The SAT Essay!Some Tips and Ideas To Help You Succeed on the Writing Section

How It’s Scored

• 0-6 Rubric • Rubric Criteria:

– Position: did you take a side? Did you offer examples and reasons to support it?

– Organization: does your essay have a clear structure? Do the ideas build and progress through the piece?

– Language: is your diction and syntax (sentence structure) clear and appropriate? Did you use a fitting “level” of language (low/informal and elevated are usually not the best; stick with neutral language!)

– Grammar and Editing: is your essay mostly free of errors? Do the errors cause confusion in the meaning of the piece?

So What Do I Have to Do?

• The essay is a 25-minute timed writing. • You will be asked to make an argument based

on selection of text.• You must effectively take a side and prove

your point within that 25 minutes.

This Essay Asks You To MAKE AN ARGUMENT!

• The test refers to your argument as a “point of view”

• Position: the side of the argument that you take. You will either defend, refute, or qualify a particular position stated in the prompt.

• Thesis: Statement of a position on an issue or topic; the “big picture” part of your argument

• Claim: A statement of a position on an issue or topic; the particular points you make (“smaller” than a thesis; support the thesis)

You Must PROVE Your Point

• Provide relevant, well-elaborated examples as evidence to help support your thesis and claims.

• Treat your position and claims as though they are facts! If you back up a position well enough, you can argue anything!

Types of Evidence You Can Use

• History • Personal Experience• Observations of others• TV • Movies• Books• Anything else that helps prove your point!

Other Things To Know and Consider

• Defend: to offer support for a position or claim; back up that side

• Refute: to offer support against a position or claim• Concession: describe the extent to which an opposing

claim is true, but not to the degree that it disproves your own point.

• Pro: Evidence supporting a claim. • Con: Evidence against a claim. • GOOD ESSAYS MIX IN REFUTATION AND CONCESSION;

USE THEM TO HELP SOUND REASONABLE AND ASTUTE!

General Tips

• Provide Enough Relevant Examples to Prove You Point– More is not necessarily better: fewer examples with more

detail and elaboration is ALWAYS better than lots of rushed examples

• Make Sure Your Examples are Relevant – If the examples don’t relate to and directly prove your point,

they’re no good for your essay– Use First Person if Need Be

• How else could you write a paper about personal experiences?

• Avoid “I think” and “I feel” statements. State your case and prove it!

More Tips!

• The thesis doesn’t have to come at the beginning—it’s often best placed elsewhere.

• Be creative with your structure—essays that show consideration of how form affects the meaning often score higher.

• Make sure your structure is clear and logical.• Be concise; while you need to elaborate, avoid

rambling and going off on tangents.

Even More Tips!

• Argue the side that you can prove most effectively; this can even be the side opposite of your real position!– Whichever position has the most convincing

evidence is the one you should take– The graders will never know if you are taking the

opposite side—they don’t know you!• Choose meaningful examples, not just the first

thing that comes to mind.

Even more tips!

• Explain your evidence fully; tell the reader how each claim or point connects to the overall thesis; don’t assume we’ll “get it” unless you explain it.

• Don’t qualify your position—take a side. Qualification is too hard to do well in 25 minutes.

• Prewrite! Brainstorm examples, freewrite—do anything that helps you get ideas on page prior to actually writing the piece– you don’t want to be stuck with the first thing you

think of.

A Useful Link

• http://sat.collegeboard.com/home• This site has practice tests, booklets explaining

the scoring, and plenty of other materials to help you prepare!