. Interpret the prompt
3. Reveal the “road map”
4. This one is just as important as the other 3:
Establish the level of proficiency of your
writing
Not So Good…
It is totally true that sometimes
failure teaches us. Life is full of
situations where if we would just
learn from our mistakes, we would
do better.
‘Good’ Intro
 A famous proverb proclaims: “If at first you don’t
succeed, try, try again”. This profound advice
suggests failure is inevitable before success. Thomas
Edison, for example, experimented with over 100
types of metal filaments before finally settling on
Tungsten for the electric light. His success, in other
words, did not come overnight. It resulted from
persistence and hard work. Which illustrates, every
advance involves some loss or sacrifice. This
concept is illustrated throughout history, literature,
and personal experience.
Introduction — Building Blocks
 The introduction of the essay sets the scene with a
broad, general statement, which is followed by a wellknown quote that supplies context to the prompt.
 Most people in America, if not the world, would agree
that every advance involves some sacrifice. In fact, a
common sports adage proclaims: “No pain, no gain.”
 The second-to-the-last sentence of the introduction
defines the topic. This is your thesis statement and is
the central point around which your essay revolves.
 In other words, progress is always accompanied by a
certain amount of loss.
Introduction — Building Blocks
 The last sentence of the introduction acts as a
transition to prepare the reader for the body
paragraphs that follow.
 This concept is illustrated throughout history and
literature, and personal experience.
Body Paragraphs
 Begin each paragraph with a topic
sentence that also works as a transition
sentence.
 Make sure it connects back to your
position (thesis) in your intro – use
thesis reminders
 Use only one example per paragraph
Body Paragraphs
 Each body paragraph starts with a transition sentence
that recaps the topic.
 One compelling illustration exemplifying some bad
always accompanies some good is demonstrated in the
Civil Rights movement.
 The theme that every advance involves some loss is also
demonstrated in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The
Scarlet Letter.
 A final illustration showing progress always involves a
loss occurred in my own personal experience building
houses in Mexico with my church group.
Depth is the key!!!
 You must make sure that you develop
your ideas if you want to score well.
 Spend two or three sentences explaining
the example - add commentary showing
depth of thinking/analysis.
 Use three or four sentences to connect
the example to your position.
 Then move on to the next paragraph!
Body Paragraphs - Support
 Each body paragraph supplies supporting details for
the topic sentence.
 In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus
to a white person…
 The protagonist, Hester Prynne, is charged with
adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A”
embroidered on her dress…
 At first, I was appalled at the extent of the poverty
around me and longed to return home to enjoy the rest
of my summer lounging by the swimming pool.
Transitions
 These tell your reader that you are moving from one
idea or from one section of the text to another.
 It’s like holding their hand…
 “A final illustration exemplifying (blank) is…”
 “This effort was very successful. Not everyone, however,
was so lucky.”
 “While beneficial to some, the new program will harm
others.”
Transition Words
 However
 While
 Although
 Furthermore
 Despite
 In addition
 To illustrate
 To further exemplify
 Therefore
 Though
 Moreover
 Similarly
 Another (example,
reason, point, etc.)
Conclusion
 Make sure you have one!
 Again, you’re not going to gain too many points here,
but you can lose them.
 It should be around three sentences.
 Wrap up your idea and leave the reader thinking
about the brilliant lesson on life that you have just
pointed out.
Conclusion
 The conclusion starts with a transition sentence recapping
the topic.
 As seen in these historic, literary and personal experience
examples, every advance is accompanied by inevitable
suffering.
 The conclusion closes the sale with a general statement and
a quote from an apparent authority that has some broad
relevance to the topic.
 This notion is particularly relevant to our lives today for the
world is undergoing change at an alarming rate. As Franklin
D. Roosevelt once said, “You may be disappointed if you fail,
but you are doomed if you don’t try.”
Key Points about Prompts
 These building blocks apply, in some degree or other,




to every SAT essay. How?
The trick is to understand that although every prompt
appears different, they are all fundamentally the same.
Prompts are generic, involving issues that lend
themselves to different – and invariably conflicting –
points of view.
Emphasize the dramatic elements inherent in the
subject matter.
Add DRAMA – as shown in the examples shown
Key Points about Prompts
 No matter what the prompt appears to say, you can
address it using prefabricated content examples that
interweave three basic motifs:
Overcoming obstacles
2. Meeting challenges
3. Achieving progress — either individual, social, or both
1.
How ‘Cheesy’ Can I Be?
 “Perhaps we can all learn from the loss of others and
start to truly appreciate the wondrous gifts that life has
bestowed upon us now, before it is too late.”
