<p>i am typing up this essay exactly as I wrote it on my practice test. I would appreciate it if I could get some scores on it. If you have any other suggestions on how I can better my score, they would be gladly accepted. Thanks again! :)</p>
<p>question:persistence more important to success than talent?</p>
<p>Practice, Practice, Practice. This is what people always say leads to success. If one tries hard enough, he can get anything he desires. Even if he is not naturally talented at it, if he perserveres and gives his time and effort, he can obtain anything he wants. </p>
<p>For example, in the Great Gatsby(underlined) by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby was not born rich. On the contrary he was born into a poverty stricken family. Yet, he strives to become wealthy. He worked extremely hard and eventually made enough money to live in East Egg, a very wealthy area. If he had not persisted with his dream of becoming rich, he would not have reached the place he had. Many people believe that going from rags to riches is not possible, but Gatsby is a perfect counter example. Through hardwork and perserverance a man can obtain anything he wishes, just like Gatsby. </p>
<p>Persistence has led to success in the real world as well- not only in the fictional world. Many athletes, such as Sasha Cohen, have had success by practicing day and night. Some people may say that she has won so many competitions because she is 'naturally talented'. But is that really true or is it because she has practiced for hours on end from a very young age? Most professional athletes start practicing from an extremely young age and at that young of an age how can you tell one child is more talented than another? Not possible. Athletes such as Sasha Cohen reach athletic success because they spend more time than others perfecting their sport. Sasha Cohen spends most of her day on the ice practicing her routines to be successful and win competitions. That is how and why she has become so famous at such a young age. Not because someone knew when she was five years old that was 'talented' at skating but because she trained for countless hours to get where she is. Perservering for those numerous years was the key to her success.</p>
<p>If a person has a strong will, like Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby (underlined) and professional figure skater Sasha Cohen, he can accomplish anything he wishes to. By trying hard enough and not losing sight of one's goal, reaching success is bound to happen. All it takes to reach a goal or a dream is a little bit of perserverance, just like William Jenning Bryans said.</p>