12 essay

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>If you got a 12 on the essay, can you please post it and share it with us?</p>

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<p>please anyone?</p>

3

<p>I can type up my 11 if you want?</p>

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<p>Yes, please! I’d like to see your 11 if you don’t mind :)</p>

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<p>Yes, please do type your essay!</p>

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<p>ASSIGNMENT:
**Is solitude–spending time alone–necessary for people to achieve their most important goals? 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. **</p>

<p>*The nature of solitude and its effects upon mankind has been a discussion between science, literature, and philosophy alike for centuries. While some would like to solve this inexplicable quandry though a generalization of the human mind in only its collective attributes, viewing the ideology through both a modern lense and retrospective past yields the most holistic conclusions. That is, in a world where technology has promised to eliminate social boundaries through vast human networks, it may be difficult to imagine how solitude could be a possibility, let alone a necessity. But by observing the literature and history of the past, without ignoring the conditions of the present, we stumble upon this complex notion as one that can both revitilize the mind and one that can lead to a path of self-destruction.</p>

<p>Several millennia ago, long before the development of the social networks seen today, the human race evolved as an isolated, but nevertheless collective force. This collectivism would evolve at a similar rate as our own development, growing more and more complex over time. Yet, until the most recent years, many of the greatest minds worked their greatest pieces alone, a rather puzzling situation in a collective world. Perhaps however, these great minds achieved isolation and success not by choice, but because their mindsets lay far ahead of their generation. Whether we examine Edison who worked tirelessly alone, or Einstein who had the full support of a development team, it may be hard to draw a solid conclusion from only a handfuls of cases. </p>

<p>As such, literature, as a means of theory, not empirical example, may be the best route to describe this phenomena. In particular, “Into the Wild” provides a great source of how isolation can both enlighten and literally kill a man. Chris Mcandless, fed up by society, leaves his wealthy lifestyle down a pathway of isolation and solitude. Ultimately, he achieves this isolation upon surprising conclusions - that it liberates him from society while he completes he life’s goal. But does his death jeopardize the means? Such is a choice that can hardly be made alone. </p>

<p>The death of Chris Mcandless illustrates the two-face effects of isolation on people. While novels like “Into the Wild” transcend the boundary between fact and fiction, showing how the controversy of solitude can both command one’s self accomplishments and failures can hardly be achieved through a single experience.
*</p>

<p>A few notes about the essay

  • I took the liberty of fixing 3 really stupid spelling errors. Distruction -> destruction.
  • My handwriting is below average.
  • It is 3 lines under the two page limit.
  • I don’t consider it perfect, I don’t respect the grading system, and I am open to criticism.
  • This is my FIRST essay above 8. Main change from before was length (1.25 pages -> 1.8 pages).
  • Part of the reason for the increase in score is luck. I had to write a similar essay for the AP Lit test.</p>
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<p>Nice thread; I’d like to refer to [this</a> post](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/645763-how-write-12-essay-just-10-days.html]this”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/645763-how-write-12-essay-just-10-days.html) as well. Since I’ve only taken 1 SAT (and received an 8 for a 1 and 1/4 page essay; this was before I joined CC), I can’t say how much the link has helped me score-wise, but it’s definitely made writing the SAT essay easier.</p>

<p>thequestionmark: Thank you for posting your essay. You probably know this already, but the first body paragraph could have been more specific (and referred to in the conclusion), and there’s the spelling errors, but you have an enviable writing style.</p>

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<p>I didn’t pick up the spelling errors like the person above me but I really like your essay. It has me thinking that I should change my writing style but I’m curious: How did you cross 3 lines? Is this from an official SAT test you did or was it practice in your own time at home or wherever? Thanks for your time in typing it up!</p>

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<p>@ anthosmit You don’t see the spelling errors because I already edited them out haha. Not sure what you mean by the 3 lines (I was 3 lines UNDER). This was from the June 2010 SAT and was just returned to me a few days ago. Depending on what your score is currently at, various improvements could be suggested.</p>

<p>If you’re at an 8 like I was, focus on length. I improved length by using a self-developed template so that I could write an essay for essentially any topic. After that of course, it’s your own personal rhetoric. </p>

<p>@everary - I agree. The time constraints really just suck to work out the fine details though.</p>

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<p>Your essay’s first paragraph has me ***ing. Seriously, can someone translate that? Way too sophisticated for someone who doesn’t like to read classics.</p>

<p>Also, should the thesis be stated at the end of the 1st paragraph, or in the middle? Or is it up the writer?</p>

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<p>Prompt: Do people tend to get along better with people who are very different from them or with those who are like them? 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.</p>

<p>Page 1: <a href=“http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/76/june2010essaypage1.jpg[/url]”>http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/76/june2010essaypage1.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
Page 2: <a href=“http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/9199/june2010essaypage2.jpg[/url]”>http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/9199/june2010essaypage2.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Aside from the stupid mistakes (instinctually versus instinctively, quantum world versus atomic world), I think I did alright. I got a 12. On the SAT before the June 2010 one, I got a 10 on the essay. I’m content.</p>

