Contest

Two readers review the essay and each reader independently gives the essay a score from 1-6. A score of 12 is the best score an essay can receive.

Signs of a great essay

Consistency: Using an even tone, solid grammar and keeping to your central point or argument will go a long way.
Critical thinking: Demonstrate the ability to present complex and well thought out ideas. Ensure that the arguments you make are well reasoned and supported with examples.

The SAT Essay question always asks students to take a position and defend it. Critical to doing well on this section of the test is mastering how to express a point of view well. Here are some well-known movie scenes where the characters demonstrate the ability to take a stand – sometimes unpopular or unconventional. What do they have in common? What are the ways you can use these tactics to write a high scoring essay?

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

Using the following example we’ll demonstrate how to apply the most common rhetoric tactics to write a well-reasoned essay.
When we are young, we learn from parents and teachers that we should wait patiently for what we want. Few people would dispute the wisdom or truth of this teaching. Our society, however, with its mad rush and hurry and its insistence on instant gratification and quick responses, encourages and rewards impatience. Experience teaches us that we should not and do not have to wait.

Branch out from the usual suspects with non-literature examples for the SAT Essay. Don’t feel restricted to only use examples from your high school reading list in the SAT Essay. Consider your other subject areas as fodder for your thesis.
Aristotle Circle is hosting a contest on how to prepare for the SAT this month through June 1, 2011. Submit your essay prep sheets for a chance to win.

Think you can make the best prep sheet?

If you are preparing to take the SAT exam it is helpful to consider some of the common themes asked about in the essay and prepare examples. We analyze three common themes below for a closer look at how to prepare examples. Aristotle Circle is hosting a contest on how to prepare for the SAT this month through June 1, 2011. Submit your essay prep sheets for a chance to win.

On March 12, the College Board chose reality TV and its effect on society as one of the prompts for the SAT Essay section. Read high school junior Laetitia Krisel’s take on the essay question.

While it’s hard to predict exactly what the College Board will ask about from year to year – there is a common thread in the way a student can approach the Essay Prompt and some tips on how to prepare to respond.

Interpreting the SAT Essay Prompt

A prep sheet is a way to organize relevant info about books, historical facts and figures, scientific facts and other examples you might reference in your SAT Essay. Most students structure their Prep Sheets around themes that may be asked about in the essay prompt.

The SAT Essay is written in response to a prompt followed by a question. You have only 25 minutes to complete it. The essays are scored by two people on a scale of 1-6. The essay scores are based on how effectively you develop and support your argument.

Successful Essay Strategy
There are 3 steps that lead to a great SAT Essay: Scan, Structure, Support.