 “Life is too short to live with the regret caused by the
failure to do something that is within the grasp of each
of us.”
 “Although it seems that appreciating what we have
only once we’ve lost it is a prime example of ‘20/20
hindsight,’ perhaps the pain of our past losses can
sharpen our focus so that we can truly cherish what we
have today.”
Odds and Ends
 Don’t use big words just to sound ‘smart;’ you
won’t help yourself. Just use the best word
that you can think of.
 Make sure to vary your sentence structure, but
don’t worry about making every sentence long
and complicated… remember, they have to
read THOUSANDS of essays!
 Make it look ‘pretty’… indented paragraphs,
even margins, neat handwriting, etc.
Examples Are Crucial
 These are the bread and butter of your essay. You
MUST have them!
 Make them accessible and understandable for the
reader.
 Tie them to your position and the prompt.
 You can pick them out beforehand… Seriously.
 Try to use three examples from three different
‘categories.’
Examples: History
 They should be events that are taught in almost every
high school in the US.
 Think of events with universal themes… things you can
say a lot about.
 Examples: The Holocaust, The Civil Rights Movement,
WWII, The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, etc.
Examples: Current Events
 Anything that has been in the news lately will qualify
here:
 Syria, Obamacare, The Economy etc.
 Examples: the US Election, the Winter Olympics in
Sochi
Examples: Literature
 Stick to the ‘Classics.’ If you’ve read it in your high
school English class, it’s fine.
 Don’t spend too much time explaining the plot; focus
on the themes.
 Examples: To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies,
Things Fall Apart, Of Mice and Men
Examples: Personal Experience
 You can make these up!
 How are they ever going to know if
you’re telling a true story or not?
 Try not to go too far overboard
though…
 Just make sure to relate your
‘experience’ to the prompt.
How to Write an Essay in 25
Minutes
 The following slides will take you through what you
should be doing during each minute of the 25 you’re
allotted to write the SAT Essay.
 HERE’S A SAMPLE PROMPT
SAT Essay: Sample Prompt
 “If we rest, we rust.” This statement is certainly true;
inactivity and lack of exertion over time can cause our skills
to deteriorate through disuse. In fact, people who have
ceased practicing an activity for a long period and who
attempt to take it up again frequently are thwarted in doing
so because of the decline of their skills.
 Do you think that rest has a detrimental effect on us and
that we must keep active to avoid losing our edge? Plan and
write an essay in which you explain your position on this
issue. You may use examples from history, literature,
popular culture, current events, or personal experience to
support your position.
Minute One: Analyze the Prompt
 “If we rest, we rust.” This statement is certainly true; inactivity and
lack of exertion over time can cause our skills to deteriorate
through disuse. In fact, people who have ceased practicing an
activity for a long period and who attempt to take it up again
frequently are thwarted in doing so because of the decline of their
skills.
 Do you think that rest has a detrimental effect on us and that we
must keep active to avoid losing our edge? Plan and write an essay
in which you explain your position on this issue. You may use
examples from history, literature, popular culture, current events,
or personal experience to support your position.
 Ask yourself: what exactly is this prompt asking me to do?
Underline the question(s) and given task(s): Do you think that
rest has a detrimental effect on us and that we must keep
active to avoid losing our edge? Plan and write an essay in
which you explain your position on this issue.
Minute Two: Brainstorm
 Brainstorm potential examples you could use that are
connected to the prompt: Do you think that rest has
a detrimental effect on us and that we must keep
active to avoid losing our edge?
 Personal experience: example #1: rest is necessary to
avoid injury: stay active with running, swimming, etc.
but rest is necessary to improve and to avoid injury
(overtrained for half marathon: injured) [opposes
prompt]; example #2: rest is necessary to avoid mental
“burnout” as well: took graduate classes for 6 years in a
row, and although I did well, the classes became more
about the credits and less about actual learning.
Similarly, consider “senioritis” with students, and how
ready they are for a break from schooling. [opposes
prompt]
Brainstorming continued
 Current events:
 Literature: TKAM - Atticus took action & stood for what he believed in
 History:
 WWII – we tried to wait to enter the war; as a result, many lives were lost.