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<p>@ishanz: That is a classic example of a high scoring SAT essay. Formatted and structured very similarly to the examples posted online as well as prep books. I like how the simplicity is backed by a nice bundle of specific examples. For all those who want see how a safe, proven format works, look above. I don’t know how all you guys put out such legible pieces… This is my handwriting at its best and it looks like crap <a href=“http://img818.imageshack.us/i/essaypic.jpg/[/url]”>http://img818.imageshack.us/i/essaypic.jpg/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>@hobbithill: Thankfully, a lot of them DO read classics haha. I consider myself pretty careful in picking correct usage (not just complex usage) in word choice, but yea… you are entitled to your opinion and I’m not above being too wordy.</p>

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<p>I don’t think your handwriting is illegible one bit. I’m currently at a 10 and I really want and NEED that 12! Length is definitely not the problem since I wrote down to the last line. Apt vocabulary is definitely there too. Maybe it’s my examples and how I direct it to my thesis. I’m honestly lost as to where I can improve since I honestly thought the 12 was mine. Looks like I got a long way to go still.</p>

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<p>Does increasing the length of your essay affect your score? I know they say quality over quantity, but from what I’ve seen/heard, that doesn’t seem to hold true.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>It’s just a five paragraph essay. It’s how we’ve been taught to write essays since 7th grade.</p>

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<p>I got an 800 in W, with a 12/12 on the essay. Here’s some interesting and important things to note about the essay if you’re shooting for the 12:</p>

<p>1) Your essay needs to be 400+ words if you want the best shot of getting a twelve. A study done last year showed that approximately 90% of essays with over 400 words received a perfect score of 12.</p>

<p>2) You need at least one strong example. My personal favorite method is to do one example from history, one from a current event, and one from my personal life. It always ties up nicely that way.</p>

<p>3) Throw in a few impressive vocabulary words to appear intellectual. :)</p>

<p>4) Write neatly. Neat handwriting, no blotches or messiness. The same essay, word-for-word, that is written neater will have a better impression on a scorer than the exact same essay written sloppily.</p>

<p>The above tips should help you to get a 12. But by no means will it be easy! You’ll have to communicate effectively while achieving the 4 points listed above all under a 25 minute time constraint.</p>

<p>And for those of you worried, my essay was quite simplistic: nothing overtly philosophical that takes 10 minutes to interpret for each sentence. It just has to be structured effectively and sound convincing. You DON’T, I repeat DON’T, have to sound like Aristotle or Plato to get a 12.</p>

<p>Hope this helped. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>I think you just need to structure your writing really well, present a clear position, use strong examples, and vary your sentence structure. Using big words can’t hurt, but I seriously doubt you need 'em to get a 12. Use words that are at or beyond your level; instead of using “big,” use “massive,” assuming the replacement word suits the context.</p>

<p>Also, use “your mom” jokes generously and don’t resist the urge to swear - you really want to get the point across to your readers.</p>

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<p>Wow, I just realized that I have the worst handwriting imaginable. I never found out how to view my essay but I guess now I understand my low essay score on this June SAT.</p>

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<p>You also don’t need premeditated examples taken from well-known books, big historic events, and the like to get a 12. You can almost always draw on memories of movies, characters, role models, etc. from your childhood to construct examples for your essay. You don’t need a long, complicated intro, or any conclusion, either. I have no direct experience or proof of this, but perhaps with a little sense you could presume that it is true by looking at my incomplete essay, which scored a 10. I had no room to continue my third example, and I had no conclusion. I honestly think that, if I had continued my third example, or if I had done only two examples and used a stronger second example, I would’ve scored a 12. I don’t think the lack of a conclusion had anything to do with it. There is at least one example of essays that scored 12s with no conclusions on the College Board website. You might say that one has a higher chance of scoring a 12 if one includes a conclusion, but I say that that is nonsense. If you leave the reader satisfied with your argument by the end of your body paragraphs, he or she won’t care what you have to say afterward. Don’t waste your time on your intro or conclusion–that is, write a short intro, and don’t write a conclusion at all. The writing of both (or just the intro if you decide to heed my advice) should take less than 25 seconds if you want to finish the essay as quickly as possible. Just answer the prompt and introduce your examples in your intro, and spend the very last seconds finishing your last body paragraph.</p>

<p>first page: <a href=“http://i47.■■■■■■■.com/bg9z5x.jpg[/url]”>http://i47.■■■■■■■.com/bg9z5x.jpg&lt;/a&gt;
second page: <a href=“http://i45.■■■■■■■.com/2j4ztyr.jpg[/url]”>http://i45.■■■■■■■.com/2j4ztyr.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Transcript:

</p>

<p>You can tell my third example is utter b.s.; that is because I drew on a piece of literature that I was reading in school (because I couldn’t think of anything else) as opposed to something more naturally occurring, or more pertinent, like superheroes.</p>

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<p>I wrote an essay practically devoid of examples and got an 11. Ok, so I had this one example, but it was more or less just there for me to prove my point though what I had to say on my own. It was pretty good, in my opinion (I regard the essay score as utter b.s) but could’ve been slightly better with a bit of organization. Not that you have time for that on the SAT. I used like a lot of vocabulary words though.
Want me to post it?</p>