<p>'Kay, SO...my strategy for the SAT essay was to:</p>
<p>a) write in cursive
b) use a classic five-paragraph structure with a thesis and MAP in my intro
c) fill up all the space
d) reference a novel and name the author</p>
<p>And I got an 11! (So one person thinks I'm perfect, right? Hahaha)</p>
<p>However, the same strategy didn't pan out on the ACT because they give you so much space! I have moderately sized handwriting, and there is no way I could've filled up every page. I wrote a well-constructed five paragraph essay, referenced novels/authors (easily with the prompt), and wrote in cursive. I would say I filled up four of the (6?) pages.</p>
<p>So, just iyo, how long is "long enough" on the ACT essay?</p>
<p>There was a question mark next to “6” for a reason, lol. I’m trying to remember…I count “one page” as one SIDE of a page. Yknow? So I think there were 6 sides you could write on. Mmmhmm.</p>
<p>It has been noted, unfortunately, that graders tend to err on the side of a higher score when dealing with a long essay. This could be due to their laziness, or a preconceived notion that longer is better. Anyway, there is still hope for people who didn’t write as much as they would have liked. </p>
<p>When I took the writing test in Oct., I experienced major brain freeze! I simply couldn’t force myself to write anything down. After staring at a blank page for seven minutes, I finally managed to get things rolling, and eventually finished a 1 ½ page 5-paragraph essay. I felt that the essay was good, but I still worried that it contained errors, since I didn’t have to check it over, and that it was too short. </p>
<p>When I recieved my score report, I was surprised to see that one grader gave me a 5. This goes to show that some graders actually grade on content, not length. I’d say a well-written essay that is 2 ½ pages could easily get you a 12.</p>
<p>Hmm, I happen to write a little smaller than normal, so I wonder how that equates in page length. I filled 2 full pages, so I assume that would equal 2.5 pages normally. Unfortunately, from the examples that I have read, it seems that essay length almost always directly correlates with high scores, though none of the examples had essays over 3 pages long. I don’t see how anyone could ever fill up 4-6 pages in 30 minutes with a dull pencil.</p>
<p>you shouldnt go on the notion that you must fill up the 6 alloted pages. you should write a coherent essay that doesnt ramble and gets right to the point…even if that means you only write 3 pages.</p>
<p>But on act/sat essays? Are u sure it wasnt the content? I could totally be wrong, im not trying to argue against you. I’m just saying that i read on like PR or Sparknotes prep that cursive is harder to read, though the way you print probably would hardly affect your grade.</p>
<p>Nah, some people have gorgeous and extremely legible cursive, I wouldn’t question that handwriting might exude some credibility. Then again, ugly, sloppy scribbled cursive is going to give your readers a migraine. You can write in cursive if yours is the former…</p>
<p>The ACT provides you with 4 (not 6) pages to write your essay. I think writing three or more pages is a good idea. I wrote three and a half and I have average sized handwriting. It’s really difficult to fill up all 4 pages.. almost nobody writes that fast, and you don’t need to.</p>