 Arms Race – if we “rest” in the arms race, our country will become
vulnerable to others
 Sports and activities: even professional athletes—the most wellconditioned human beings in the world—require rest to avoid injury, and
they still get hurt. Consider the short professional life of an NFL
runningback for example, and how few games are played in an NFL
season (in fact, current event: players opposing the proposal of adding
games to the season). [opposes prompt]
 The arts:
 Science and technology: consider current society and its rapid
technological growth; the concept of the “singularity” where
technological growth has become exponential, increasing at an
increasing rate. Ray Kurzweil’s theory that we’ll reach a point in only a
few decades where technological advancement is so significant that it
changes the way our society functions. [favors prompt]
Minute Three: Take a Stand (Write
your Thesis)
 Look at your evidence and decide what position you are
going to take in response to the prompt;
 will you support it or oppose it? Keep in mind that what you
personally believe is much less important than what your
strongest and most specific evidence supports.
 Choose the position that will allow you to write the best essay.
 Write your thesis:
 respond to the prompt’s question by stating your position
clearly and succinctly;
 the entirety of your essay should then support this statement.
 Avoid “I believe that” phrasing…
 if this is the way you think of your thesis, simply take that
beginning phrase out before you write the final version.
Minute Three: Take a Stand (Write
your Thesis)
 [supports prompt] “If we rest, we rust”: inactivity and
lack of exertion lead to loss of vitality and to decay.
 [opposes prompt] If we rest, we do not rust: our
times of rest enable us to restore our mental and
physical energy and to gain perspective on our lives.
 [opposes prompt] Staying mentally and physically
active is crucial to our health, but rest does not cause
us to “rust”; in fact, calculated rest can allow us to
achieve at our greatest potential, avoid injury and
“burnout,” and thus give us an edge over those who
would avoid rest.
Minute Four: Outline – Bullet Point
 Your goal is to produce a four or five paragraph essay that
includes a brief introduction with a clear thesis, two or three
body paragraphs that support the thesis with specific
examples, and a conclusion that restates your thesis.
 Your most important job in this essay is to prove your
writing competence, not to demonstrate your original
literary style;
 show the readers that you know how to write an
introduction with a clear thesis,
 at least three body paragraphs with supporting examples,
and a
 conclusion.
Minute Four: Outline cont’d
 I. INTRODUCTION: State your overall thesis
 If we rest, we rust: inactivity and lack of exertion get in the way of progress
and lead to the loss of vitality and to decay.
 II. BODY PARAGRAPH #1
 Topic Sentence: State the supporting point of your first body paragraph:
We have to keep moving to keep up with others and to avoid falling behind.
This is as true for industries as for individuals.
 Examples: Provide specific examples that support your argument. Be as
detailed and specific as possible; give names, places, events.
 A. U.S. auto industry’s decline: GM vs. Honda; B. Outmoded technology:
pay phones, cassettes
 III. BODY #2 (rinse and repeat)
 IV. BODY #3: Write a third Body ONLY if you have time to write your
Conclusion.
 IV. CONCLUSION
 Recap: Summarize your argument, restating your main points (1
sentence).
 Expand your position: apply your argument on a broader, universal
level. “So what?” How does this apply to everyone?
Minutes Five to 17: Write!
 Remember: write neatly but efficiently since your
time is limited.
 If you need to delete something, you can cross it
out rather than taking the time to erase it, without
penalty.
Minute 18: Reality Check
 You should have been writing for 12 minutes straight,
and you only have seven left.
 If you’re barely through your first body paragraph,
then you should abandon the idea of writing three
body paragraphs.
 Instead, go for your intro, two body, and a conclusion.
Minute 19 to 22: Wrap It Up
 Finish whichever body paragraph you’ve been
working on (should be second or third body), and
 bring your essay to a close.
Minute 23: Read – React - Revise
 Although you can’t read your essay out loud, read it to
yourself (this is one of those times when it’s okay to
listen to that voice in your head).
 Do the ideas and the sentences flow into the next? If
they don’t, add transition words (therefore, however,
nevertheless, similarly).
 Is a key example missing? Add it.
 Does any sentence or word seem out of place? Delete it.
 Do recognize, however, that if your outline was good,
your content should be good. Don’t try to do too much
here.
Minute 24: Proofread/Edit
 Think of yourself as an editor.
 Look over your essay for any run-ons, other
grammatical issues, or spelling errors.
 Correct them.
 Remember that you can cross things out that you
want deleted, rather than erasing them.
Minute 25: Reword, Reread, Relax.
 Look over your word choices: are there any verbs that could
be made stronger or more active? Any adjectives that could
be made stronger or more precise? Any vague words for
which you can come up with more precise synonyms? For
example:
 Instead of “keep our skills from going bad” we could say “keep
our skills from deteriorating”
 Instead of “not important” we could say “insignificant”
 Again, don’t do too much; simply replace a few words with
stronger, more precise, or higher level vocabulary. And DO
NOT attempt to use a word whose meaning you do not
know.
 Relax and breathe for the 10 to 15 seconds that you have left.