<p>Actual SAT with an actual score from the SAT administered in Nov. 2010. I'll post the actual score once some people have guessed. I know the second example is actually pretty shabby and has a few typos/grammatical errors. It was a slipshod example I put together mid-essay. Do not judge me, please.</p>
<p>Prompt: Do people put too much emphasis on doing things by and for themselves?</p>
<p>As the famous Transcendentalist thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson once noted, "Trust thyself." In an era where reliance on external resources mutes people's ability to think freely, many individuals lack independence. It is essential that humans place emphasis on doing things by and for themselves because only the individual knows his or her capabilities to the fullest extent. This sense of self-reliance is witnessed in the film Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, as well as The scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.</p>
<p>In the movie Homeless to Harvard, the true life story of a young teenage female is depicted in the slums of the Bronx. This girl, Liz Murray, is caught in a rather unfortunate situation; her mother recently died from epilepsy, her HIV-infected, drug-addicted father was lost on the streets, and she had not been in a school for over five years. Determined to break through the dilapidated conditions, Liz took control of her life knowing that the only person she could rely on was herself. Thus, she enrolled in a special high school program just days before the deadline. Not only was Liz inspired to learn and improve her life, but she also found new meaning in her world. She quickly earned her high school diploma within two years and won a New York Times scholarship to Harvard University. Liz's remarkable demonstration of self-reliance was the best possible solution for her problem. She had depended on her parents, who were negligent and reckless, for years. However, when she focused on herself, she succeed in turning her life around.</p>
<p>On another note, the independence demonstrated by Liz Murray is also paralleled by Hester Prynne, a character in The Scarlet Letter, who disagrees with the stifling, perfunctory routines of the bland Puritan community, is branded as an outcast after committing an act of adultery. With all external ties to society eliminated, Hester finds security and solace through her penchant for embroidery and knitting. She develops this remarkable ability and turns it into a lucrative business. With the support of her newfound confidence, another social paraiah who demonstrates maturity beyond her years, Hester converts her label "sinner" into something more able and dexterous. Instead of conforming to Puritan values, Hester Prynne remains true to herself. In the end of the novel, Hester's independence transforms her into a confident a capable individual. With her knitwork, she inevitably controls the power over the towns people. In addition, her mere presence as a stark contrast in the Puritan community makes her outstanding and even intimidating. Had she not placed emphasis on behaving independently, Hester would not have freed herself from internal turmoil and discovered new possibility.</p>
<p>It is natural and even beneficial to place importance on oneself and one's actions because of the necessity of maintaining self-dependence. As witnessed in Liz Murray's self-motivated triumph and Hester Prynne's tenacious will, people, indeed, do not place too much emphasis on themselves. Instead, these women should be applauded for their impressive actions and decisions. Only the individual can make the change he or she needs to create a difference.</p>